I’m Sarah…
And these are some questions I’ve been asked.
Tell us about yourself: who are you and what do you do?
I’m Sarah. Michigan native, lover of dachshunds, recently converted “cat lady”, and current Vice President of ShareASale.
What have been the highlights during your career so far?
Prior to coming to ShareASale, I’d say the highlight of my career was working on behalf of the Broadcasters coordinating with the State Police to roll out the Amber Alert program in Michigan. This is a program that sends automated alerts over radio and TV when the State Police issue a missing child bulletin.
Current highlight would be going through this acquisition and subsequent transition. You could not wrap more emotions into what we’ve gone through the past year and especially the past 5 months. I am so grateful to our dedicated staff that have weathered the storm with us and have helped to make operations at ShareASale seamless to our clients. I hope everyone is as proud of themselves as I am of them for all that we’ve already been able to navigate. If I had any small part in making their transition a success, that would be a very special highlight for me.
What were your biggest challenges at ShareASale and how did you overcome them?
I think one of the biggest challenges we’ve faced at ShareASale is the stereotype that we are the Network for small business - only. True, the Network was created in part to be a solution for merchants that could not afford the start up cost of the other Networks in the field at that time. That was 18 years ago and we have rolled out technology and tools since that can support merchants of all sizes. We offer reliable robust tracking solutions for a fraction of the price. I think this low cost sometimes gets confused with low quality or a discount brand.
We’ve tackled this in the same way we tackle business in general, which is to continue to give the client the best possible experience and not waste time trying to copy or obsess over what the competition is doing. If you are innovative and sure in what you are executing the numbers will speak for themselves. Let the competition copy and chase you. We have all seen how this plays out in life when we watched Michael Phelps swim against Chad Le Clos in the 200 meter butterfly final in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
Signature Dish?
The extend of my dish making is air pop popcorn.
Dream Destination?
Antarctica
Most Valuable Career Lesson?
Relationships are a fickle business - never take a loyal partnership for granted, as they can sour quickly if you don’t continue to value and cherish that loyalty in the highest regard.
On the management side, to always remain humble and kind. I believe in all success there is a bit of luck and a lot of support from those around you, so never lose site of that and be grateful for the opportunities afforded to you.
Most Used App?
Three way tie between Flipboard, Slack, and Evernote
Biggest Accomplishment?
I’m living it right now. The fact that we are having our best year on record at ShareASale despite the fact that our Founder/CEO, CTO, and GM have all exited and 64% of our staff is either in new roles or new to the company is an accomplish I am incredibly proud of and share with our amazing team.
Bits of Randomness
One of my life dreams is to be on the show, Family Feud. Is that still on? Doesn’t matter. I’d love to be on the reunion special if not.
Speaking of life dreams, I’ve been keeping a “Life List” since 1999. (Happy 20 year list-aversary!) and it serves a purpose in keeping the spice in life.
My first concert ever was Neil Diamond when I was 4. As a result, I know an alarmingly large number of Neil Diamond songs. Don’t hate.
I’ve been sky diving and in a glider - for both occasions opted for the “aerobatic” package. A bit ironic considering vertigo I have now.
My childhood dram was to sin the Star Spangled Banner at a pro sporting event.
I love traveling - to me there is no better education than learning and seeing first hand cultures and environments that are different from our own.
I enjoy getting behind a camera and taking snappy snaps. I enjoy it so much because it allows me to look at my surroundings with a different or new perspective. I find it helps me keep my eyes open and observe life from different angles.
When I was in the 4th grade I learned to play the violin. But I really wanted to play the drums.
The book, “The Legend of Sleeping Bear” always makes me cry. Sleeping Bear National Park also happens to by my happy place.
Some of the best advice my mom every told me was “Different strokes for different folks”. It’s amazing how this simple phrase can transcend and apply perfectly through the years and to complicated situations. Always teaching us to lead with kindness, empathy, understanding, and love.
I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. Every year I just try to be better. A better citizen, friend, employee, family member, etc.
I was born with slight nerve deafness in both ears. What? NERVE DEAFNESS. So speak up sonny, it’s hard for me to hear you.
One of my first jobs was at the minor league baseball stadium as a vendor. Yup walking up and down the rows shouting, “pizza herrreeeeeaaaaa!!”. I actually learned a lot of business lessons from this summer gig, so it was equal parts fun and surprisingly foundation.