Zay J. - Sales Training Manager

Meet Zay! If you love photography & art, the Baltimore Orioles, and have a passion for sales leadership & development... Zay is your gal! 

Tell us a little about your role and your team. I oversee the onboarding and development of new hires, specifically managing Business Development new hire classes. Additionally, I work with my team on our mentor and leadership program for the continued education for all future leaders in the sales org. My mission is to continue to help the sales org LEVEL UP their skill set, both professionally and personally, so they can be all stars. Our team works closely with our business partners to identify how sales training & enablement can assist with any areas of opportunity or net-new initiatives throughout the year.

How are you staying connected with your team as we’re all working remote? Although we are remote, our team is always connected in some way! Every couple of weeks, one of us takes the lead on our "Funtivity" (Fun Activity) session. This is where we take a small break from work and do fun activities or open talk sessions. For productivity time, we work together via zoom during our “co-working” time. This way we have the in-person office feel and opportunities to brainstorm together.

What project currently excites you the most? The project I am currently excited about is my future workshop on Failing Forward. To fail forward means that you have chosen to value every failure for the lessons learned and then apply those lessons in future efforts, even if those efforts might also result in failure. For the workshop, I will focus on how To recover from any setback and build resiliency.

How has your experience in other roles helped you in your current position? I started my career as a sales representative in Hotels. From there, I held a variety of roles from sales manager to operations manager. After 7 years in a sales role, I pursued my passion for training and development. I worked as a task force training manager and training consultant to train and develop sales representatives in North America and London, UK.

What do you love about your job? Nothing makes me happier than to see the transition from Day 1 to the Day of onboarding graduation. Our team allows the Sales organization to strengthen those skills that each employee needs to improve, meet/ exceed their goals, and put them in positions of internal promotions.

One trait all Groupon team members share... One trait that all Groupon team members share is teamwork! No matter the role or department, every Groupon team member will always lend a helping hand both personally and professionally. The support among Groupon team members is unmatched!

How would you describe your leadership style? When I think about my leadership style, I typically take a holistic leadership approach. Holistic leadership requires me to bring my whole self to my role. It's not just about my skills, processes, and approaches to my work, but also my character, values, and mindset. My communication style is a mix of analytical and a personal/ transparent approach.

What is one non-work activity or hobby that you're into? How did you get into it? One non-work hobby I am into is nature photography. I love to hike and spend time outdoor near the mountains and lakes and I love capturing those moments. 

What do you miss about being in the office? What I miss most about being in office is seeing my team everyday, eating lunch together and just that in person feel.

What's one thing about you that surprises people? Something that surprises people about me is my love for art so I have many tattoos. Each one of my tattoos have a meaningful or goofy story behind them. Another surprising fact about me is I used to be an event coordinator for an NFL team.

What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given?The best piece of advice I’ve been given is “think of yourself as a lifelong learner”.

What are three career lessons you've learned thus far?

1. Bring your most authentic self to work. It's always easier being YOU instead of putting on a mask. Like your personality shine!
2. Be a sponge. Always look at each opportunity to be a sponge and soak up any knowledge you can from your peers and your leaders.
3. Never overlook your own Mental Health if you truly want to succeed in your career.