Her Story
About Toni
My career has been defined by consistency of overachievement - I've been in the top 10% of whatever field I'm in, and that has been consistent over a period of 35 years, through changing markets and changing economies. I think I've learned how to speak to a client, how to be a trusted advocate, and I've gotten to that level in a career where I'm really a trusted advisor for their business. That's what I'm most proud of. I work within tech, specifically in data and identity, helping businesses figure out who their customers and prospects are, how to market to them so that it speaks to them directly, and how to understand who they are and where they are in their journey. My background in forensic anthropology, which is really just solving a mystery, combined with my experience in B2B sales, has allowed me to look at what's going on in a business that's impeding them from reaching their goals and help them solve those problems. I can really uncover a path where other people may not see one, and I think that comes from my unconventional background - the ability to look at things unconventionally and decide I can take a next step here, even if it may not be what everyone else's next step would be.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Toni
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say there's something that I have written on my LinkedIn profile, and it is something that's really governed every step of my path, and that's that I can really uncover a path where other people may not see one. I think it's coming from a dysfunctional background, childhood, where the path was not clear - like, how do I get from this to something that actually is productive in society? The ability to look at that unconventionally and decide, okay, I can take a next step here. It may not be what everyone else's next step would be, but I'm going to have to take a different path to get to where I want to be. So, just really looking for the next step, not having to understand what the complete path looks like, but knowing, okay, I can find the next best step, and then I'll take that and see where it leads.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Learn who you are first. Really get to know yourself, and understand where your own obstacles lie, so that you can overcome those before you try to conquer the world.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think it's the ever-changing environment of technology. The fact that it's moving so fast, it's really hard to keep up, and then, of course, you have AI, generative AI being injected into that, which is just even accelerating and creating even more speed at which things are changing as far as the technology that we utilize, how we use it, how to govern it, how to make sure that we're staying in compliance with it - all of those things are really the biggest challenge in this field today.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think the value that really takes hold in both my personal and my professional life, and crosses over those two, is being authentic. Having authentic interactions and authentic relationships, whether it's professional or personal, so that people actually know me, and I know them, and we have - we build a level of trust, because there's no mask, we're really just being who we are.
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