Merchants of Change

00:00:03:23 - 00:00:28:15
JR Butler
I'm J.R. Butler, co-founder of the Shift Group. And you're listening to Merchants of Change. Oh, this is a podcast about transferring the skills and behaviors we acquire as athletes into being a professional technology salesperson. Each week, we'll introduce you to a top performer who will help us understand how they became professional merchants of change.

00:00:33:09 - 00:00:35:21
JR Butler
What's up, kid? How are you doing, Haley?

00:00:36:10 - 00:00:37:18
Haley Skarupa
I'm good. How are you?

00:00:38:08 - 00:00:42:20
JR Butler
Sorry, I should have warned you. I start every call with that.

00:00:45:11 - 00:01:06:03
JR Butler
So super pumped. We got Haley originally from Rockville, Maryland, former B.C. Eagle and no big deal, a late Olympic gold medal winner from Pyongyang. CHANG Watch. I can proudly say I was at that game, Haley. I don't know if I already tell you that.

00:01:06:15 - 00:01:09:23
Haley Skarupa
I think so. Your brother was on the men's team, right? Yep.

00:01:10:06 - 00:01:11:06
JR Butler
That's right. That's right.

00:01:11:11 - 00:01:12:10
Haley Skarupa
My family's there.

00:01:12:20 - 00:01:36:13
JR Butler
But a whole fam. We were at the check house that night singing We Are the Champions. I got video to prove it. So. And my my high school teammate slash prom date was the captain, Meghan Duggan. So. That's right. So I got to where she left me. Where gold medal for like 20 minutes. It was like the highlight of my athletic career, so.

00:01:36:23 - 00:02:10:21
JR Butler
That's hilarious. Yeah. Yeah. And, and, you know, speaking of highlights, you had an unbelievable career at B.C.. Tom made the joke. It could be ten pages, single spaced, but all American. all-American. Senior year, second in the nation. Senior year with 79 points, 35 goals. Unbelievable. Second in career points with 244 and two titles. Unbelievable. Just a unbelievable, insane career.

00:02:11:07 - 00:02:19:23
JR Butler
What like I love asking folks with your your hockey resumé this question. What's your what's your favorite memory of playing hockey.

00:02:20:03 - 00:02:39:15
Haley Skarupa
When I mean, there are a few I guess like my favorite memories honestly are like the really, really early days, like kind of just getting started playing on the driveway with my brother because it kind of just reminds you of like where it all started and those are just those raw moments and then, you know, everything in between, you know, winning those being parts are obviously super fun.

00:02:39:22 - 00:03:06:02
Haley Skarupa
When we won in overtime to get to the NCAA national championship for the first time, which, you know, that final game wasn't the result we were looking for. But to do that for a first time in program history was pretty awesome. And then obviously, like you said, the Olympics, nothing really tops that. It's your lifelong dream. And to be able to share that with our friends and family in South Korea was obviously probably takes the cake of my my favorite hockey memory for sure.

00:03:06:23 - 00:03:20:18
JR Butler
That was incredible. Like just being there as part of like Team USA contingent with all the other family members like you guys were on cloud nine for like the next four days. It was just the coolest thing ever.

00:03:21:05 - 00:03:22:10
Haley Skarupa
It was pretty surreal.

00:03:22:19 - 00:03:30:15
JR Butler
Yeah. Yeah. Like, obviously our Skype, our. But like, how would you describe your game? Like, what kind of player were you?

00:03:31:22 - 00:03:50:13
Haley Skarupa
I was pretty like super offensive minded player. Like if you're trying to hold a lead or kill a penalty, I'm probably not the person you put on the ice. But that was that was kind of my style, like not super strong or fast. You're not the flashiest, but I don't know. I like to think that I could see the ice pretty well.

00:03:50:13 - 00:03:59:14
Haley Skarupa
I was skilled and I was just always trying to find ways to score goals. That was always like the greatest feeling for me was scoring a goal. So that was. That was kind of my style.

00:04:00:18 - 00:04:23:06
JR Butler
Yeah. I grew up with a goal score in the house, so I know how you how you folks operate. One thing that I did notice, though, like as my brother progressed in his career from like club hockey to college to, you know, the professionals and Olympics like there were things that he did to alter his approach to the game.

00:04:23:07 - 00:04:36:07
JR Butler
Were there things that as you moved up from club hockey to, you know, Chestnut Hill, you know, to the Olympic team, how did you kind of alter your approach to the game as you matured in your career?

00:04:37:01 - 00:04:58:17
Haley Skarupa
Oh, yeah. I mean, it's it's kind of like a completely different game from the college level to national team to moving to like Team USA, the pace, you know, the strength of all the players, but also just the the tenacity, the attention to detail. Everything is heightened. And you have the best player on every college team, the best player on every protein, all trying out.

00:04:58:17 - 00:05:19:06
Haley Skarupa
You know, you're making that 25 spot roster. So there are a bunch of little things you have to change in your game. I mean, I couldn't I had to be defensive minded. I had to be my awareness all over the ice had to be increased. But there's really no margin for error. Error, like we always say, like the devil's in the details at that level and then off the ice as well.

00:05:19:06 - 00:05:47:09
Haley Skarupa
I mean, everyone is super talented, super skilled, the best player. Any one of those players at those training camps and evaluation camps are good enough to make the team. So me personally, someone who, you know, I'm not a superstar on the team, I kind of had to grind my way to get to that roster. It was like, How do I set myself apart off the ice as well to kind of like stand out whether that's, you know, just being a better teammate, just being like doing all those little things off the ice as well, just to.

00:05:47:12 - 00:05:50:13
Haley Skarupa
To put myself out there and set myself apart.

00:05:51:15 - 00:06:22:04
JR Butler
Yeah, that's that's I mean, that stuff matters, especially when you travel across the world to go compete against, you know, the best in the world. Like you've got to you need gel people. You need everyone has a role on the team and being a good teammate is, is so important. I'm curious to know like I don't I maybe I'm, you know, I don't know a lot but like even playing grown up in men's men's hockey Maryland isn't somewhere I think of like right off the top of my head is like a hockey hotbed, obviously.

00:06:22:10 - 00:06:38:10
JR Butler
Unbelievable. Lacrosse, you know, field hockey, things like that. But coming from Maryland, like who are some of your like biggest mentors in the in your hockey days and that can go all the way from, you know, growing up all through college and into the Olympics.

00:06:39:07 - 00:07:01:07
Haley Skarupa
Yeah, I mean, especially when I was starting to play hockey, Maryland was definitely not a hotbed at all. I mean, Alex Ovechkin got drafted in oh four, so I was really lucky. I got to follow as I grew up his whole career, which was pretty. I mean, still is pretty spectacular. I started literally playing roller hockey on the driveway with my brother and his friends, like that's how I got started.

00:07:01:17 - 00:07:27:17
Haley Skarupa
And so he was a huge mentor in my life. I mean, he probably didn't even know it at the time and neither did I. But I always wanted to do whatever he did. And he really challenged me, not intentionally, but just, you know, not wanting me to play with them. You have to be good enough. It was just that really, I think got me to the tough enough to make it to that next level and just my I mean, my high school coach, Kush Sidhu, he was all four years.

00:07:27:17 - 00:07:54:05
Haley Skarupa
I played for the Washington Pride U-19 team and we played in a super competitively. We weren't always the best team, but he was I mean, those are really crucial years of my career in my life as well. And he just built this super strong system and culture within our team, especially, you know, we're not the most talented or not the most skilled, but he taught us like this is how you can be successful at the next level, not even just with hockey, but with the academic side.

00:07:54:05 - 00:08:11:10
Haley Skarupa
Just about the whole balance of your life. Like these are the things that are super important right now. And if you can nail these, like you'll find success in whatever it is in your life, not even just hockey. And I like still carries so many of those lessons that he taught me throughout all four of those years. We're still super close.

00:08:11:10 - 00:08:20:06
Haley Skarupa
Like he was at the Olympics too, actually. He flew in for a day. So he is. Yeah. He was a huge mentor in my in my life in hockey career.

00:08:20:11 - 00:08:25:12
JR Butler
What a champ. That's like an 18 hour flight. He was there for a day. That's that's unreal.

00:08:26:06 - 00:08:34:09
Haley Skarupa
I remember he landed. He texted me, he's like, I have no idea where I am. I'm like, where's your family? I was like, I have no idea where my family is. Good luck. Yeah.

00:08:34:20 - 00:08:39:15
JR Butler
Good luck. Yeah, yeah. They didn't exactly make it easy to get around over there.

00:08:40:13 - 00:08:42:10
Haley Skarupa
No, no, they did not.

00:08:42:16 - 00:09:18:18
JR Butler
I love I love that it's here because a couple of reasons. One, my my father was the high school hockey coach for 35 years. And now I've since I stopped playing hockey when I retired, I got right into coaching and I focused on U16 and U18, not because I enjoy those ages from a hockey perspective, but that is like really when boys become men and girls become women and that's really like that's those years are so foundational to who you become as people.

00:09:19:01 - 00:09:32:21
JR Butler
And like sports, athletics, hockey is such a good vehicle to start building that foundation of like great habits and like just being a good person. So that's really cool that he had such an impact on your life.

00:09:33:03 - 00:09:55:02
Haley Skarupa
Yeah, yeah. No, he's been huge, especially. I mean, when I started playing on that team, I was like 13, 14 years old. And when I stopped, I was like 18. Like that's a lot of years. And I was a completely different person, different teammate, and my teammates could probably tell you that from the beginning to the end. So I really do attribute a lot of that to just like his mentorship.

00:09:55:06 - 00:10:06:18
JR Butler
Yeah, it's listen, I think we all mature as teammates as we grow up. Like, do you have any favorite teammates from your playing days and why were they your favorite?

00:10:07:20 - 00:10:36:00
Haley Skarupa
Yeah, it's I mean, it is hard to choose just one. I can kind of I can name a couple like Alex Carpenter's one of them. And I played with her pretty much all throughout my college career and we started playing together on the U-18 national team when we were like 14, 15 years old. Just like, you know, I didn't realize how special of a player she is until and like how much I loved playing with her until I wasn't playing with her anymore because she just made the game so much easier.

00:10:36:02 - 00:10:56:03
Haley Skarupa
She was just like and she. She just opened your eyes to all these different she was a super special player. Things you saw in practice, you just didn't see every day. And I don't know, we just I feel like we worked pretty well together. And she just taught me a lot about, like, the little things, you know, in practice she would get out there.

00:10:56:03 - 00:11:12:08
Haley Skarupa
She's always the first one on the last one off. She's just one of those types of players who just lives and breathes the game. And I just I don't know, I learned a lot from her on the ice. So just as a player, she was one of my favorites. Dana Trevino is also one of my DC teammates and Team USA.

00:11:13:09 - 00:11:36:22
Haley Skarupa
She's one of my best friends now and one of my roommates. We're very similar, but also different, I would say, and have like complete opposite players like she was setter, very defensive discipline, you know, spent a lot of time the penalty box, but it was a lot of fun playing with her. Like we just I don't know, she's one of my best friends and I feel like that's a testament to that.

00:11:36:22 - 00:12:02:11
Haley Skarupa
And then Hannah Brandt's probably another one, University of Minnesota and Team USA. And she's just she never takes like, anything too seriously. And I think that's what makes her a really good player, is she just has always owned every role she's been in and like just makes it makes it really fun. And every team needs that. So that's like kind of what each of them bring to like three very different aspects.

00:12:02:11 - 00:12:08:09
Haley Skarupa
And I appreciate all three of them very differently, but equally and they're obviously more.

00:12:08:09 - 00:12:12:12
JR Butler
But yeah, that is awesome. How would they describe you?

00:12:12:12 - 00:12:38:11
Haley Skarupa
You think that's a good question? Probably sometimes like maybe a little too competitive. Like they'd probably tell you, you know, she can be unhealthily competitive. But at the same time, like you can make fun of her for it. And she has a pretty good sense of humor, so she'll be able to take it and roll with it. So that's probably like they probably tell you, you know, sometimes practices.

00:12:39:00 - 00:12:47:23
Haley Skarupa
So she'll be that person to like make a sly comment that might, you know, set the coach off. But at the end of the day, like, you know, it's all it's all fun, right?

00:12:48:02 - 00:12:53:00
JR Butler
Something tells me that comes back to the driveway with your brother that that competitive edge that you have.

00:12:54:07 - 00:12:56:09
Haley Skarupa
Yeah. It's like survival of the fittest out there.

00:12:57:02 - 00:13:29:13
JR Butler
100%. One of my one of my favorite things I read. I read a lot about it. I try to understand it, especially now that I'm a CEO. And building a company is organizational excellence. You know, I think any time you can be part of programs like Boston College and the U.S. Women's National Program for Ice Hockey, you're you're you're in a special place with, like, storied history and just the programs that run them that run so well.

00:13:29:21 - 00:13:35:05
JR Butler
Like, what was it like being around such high caliber people? How did that impact you?

00:13:35:10 - 00:14:01:01
Haley Skarupa
Yeah, I mean, you read I mean, you read that the your environment and the people you surround yourself with really do kind of shape who you are. And I am a strong believer in that, especially after being around my teammates, Team USA like day in and day out. Like I said earlier, it's just like the difference at those levels is just every single breath, every sense, not even just every single game, every practice.

00:14:01:01 - 00:14:23:03
Haley Skarupa
It's every single shift, every single rep like every movement is down to the exact detail. And that's something that I had to really kind of learn and not learn just to do to do it, but really embody that whole like if you want to get better, like each rep, each, everything has to be perfect. And that's really what I saw every single day with those Olympians.

00:14:23:03 - 00:14:46:03
Haley Skarupa
The first training camp I remember I went to, it was just such a, you know, like enlightening experience being like, wow, like this is super motivating because, you know, I feel like it's it's tangible. My like, dream is kind of there, but now I see exactly what it takes because these people are on a whole new level of, you know, discipline driven.

00:14:46:03 - 00:14:50:01
Haley Skarupa
And it's like you say these words, but they're like out there doing it every single day.

00:14:50:16 - 00:15:16:12
JR Butler
That's so cool there because that's like that's a leadership down kind of like culture thing. And it's just cool to hear that because like I grew up with, you know, Meghan dug in and Kacey Bellamy went to college with my brother and like, like knowing that those leaders were and the coaches built that type of culture is it's so cool but it teaches you so much that I'm sure, you know, kind of a good a good time to talk about the transition.

00:15:16:12 - 00:15:40:11
JR Butler
I'm sure it showed up in your transition. So you you go to South Korea, you win an Olympic gold, you're playing pro hockey, and then, boom, here's the zoom info, salesforce.com and a phone and you're up and you're a the VR, right? Like, how jarring is that lifestyle change coming from where you came from?

00:15:40:23 - 00:16:07:11
Haley Skarupa
Yeah, I mean, not going to lie. It was it was pretty jarring, like just starting, like you said. I mean, you're on Team USA, you're playing the Olympics after that. I was playing pro and then I worked for the Caps in for a little bit. It's from France. I worked for them and then COVID happened. So it did give me an opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and see, all right, if I'm going to try to do something outside of sports, this will be the time.

00:16:07:11 - 00:16:25:17
Haley Skarupa
And I knew, you know, I have no work experience outside of this one. You're working with the Caps and playing hockey, which that's not real work experience. So I knew wherever I was going to start, I was going to start from square one. And so it was just like accepting that it wasn't like, All right, let's see where I can cut corners.

00:16:26:16 - 00:16:47:06
Haley Skarupa
It was like, I just need to rely on all everything that I've done. Like in the past, like those qualities that got me there to, like, help push me forward in this career. But the transition itself is obviously yeah, I mean, there are so many times I think I probably said to my mom or dad, I'm like, I'm just like starting at the bottom of the totem pole here.

00:16:47:06 - 00:17:01:03
Haley Skarupa
Like all that it feels like all that I did was just like a different life, basically. So it was like getting over that mental hurdle to be like, All right, I'm building something new here. Basically, it was like that mindset shift.

00:17:02:08 - 00:17:16:06
JR Butler
Yeah. What would you say? We, by the way, we help a lot of athletes that are that are listening to this, that are in the same boat. And I think it's always good to hear from other people that have been through it. Like, what do you think was the the hardest part about it?

00:17:17:17 - 00:17:42:15
Haley Skarupa
Honestly, I would probably say like just that that mindset. Like, you know, I probably retired from hockey at 25, 26. I'm graduating from school, similar age and you have to you're starting over, you know, I mean, yes, you are the same person. You have all these same qualities. You're going to be successful. But it's like telling yourself that, you know, it's not going to be easy at the beginning.

00:17:42:15 - 00:18:04:03
Haley Skarupa
Like a you have to figure out what you want to do, what you see yourself wanting to like build and then getting the tools to actually do it. And it's it can be like a a daunting thought to be like, is this the right fit in this? You know, where I want to be? Is this going to pay off type thing and like putting all of your eggs in a completely different basket?

00:18:04:10 - 00:18:21:00
Haley Skarupa
That was like the biggest challenge for me was just like taking that step and just doing it and like be like, all right, this is the best fit. I've done my research. I know this is where I want to be now. I actually have to like use all these qualities that have gotten me to the highest level. But it's something else too, to build something new.

00:18:21:19 - 00:18:35:16
JR Butler
100%. What? Why? So you did. It sounds like you did some work. So why? Why sales? Like, why did you end up in sales, in software and at Klaviyo. Like like what was the process there.

00:18:35:16 - 00:18:59:13
Haley Skarupa
Yeah, it was. I always tell people it was pretty much a full time job finding my full time job. Basically I knew like I went, I remember I went on vacation with my family and afterwards I made that like the, the due date of like when I get back from vacation, like I'm going to start completely talking to everyone I know, researching every single industry, kind of narrowing it down from there.

00:18:59:13 - 00:19:25:14
Haley Skarupa
So I cast a super wide net from any industry, you know, investment banking, which I knew I wasn't going to like. But I mean, who knows? I didn't think I was going to get into sales at all ever. Like it was never on my radar. But that's why you have to do your research, because as I was just talking to people in different industries, former teammates, friends, family, friends, I heard of Klaviyo through a hockey connection obviously.

00:19:25:14 - 00:19:47:01
Haley Skarupa
And the more I ended up narrowing it down to tech and sales because the more I was talking to people and realizing, all right, this, I feel like this is the the best way for me with my current, like, qualities of just super competitive, super fast pace. Like you can kind of create your own success in this industry, which I like.

00:19:47:01 - 00:20:11:21
Haley Skarupa
It's like really what you put into it. And I found Klaviyo I like instantly was just finding myself really curious to learn more about the company, about I understood its product and its mission. Like the people in the culture were super strong. I knew some people already worked there, which always helps me in making a decision process. But like kind of comfort level and knowing I could ask questions at any point to people I already knew.

00:20:12:07 - 00:20:34:14
Haley Skarupa
And that's kind of how I narrowed it down. And throughout the interview process, I was going through a different couple of different ones. That's when it really solidified to me, like, this is where I want to be, because I could see myself just naturally, you know, Googling more about the company. You know, you have a mock interview and I was so dialed into it probably way too much, like probably spent way too much time on this.

00:20:34:14 - 00:20:49:16
Haley Skarupa
And I was like, that's probably my sign that this is where I should be because I actually genuinely care about it. And this isn't even a real sells to call. So that's kind of how I narrowed down. But it's really it's so much it was a lot of work, but it really paid off.

00:20:50:01 - 00:21:17:01
JR Butler
Yeah. I mean, you got to you got to trust your instincts. And I think, you know, when you now right. Like yeah that sounds like you had that passion for them right away where we're really fortunate I'm probably to a little bit of a fault like I when I was a VP of sales at one point the best year I ever had actually I had a whole team of female sellers and it was the best year I ever had and that is definitely not a coincidence.

00:21:17:10 - 00:21:50:22
JR Butler
So one of the things I love about our business that we run now is close to 50% of our candidates are women that were, you know, former athletes like yourself a lot at the college level, some at the Olympic level. What guidance and advice would you give to other women that are listening to this, that are going through the transition period from sports to entering the more traditional workforce beyond, like you said, like, hey, just just suck it up and realize that you're going to carry the water bottles again, right?

00:21:50:23 - 00:22:17:12
JR Butler
Like that's I love that, by the way. And we tell people that all the time. Like, I'm sure they didn't care about how many goals you had at ABC in the interview. Right. So it's like, you know, but like what is some of the guidance, some of the advice that you would give to, you know, the females, the shift group candidates and others out there that are listening to this that are going to be making the same tradition that the same transition excuse me that you did.

00:22:18:08 - 00:22:38:08
Haley Skarupa
I would say it's it's a lot of just relying on what got you to like where you were previously, you know, like as an athlete, like you were super successful and got to the level that you're at for a reason. It's not like you have to change who you are. That's like my biggest advice is like throughout the whole process, I never felt that I had to change, like who I was.

00:22:38:08 - 00:23:07:07
Haley Skarupa
Like, that's kind of what got me there. So it was more so finding a fit that was catered to to me and like my is characteristics, which is why I found Texels because, you know, I'm someone who I am super like progressive, wanting to learn more, wanting to move fast, like, you know, that's like who I am. So it's finding, finding like what is the best fit for you and not changing who you are and also asking a ton of questions.

00:23:07:11 - 00:23:39:11
Haley Skarupa
You know, don't be afraid to reach out to someone who you don't know or asking questions you don't think are good questions. Just, you know, you're you're kind of starting something new, so just don't have any regrets with what you're doing because, you know, at the end of the day, no one really knows what they're doing. So just figuring out, you know, what works best for you and not second, second guessing your own process and your thoughts like you got to a successful level in sports, you will do that in your next endeavor.

00:23:39:12 - 00:23:57:07
Haley Skarupa
Just trust that and your process and then also enjoy it because, you know, this is that's the at the end of the day, like you want this whole process to be an enjoyable process for you. It shouldn't have to feel like a huge chore job. Like I found it to be a fun challenge, honestly. Like, let's see, all these different companies are out there.

00:23:57:07 - 00:24:01:16
Haley Skarupa
It's like all these cool opportunities and it's just finding what's the best fit for you.

00:24:01:16 - 00:24:22:14
JR Butler
Yeah, I love that we have we have a whole course called Be an Athlete because that's what we tell them. We're like, Listen, just because you're not placing them up anymore or don't get in the pool or whatever your sport was, you need to bring everything you brought to that game to get to the level you did to this one.

00:24:22:21 - 00:24:31:08
JR Butler
And if you do that, you will be successful. Is there anything you would do differently now that you're like, you're kind of a couple of years out from it?

00:24:31:16 - 00:24:52:17
Haley Skarupa
To be honest, I don't think so. Like I, I don't think I would like I loved the decision that I made and I don't know, maybe like my just going through any big decision process I've made, I've always felt the need to just be super. I always wanted to avoid any regrets. So I would try and think ahead and be like, What?

00:24:53:12 - 00:25:14:12
Haley Skarupa
You know, what would I regret about this decision from like my college decision? I remember I was choosing between to travel soccer teams in middle school. That felt like a life altering decision at the time. And I would talk to people on each team like I always wanted to make sure I was doing my due diligence and my dad is like probably one of the most well researched, thorough people I know.

00:25:14:12 - 00:25:34:11
Haley Skarupa
So maybe just naturally I got that from him, but I yeah, throughout this process, I really tried to cross my tears in my eyes and make sure that I wasn't, you know, wasn't going to have any regrets. And and right now, honestly, I don't think I would change anything with my process of where I am today.

00:25:34:20 - 00:25:59:11
JR Butler
I love that. That's awesome. Now, speaking of where you are today, so we talk a lot with every guest we have about getting the most out of the BTR role because, you know, everybody starts there. I started there, you know, it was a long time ago. You already age me when you said you grew up watching watching LV because he's my age, that it just made me feel really old.

00:25:59:11 - 00:26:23:07
JR Butler
But but we all start there, but we all go into that with the idea of I want to transition to a closing role. You did it in that first, like actually in the first 18 months, which is if you can do that, it's unbelievable. And I think that's like the gold standard. So obviously whatever you did was right.

00:26:23:07 - 00:26:34:09
JR Butler
So can you talk a little bit about how do you how do you approach the role and what advice would you give to people looking to get off to the same fast start that you have for sure?

00:26:34:18 - 00:27:00:07
Haley Skarupa
Well, first, I think obviously everyone's process is different and what works best for them, like even other really successful leaders that ended up also transitioning to a closing role soon their process was just talking with them and other people was very different than mine. So there are different models of it. Mine personally was I mean, I started, you know, I hit the ground running pretty quickly like week three.

00:27:00:07 - 00:27:26:17
Haley Skarupa
They I was calling like cold calling enterprise brands still was trying to like learn the product. So I loved that because the best way I learn is to just do it and to fail, you know, in the moment, figure out what went wrong and learn from that. For me personally, like in the video role, it's a lot of just over preparation, you know, really leaning on people who do the role well and people who do those closing roles well.

00:27:26:17 - 00:27:45:18
Haley Skarupa
Like I'm always asking questions to people not even on my team, but outside of my team, outside of even sales, even at the company, seeing like who is successful role asking them what makes sense, accessible, what's going well, what they haven't seen success in. So that like brings the curiosity element to it. Like we always talk about it.

00:27:45:18 - 00:28:13:00
Haley Skarupa
Our companies just like always being curious because that's how you're going to learn more. That's how you're going to get like, you know, more advanced in your current role. And then it's also just like the combination of like quality and pace, like you want high quality, but also high pace, like being a leader. That's, that's really like the recipe for me was like finding what that exact balance was between, you know, it's like personalization at scale, basically.

00:28:13:00 - 00:28:30:12
Haley Skarupa
Like you want to make sure you are sourcing and, you know, getting all of that content out there quickly, but you want it to be really good. So it's like, how do you how do you scale that approach? But also like when it comes to that closing role as well, it's like finding like when that is the best fit for you.

00:28:30:12 - 00:28:50:17
Haley Skarupa
I, I had an opportunity to apply for a closing role sooner and I, I didn't like accept that I didn't go for that interview because I didn't feel like I was the most prepared for it, honestly, and I didn't want to like go through that and then either be in the role and does not feel like I was fully prepared for it.

00:28:50:17 - 00:29:09:14
Haley Skarupa
So it also is like figuring out what is the best for you and I'm really glad that I waited a month or two at the end of the day, like what is a month or two? Like people are just racing to get to that role, but it's like, okay, put yourself in your shoes in that role. Like if you aren't fully prepared for it, like you, you know, you're better off.

00:29:09:14 - 00:29:24:02
Haley Skarupa
Just like making sure you have mastered your current role and also have almost mastered the next role when you're ready to go ahead and move forward with that. So that was kind of my process in general that worked. But yeah, it's been a journey for sure.

00:29:24:02 - 00:30:04:08
JR Butler
That's such good advice though. I love that. I hope we clipped that one because that was so good. I'm actually this is a I'm excited to ask this question because now you're in in a role you spent a year and six months as a BD are a topic that we like to get into is like effective ways that that relationship works for BTR and Amy, what do you have tactical advice for the folks that are listening that are currently BTR is working with Amy's for the first time, but also for Amy's new Amy's that are first partnering with their BTR for the first time.

00:30:04:08 - 00:30:05:23
Haley Skarupa
Just like what that dynamic is like.

00:30:05:23 - 00:30:08:13
JR Butler
Yeah, like what's good look like in your in your opinion.

00:30:09:09 - 00:30:31:21
Haley Skarupa
Yeah, it's and now that I have, I've worked as a BTR with an E and now I've worked with, you know, a BTR as an 80. Yeah. It's honestly like in my account executive that I was paired with as BTR, I'm super good friends with him now like he was. I mean, he was a really top performer, super, super good at his job, very thorough.

00:30:31:21 - 00:30:48:23
Haley Skarupa
But he also took the time to help me like knowing this is my first role to help my career. He was always going out of his way, being like, Hey, like, how can I help you career wise? Which I mean, we were a I know some bidders. It's like multiple bidders to one eight. We were like a 1 to 1.

00:30:49:06 - 00:31:07:19
Haley Skarupa
So we just had by the end of it, I mean, almost like we didn't want, I didn't want to move up to be an 80 because I loved the system we had. Like, that's just who I am. I was like, I can't do anything moderation. Like, we just want full all in and we just had like a super like solid system that worked for us.

00:31:07:19 - 00:31:26:21
Haley Skarupa
And I know others, they just, you know, it was like, all right, we'll flip this to you. There wasn't really much communication, but we were like, All right, if we're going to do this, like, let's figure out exactly what accounts we're working together, which ones are, you know, solely use, solely mine. It's like it's all different. But we really tried to develop a really strong system.

00:31:26:21 - 00:31:48:08
Haley Skarupa
And now that I am an 80, like working with my BTR, a lot of those things that he taught me like for sure translated and I want to make sure, you know, I'm, I'm looking out for the the BTR is because it is a super hard role and so you appreciate those things as a BTR now that you're Nate, you really you want to reciprocate that for sure?

00:31:48:09 - 00:32:07:05
JR Butler
Totally. I mean, listen, sales is hard in general, but but there's a it's a different kind of hard being a BTR. It really is. It's there's not there's not a lot of pay off. You really have to be a unique type of personality to to just come show up every day with the same conviction and vigor that you had the day before.

00:32:08:02 - 00:32:19:12
JR Butler
Yeah, that's really cool. What do you think? Like you talked a lot about your habits and skills that you that made you a great hockey player. What do you think has helped you the most in your sales career so far?

00:32:19:22 - 00:32:41:10
Haley Skarupa
I'm for sure. Like one huge thing which ties in to the BTR element is resilience. Like because so many times and at the beginning, being in BTR, I felt like I really needed to channel this more is like you're going to be told now so many times you're going to be people are going to say horrible things to you, you know, like that's just the nature of it.

00:32:41:10 - 00:33:04:07
Haley Skarupa
And it's you just have to be able to find an opportunity in that to either keep going or, you know, move on to the next the next lead, basically, like and that's a huge thing that has for sure I've seen translate as well as just overall. I mean it kind of ties into that being super competitive. I mean, you you see it with the people who are really successful.

00:33:04:12 - 00:33:29:21
Haley Skarupa
They're just relentless and they don't stop. They're super persistent, but not in a way that's, you know, super salesy. It's just they find their creative, their, you know, strategic. That's a huge part of it, too. But I think like being coachable, you know, you're always going to have someone who's, you know, an A manager or a director or someone who is you are reporting to or they're technically, you know, in charge a coach type thing.

00:33:29:21 - 00:33:47:21
Haley Skarupa
And that really translates from sports as well because, you know, there's that accountability piece on someone like I tell a manager, anyone, just tell me exactly just be honest. Like don't try and beat around the bush. Like, I want to know exactly what I'm doing wrong so I can learn and improve from that quicker. Like that's always what I say.

00:33:47:21 - 00:34:08:10
Haley Skarupa
I don't need anything to be sugarcoated. I want to be coached, be as transparent as you like, the more transparency, the better. And then it's also like the like collaboration piece. So like with hockey especially, you're trying to make an Olympic team, you're playing on the same team as people you are competing with for a spot. And that's kind of it for sales to like your team.

00:34:08:11 - 00:34:30:02
Haley Skarupa
Yes, you are a team. You're all working together, but you're also technically kind of competing. So for me, I'm more lean on the collaboration aspect because at the end of the day we're all working towards a common goal, like we are a part of something that is bigger than us. So if you can kind of channel that and wrap your head around that to embody that every day, like you'll find your own success as well.

00:34:30:10 - 00:34:40:04
Haley Skarupa
But it's like, you know, you're working together towards this common goal. So that whole like teamwork element is always huge for me as well. That's always transferred.

00:34:40:17 - 00:35:13:10
JR Butler
For the record for everyone listening. Hailey is not reading off our website, but Hayley just made the number, the top four reasons why I tell people that they should hire athletes resiliency, competitiveness, coach ability and collaboration and that to me that the teammate you compete against is like the it's such it's so translatable from sports. My, my freshman year, my roommate was a defenseman and as you know, I'm a defenseman and there's only so much ice time, right?

00:35:13:10 - 00:35:31:04
JR Butler
Right. So we get into practice. He's got his head down coming through center ice. I'm putting his shoulder in his chin 100% of the time, but then I will do anything for him on the walk down to back to the dorm. If somebody try to step up to him like he's still one of my best friends in the world, but we compete at every day.

00:35:31:10 - 00:35:54:06
JR Butler
Sales is so much like that. You want to be the number one person on the metric board, but you want your your teammates to be right behind you and doing well. Like you don't hope for failure for anybody and you'll help them even though you're competing with them. It's such a great like, like translatable thing from sports to sales that I don't people don't I don't think quite appreciate.

00:35:54:08 - 00:35:54:16
JR Butler
Yeah.

00:35:54:16 - 00:36:12:01
Haley Skarupa
And you know, exactly like when someone nails that on your work team or someone I can just know, I'm like that person for sure. Like played sports at probably a somewhat high level because they just they just get it, you know, like they check in on you. They're like asking how they can help. They offer to help, but they're also really good at their job.

00:36:12:01 - 00:36:33:00
JR Butler
That I hope actually. Also, there's some managers listening to this because we get calls sometimes from the people that hire from us, like, you know, J.R., any advice on on how to manage these people? And I tell them exactly what you said. I go, listen this isn't your standard Gen Z millennial. Like keep your gloves on and like deliver everything with honey on it.

00:36:33:00 - 00:37:00:00
JR Butler
Like, these are athletes. You need to tell them exactly what they're doing wrong. They've been they've grown up getting constructive criticism and feedback their entire life. If you're too soft with them, they won't get the message. Like, don't be afraid to just tell them what they're doing wrong because they're going to get it and they're not going to take it personally and they're still going to have confidence because if you can't take feedback and you let constructive criticism hurt your confidence as an athlete, you're done.

00:37:00:00 - 00:37:05:17
JR Butler
You're never going to make it to the level you did, you know what I mean? And it's huge that you brought that into the business world.

00:37:06:02 - 00:37:08:23
Haley Skarupa
Yeah, it's definitely helped me for sure a lot.

00:37:09:23 - 00:37:19:17
JR Butler
That's awesome. Have you have you have you gotten to develop any mentors in your new career, Haley, at all like.

00:37:20:00 - 00:37:21:17
Haley Skarupa
Do I have any mentors you're asking?

00:37:22:06 - 00:37:27:17
JR Butler
Yeah, like, like in the business world and sales, like, do you have any valuable mentors that you've developed so far?

00:37:27:17 - 00:37:46:04
Haley Skarupa
Yeah, for sure. I mean, my first account executive, he is a huge mentor. Like he's probably the biggest one right now. And like I said, it was just like the piece of, you know, the great relationship. Like at no point was he, I don't know, like he'd it was like we were working together. He wasn't working above me.

00:37:46:04 - 00:38:06:18
Haley Skarupa
There was no it was we have this common goal, like this is what we're doing. And then he just being one of our like top account executives in the whole company, he would still go out of his way to just see, okay, like, what do you want to learn today? Like, is there anything like we would have a weekly one on one outside of our one on one just to go through career stuff.

00:38:06:18 - 00:38:28:21
Haley Skarupa
So, and I was trying to, you know, practice demoing platform things just for career development. He was the one that I would always turn to because, you know, huge. I just always knew he would be there for support and he always just offered incredible advice. And it didn't hurt that he was just so technically smart too. I really got lucky being paired with him as well as my manager right now.

00:38:28:21 - 00:38:51:21
Haley Skarupa
I mean, he also was in the he played hockey. He's been in the tech space for a while. And I mean, he's more of like a lead by example. Like, I just can tell that he's a very like super he was a super successful account executive wherever he's been. And I can just see that every day if he hops on one of my calls and just starts talking with the prospect, like you can tell just how thorough he is.

00:38:51:21 - 00:38:58:03
Haley Skarupa
And it's like pretty motivating because you're like, I want to get to that point where I'm that good and I'm that comfortable in that role at any given moment.

00:38:58:16 - 00:39:17:06
JR Butler
That's awesome like that. And that's all like that. You can't ask for more than like having some people to look up to in that in your first job. Like I always tell, you know, we have candidates that are like, well, this one's five K less, this one's five K more, this one's hybrid, this one's about this one. I have to go to the office.

00:39:17:15 - 00:39:38:18
JR Butler
This product does this, this product is that. I'm like, listen, three your first job. The most important thing is that you're going to be surrounded by people that you can learn from. And nothing really nothing else matters. Because if you can spend 12 to 24 months surrounded by people that can teach you great habits and build a foundation for you, this career is limitless.

00:39:38:18 - 00:39:43:15
JR Butler
So that's why you're so lucky that you got that with Klaviyo. That's amazing.

00:39:44:00 - 00:39:46:09
Haley Skarupa
Yeah, I am very lucky for sure.

00:39:47:03 - 00:40:18:00
JR Butler
Unreal. So you're now that you're you're kind of moving into your sales career, I always like to ask gas like, you know, we like you. We always people on our teams that were like, hey, I'm the best that, you know, personalizing an email. I'm the best at qualifying, I'm the best at closing, talking about pricing, what, what's, what are you starting to see that that skill that you've developed that's that's making you elite?

00:40:18:00 - 00:40:23:21
JR Butler
Like what do you think that one skill for you is as you're as you're maturing in your sales career?

00:40:24:05 - 00:41:00:08
Haley Skarupa
I definitely think like through being a leader. And now my biggest strength, which at one point may have been a weakness, but I think is a strength, is just my overall like volume and like pace. Like a lot of people have just told me, like you have such a large motor like motor basically. I mean, I the volume that I was pumping out every everything has a BTR like at one point I was told to just like slow down because it was and that's just every I mean it doesn't always like activity doesn't matter if it's not actually quality, like it's not converting to meetings and to closing.

00:41:00:16 - 00:41:24:23
Haley Skarupa
But I always like, why not? You know, you want to cast a wide net. I know that my, the quality of my content's like pretty high. Why am I not getting it as fast as I can? Like, every single day? That's always been my biggest thing and and sourcing at that pace, too. So I'm always I no one really likes to source I have this odd interest that I just enjoy sourcing and I'll like source for other teams like I'll just send it along.

00:41:24:23 - 00:41:44:15
Haley Skarupa
People know if they want to find accounts just to reach out. To me it's just like, I'll do it when I'm watching TV. Like, it's just bizarre. This is just like how I operate. So like, those are two things that probably are my current strengths. Like one thing that I want to just get better at is just like overall sales acumen.

00:41:44:15 - 00:42:09:09
Haley Skarupa
Like I'm good personally, like outside of work, like just kind of reading a room, you know, being personable and it's like applying that more into just like a sales call in a sales role, like in a business element, like being just genuinely curious about someone's business goals and asking the right questions at the right time. That's something that I think I'm getting better at that there's been like a current focus of mine right now.

00:42:10:04 - 00:42:34:12
JR Butler
That that curiosity is a game changer. Like when you really develop that as a seller and you talk to people in a way where it's it's really sincere that you're trying to you're seeking to understand you'll, you'll notice it'll it'll click and selling becomes a lot easier because the, the, the people that you're working with will open up to you because they know that you're actually trying to understand what they're trying to accomplish.

00:42:34:12 - 00:42:54:20
JR Butler
So that's awesome. Yeah. So this is the this is the last question. We ask everybody this question. So my father was a high school hockey coach. I mentioned it earlier for 35 years. And I'm the oldest of three boys. And when as young as eight years old, I remember my father saying, you know, J.R., a lot of people play hockey.

00:42:55:07 - 00:43:21:01
JR Butler
Not a lot of people are hockey players. And he kind of like instilled in us kind of like honestly like being a pro even as a young person, right? Like taking everything seriously, being prepared, getting rest, eating right, you know, practicing understanding the competition. Right. So one of the highest that we think the highest praise that you can give a salesperson is calling them a pro.

00:43:21:01 - 00:43:34:15
JR Butler
Right. So it's the same idea. There's a lot of people that sell software. There's not a lot of people that are software sales professionals. So I just would love to hear, in your words, like, what does being a pro in this industry mean to you?

00:43:34:22 - 00:44:02:21
Haley Skarupa
I think it's honestly, it's a three things. I think it is a that like being genuinely curious. Like that's always one of our top things. That's it's you just it's a natural like skill to have and that is really what makes a salesperson a pro paired with like being customer first. That's always what we say too. So putting the customer first, that's a huge thing and you'll just naturally get better at sales and that is what makes you a pro.

00:44:02:21 - 00:44:23:07
Haley Skarupa
And then thirdly, which is my most if you just have this in itself, I, I would consider you a pro is like sales is all about performance, you know, hitting your number overperforming. But for me, the pros are the ones who do that naturally but then also make the like they elevate the performance of those around them just by always.

00:44:23:07 - 00:44:48:04
Haley Skarupa
Like they they're always being curious and learning, but then they're applying that to their, their peers. And I'm just thinking of like a few specific examples of people at my company right now, like those people that I consider pros and the qualities that they show every single day. And that's really what it is like. They're always trying to make our company better, make the industry better by using everything they've learned from being genuinely curious and sharing it with everyone else.

00:44:48:04 - 00:44:49:14
Haley Skarupa
So everyone gets better.

00:44:50:22 - 00:45:00:05
JR Butler
So awesome. Great answer. I love that, Ali. This was a great conversation. It was great. Thank you so much for giving us some time. I really appreciate it.

00:45:00:10 - 00:45:02:05
Haley Skarupa
Yeah, thanks for having me. Of course.

00:45:02:13 - 00:45:07:16
JR Butler
Absolutely. Good luck on your journey as an AP and we'll talk soon.

00:45:08:07 - 00:45:14:11
Haley Skarupa
Thank you very much.

00:45:14:11 - 00:45:24:18
JR Butler
This wraps up this episode of Merchants of Change. If you enjoyed this episode, the most meaningful way to say thanks is to submit a review wherever you listen to podcasts. If you're interested.

00:45:24:18 - 00:45:36:18
JR Butler
In working with us, please come find us at WW Dot Chef Group Dot A.