Alex DeJoy

Growing up, I never saw myself working in sales, but 2 ½ years ago I started working alongside thoughtful high-performers at Apptegy, an education technology start-up. My days consist of guiding K-12 administrators across the United States on how to better market their district in a time of competition for teachers, students and attention. Becoming a mom last year taught me how important public education is, both to our community and our country.

PRESSING QUESTIONS

How I knew this was my passion My degree is in journalism, and my favorite part of journalism is asking questions. I'm naturally curious, so when I figured out sales was mostly just letting people talk about themselves and answer my questions, I realized it was my passion. Biggest challenges in my career Working for a high growth start-up, we want to scale quickly. Constantly figuring out what's next and evaluating where you can grow as a person can be challenging. I'm always asking myself, what can I do differently next time? My first job and what it taught me Don't be afraid to share your ideas. At my first job I was afraid to speak up and afraid to try new things. I think it is equally as important to find a job that allows you to do that. What keeps me coming back to my job every day The chase. Sales is a chase. From the intro conversation to the in between and through to closing the deal, you never know what is going to happen next. Best career moment so far

Realizing that I don't have to live in a big city to work at a company that fosters culture and growth. Having moved from Nashville, I realized that I prefer working in a smaller city with less people and traffic.

A skill I never expected to need in this field I never expected to need to be good at self-reflection and improvement. It sounds silly, but figuring out how to better yourself is actually a really tough skill, and it takes a lot of patience. One practice I use to maintain my mental health Separating "what is" from "what if." Being anxious about the future is something that is constantly on my mind. Taking a step back and looking at the "what is" of the situation grounds me. Thanks, Mom, for that lesson! Best advice I ever received Last year I read James Clear's “Atomic Habits.” One thing that has stuck with me is becoming 1% better. Small actions compound and over time those snowball into big changes. The one thing I wish people knew about my field Being in sales doesn't have to be all schmoozing, expensive dinners and smooth talking. Most of sales is actually just teaching and listening. Sales also doesn't have to be a competition. Collaboration as a team is necessary to make sales. The first thing I do to course-correct when I hit a wall

This is usually a result of thinking negatively about a situation. Taking a step back and looking at the actionable steps to a positive outcome helps me get back on track.

IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS