Victoria Bishop

I attribute my success to my network. There's a lot of reasons why people incorporate themselves in networks and communities, and that's why I'm here. Of course I've put in the effort and hard work, but at the end of the day, if it wasn't for my network, I wouldn't be here. The people who have supported me, mentored me, and opened doors for me have been instrumental in getting me to where I am today. My network has been everything.

The best career advice I've ever received came from my mentor Amy Thran when I first started at Dell. I was asking her about advice for women in tech sales, and she told me, as long as you know your stuff, that's all that matters. Know your product to the degree that you're an expert, and then don't be afraid of leaning in on what you don't know. That advice has stuck with me throughout my career. The second piece of advice that's been transformative for me is to be yourself. When I was younger in sales, I felt like I had to have this very hard shell, like I had to act like a male figure in the role. But I've learned that I have so much better engagements with customers when I'm just myself - I'm goofy, I'm funny, I crack jokes all the time on the phone, and people are more willing to work with me because of that. Don't lose yourself when diving into a new career or sales ecosystem. Don't be afraid to be yourself, and truly be who you are rather than who you think you need to be.

My advice for young women entering sales has two main parts. First, know your stuff. Make sure you are knowledgeable about your career and seek out new knowledge to make you an expert in your arena. As long as you know your product inside and out, that's what matters. And don't be afraid to lean into what you don't know - ask questions and keep learning. The second piece of advice is something I had to learn myself: don't be afraid to be yourself. As a younger woman in sales, I felt like I had to have this very hard shell, like I needed to act like a man in my position. But I've found that I have so much better engagements with customers when I'm just being myself - I'm goofy, I crack jokes, I'm authentic. People are more willing to work with me because of that authenticity. So don't lose yourself when diving into a new career in the sales ecosystem. No matter who you are, make sure that you are being true to yourself. Be willing to work hard, but don't think you have to be somebody you're not.

The values that are most important to me are captured in my LinkedIn profile: people-first mentality, pressure is a privilege, and progress daily. That's what I live by day-to-day. I'm constantly working on identifying where my areas of opportunity are so I can be the best leader in whatever role I have, even as an individual contributor. I want to continue to progress and improve every single day. I also value authenticity - being who I am rather than putting on a hard shell or trying to be someone I'm not. In my personal life, I'm a lover of life. I love celebrating other people - in fact, if I could make a job out of celebrating other people, I would do that in a heartbeat. I love exercise, outdoor activities, travel, and I'm a huge foodie. I had 7 weddings last year and 4 this year, all of which I have to travel for, and I love being able to celebrate the people I care about. One of my weddings this year is in Italy, and I always say pasta, cheese, and wine are my three main food groups, so I'm very excited about that journey.