Sally Revell

I attribute my success to being determined to break generational cycles. I knew what I wanted and didn’t want. I wanted to see the world, I wanted to go to university, and I was absolutely certain I didn’t want to be part of the family business. My older brother and sister took that route; they left school at 15 with zero qualifications. I had a front row seat viewing the trials and tribulations of that, and knew I wanted more, and most of all, I wanted freedom. There are several influences that inspired me along the way.

The first one, believe it or not, is the 1987 movie Baby Boom. Diane Keaton played the high flying execute nicknamed “the tiger lady,” whose life changes when she inherits a child, then despite several challenges, builds her own wildly successful company. I love the whole story, start to finish. The suites, the boardroom, the adversity, her drive, her nervous knee knocking, her compassion, her sass, her resilience, and her success. I was 9 years old, and I asked for a leather briefcase for Christmas so I could play at being her. I was inspired to be a businesswoman, and this movie showed me many aspects of what to expect. It wouldn’t be easy, there would be some really tough situations and choices to make, and wearing a great outfit comes with a feeling! I wanted it all.

The second is being in community with great people. From the very first corporate team I was part of at IBM to the incredible team at AWS, where we really made the impossible possible. When I work with people who all “get it”, we’re all “on the same page.” I’ve noticed incredible things happen. You learn from each other. You have each other's backs. You inspire each other. It’s a catalyst for innovation, it powers energy, and the best part is that it’s so much fun. In my experience, that’s when success comes. It comes from being part of a kick a** team and community, not from what you can do alone.

Despite not wanting to be in the family business, I do have my parents to thank for my work ethic and my near fearless risk-taking abilities. This truly set the foundations for my success. I got to see them work hard, and they expected the same from all of their children, including me. They reinvented themselves from being a bouncer and a beauty queen, to a house painter and a secretary, to having a fish and chip shop, to losing everything in the recession, to rebuilding a new life in the pub industry (in the UK it’s a whole thing), and at the end of their lives in the hotel industry. They made these moves fearlessly (and often because they had no choice; they needed to survive). They were good people. But honestly, the worst bosses (talk about demanding). They both passed away in 2024, and I miss them every day. Thank you, Pam and Sid. I hope I made you proud.

The best career advice I ever received is to never settle. Always push for more of what you want and what you’ve earned, whether that’s more learning and development, more career advancement, or more pay. My dad taught me to always negotiate, “never take the first offer,” and I’ve taken that with me into every new job. I was told by a manager that I was one of the strongest negotiators he’d ever hired. I take that as a huge compliment. A badge of honor.

Never settle also applies to taking a new job. I often ask my mentees and coaching clients, “Are you running towards this new job, or are you running away from the current job?” Taking an “escape hatch” role typically means you’re compromising your values and settling for something less than you want or deserve. While of course there may be exceptions, especially in this current market, so conscious settling might be a necessary short-term move, being intentional is key.

It's really important to know what you want. If someone asks you what you want in your career or life, be ready to answer the question with confidence and clarity. Some people are really clear and have a plan mapped out, and many don’t (yet). Working with a coach is a proven way to unlock what you want and to create a plan to work toward your goals.

When it comes to your career, think of it like chess: every move should support your broader strategy and goals. Sometimes progress looks like a lateral move or even a step back, and that’s OK. The point is to move intentionally toward where you want to go. So if you’re in product marketing and your goal is to be a CMO, you’ll want to consider some moves outside your specialty to round out your experience, like growth, brand, or even a stint in the sales team. Think about your career as a journey, think about what interests you, what do you want to learn, and what are the target companies and roles that will get you there.

For example, In 2017, I left the comfort of Philips, where I’d worked for 7 years (two different stints). I had a lot of personal brand equity, I had a great team, and I was working on the coolest projects. But AWS came along and offered me an IC role in the AI product marketing team. The AI team! Jackpot! Working in AI was one of my goals. Despite a lateral move and going from a people manager to IC, and not knowing what I would work on (the product was top secret), I leaped at the opportunity. It was the best move I’ve made in my career.

AI, layoffs, frustration, anxiety, uncertainty about what to do next. It reminds me a little of 2021 in COVID when lots of people changed roles, because there was a desire to do something different, it was survival mode kicking in due to the existential threat. The speed of AI-driven change we are experiencing in this moment is triggering similar patterns. Although right now, sadly, many people are having the choice made for them with all the layoffs. While at the same time, there are many people not being laid off who feel the urge to make a change, but are uncertain of what to do, given how risky it feels. It’s hard to trust this market right now.

Where I believe the big opportunity comes in is in how we can embrace uncertainty and to find our strength in it, rather than being victims of it. I recently listened to Brené Brown and Adam Grant’s podcast on uncertainty, and I can’t stop thinking about one of the things Adam said:  “I think we are absolutely hardwired for the level of uncertainty we’re experiencing. I actually think we’re hardwired for much more uncertainty than we’re experiencing.”

That got my attention because a lot of people are struggling right now. The idea that we already carry all the tools we need to survive and thrive in this uncertainty is really empowering. The takeaway is simple: uncertainty is hard, but hard doesn’t mean it’s impossible. We may have less practice with it than we used to (people survived without weather reports, natural disaster warning systems, or even knowing where the next meal was coming from), but we are not powerless in it.

You can turn this moment into a regroup and allow yourself to reimagine what you want your life and career to become next. Working on identifying your values is core to that and thinking about what would need to change for you to live your values, and how that would feel (extremely satisfying is typically the answer). That may lead to a smaller reset, a bigger reinvention, or, for some people, an entirely new chapter.

Turn this uncertainty into a moment of freedom for yourself. See what happens.

Freedom is extremely important to me - the freedom to spend my time on things that are valuable to others and that bring me joy, the freedom to be fully expressed, the freedom to be creative, to have wacky ideas I can pursue, experiments I can run, and new hobbies I can try. The second one is innovation, and it links to freedom. I love trying new things, experimenting, learning, and being at the forefront of that. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone, taking risks, and failing fast. And then the third one is community. I'm absolutely at my best when I'm working in a team or in a community with like-minded people where we can bounce ideas around and innovate together. My latest project is being the Seattle Chapter Leader for AI-Powered Women, where I’m so inspired by the incredible women who are all coming together to build this new community.

Those are the three values that I use as a guide and filter for me: freedom, innovation, and community.