When adversity meets opportunity: the journey to now

Employee Career Path Testimony – Ashlee Carone

Hello from Washington. I am Ashlee Carone, Senior Manager, Enterprise Sales with T-Mobile for Business. I am a daughter, wife, mother, sister, and friend. I have a 4-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter who are my world. [Most honored title: Mom.]? I am married to my rock-star, stay-at-home-dad husband, Ryan, who is my best friend, my sanity, and the foundation of my support system.

I am an Oregon native who has had the opportunity to live in seven states and grow my career in five states. I started in California with a competitor as a Retail Sales Associate. After a year, I earned the opportunity to take on an apprentice role in Business Sales in Georgia. Three months later, a great leader took an early chance on me and promoted me to Business Sales Account Executive where I excelled. My B2B career took off, and I continued to advance into Enterprise Sales and into leadership soon after. I moved to Alabama for a promotion to lead a sales team and due to unfortunate circumstances, lost my job.

I was devastated and as the sole provider for my family, with a 1-year-old at the time, I entered into fight mode. You know that all-encompassing fire that burns with all its power to motivate you to find your way? Yeah, that one. After six years with that employer and my entire professional time being in wireless, my instincts guided me to stay in the field. It was the best decision ever!

T-Mobile was on an impressive trajectory - the underdog at the time with the most upward growth potential. I knew T-Mobile was where I needed to land. I sent a LinkedIn message to Mike Sievert who forwarded my information to recruiting. I was thrilled. The only company I wanted to work for, the only company I applied to, responded. That led to some interviews and a job offer in Texas as an Enterprise Account Executive. That was the outcome I desired!

I spent just over a year adjusting to the new and friendly culture. I became acclimated to the operation and systems before I vocalized my desire to move back into leadership in my hometown of the Pacific Northwest. I had an amazing mentor and great advocates who helped me land a role leading T-Mobile’s mid-market sales team in Bellevue. It was a welcome shift back into leadership, and after a record-breaking first year I was granted a slot in T-Mobile’s leadership development program. I will be forever thankful to my leaders for the opportunity. This opportunity catapulted the course of my career at T-Mobile.

Shortly after I finished the “LDP” program, I was promoted to Senior Manager, Enterprise where for the past three years, I have led a team of seasoned Account Executives who work with some of the most well-known brands within my market. Highlight: closing one of the largest customers of my career alongside my team and our wonderful Senior Leaders last year.

My secret sauce? Agility— always being willing and ready to shift— taking feedback and adopting new skills. I have always had pillars based on integrity, culture, our company values, customers and delivering results.

It has been a gift. Through a complex merger, culture changes, doubling in size, growing at an unprecedented pace, and adjusting to a very welcome new sales motion, we have found a way to stay successful, competitive and we are the furthest we have ever been from being an underdog. It has been an unbelievable and exciting movement to be a part of.

Working with T-Mobile has been the best thing for me personally and professionally. With values so centered on our customers, our people, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability it is no wonder why so many of us have the tenure that we do. I am 6 1/2 years and going strong. Cheers to a dark moment in time over six years ago that afforded me the biggest blessing in disguise: T-Mobile!

With love,

Ashlee Carone

Xo?