Her Story
About Mikki
Mikki Garner serves as Sales Strategy and Planning Senior Manager at PepsiCo, where she acts as a consultant to brand and marketing teams on merchandising strategy, innovation, and promotional activities. With 11 to 12 years in sales, she began her career in traditional retail at companies such as Gap and CarMax before joining PepsiCo as an executive sales director, a role she held for five years. She earned her bachelor's degree from Cal State University of Northridge and is currently completing a master's in human resources at the University of Southern California. Garner holds Gallup certifications in creating engaging workplaces and strength coaching, which sparked her interest in side career coaching. She participates in NextUp and her company's Women of Color ERG, volunteers with children-focused community events, and credits her success to her strong faith and a network of women mentors and peers.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mikki
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would attribute my success to being very strongly anchored in my faith and a wonderful community of women who I've met along the years through mentorship and networking opportunities in corporate America.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I personally ever received is, you can do anything, but you cannot do everything. That really resonates with me as you get into positions where your scope is broad and your direct reports are huge. You have to learn delegation and building those people's capabilities.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Lead authentically. There's a lot of pressure to fit a mold sometimes in the field that we're in. But your power is in your authenticity. You bring something unique, and you're there for a reason. So don't shy away from that.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The glaring one is macroeconomics. People are spending their money more wisely, and as a sales organization, it's up to us to stay on the cutting edge of innovation and follow consumer trends. We're seeing a lot of things right now with GLP-1s and consumers are snacking less and looking for benefits and function with their food.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
For me, definitely equity and a sense of fairness. Honesty and transparency are huge with me. And, you know, just compassion. I think those things are really huge. They really, really drive me to help people.
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