Jennifer Green is the Enterprise Sales Director for Passle (you may recognize Passle by their orange stuffed octopuses at conferences) based in Annapolis, Maryland. Jennifer, who started out in corporate recruiting but moved into sales, was hired to help open Passle’s U.S. operations and gain momentum here. Jennifer recently joined the Legal Marketing Association’s Well-Being Committee, and she says it’s been a great outlet for her passion for mental health awareness.
Learn more about her in this Women Who Wow profile.
What do you love most about what you do?
I’m a big ‘people person’ and I’ve always loved building relationships. Sales allows me to do that in a professional setting. Also, even though I consider myself an extrovert, I still find sales to challenge me and push me out of my comfort zone.
Any advice to women about succeeding at work?
Be confident. If you don’t feel confident, then ‘fake it until you make it’. You are brilliant and you are in this position for a reason. Imposter syndrome is so easy to fall victim to, especially as a female in a male-dominated industry.
What do you wish you could tell your younger self?
There is no required timeline when it comes to your life. You don’t need to tick boxes at a certain age to feel like everything is ‘on track’. Also, I really believe that the only thing in life that matters is happiness. Everyone’s idea of happiness is different. Do whatever you need to do to take care of yourself, take care of your mental health and fight to find that happiness that you deserve.
What is the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of my first jobs out of college was with an interior design company. The very first thing that the head of sales said to me was, “Sometimes in order to succeed, you need to be the ‘squeaky wheel’”. Even though it sounded silly at first, it’s stuck with me ever since. It’s all about persistence and perseverance, especially in a field such as sales.
How do you achieve work/life balance?
I make it a point to turn my computer off at the end of the workday Friday, and I don’t open it until Monday morning. I think it’s so crucial that we take the time to ourselves that we need in order to recharge and decompress. That way, on Monday morning, we are geared up and ready to take on the week.
What is a surprising/fun fact about you?
I have two older brothers and I was born on my dad’s birthday! I’ve always been very close with the three of them. However, I consider myself a ‘girl’s girl’ (probably because I always wanted a sister).