Full name: Sarah Woods
Aha moment: For me, it was early in my career as a new account executive at a major manufacturer leading large accounts. My performance was measured on my revenue production, and I was singularly focused on that goal. When a client signed a $1-million contract and I neglected to immediately release their deposit to finance, I was shocked at how angry the CFO was! I asked him to help me see my actions through his lens, and it hadn’t occurred to me that I was impacting the interest they could collect on that deposit. It was my “aha moment” that part of my role was to protect the finances of the enterprise, not just satisfy my own goals. His willingness to talk me through it helped me to appreciate our company finances, strategy and goals as important context for my role, which later helped me advance into leadership.
A mentor that helped me:
About halfway into my career, I left corporate roles to move into consulting and joined a boutique consulting firm as I was raising my three kids. I was hoping for my flexibility in my schedule, but what I didn’t expect was how wonderful it would be to work for a strong, savvy, deeply principled female CEO who had founded the firm. She believed in me and pushed me to grow in a role that was new for me – ultimately leading us to sell the company to a large consulting firm where I was able to thrive as a senior leader. Her insistence that we communicate with our clients in the language of their business, see ourselves as peers of the CEO, and bring insights and value to every interaction helped me grow quickly in the role.
A piece of advice to my 20-year-old self:
The path will never be linear – so EXPECT failures, learn from them, pivot fast, and use that experience to make you smarter and more valuable. If you’re always succeeding, you’re not learning, and you miss opportunities to gather wisdom.
What is success for you?
Feeling energized by the way you choose to spend your time. This includes the work you’re doing, the relationships you’re part of, the activities you do to feel creative and to stay healthy. If any of these deflate you and reduce your energy for too long, find ways to adjust.
Something I love doing:
Gardening! I picked it up about 8 years ago when we bought a home with a large garden and had to learn quickly how to tend it. What started as a task turned into a passion!