Kayla Lange

If you want the honest answer, I attribute a lot of my success plain old stubbornness and determination. But to share something a bit more reflective... I often come back to the idea that it truly takes a village. There's a book called The Go Giver by Bob Burg, and one of the main takeaways from the book is that success is built by creating value for others, not by taking it for yourself. I believe the fastest and most sustainable way to grow, both professionally and personally, is to bring others with you and invest in their success alongside your own.

My drive to help others is deeply rooted in how I was raised, which inspired me to pursue my early career path supporting children and families experiencing hospitalization, and now is simply ingrained in who I am as a person. Those foundational experiences taught me the importance of empathy, humility, and service, and they continue to influence how I lead and show up professionally today. When you focus on helping the people around you to feel supported and succeed in their own goals, that effort has a way of coming back to you in meaningful ways.

Additionally, I try to be intentional about learning from those who are more skilled or experienced than I am, and I never try to position myself as an expert where I am not. When someone helps me improve or learn something new, I make it a priority to recognize and give them credit, often publicly. Lifting others up creates a culture of support that allows everyone to grow. That mindset, and a dash of hard-headedness, is what has fueled my success.

It's no secret that us sales folk catch a lot of flak in our day-to-day lives. Rejection is simply part of the job. I’ve been called a lot of creative names by strangers who I'm offering my help to, hung up on more times than I can count, and told “no” in a thousand different ways. Putting yourself out there like that day after day can wear on you if you aren't careful.

The best career advice I've ever received is to learn to separate my identity from my role. The concept is simple but powerful: your performance is not a reflection of your personal identity or self-worth. When you stop measuring your self-worth by outcomes, failure becomes feedback rather than a defining moment. In other words, just because I fumble a cold call or lose an opportunity doesn’t make me any less capable or valuable as an individual. That separation has allowed me to approach challenges with curiosity instead of fear, learn faster from setbacks, and stay grounded regardless of the outcome.

For young women entering managed IT services field, or even a sales role in a different industry, my advice is to own your place at the table, even when (and especially when) you’re the only woman in the room. You don’t need to know everything on day one. Focus on staying curious, asking thoughtful questions, and truly understanding the business challenges your clients are facing. The technical knowledge will come with time, but confidence, collaboration, and consistency will set you apart early.

I’d also encourage women to build a strong personal identity separate from their role. Rejection is inevitable in sales, but it isn’t personal. The women who thrive in this industry are the ones who rise from the ashes, lead with authenticity, and trust that relationship-building and continuous learning will compound over time.

One of the biggest challenges in managed IT services right now is helping businesses navigate rapid change without feeling overwhelmed. Cyber criminals are getting a lot more creative, economic pressures are tightening budgets and limiting resources, and this lesser-known thing called AI is managing to completely turn the entire world on its head.

That said, these challenges are also areas where some of the biggest opportunities exist right now. Business leaders aren't just looking for an IT vendor who can fix things when they break anymore. They want a strategic partner who understands their business and can help them use technology in ways that actually support how they operate and grow. AI has fueled the shift in conversation from "what tools should I buy?" to "how do we get time back, make better decisions, and work more efficiently?" For sales specifically, the opportunity lies in building trust, seeking to educate rather than pitch, and helping organizations move forward with confidence in an increasingly complex digital landscape.

The values that matter most to me, both professionally and personally, are integrity, humility, curiosity, and trust. I try to show up the same way in every setting by doing the right thing, even when it’s uncomfortable, and by staying honest with myself and others. Humility keeps me grounded and open to learning, while curiosity pushes me to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and continuously grow. At the center of it all is trust. Whether I’m working with clients, teammates, or people in my personal life, I believe trust is something to be earned and serves as the foundation of every meaningful relationship.