Going to school in Texas, a lot of people go into oil and gas. And, at first, my path was no different. After majoring in supply chain management at Texas A&M, I worked in sales at Motiva under the Shell umbrella.
But the further I got in sales, the more interested in tech I became. It struck me how much software can drive creativity and innovation, even in more traditional industries like oil and gas.
So, I jumped head-first into adtech and fintech. And guess who my primary targets were? Oil and gas companies.
As you can imagine, my background served me really well. I knew exactly what problems my prospects were trying to solve and could cater my conversations to the use cases I knew they had. Knowing that I was helping others do their jobs better was really rewarding, and I wanted to do more of that — and make consumers' lives better, too, if possible.
Scoring a job at a startup that was offering users cash back on everyday purchases, was my ticket to that win-win kind of job. Excelling in my role meant that I was helping merchants move the needle while putting cash back into people’s pockets. I loved the fast pace of a new startup and felt great about what I was doing. I continued down the path of digital advertising and cash back, ending up as an Enterprise Director in Grocery, Fuel & Convenience at Cardlytics.
Going back to startups
One day, a company called Kard contacted me. Their note came at a very opportune time. At that time, I realized I really missed the startup atmosphere where I knew everyone at the company, interacted with merchants on a deep level, and felt like I could advocate where the product was going next.
I figured working at Kard might feel similar so that piqued my interest. But Kard’s unique niche was what really caught my eye. All my customers were desperately trying to acquire Gen Zs and Millennials. Kard was not only reeling in new, young consumers but turning them into customers for life.
Needless to say, I was intrigued. So, I met with the team, and that’s what sealed the deal.
Everyone was pushing boundaries and creating meaningful change while being extremely humble, collaborative, and creative. I could tell the team would be so inspiring and enriching that I couldn’t turn the opportunity down.
Going where my skills and interests led me
When I accepted my Kard offer, I knew I’d have some autonomy — I was one of the first sales hires and one of the only ones with a background in oil and gas. What I didn’t know was how much leadership already trusted me.
From day one, I was given the freedom to explore new ideas and approaches, and my boss encouraged me to take ownership of new projects and initiatives. That level of trust extended to my peers, too.
While sales are traditionally very competitive, Kard has always believed that “a rising tide lifts all ships.” Despite being a fully remote company, teammates are always willing to lend a helping hand and share lessons learned. At Kard, a win for you really is a win for everyone.
I started to find, though, that for me, the win wasn’t just closing a deal. It was being the merchant’s champion. I learned so much about each merchant in the sales cycle that I felt like it was my duty to steer them in the right direction and keep them happy. With big brands, especially, my goal was to create a lifelong partnership, and I wanted to own more of that journey — not just the beginning of it.
My boss saw this desire, too. So, in line with Kard’s commitment to trying new things, we mutually agreed on my transition to Account Management.
Going above and beyond for our merchants
The best part about this transition is working closely with merchants on a day-to-day basis. Instead of hunting and prospecting or even getting each merchant to hit a certain KPI, I’m showing merchants what else is possible with CLO.
I’m helping our key points of contact evangelize the benefits of the Kard platform — and the data Kard collects — across their business. I’m helping them make loyalty a key part of their GTM strategy. And I’m showing them the power to influence the direction of our product with their feedback.
After all, it’s a mutually beneficial partnership: They are thought leaders in their space, and we’re sponges for that knowledge, absorbing it and incorporating it into our product and offering. One of the most fun parts of my job is being the bridge between merchants and our engineering team, pitching merchant ideas, testing the ones that get prioritized, and sending feedback back and forth the whole time.
Taking the extra time and effort to understand merchants’ needs and challenges and develop tailored solutions that actually solve their problems keeps me going every day, and it’s what makes our platform better.
Each interaction brings a new insight and perspective, and seeing Kard's impact on merchant revenue is incredibly fulfilling.
Thinking about making a switch yourself? Curious about Kard’s culture? Learn all about it and what positions we’re hiring for on our careers page.
Bonus round: Rituals and obsessions
A Kard ritual I enjoy
Kard does a fantastic job of making remote work feel like we’re together in person. I think some of it is because of how active we are in Slack. We have channels to keep ourselves accountable to our fitness goals, channels for sharing fun things we do on the weekend, and channels to arrange in-person meetups with coworkers when we visit their city.
One thing I find most endearing about my colleagues is how much of a point they make to get to know each other. And honestly, it’s probably why we work together so well.
What I’m obsessed with
I love getting outside, so my current obsession is intramural sports — particularly four-by-four sand volleyball. My husband and I play every week. We’ve won the past two championship titles, which is really motivating!
