Maribeth (MJ) Jones

I had a manager that told me that I need to just be confident in who I am. I'm one of those people that likes to learn and likes to adapt to new ways of working, and she was encouraging me that I had some core values and core principles that I needed to stick with, but I could build on top of those. She helped me be willing to be confident in some of the values and things that make me me and function as I function, and being confident in that, and then just building on top of that instead of trying to be someone else. Sometimes when people are trying to grow and learn, we copy others until we can completely figure it out, but she just gave me the confidence to say that I do have values that I need to keep as well, but can always grow them. She was basically telling me to just be myself sometimes instead of always asking what can I do that's better or what can I do that's improved.

I would say put yourself out there. I think one thing that has really helped me is just exposure and networking. Being willing to walk up to someone and introduce yourself and ask them questions about themselves and learn about them is so valuable. I think being willing to network, not only in person but also virtually on LinkedIn and things like that, is the most valuable thing. I talked to a young gal who was looking for an introduction into an entry-level role in sales, and I was just telling her the biggest thing is just networking and getting to know people, and get those people to connect you to others. The bigger your network is and the more people that you know, the more likely you are to find the role that's going to bring you joy and help you succeed. I also think as we see AI become more of a common thing, there's going to be this major value on human experience, and so people who can reach out and introduce themselves and have conversations, there's going to be a major emphasis on people who are able to do that. I think that's super important for that upcoming generation to really hone in on those capabilities.

I think the biggest challenges are probably very similar to what most people are experiencing, and that is the adoption of AI. How can I leverage AI in my day-to-day role to not only elevate the efforts and the lift that I'm putting in, but also improve the experience of my customers and my sales leadership of me and the work that I'm producing? I think that's one of the bigger challenges, and being able to scale the ability to learn the AI with using it and still getting the day job done. As far as opportunities, I think there is a lot of potential. I'm in software sales, and the rise of not only AI but just software in general has created a totally unique space, and it's continuing to evolve. I think there's going to be a point where we've evolved to the amount that software is no longer a new thing, but right now we're in an era where there's constantly new ideas and new approaches, especially with AI. I think this is going to continue to be a growing space, and so as not only a woman in the space but just a professional in general, there's a lot of opportunity to continue to grow and learn and expand.

I think trust and honesty would probably be the top two in both areas. I take what I do very seriously, even though I am just selling a software that helps people in their day-to-day jobs. I see it as something that's going to improve their experience of their work and help them to get back to what they love doing, and so I take great joy and pleasure in what I do. I want to make sure that their trust is not misplaced and I'm being honest with what my product can do and what my team can provide to them and help them have a really positive experience in the whole process. I think software evaluations have become this big, stressful thing these days for companies because P&Ls are so heavy, and people feel like they have to cut the fat wherever they can. Being able to help people have a really positive experience in the sales process on an item that has become an increasing demand for marketing teams is what I'm selling, and being able to give them that positive experience really just brings happiness to my day. In my personal life, same thing. I love networking with people and helping people. I volunteer on a regular basis, and so just giving people the best experience that they can with me and with my family, and being able to be transparent and be a real person to them. I think social media sometimes makes us just feel a little more plastic, so I love being able to volunteer and just be present in people's lives.