Her Story
About Theresa
Theresa Novak serves as a BDM and salesperson specializing in Manpower light industrial staffing, a field she describes as one of the hardest in sales. Her career journey began in sales and advanced through management roles including manager, regional, VP, and associate director before she chose to step back to focus more on enjoying life outside of constant management demands. As a single parent who raised her daughter from the age of two, Novak balanced work and family by drawing on skills from managing a household to lead sales teams effectively, ultimately seeing her daughter become a successful VP of HR with her own family. She attributes her achievements to her mother's constant affirmation that she could accomplish anything through hard work and intelligence, combined with her own determination never to remain stagnant and to seize growth opportunities when other companies reached out. Novak advises young women entering the industry to stay focused, invest time and effort in building person-to-person relationships through in-person meetings, emails, and calls, remain dedicated, follow through, work hard and smart, treat others with empathy, avoid over-promising, stay realistic, and approach challenges creatively. She highlights post-COVID economic pressures where clients seek the lowest pricing, requiring creative and persistent strategies despite frequent rejections. Her core values center on integrity first, compassion, empathy, honesty, staying authentic, and demonstrating loyalty to customers, family, and employees.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Theresa
01What do you attribute your success to?
My mother always told me I could do anything and everything and never to doubt myself. She said I was smart and intelligent and to just work hard. I also wanted to give my daughter more than I had growing up and make her successful. I never got comfortable in a position and always looked for growth opportunities. I took chances when other companies reached out instead of staying stagnant.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stay focused and put in the time and effort. It's still person-to-person, so build relationships by being in front of the client, sending emails, and making phone calls. Be dedicated and follow through. If you are single and need to give time to your kid during the day, make up the hour at night. Work hard and work smart but know you still have to work hard. Be a people person, treat others as you would want to be treated. Don't over-promise and under-deliver, be realistic, and push hard with creative approaches.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The economy has changed after COVID. Companies want the cheapest lowest pricing possible which is hard for staffing companies. Young people coming in will have to think outside the box, be creative, not over-promise, listen and over-deliver, be realistic, and push hard with creative emails and approaches. You will get doors shut in your face many times but keep going.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity first, compassion, empathy. Stay real within the time, what's happening now. Never try to be more than what I am. What you see is what you get. Always from the heart, honesty, never something that's not true. Compassionate for everyone. Very loyal to customers, family, employees.
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