Leading Women in Sales: Britt Wallace
We asked some of our Sales Leaders to share the challenges they’ve faced in their careers as women, their bravest career moments and the best advice they’ve ever received
Spotlight: Britt Wallace, VP of East Coast Sales
What’s one piece of advice that greatly impacted you and your career trajectory?
Stay Curious: For a long time, I couldn’t actually put it into words, but when they said stay curious, it clicked. That has been a huge part of my career and a large reason I am so happy in it.
When something goes wrong not to jump to conclusions. By staying curious it helps me work with others to rectify the issue as well as keep our work relationship strong. It has also helped me understand others in a much better way. In Sales staying curious about the brand and client has enabled me to craft the best proposals, meetings, and have more meaningful conversations. By asking people what they need and asking more questions about that need, they lead me to a better understanding and result. Many people believe asking questions can be perceived badly where I have always believed the opposite. Staying curious and continually trying to learn has kept me excited about the industry I am in. It made me realize I would love management, when I was unsure I wanted to move away from a role I truly loved. In no way am I saying I know it all but by staying curious and asking questions, it has helped to make me feel so much more fulfilled at work.
Which woman has inspired you the most and why?
Impossible to pick just one, there are so many amazing women out there and entirely too many not spoken about. I would start with RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg) — if you haven’t read the book Notorious RBG, please pick it up, it is a page turner. She did so much and fought so hard in a time where women’s rights seemed like a joke at times. I have read so much literature about her and her still being alive (when I first started reading about her) gave me this closeness and better understanding of her. At 87 she had beat cancer multiple times and was still going to the gym. She continued to stand for what she believed in until the end. I also love how she approached problems, providing other points of view so people could see it a different way. She had the ability to make people see different perspectives, even if they didn’t agree with them. She fought and lead with intellect, strength and kindness. Something we should all aspire to do more of in our lives. I also just love the way she lived her life to the fullest.
My second (I promise to only mention 2) is Stacey Abrams. I was in Atlanta when she lost the race for Governor and it broke my heart. As part of my role at GumGum, I oversee Georgia. As a result, I started learning about her in 2018 when she was running. Even after her loss her name kept popping up because of all the amazing work she was doing (and still is). I remember thinking “Wow! she is so strong to lose the race and then move on so gracefully and to fight so powerfully against voter suppression to make sure that people would register and have a voice.” She is someone who doesn’t break easily and isn’t afraid to fight for the future she wants to see.Being in politics is tough and I am so inspired by how she is truly making a difference, and stands and works for what she believes in.
How do you unplug from work?
Now that we are WFH until the foreseeable future I realized early on I needed to change how I end the day or unplug from work. I close my workspace at home which is in our living room/kitchen, but I try to tidy it and make sure the computer is closed. I also put away my phone for at least 30 minutes when I end the day just to actually unplug. I also try to do something I am excited about, even if that just means leaving the apartment for a 5-minute walk. This helps me end the workday and then start the rest of my night. Reading, working out (mostly Running/Spinning), and cooking have been huge outlets to help me unplug as well. I keep trying new dishes out and try to perfect my favorites. Working out helps me get me out of my head so I do that most mornings to start the day off right. In 2020 I read 28 books, I found if I read before bed, I slept a lot better, with everything going on with the world it gave me a much-needed escape. (If you need book recommendations, give me a shout!). Because I am super goal oriented, I’ll make a list of non-work things I would like to do and so I try to do one of those a day. This helps me not think about work and focus on other tasks I want to get done.
