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Isaiah: Clothing Store Manager and Freight Broker to Tech Sales
29 Plays6 months ago
Isaiah is a Sales Development Representative (SDR) at OnBoard. Before completing the Springboard Tech Sales certificate in 2023, Isaiah worked as a Manager in a retail clothing store and a freight broker in logistics.
If you have any questions for Isaiah or me, the host, please email me at [email protected].
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Transcript
Meet Isaiah Payton: From Retail to Tech Sales
00:00:14
Speaker
Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Life After Tech Bootcamp. Today, I'm really excited to bring a new alum today. He went to Springboard, but he did a career track that I haven't gotten to speak to yet. So I'm really excited about having him on the podcast to learn a little bit more about his career path and share that story with all of you.
00:00:37
Speaker
So today I'd like to introduce you to Isaiah Payton. Isaiah is a sales development representative at onboard. And before he completed the springboard text sales certificate in 2023, Isaiah worked as a manager in retail, excuse me, in a retail clothing store and a freight broker in logistics. Hi Isaiah, welcome to the podcast. How are you today?
00:01:03
Speaker
I'm good. I'm good. Thank you for having me. How are you? I'm great. I want to hear a little bit more about, so when we did our pre-interview, you mentioned that you had joined a chapter of a fraternity, a historically black fraternity. And I was like, wait, I didn't know you could join a fraternity if you weren't in college. So, and I know that it's more than just joining this fraternity. There's something a bit more full circle about your career. So I,
00:01:33
Speaker
Love for you to share that now. Yeah, of course, of course. So my name is Isaiah Payton, and recently I joined a alumni chapter of a historically black fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated. And basically what was kind of full circle is the industry that I'm in now in tech sales, as a sales development representative, I actually work with
00:02:03
Speaker
um, board software or board meeting software. So, um, I basically, um, talk with president's office, um, alumni associations, foundations, and, um, basically get these institutions to, uh, implement our board, uh, our board meeting software platform. And, uh, the, the fraternity I joined actually has, uh, several boards on,
00:02:29
Speaker
three different levels, kind of like a local level, a state level, and a national level. And I've also been granted the opportunity to present this to my fraternity. So it kind of came full circle because I got the job and everything before I joined the fraternity. So I didn't know it was kind of going to end up that way, but it kind of worked out full circle, especially me being in the educational
00:02:56
Speaker
vertical that I'm in within my company. So it's full circle, like you said. Yeah, that's incredible. I kind of had a bit of that moment myself, I, I got my job at Verizon, I ended up moving to a new apartment and that unit, this is not as exciting as yours, yours is like way cooler, more impactful, but my apartment unit is now 5G, which I just thought was like, what's happening here? Anyways,
00:03:24
Speaker
I don't know why I'm talking about myself. That's incredible. And I'm sure just really a testament to how hard you've worked to get to where you are, because I know you have, like your story is just full of resilience. So while we start to talk about the story, let's go back to where you were before Springboard. What were you doing?
The Springboard Journey: Resources and Realizations
00:03:47
Speaker
So like I was saying, I mentioned before in the intro, I was
00:03:53
Speaker
I was actually a manager at a men's retail clothing store in a local mall that we have. It's called Johnson and Murphy. It's mainly a men's shoe store, but it's men's clothing primarily. And then also kind of in the mix of that, I was also a freight broker. I worked in logistics. So I was working with trucking companies or carriers with the big semi trucks that you see on the interstate. I was working with them to get loads
00:04:22
Speaker
you know, to and from, you know, wherever in the United States. I mainly focused on the East Coast, but kind of the journey that was happening is I was actually at the logistics company for about three, about four years, actually. And at the same time, I was actually working part time on the weekends at the retail clothing store in the mall. After about four years at the logistics company, I
00:04:51
Speaker
you know, wanted to have some mobility as far as upward and try to get into a leadership position. And it just so happened that I was approached for a leadership position at my part-time job at the retail clothing store at the mall. And I kind of, you know, asked to see what the path was for a leadership role at the logistic company. And it wasn't as fast as I wanted it. And I felt like it was,
00:05:22
Speaker
a chance for me to get into a leadership position. So I actually went full time at the retail clothing store. And I worked there for about two to three years as well, because I kind of started working there on the latter part of working at the logistics company. So I worked there for about two, three years. And then one summer, I remember it was the summer of 2022.
00:05:50
Speaker
And one of my good friends, we just talk a lot about, you know, doing, you know, new business ideas, improving ourself, you know, just, you know, trying to, you know, progress as a person in general. And he knew I was in sales, but he kind of also knew, like, that I kind of wanted something different, because I got my leadership position, but I kind of wanted to move into another industry. And he knows I really like tech. I've been into tech since I was,
00:06:19
Speaker
Um, a small kid. So, um, he mentioned to me, uh, taking a bootcamp, uh, for, for tech sales and, uh, especially with what happened with COVID and the last couple of years, it's, it's a totally, um, different landscape from what the workforce was before COVID. And, you know, everything's moving remote and it's like, you know, as I got older, it wasn't just the aspect of working remote, but it was the aspect of having a, a better life work balance.
00:06:49
Speaker
Um, that way, like, you know, I can perform better at work, but I also have a life outside of work. And that was a, that was an issue I ran into with the logistics job because I was always on call. So, you know, I, I would get calls at 3 AM in the morning talking about one of my drivers never showed up to pick up or they delivered late. And then, or, you know, I didn't have to, you know, stay up till who knows what hour in the morning.
00:07:17
Speaker
trying to find a driver in the truck to get the load picked up. So that kind of made me sit back and think. And I loved the hustle of it. It's a great industry, but it's not for everybody. But it's a rewarding industry, but it's just not for everybody. And at that time in my life, I felt like I didn't want to just all work all the time.
00:07:44
Speaker
I did want a personal life so I could be able to develop myself. So that's kind of where he kind of got the idea to give me the idea to apply for a online bootcamp for tech sales. And Springboard was probably the one of the three I looked at. And I decided just to take it just because I was looking for a new challenge in my life.
00:08:14
Speaker
We wanted to do something new, but also wanted to improve myself professionally. And I felt like getting into transitioning into tech sales. And I would say at my age, I'm 33. But I'm a little older than the workforce coming in now. But even me at 33, 32,
00:08:40
Speaker
uh, being able to do that, um, is a, is a really big accomplishment for me. Certainly. Yeah. And I love how a lot came together. Like you want a bit more of a leadership, you'd like the hustle, but you need a bit more stability. So when you were looking at these programs, what about springboard made you think like this is the right program for me? So I, I'd looked at reviews, um, and I've just seen a lot of, uh, a lot of good reviews from it.
00:09:09
Speaker
And also, just the certification and what I saw on everything, it looked good to me. Because I did a little deep dive search. And just after comparing it to other boot camps, it was the one that made the most sense to me. They also helped me out with a payment plan. So that was huge. Being able to pay that off.
00:09:40
Speaker
you know, because in my eyes, it's worth it. But it's just like, you know, not everybody has that money all the time. So, you know, I think I did like a qualification to where they kind of set it up to where like, hey, if you get a if you get a job, you know, we'll, we'll basically won't you won't have to start paying until you get a job. And that's exactly what happened. So it worked out the way it planned. So it was it was pretty nice.
00:10:07
Speaker
Yeah, it's definitely a different way of getting your education these days. Like old fashioned, like I, I did, I paid for it a little bit differently, but yeah, it's kind of strange that you like upfront pay for your bachelor's degree, which I got first still paying that off yet springboard has been long paid for anyways. So, you know, sadly the tech sales bootcamp has been wound down at springboard.
00:10:37
Speaker
But that doesn't mean people, correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like people should still pursue this degree if they, excuse, not degree, a career path if they want. So what would you advise others to look for in a tech
Mastering the Job Search: Strategies and Success
00:10:54
Speaker
bootcamp? Or really, what would you advise anyone looking to get started in this career path do? So we've just been looking at the different material and
00:11:07
Speaker
how they're going to teach you. Springboard had a lot of resources, a lot of useful resources. And they also had basically like advisors to help us through the process that we talked with. And the teachers were great as well. They were all very high energy, very bubbly. And one thing that definitely helped that Springboard focused on heavily
00:11:36
Speaker
was not only just like the terminologies and everything, but just also like your personality and your mannerisms and the etiquette of the business, because that's essentially part of your first impression. And that can make a break to see if you get an interview or not. So having that attention to detail as far as just like the etiquette and the manners, not just saying like, hey, this is how you
00:12:07
Speaker
you know, reach out to a prospect. This is how you follow up. This is how you intro. Um, there were like really intricate, um, lessons on just like all the different mannerisms and etiquette that is expected of you in the industry, not only, you know, when you're at the job, but also when you're on the job hunt. So, um, and then like, they also, also they had it to where they helped you find a job. So like, it wasn't only like after.
00:12:36
Speaker
Because you're still learning after the course is done. Because then you're learning, OK, how do I search for people on job boards? How do I search for people on LinkedIn? What days do I turn into application? I thought it was Monday or Tuesday. But it's actually, if it's posted within 24 hours, that's when you want to post it, your application, within the first 24 hours.
00:13:03
Speaker
So it doesn't matter if that's on a Wednesday or Friday or a Saturday, by chance you want to post it within the first 24 hours. And that little detail can make a huge difference because then someone who could post it today won't wait till next Monday to post it. And then by then there's thousands of other applicants in front of you. So it's little things like that outside of just like the course of teaching you what a pipeline is, teaching you what these industries are.
00:13:34
Speaker
finding a pain point, finding just different pain points and what solutions you can offer. Because all that was taught in the sales process and how to identify and how to qualify. I use all the terminologies that we discussed in the course. So it's not only the technical stuff of the sales, but it's also the personality part and the character part that
00:14:03
Speaker
played a huge difference in guiding me in that right direction to reach out confidently when I'm reaching out to people for applications and jobs. Certainly. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And I'm just curious about these mannerisms and things. I feel like a lot of people would benefit from learning how to reach out to people specifically on the job hunt. There's definitely ways to not do it.
00:14:31
Speaker
So to talk about the job hunt, what was that like? Like what, I, I have no idea what it takes to get a job in tech sales. So my job hunt was actually, it, it, it was pretty good timing. I will say, cause what happened was so I completed, so I completed in like the summer of 2023. So basically.
00:15:00
Speaker
At the beginning of 2023, I'm manager at the retail clothing store. Pretty much like January 3rd, they laid off pretty much the entire store. So I was jobless for half the year of 2023. So I was actually looking for a job for six months. But to put into perspective,
00:15:29
Speaker
I finished, I wanna say I finished Springboard in March or April because I remember it was three months after I finished Springboard that I got my job at onboard. So I got my job in June. So it was actually pretty convenient taking the course while unemployed because like I said, they were also teaching us how to
00:16:00
Speaker
you know, reach out to these recruiters and to how to look for, you know, companies that you work, that you would like to work for instead of just like, you know, wildfire, wildfire everywhere. So it made my job search a lot more refined than it would have been if I was just like trying to get any type of job. So that is something that like I've also remembered and I will continue to remember
00:16:27
Speaker
as I go throughout my professional career is those mannerisms like, you know, when I'm looking for a job and how to communicate because Springboard taught me to not only submit the application, but to also reach out to the recruiters or reach out to the people in the position I'm applying for on LinkedIn and talking with them and starting rapport. And then what that does is that put your foot in the door and then your name comes up and then
00:16:57
Speaker
Your application is already in the system. You're already a step ahead of a lot of other people who didn't choose to reach out to the recruiter or somebody who already worked there. Absolutely. And I would think, too, you reaching out like that is a preview of how you would reach out to a client to sell your software. Exactly. Especially in my industry.
00:17:27
Speaker
And I'm pretty sure this would translate to a lot of industries also, but it just shows that you have initiative and that you're showing that you really want it. So that little detail can separate you from the field, which I would say is pretty accurate if you do it, especially if you have good experience and everything. They'll definitely consider it if you're
00:17:57
Speaker
submitting application and actively talking to whoever is a recruiter at that time. So yeah. And would you say you got a higher rate of response when you reached out personally? Cause I'm sure there's some jobs you may be just applied for to apply or did you really send a message to every single hiring manager for a job you applied for? I said, I said to most.
00:18:26
Speaker
You know, for those that I could find. So, but I would say the response rate, especially if it's, if they're actively looking is, is pretty high. I would say a hundred percent, but I don't want to say that number and not be a hundred percent, right. But I would say it's a, it's a pretty big response rate. Um, especially if they, again, like they just posted it 24 hours ago. And then the next day you say you put in your application and you're messaging them.
00:18:55
Speaker
they're going to be able to find your file pretty quickly. So yeah, it's definitely a difference maker, I would say. Wow. That's so interesting. Yeah. I don't know, in obviously different industries, but UX and I did get some response back, but I always found in my experience, they're not going to respond to me if
00:19:19
Speaker
even if I reach out, they're only really going to respond if they want to interview me. But maybe you were just a better, more rounded candidate than I was. Well, I mean, like I said, I have to give that credit to, to springboard because they, they gave, they basically give you an outline of, you know, what to say, who to, who to reach out to. And you kind of just curate it to your own personality, your own field, and then you just take it from there. So.
00:19:47
Speaker
you know, honestly, it's pretty copy and paste, as far as just like, you know, what they tell you to say. So it can apply to honestly, any industry in my opinion. Yeah, certainly. And I was even just thinking like, the career coaching at springboard was better than the career coaching in my undergrad that I'm still paying off. Yeah. How is this possible? Also, I'm just thinking springboard, if you're listening,
00:20:16
Speaker
Who should totally, you know, have a separate, like you should just be able to buy the career coaching. Cause I would imagine like, you know, I don't plan on looking for a job anytime soon. I'm sure you don't want to either, but you know, in five years, I don't know where we're going to be. Like it might be beneficial and it's a good quality product. Yeah, exactly. Cause my, my, uh, my advisor, uh, Jan tour, she, she was a great advisor. She, she looked at my, my resume.
00:20:46
Speaker
Um, you know, she, I would always call her and talk to her whenever, you know, I had interviews or before I had interviews, um, I would tell her how they went. Tell her, you know, what I think went well, what I think went wrong, you know, and then I tell her, you know, the, the general gist of it, she gives me feedback. So, you know, with that, I definitely got better and better and better with each.
00:21:11
Speaker
interview and then like at some point it was pretty much you know just like an automatic process I was just getting interviews and it was to a point to where we're like okay like you have no issues getting interviews now we just need to land one so that was it was definitely an integral part of my job search that definitely helped me and I don't know if it would have been the same if I didn't have Jan helping me because like I said she was helping me
00:21:41
Speaker
like three months after I finished the program. So, you know, that, that was a huge help. Yeah. I mean, that's always something we said for asking for help or seeking guidance because you can only use so much on your own. So with that, what was it like getting your first job? Let's talk about that interview process all the way up to how you actually landed a job because you're getting these interviews.
00:22:07
Speaker
And you just needed one. Yes. Unless you're doing five jobs at once, but I don't think you are. Yeah. No, no, no need for that. Um, so, but yeah, so I mean the interview process, what I remember specifically is that, so I went, I applied for, uh, for Salesforce, um, because I knew, I knew a person that I'm one of a bunch of people that worked there, but, um, I knew I ended up knowing.
00:22:35
Speaker
like a regional vice president, um, cause I'm in Indianapolis and I knew the regional vice president and it was just like, you know, it's, it's one of those, those jobs that, you know, if you say that people are like, Oh, you work at Salesforce. So it's like, you know, so it was pretty high, a high goal for me. But I remember getting to, um, I was able to get to the final interview and, um, I didn't get the job unfortunately, but the only reason I didn't get the job is because
00:23:05
Speaker
The other person had already been an SDR. This was actually for a BDR, a business development role, which at Salesforce, it's SDR and then it's BDR. So I was kind of skipping levels because I was told that my experience was a little high for an SDR and that I should have went and applied for the BDR.
00:23:30
Speaker
I was like, you know, and that was just like, you know, how springboard prepared me. I was, you know, kind of skipping levels. And, but like I said, the only reason I didn't get the job was because, um, the person had already been an SDR and they were already working at Salesforce. So obviously it was a much easier transition. So I remember, I remember getting that. And of course I was a little, you know, down about it just because I really, really wanted to get a Salesforce and I got into the final interview, but.
00:23:59
Speaker
I probably wouldn't have been able to get to the final interview if it wasn't for Springboard. But then I just started to apply for more just local jobs. And I found onboard and I just pretty much applied for it. And this was after my Salesforce interview. So again, this was kind of when I was just getting interviews, getting interviews. And I was actually at a point to where I was
00:24:28
Speaker
interviewing companies to see if I even wanted to work with them because that's something that Springboard taught as well. You're interviewing them as well because you're here because there's a mutual belief that the company can offer me something and I can offer the company something. That was a part of the process that
00:24:53
Speaker
is when things started going a lot smoother, because I knew where I wanted to go. I knew what I wanted. And onboard, just one, I looked up the company as well. I did some research. Found out they're the first board meeting software platform, pretty much like the leader. So I applied, and they're conveniently placed in my city. And I had the interview with both of my managers.
00:25:23
Speaker
It was, at that point, it was like all the other interviews. Honestly, I was just going through the motions, essentially. But just going through it with utmost confidence and remembering everything that I learned in Springboard. And then I think it was a Monday or so. I remember getting the email. Because at that time, I was actually living with my parents, just because I was going through some financial things.
00:25:52
Speaker
uh, some financial issues at that point. Um, so it was, uh, I remember getting the email and just being super static, you know, cause that, that was like, that was, that, that was the goal, you know, and I had people telling me like, you know, just get a job in the meantime, you know, you can just do here like part time, but I really was focused on getting a job in text sales or in software sales.
00:26:19
Speaker
just because like that was my goal. So when it finally happened, I was I was very, very happy. So that's great. Yeah. And all that practice just led up to this moment. I'm sure. So I'm sure that was such a sweet relief to finally get that. Yes. Yeah, it was. It was great. So and then I actually got a couple other yeses after that. But
00:26:47
Speaker
Like I said, I'd already looked at the companies and I pretty much accepted onboard right away. So it was nice finally being able to reach that point in the job search. Yeah, absolutely. And you said something interesting about interviewing the companies. And yes, it is important to see if that's a good fit for you.
00:27:14
Speaker
What were some of maybe the red flags that you think others should look out for? Maybe some that you saw if you're comfortable sharing. Just like the same things that, you know, interviewers will look for, like, are they late to their meeting? Like, did they say, we're going to have a meeting at this time and we don't have it for 30 minutes later? You know, is what they're saying in the interview consistent with what's in the job description? Because, you know, apparently,
00:27:43
Speaker
Uh, there, there are companies that were like, Hey, we're, we're hybrid, but they're not really hybrid. They, you know, work from home one day a week. And it's just like, okay, like that's not what you're saying in the job description. So, you know, it's inconsistencies, you know, just like also asking them, you know, hard questions like, you know, why did, why did several people
00:28:10
Speaker
say in reviews that there's no work-life balance or why did they say, you know, why is it always said that management, micromanages and, you know, it's hard to meet quota, you know, because I don't think people are, you know, just maliciously, randomly making company reviews on Glassdoor. I think people, you know, are taking time because they experience something. So you're allowed to ask those questions and you should,
00:28:40
Speaker
you know, they should be able to tell you, you know, like what's going on, because it's just like anywhere else, you know, there's just because someone has a building and a logo, you know, doesn't mean they treat their workers right. So, you know, that's, that's very important. And essentially, like, you know, while I was saying earlier, while I was looking for a job with a nice work-life balance, because, you know, I'm not going to be able to perform well at work if,
00:29:09
Speaker
you know, I'm not doing well at home. So and I think that's a that's a culture shift that's coming, that you know, a lot of people, you know, and looking for a job should, you know, pay attention for is like, you know, are they consistent with what they saying? Like, are they, do they really care about, you know, my personal being like, you know, because, you know, there's horror stories of, you know, people
00:29:34
Speaker
getting fired when they're on maternity leave or something like that. So it's just like, you don't ever want to be in that situation and you can, you can kind of, you know, catch that in the beginning, you know, when you start asking questions, because I mean, essentially you're, you're there for a reason. They, they contacted you because they believe that you can add value. So, you know, before you add your value, make sure it's, you know, something that's worth being added to.
00:30:01
Speaker
Yeah, those are very wise words. I'm so curious, if you're asking these questions, did you directly ask people like, hey, what's up with the micromanagement? I respect the boldness. I don't know if I'm bold enough to ask that kind of question, but I'm just very curious, like what kinds of reactions or responses did you get when you asked the hard questions? Luckily, I've got some good answers.
00:30:30
Speaker
It depends because if it's a good company, they'll be able to answer it. And, you know, coming from jobs that have, you know, been difficult and it's like, okay, like, yeah, this job is difficult. And there's like, you know, some rough ends around the edges, but it's like, okay, this job is hard. And it's just like, not a lot of people are meant, you know, for this job versus.
00:30:58
Speaker
it's like, okay, like this job should not be hard. And it seems like people are just like struggling to enjoy coming to work. So it's like, you know, when you can, you can kind of just tell when, when you get a response, like, Hey, like what's up with these reviews? And they're just like, Oh, and it's like,
00:31:22
Speaker
Okay. Like you kind of just like dodged the answer. You didn't really say anything. You were just saying like, Oh, those are just angry people rather than saying like, Oh, we don't micromanage. We just, you know, expect reports every week, you know, at this time. And some people found that, you know, hard to manage. So we're fixing that the fact that you only have to send a report every other week. So it's, it's things like that because.
00:31:50
Speaker
you got to make sure that they're running their business correctly because if they're not, and then you're going in and learning a system that's broken, then you're not going to be able to perform. So again, it's kind of like buying a car. You want to make sure the car works before you drive it off the lot. And you might ask the dealer, what are these features? Are there other options?
00:32:16
Speaker
It's a back and forth. So it's a two-way street. And I feel like interviewers need to definitely realize that and acknowledge it because nobody wants to have their time wasted. Let me just put it like that. So it could be a lot of time wasted, a lot of energy for nothing. And why not just knock it out in the front? Because if you don't respond well to my question, and it's literally just a question,
00:32:47
Speaker
then I feel like you're probably going to waste my time. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. You're probably just dodging a bullet as well. I was actually thinking a bit more about that. I've lost my train of thought now, but it's almost like
00:33:06
Speaker
If you're trying to get to know someone, in this case, a company, and they can't give you a good reason as to why they are, or even take ownership of maybe some poor practices, then yeah, I can't even imagine how they're gonna treat their staff. And there's definitely that mindset of, well, I'm doing things my way, other people can take it or leave it, but that's just not good collaboration. It's not good for career growth. So yeah, I love that mindset of,
00:33:34
Speaker
you know, asking about Glassdoor reviews because if there's enough of them saying the same thing, it's probably true. Yeah. So, well, it sounds like your interview with onboard went well, as in they answered all your questions to a T.
The Onboard Experience: Roles and Responsibilities
00:33:52
Speaker
So let's talk about what you're doing there. I know you, so I'll be honest, when I think tech sales, I think of people calling all day,
00:34:03
Speaker
trying to get business meetings. But from what you told me, that's not true. And it's a lot more project-based. So I love to hear more about that. Yeah. And luckily, I've had several jobs that involve outbound sales, which is essentially what people think cold calling. When people think Wolf of Wall Street, they're just like, yeah.
00:34:30
Speaker
you know, crazy stuff. And it's just like, you know, that's that's not always the case. So we do make calls. But like you said, it's a lot more like project and campaign based. So pretty much what an SDR does at my company is essentially we're kind of like kind of like the usher at the door, essentially. And we pretty much introduce you if you're not familiar to the product.
00:35:01
Speaker
you know, get a brochure and then like you can get the information and then if you're more interested, you can go inside to see the program. So that's essentially what we do. I essentially just set up demos, essentially. So pretty much what I do is I call usually president's office or their assistant, chief of staff, chief financial officer, chief administration,
00:35:29
Speaker
Someone that's in like, you know the leadership position and I essentially just ask them about their the board process and what what that looks like and Thankfully, you know, there are a lot of people who already know who we are or know that you know a board meeting software platform exists, but But my my job is essentially just to see Like springboard said is is there a pain point?
00:35:57
Speaker
Um, is there, is there a critical event that's happening that would make them, you know, want to sign up, you know, like if, like, say a good example, uh, that I've ran into is, you know, someone just got hired and you know, this is their first time doing this and they realized that, you know, there's a lot of paperwork. And, you know, they're like, uh, yeah, I have my first board meeting. I'm trying to like organize everything.
00:36:24
Speaker
So, you know, if I hear like, you know, they're new and they don't know what onboard is, I essentially just, you know, introduce it to them, send them brochure, tell them a little information, and then it's kind of just like, you know, like I said, if there's a paying point, there's a need, and if it's, they'll, you know, they'll continue to communicate. So that's essentially my job is just to introduce them to the product and set up, you know, demos for my account executives.
00:36:53
Speaker
But the nice part about that is also, so like we have verticals within the company. So my vertical is at higher education. So I work with colleges, universities, and school districts. But we also have like finance, healthcare, nonprofit, and each one, each vertical has their different companies or institutions
00:37:23
Speaker
you know that that we we contact so it's it's it's pretty nice because in in my vertical with like schools and everything we have to there's like just different I guess I guess it just to say there's different types of schools essentially so for instance like you know there are
00:37:54
Speaker
community colleges and then there are state colleges. And so it's, and then you realize that like, you know, there are councils, you know, there are councils for Christian colleges, you know, there is a conference for historically black colleges or HBCUs. So it's, um, what it allows is it, it's not just like, Oh, I'm just calling people blindly. It's like, okay, so now I can, you know, approach this group that we haven't,
00:38:23
Speaker
you know, talk to yet. And, you know, we're finding out, you know, if they have a good solution for the board meetings. And it's, it just adds a lot of, it allows me to do a lot on my own, just like with the flexibility, as far as, you know, like I said, I created my own, well, I'm starting my own campaign where I'm actually targeting
00:38:51
Speaker
historically black colleges and universities specifically, which also kind of ties into my fraternity that I mentioned earlier. So that was just like, you know, a campaign that I came up with that I'm allowed to spearhead. And that it's like that, it's those types of things that I feel are very beneficial because what it does is it's kind of sculpting and training me to be in a leadership position.
00:39:20
Speaker
because that's essentially what you have to do in a leadership position. You have to basically guide the ship. So it's like having, cause like, obviously we have our, our in-house campaigns that we're already running, but they're allowing me to, you know, find a project, be creative with it, reach out. Like I've created my own emails, my own like scripts and everything. So it, it,
00:39:47
Speaker
That part of the job is just nice because it basically suggests mobility because they're looking for people who can just start things on their own. And the only way you're going to find that is if you allow that type of flexibility instead of just being like, hey, you just got to call this list. It's like, no, they're saying, hey, if you have any ideas, let us know.
00:40:16
Speaker
You know, because it's, you know, it's just, you know, refreshing to be able to do that and not have to like ask somebody like, hey, can I do this? They're just like, no, I'll do it. And when you do it, you know, that just like helps you as a person just because you're taking the initiative to, you know, start something on your own and finish it. And I think that just like helps, you know, grow leadership qualities.
00:40:42
Speaker
And another thing that I was able to do is basically we have reports, essentially, where you can pull up data on current customers people were reaching out to. But this report, basically, I think marketing is using it. But it's basically like a competitor kind of comparison. But what it is is that it's
00:41:13
Speaker
it's basically a report that essentially tells, they're called win stories of customers that we have got to switch from other competitors. So essentially you can make a report if you know. So let's say that these schools are with competitor X. So we have a list of win stories
00:41:40
Speaker
of how we switched these schools from competitor X. So now you can pull that report when you're reaching out to people that are under competitor X and say, hey, we know you're with competitor X, great job, you have a solution in place. However, these clients that we work with found that we do XYZ better than client X. So I was able to do that just like on my own, just like off my own curiosity and marketing ended up
00:42:10
Speaker
you know, being able to use it. So that type of environment at my job, I would say is, is very crucial to me because I don't like being micromanaged. I don't like, you know, like, Hey, are you making calls? Like, you know, I, I'm able to work at my own speed, you know, and it's a, it's, it's honestly great. It's, it's the first job
00:42:35
Speaker
that I've had like this to where I have this freedom flexibility to not only have flexibility with my life, but at my job as well.
Career Growth and Personal Aspirations
00:42:44
Speaker
Yeah, that's incredible. And it sounds like it's this perfect marriage of sales. You get to constantly, as you say, hustle and push the what ifs and the boundaries, but the possibilities
00:43:00
Speaker
But still, yeah, you're not burdened by numbers and quotas and things like that. Did I get that right? Right. So I mean, we still have sales quotas, but it's more so the way to reach those quotas is a lot more broad than just like, hey, we're giving you a list. They allow you to find
00:43:30
Speaker
different ways to reach those quotas. And I would even say that it's a pretty lenient job as far as quotas go. Obviously, we have to do the work. But if you're putting in the work and they can see it and you don't hit your quota, they're not going to be like, oh, you're not hitting your quota. It's more so just like, hey, let's look at these different factors, what was going on.
00:43:58
Speaker
Um, you know, what, what do you think happened? Here's what I think you could do to help. And it's kind of like that. It's like, Hey, like we can do better. Let's try to do better. Let's try this instead of like, Hey, like you didn't hit, you had 19 calls. You were supposed to hit 20. You know, what happened? It's, it's more so just like, Hey, like, what can we do to, you know, help you get 21 instead of 19 next time. So it's, it's a, it's a very on hands and like helpful job as far as that goes.
00:44:28
Speaker
Yeah. That sounds like an incredible environment for people who just want to explore and get out there. And yeah, that's thank you for explaining all that. Like I have this whole new perspective on tech sales now, even though I know you're more of a like a development representative. It's not just again, I'm talking about things I don't know about, but very cool. So I know you said you want to get more into management in the future, but where, what is next for you?
00:44:59
Speaker
So I'm hoping to get a leadership position at onboard, or if the opportunity presents itself at another company, the next step would probably be at my job, it would be an account executive. At another job, it might be a business development rep. But definitely want to get in a leadership position to where I'm just managing a lot more.
00:45:27
Speaker
But I also want to get to a point to where I can live pretty freely and comfortably, but also still have the flexibility of going to work, essentially. So basically, I want to live pretty comfortably.
00:45:52
Speaker
certain figures of jobs, you know, I think everybody would want to get a six figure or seven figure job, but a leadership role, you know, in my day job, but also something that allows me to, you know, do stuff outside of work because I, I have, I have like my own, um, like T business that I have on the side. Um, I'm into like stocks and crypto. So something like I said, that's why the work life balance is so important to me.
00:46:23
Speaker
you know, so I'm able to do these other things where, you know, I'm not just like in front of a computer all day for my day job. So I definitely would like a management position, a leadership position, but also, you know, if possible, like something that will allow me to, you know, continue what I'm doing outside of, you know, my day job, you know, just so like, you know, I can live a regular life like normal people. So like, you know, I just don't want to be
00:46:54
Speaker
at work all the time, I love my job, I love my coworkers, you know, but like I said, work-life balance is super important to me, you know, being able to, you know, be home and be with family, be able to help out when I can. So, but the next step would definitely be a leadership position. Hopefully I can get something by next year, you know, I have high hopes, but
00:47:20
Speaker
you know, some sort of leadership position. And if not that, just like, you know, continue what I'm like, you know, beginning to do, create campaigns and, you know, just find whatever lane that I'm best in to where, you know, I'm not only, you know, improving, you know, myself, but I'm also improving the company and, you know, those that are around me as well. So that's the true reason of why I want a leadership position is, you know, to be able to,
00:47:48
Speaker
make others better as well, you know, to eventually be better than myself. So certainly, yeah. And to give back. And I think there's a whole other aspect of leadership and that you get to see a bigger picture and help others focus on the smaller details of that bigger picture, which I think some people are better at the smaller details. I kind of relate to you in the sense that I want to eventually work up into a leadership role. I'm good at,
00:48:16
Speaker
being a jack of all trades more so than focusing on the small details. That's primarily why I want a leadership role just because I'm better at seeing a bigger picture. But yeah, there is something very rewarding and helping others and seeing them grow. And also, I guess I don't know if you feel this way, but seeing people thrive at something you're not necessarily good at. Like I see
00:48:44
Speaker
you know, some of my designers on my team, they are just better at UI than I am. And I love to kind of see how their mind works and their thought process goes. So I don't know if you can relate to that at all. Yeah, exactly. Because it's because I mean, that's that's essentially how I learn as well. And you always want I always say you want you want to be around people that are smarter than you.
00:49:12
Speaker
you know, at all times, cause I mean, you, you, you, the people you associate with, like the five people you associate with is a reflection of yourself. So, you know, being able to be around people who have a different perspective and, you know, are even have an expert opinion or perspective, you know, that allows me to learn something as well by putting them in that position and letting them flourish. So yeah, exactly. It's, it's, um,
00:49:40
Speaker
you know, it's a full circle moment being able to help that come to fruition. Yes, I love being around people who are smarter than me. If you can teach me something, I want to be around you all the time. Exactly. So very cool. Well, with that being said, is there anything we didn't get to talk about today that you wanted to share with us? I mean, I think we I think we really covered it. But again, like just me recently,
00:50:07
Speaker
joining the fraternity and having everything come full circle on two fronts, because obviously like my fraternity, they have a board and I'm going to approach them about that. But also the fact that I'm now doing like a HBCU campaign and I plan on visiting these campuses, not only to
00:50:33
Speaker
you know, meet the people that I'm contacting about the board meeting software, but then I also get to go see fraternity brothers at that campus as well. So it's kind of like a two-prong thing. And I mean, like just the scope and scale of it is kind of amazing because like I said, there's boards at local, like state or regional, and then there's national. So essentially how I look at it is that
00:51:04
Speaker
Let's just say that there's a board in Indianapolis. Well, there's also a board for Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. That's a board. And then there's a board at national level. So I can kind of take that same thing. And then I could say, hey, there's a board in Texas at state level or at this school level. And then I can also go to their regional for their board. And then I can go to national.
00:51:34
Speaker
you know, for that board as well. And it's also not only my fraternity, there's also eight other sororities and fraternities that are historically black fraternities and sororities. And they all each have that structure essentially. So it's kind of awesome that Springboard put me in a position to be able to like enable organizations like that.
00:52:04
Speaker
not only organizations, but like the schools as well, just because, you know, a lot of some schools don't even know, some schools aren't even like, you know, being represented, like representation is a huge thing. So me being able to put myself in that position, honestly, because of what I did at Springboard, looking back at it, it really comes full circle. And I can say that,
00:52:32
Speaker
I totally owe springboard to the shirt I'm wearing right now, so. Yes, people cannot see this, but you are wearing an onboard shirt. You look very official right now. Yeah, yeah, definitely.
00:52:46
Speaker
And also side note, you know, Springboard pushes networking like crazy. I'm sure with the tech sales career track, like that is networking, like sales, you're talking to people. So networking kind of comes hand in hand. But what an awesome thing to consider is like a fraternity like this. I know not everyone probably has access to a fraternity. I'm a woman. So I probably, I probably can't join, but maybe they've changed the rules since. But even like I'm on some committees for my running club. So,
00:53:16
Speaker
you know, for people listening, it's not just about cold emailing on LinkedIn. And granted, I finished my bootcamp during the pandemic where we couldn't really be that social and everything was online. But getting involved in your community and activities and you just never know who you're going to meet. Even in my running club, I think like I know someone for all the major, a lot of major tech companies. I'm sure Isaiah, you probably have met people that work at some pretty big name companies.
00:53:46
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, I have. Yeah, it's pretty crazy. Yeah, just especially like the clients of onboard, they're like really, really big names. I know like for instance, like for schools at least, like I know we can throw like Indiana University for university. So it's like, you know, but as far as like the, just like the networking
00:54:16
Speaker
of just like literally just calling people and talking to people is pretty amazing who you meet. And the only way you're going to do that is if you, you know, reach out and communicate with people. So if I were to give any advice, it would definitely just to be, you know, take initiative to reach out to people, you know, because honestly, like you would think people wouldn't want to talk to you, but
00:54:43
Speaker
If you ask somebody about their job and they like their job, they'll happily tell you about it. Especially if you're looking for a job. There's people who will write you a whole essay on what they do. And they'll also be like, hey, I'll talk to my manager. Say you put in an application and, boom, you have interviews. So definitely a very important part. And you never know who you may meet.
00:55:12
Speaker
who may give you that opportunity. So, you know, always speak up and always remember to reach out to people and, you know, clothes and mouths don't get fed, so. I agree. And also get that referral code. If you make a connection with someone at, you know, say onboard or another company that you're really excited about and you make a warm introduction with that person, you see it, I, my strategy was I would just, like you said, talk to them about their job, how they got to where they are.
00:55:43
Speaker
are. And then if a job popped up at that company and be like, Hey, I'm interested, I applied for, or no, that's not what I did. I learned this, I applied for a job and I mentioned it to my contact and she said, you should have asked me for my referral code because that gets you to the top of the pile. So immediately I started asking for referral codes that way.
00:56:07
Speaker
So that was one of my tricks. I didn't end up getting a job that way, a recruiter reached out, but that's not to say someone else won't get a job that way. Yeah, I mean, something will stick eventually. So yeah, if you keep doing that, I'd probably have my bets on that you'd probably land something. Certainly. Well, Isaiah, it was amazing talking to you. I love learning about your job, and I'm sure other people will as well.
00:56:37
Speaker
Yes. Oh, my last question. I almost forgot. Are you open to listeners connecting with you on social media? Yeah, sure. Awesome. I'm guessing LinkedIn. I'm assuming you're not like a TikTok influencer, or maybe that is one of your side jobs. I don't know. No, I'm not on TikTok.
00:56:57
Speaker
I can't do another social media app. Yeah. Well, great. Well, would you be able to spell your name so people are adding the correct Isaiah on LinkedIn? Yes, of course. So it's I-S-A-I-A-H, Peyton, P-A-Y-T-O-N, Isaiah Peyton.
00:57:25
Speaker
Fantastic. Well, thank you again. And for everyone listening, if you have questions for Isaiah or myself that you'd like to have answered perhaps on a future episode, or if you're even interested in being a guest on this podcast, please email me at alumnipodcast at springboard.com.