Her Story
About Gracey
Gracey Lewis serves as CEO of EPE, a manufacturers sales representative company located in Cary, North Carolina. She has spent more than two and a half years in the equipment rep industry, focusing on relationship sales and acting as a supporter and problem solver for clients rather than a traditional pushy salesperson. Lewis graduated from NC State in 2020 with a major in human biology after initially pursuing paths in medicine and physical therapy. Prior to acquiring EPE, she worked her way up in the restaurant sector from host to general manager, opening two stores from scratch. She attributes her success to an internal drive for hard work instilled at a young age and advice from her grandfather to always be kind to others. Lewis is actively involved in professional organizations including the programming committee for the RTP chapter of Women in Bio, as well as memberships in the Parenteral Drug Association, the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers, and Triangle Women in STEM. She advises young women entering the field to tackle scary opportunities for growth and values empathy, boundary-setting, and the ability to read people through tone and expressions in both her professional and personal life.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Gracey
01What do you attribute your success to?
I've always kind of been hardworking, and it never came from anybody else. It just always came from inside of me. At a really young age, I was always one that wanted to complete my homework the second that I got home. ... just always getting the job done, and the job done well. ... my grandfather ... always be nice to people across the board, and it'll serve you in the end. ... that built-in motivation is probably what's gotten me the furthest in my life.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
If it's scary, go for it. If it's not scaring you, it's probably comfortable, and you don't grow in your comfort zone, so tackle the scary things in life, and you know, you'll look back and never regret anything that you did.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Staying on top of everything ... not getting behind on work ... the back end of it. Trying to figure out how to be efficient with your task. Not waste time. ... sales can be a little hard ... there's a stigma around salespeople ... Battling that in the beginning was kind of hard for me. But now ... I'm also just not pushy, but I'm consistent.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I'm caring, definitely. Probably sometimes too caring. ... setting some boundaries. I've always kind of put others in front of me ... feeling other people's feelings is something that I have ... empath, for sure. And I would say also, like, awareness ... I can read people really well. From the tone of voice to their facial expressions.
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