Rachel Spurlock

I attribute my success to having grit and a disciplined tenacity - not giving up easily. I always feel like when there's a will, there's a way. I was taught that early on competing in sports and always just being an athlete. As a point guard in basketball, you're gonna have so many missed shots, but none of those matter. It just matters the one that you make. Being an athlete taught me that you don't give up, you don't give up easily. That grit and tenacity really has built my character and inspired others to think outside the box and not give up easily when they get defeated.

The best advice I've received from some of the best leaders in sales and throughout Microsoft and other companies I've worked with is to always be curious. Always ask questions, don't be afraid to use your voice, because your unique perspective matters. How you'll help somebody else is also staying curious, so that their lens is heard, because everybody has a different perspective. Everyone's gonna care about something differently. Even though you think you might know the answer, you have to just stay curious and want to know what's the driver for others. I think that matters when you come together, no matter what you're doing. For me, it's helping the people become part of the process as well. Being a connector and a communicator are my superpowers, and I love to bring people together.

With a deliberate practice and a fearless heart, you can achieve anything. I think people that are interested in going into sales and technology, you have to have heart, because I'm passionate about helping patients and doctors improve the healthcare system, and that's my why of why I love staying in the health field. When you approach anything with that grit, and you just gotta have heart into it, and be passionate about what you're choosing to do, then you'll go far. When passion and purpose intersect, impact follows naturally.

I think the biggest challenge is AI as it continues to be new to all of us. Especially in healthcare, we're getting more exposed to the necessary means to it, but there's still a lot of questions and apprehension. As we grow into how AI doesn't replace the human touch or the human connection, leaning into being personable and human between the AI and the people is what matters most. AI has to be done thoughtfully and meaningfully, and everything it does has to have a good purpose and an audit trail behind it. I choose to work for companies that are really being thoughtful about what they're doing. Stay curious, ask questions, be vigilant about AI, because we have seen a lot of other models out there today that aren't doing that great of work. I've seen how much it can change the lives and impact of others for the better, so just keep finding ways that people are actually showing their studies that they have done. This can be a scary topic for a lot of people as well.

My top leadership values are curiosity, leading with a growth mindset, grit, and empathy. These are values I hold very much, just to make sure that I'm including everyone in the process. I bring my team along with me. I grew up playing competitive sports, and I was taught early on a team player mindset and a growth mindset, and that's really what's got me where I am today. I lean into empathy and curiosity a lot to solve problems for my customers. I create environments where others can thrive, building others up and leaving it better than I found it.