Kaitlyn Seaton
Kaitlyn (Kate) Seaton is a Sales Coordinator at JWS Partner Corp, a premier marketing and mailing company now operating in the Harrisonburg area. She specializes in building and sustaining long-term client relationships through a consultative approach, understanding each client’s unique needs, facilitating sales appointments, maintaining engagement, and delivering exceptional service. Kate’s methodical approach combines multiple touchpoints emails, phone calls, and in-person visits to build trust and ensure clients receive tailored solutions that drive meaningful results.
Kate began her career as an English teacher in the Shenandoah Valley, having pursued a degree specifically for that purpose. She quickly realized, however, that teaching had shifted toward standardized testing rather than genuine education, prompting her to explore other career paths. Her search led her to banking, where she joined DuPont Community Credit Union as a member sales representative. There, she honed her sales skills through monthly referral goals and consistently exceeded expectations. Moving to Truist, she expanded her expertise in loans and money market accounts, solidifying her aptitude for sales. These experiences ultimately guided her to JWS Partners, where she combines her sales acumen with a passion for helping small businesses thrive.
With over seven years of professional experience across education, banking, and client services, Kate brings a unique blend of adaptability, empathy, and operational excellence to her work. She earned her Bachelor of Education from Commonwealth University-Mansfield and holds certifications in Secondary Instruction from the Virginia Department of Education and Alcohol Responsibility Training from the Virginia ABC Authority. Known for her organizational skills, keen insight into client needs, and dedication to supporting local businesses, Kate is committed to helping clients succeed while creating lasting, meaningful relationships.
• Commonwealth University-Mansfield - BEd, Secondary Education and Teaching
• Shenandoah Valley Pride Alliance (active member; pursuing board involvement)
• Virginia Democrats
• Shenandoah Valley Pride Alliance (supporting LGBTQ+ community
• Organizing Miss Gay Harrisonburg pageant
• Valley Pride events
• And trans community initiatives)
• Virginia Democrats (campaign support for Abigail Spanberger)
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being genuinely altruistic and building trust through honesty and kindness. I can be very charming, and I pride myself on being trustworthy. I'm actually a terrible liar, which works in my favor because I will never try to sell someone something they don't need. If somebody tells me no, that they're really not interested, I'm not going to try and push for it. I'll just say alright, I'll keep you in my back pocket, it's fine, I can move on. I'm never pushy with people. My success really comes down to being honest, being kind, and being truthful in all my interactions. I focus on building genuine relationships rather than just making sales, and I think people can sense that authenticity.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Focus on relationships, not just results. Kate believes that when you prioritize people and trust, success will naturally follow.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Go in with an open mind. Don't focus on the sale focus on the relationship. Focus on building a relationship and building trust, and the sale will come. It's really about prioritizing genuine connections with people over just trying to close deals. When you invest in relationships first, the business results will naturally follow.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Right now, one of the biggest challenges is that we're fairly new to the area, so we haven't built up that trust yet. It's challenging for me to approach potential clients and say, hey, I know you've never heard of us before, but I promise you you can trust us. Building that trust has been interesting. I've been working on it by letting people know that I've lived in the community for 11 years here in Harrisonburg, that my son goes to school here, my daughter goes to daycare here - really building those relationships and establishing credibility through my personal connection to the community. On the opportunity side, there's tremendous potential for growth. I feel like there's endless potential because Harrisonburg has so many small businesses that we could help. There is endless potential here. And as we expand beyond just Harrisonburg to all of Rockingham County, then all of Augusta County, and eventually beyond - I mean, the sky is the limit. We could go anywhere and promote businesses. What our company specifically does is target affluent clients, people who have money to spend and want to spend it where they should. Our Premier Mailer is basically a who's who of where they should spend their money, connecting quality businesses with customers who can truly support them.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important value to me is to always be kind. You never know what someone is going through, so even a kind word can make all the difference. I'm one of those people that if I see you, I just give compliments out like candy, because you never know what people are going through and a kind word can really matter. I'm very altruistic - I will give you the shirt off my back even if you're a stranger. I genuinely want to help people and I want people to be able to live their best life authentically as themselves. That's something that's very important to me. I'm very accepting of everyone. I'm with the Pride Alliance, I have a lot of friends that are trans, I myself am bisexual, and I'm very much for causes like immigration reform - I don't support taking people out of the community. I'm a very liberal person, and I truly believe in treating others the way you want to be treated. That golden rule guides everything I do, both professionally and personally.