How the Pandemic Cured My Career

I’m happy to share that I’ve begun a new role as Sales Development Manager at Inspirata!

“So, dad- what did you do during the Great Pandemic of 2020?” “I volunteered, son, and made new friends.”

Turns out that, like many of you, I used the last 20 months to reflect on my career trajectory and re-center it around my personal values. I felt a bit traumatized, to be truthful. I’ve accumulated a lifetime of anxiety from toxic corporate “sweatshops” and the constant threat of losing temperamental clients in my consulting practice. So, I exhaled. I took a breath. I then checked my 401K and savings accounts.

So. What are my values? Really?

I realized that I was operating on survival-adrenaline-fear and practical necessity to provide for my charge. A blind, feverish race with no finish flag on the horizon.

I want to be my authentic self in the office as well as at the dinner table- that it turns out, is more valuable than the “pieces of me” that folks were monetizing up until now.

Someone said to me jokingly- “Sid, what they’re doing with you is like asking Lewis Hamilton to park cars!” (I am no Lewis "GOAT F1" Hamilton, but you get the metaphor, eh?)

I spent the better part of the last 2 years networking, consulting and working with a wide variety of business leaders, looking for “that fit”.

That’s what I did. Btw- Savings saves.

By joining minds with so many others, also on their journeys to rewrite their narratives, I met (and sometimes engaged) many hardy, imaginative founders in Green Infrastructure, SaaS technology, Predictive analytics and Machine Learning, Strategic Sales consulting, and more.

I didn’t always deliver the information about their sales strategy that they wanted to hear, but I did what I do- delivered the truth, backed by numbers, to help show a way to revenue.

During this exploratory adventure I particularly enjoyed my volunteering experiences at REWORK TRAINING. Helping coach eager new Sales professionals rekindled my deep desire to help others succeed. In Sales. In Sales Development. Perhaps even avoid the pitfalls I encountered.

(Thanks, Ben Nussbaum and Shelton Banks! Still learning from your efforts to empower our young talent.)

Light bulb moment- I began looking into Sales Enablement as a way to share the hard-won skills and experience I’ve gained over a career in the field. I figured, if I enjoy it so much that I’ll do it for free, why not join a growing team that can appreciate my verve- and maybe, also- my nerve lol!

So I spent the summer (and autumn…) profiling companies, sending InMails, emails, applications, making calls- you know the drill. I allowed recruiters to flood my inbox and did the interview thing. There are a lot of frogs out there, by the way, so keep kissing until your princess or prince appears!

After a stressful but sometimes fun prospecting campaign…

I found the lick! I’ve accepted a prestigious offer from the leadership at Inspirata, leaders in AI-powered Oncology Informatics and Digital Pathology. I’ve begun managing a small Sales Development Team of Upstarts with Attitude lol.

It’s refreshing to be a part of the solution on so many levels! Hooah!

The plan is to get processes in place rickey tick, coach my troops into top SDR condition, get results $$- then rinse, add and repeat. A 2022 challenge!! Finally!

Wish me well as I embark on this invigorating adventure with a top-notch team of professionals. Thanks to everyone at Inspirata for welcoming me- Steve Keresztes, Adam Freiberg, Victor Brunka, Justin Buttner, David Simpson, Matt Murphy, Joe Chapa, Patrick Zorzi, John Hamm, Joan Dzedzy, Michael Gillen, Graeme Collins, Dillon Phillips, Brad Roark and all the others I couldn't find links to lol- Oh wait, my SDR team- Carlin, Wesley and Tyler- it's on!

Lastly, to my newest heroes- Fearless leaders Mark Lloyd and Satish Sanan. Proof that the Universe is a good place after all.

See me up there? Not the shortest. lol

Recruiters, how do I say this politely? I enjoyed the dances. Perhaps we can talk again in 5-10 years…

Thanks for reading this missive lol. Whew baby! 2022. What it Do!