Intro/Outro (00:03):

It’s time to wake up to TECHquila Sunrise. Greg White here, and I have spent my career starting leading, deploying, and investing in supply chain tech. So we take a shot at talking with founders, execs investors and companies in this hot industry. If you want a taste of how tech startup growth and investment is done, join us for another blinding TECHquila Sunrise.

Greg White (00:30):

Hey, welcome to TECHquila Sunrise, and how to get Gen Z engaged in your business. Now, look, I’ve been there done that at a couple of different companies that I’ve run, but I thought I would introduce you fresh from the zoo, a real live Gen Z.

Greg White (00:49):

And what we hope you’ll take away from this is how you can engage Gen Z, get them to understand your purpose, get engaged in your company, and to really help them excel. Look, the truth is there’s not a lot of difference between generations, but the way that they approach things is just slightly different. So by the end of this session, you should be a speaker of Gen Z [language] and we’ll show you some ways to make sure that they get engaged from a real live expert.

All right. So let’s bring in our guest. Delaney, is it???

Greg White (01:24):

Delaney? Delaney White is an Account Coordinator at Field Edge, And Field Edge is a field services technology company. And she is one of their top sales performers. And I’m not saying that because I have a particular bias or anything like that. But really…

Greg White (01:47):

Because we’ve been quarantining together, we’ve actually gotten to watch one another work quite a bit. And it’s pretty impressive to watch her go. I want her to tell you her own story and also how Field Edge has done a great job of bringing her along and mentoring, and that sort of thing. So we’ll talk about that in a second. So without further ado, thank you for joining us on TECHquila Sunrise, Delaney.

Greg White (02:11):

Very good. Very well done. That was a good smile, everyone.

Delaney White (02:14)

Thanks for having me. I’m glad to be here.

Greg White (02:22):

Well, you know, you were here anyways, so let’s this. And while not keeping appropriate distance – we have been not keeping appropriate distance since about March of last year – so I think it’s probably okay, but Hey, this is our first in-person interview in a long time, especially on TECHquila Sunrise. But anyway, let’s talk a little bit about you.

Look, I know your history and this is really taboo when you do a show like this is to just let you go off, but there’s a couple of points that I would like people to understand. One is how did you come to be a salesperson at Field Edge? And tell us a little bit about your educational journey up to that point. And then when you had to make your decision to do that, but you know what I just realized before we do that, she is a legal adult folks.

So as we start most episodes with TECHquila Sunrise, we are going to actually take a shot. So here’s to them and here’s to us.

All right. Now we’re really ready to get started. Okay. So, tell us a little bit about Delaney – she is my middle daughter. You’ve probably heard of her, probably heard about her on one of the shows before, but tell us a little bit about how you came to be technology sales rep rather than what you were thinking of as a career choice.

Delaney White (03:42):

It is quite a story and my dad knows this. I went to the university of Georgia. I was studying communication studies and philosophy. And my junior year I decided I wanted to be an attorney and decided I want to go to law school. So I started working in my undergrad at the law school and began that journey studying for the LSAT. Preparing myself for the test of all tests, you know, and then I applied to law school. I somehow ended up applying a little bit later than I had planned on. I don’t know, looking back, I don’t know how that happened, but I ended up getting deferred and I was working at a law firm as a legal assistant at the time. And it was really disappointing. And I’d spent a lot of years, a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of planning – a LOT of planning – really my whole life.

Delaney White (04:32):

Because if you ask him, he said from day one, “You would be a great lawyer.” So it was really disappointing. And then I kind of had to have that moment where I say, okay, well what’s next? What am I going to do? Because the past two and a half years were solely dedicated to studying, getting good grades, taking the LSAT, investing into what I thought was going to be my future as an attorney. Right?

So then I applied for this sales position and in the interview at Field Edge. I feel like I was hooked. I walked into the office and it was just like this magnetic energy, nothing like I’d seen before. And they, you know, had a lot of questions for me. I had no sales experience whatsoever. I can’t believe they hired me

Greg White (05:20):

Some sales experience from like fourth grade. Right. Selling

Delaney White (05:24):

Cat beds for a long time pre-selling

Greg White (05:26):

Cat beds. Right. And selling various things to the family. Right?

Delaney White (05:29):

Yeah. Yeah. I had brief gigs. But I didn’t mention in that interview for whatever reason. So I started as an SDR, I’d Field Edge, about…

Greg White (05:42):

Share what SDR means, in case they don’t know.

Delaney White (05:45):

I was a sales development representative, pretty much. I was doing cold calls and outbound sales, which for anyone who has done cold calls and outbound sales, you know, more power to you. That is a tough gig, but I loved it. I loved it for a lot of different reasons. And when it came time for me to reapply for law school, and this time I got in, I found myself in this position where I really wasn’t certain I wanted to go anymore.

Greg White (06:14):

I recall that distinctly. So, that was really a pivotal moment for you. I know that you pained over that and we talked about that a lot and we had some differing opinions on what you ought to do in the household, but ultimately you decided to stay at Field Edge, and really, really lean in to that gig.

So tell us about – first of all, that experience was fantastic because we shared a lot of that – but tell us a little bit about how that came about and what you saw either in the company, or in the culture and the people. I know you have some key people that you’ve worked with that you really enjoy. So share that.

Delaney White (06:53):

I mean, it was incredible. It, it definitely was great to get in. To know that all my efforts had reaped a benefit, but I was in this weird crossroad where I loved my job. I loved sales and I felt that I had a passion for it that I didn’t know I had. So I, you know, I had a lot of talks and I had to really think about if I have, you know – as great as it is to be an attorney and to go to law school – I had this passion that I so luckily discovered.

And I think when it came down to it, I chased my passion. You know, Field Edge has been great in helping me develop a career path in, in teaching me and helping me grow. I think one thing they do culturally is really foster growth. And a big thing about sales is looking inward and being introspective and learning and teaching yourself along the way. And I’ve loved the challenge of sales. And I love how supportive they were, no matter what I chose to do. So I ultimately stuck with it and I, I really am glad looking back.

Greg White (08:03):

I feel like they were really intentional. I mean, again, I only heard this second hand and we talked a lot about this. But I feel like they were really intentional about either supporting you – frankly, if you decided you wanted to go to law school – or getting you on this sales path. At least this is what I perceived from the conversations we had. You’ll have to tell me if that’s true, but it seemed like they were kind of building a career path for you. And they really enunciated that to you. Is that right?

Delaney White (08:33):

Absolutely. I mean, literally the day I told my manager that I had gotten into UGA School of Law he calls me back and he goes, “I’m going to get you in a meeting with our VP of Sales.” And we sat down and talked about my career path and where he saw me going and all the different areas I could go and explore my passion as I had been doing.

Greg White (08:56):

And just to be clear, at this point, you’re still in what is essentially an entry level position in the company, right?

Delaney White

Yeah, exactly.

Greg White

I mean, a really good performer at the time. Right. But still, I mean, early, early stage, even, even as a role in the company. So clearly they saw something and clearly – I think this was what really impressed me – was clearly they saw something and they had the ability and the wherewithal to give you a path to, to, you know, to give you a reason to stay.

Delaney White (09:30):

I think growth drives people. A lot of people, especially sales personalities. And to know that I could build a career in sales or in leadership management implementation, wherever I decided to go, it was great to have somebody sit down with me and say, you can do this. You can build a career with it, with this, and we’re going to get you there and we’re going to help you grow. And whichever way you decide to go, we’ll support you. So, I mean, I cannot be thankful enough that I landed at such a great company and had that leadership and that, you know, they truly cared about what I did and where I wanted to go. And they wanted to make sure all my concerns were addressed. And that was,

Greg White (10:11):

I mean, I think that’s as much of the lesson as anything is they recognize something within you. They didn’t beg you to stay. They motivated you to stay and they were really sensitive to what you needed. I mean, I think you even had some discussions about with them about what you liked about law versus what you liked about sales and, and that kind of shaped how they, how they drove forward. And also, I mean, I know it’s been difficult with COVID and everything, but you asked for some really specific things like mentorship. So they responded on that measure as well. So tell us a little bit about that.

Delaney White (10:46):

So in terms of, of following that, I did end up getting promoted to a senior position. And then I moved to my position today, which is an Account Coordinator, but I think,

Greg White (10:58):

Sorry, sorry. So tell, tell us a little bit about the difference. A senior was basically – you were the top dog SDR – and then account coordinator. How did your, how did your responsibilities shift?

Delaney White (11:11):

So the Account Coordinator position was, it’s definitely much different. I went from a solely outbound sales driven position to transferring over and consulting with acquired customers. So transferring that customer base from a server-based product to our cloud-based product Field Edge, and they weren’t always a good fit.

And a lot of times there was a lot of different things. We had to come over a hurdle to get them to even consider Field Edge. So it became a much more warm sales position, but it also required me to adapt to being more adept in customer and consultation. It’s no longer trying to get them on the phone as fast as possible and try to get their interests. I had people more willing to speak with me. I had more of a platform to offer myself as a consultant, but also promote change and profitability in their business that they weren’t seeing with their old software.

Greg White (12:15):

So let’s talk about that a little bit. We’ll come back to the mentorship thing because I think you’ve called that out. You’ve called out your manager to me. And I want to make sure that you get the chance to say that, but you talked about how your role changed and you talked about kind of giving you a higher purpose and, you know, classically – it’s almost a cliche people of Gen X and Baby Boomers and even Millennials are, you know, we’re always talking about when we talk with HR folks – we’re always talking about the fact that a higher purpose is really necessary for your generation.

Generally. You know, I [don’t] love generalizations, but I mean, do you, did you feel that pull, did you feel, do you feel sort of led to help these companies or do you feel like Field Edge is helping you to enable that?

Delaney White (13:08):

I mean, undoubtedly it is. It is incredible to get on the phone with a prospect and speak with them about how we can completely transform their business, completely streamline things so that they can go home to their families sooner so that they are spending less time, less weekends promoting their business.

And it really is powerful to have people trust me and trust my guidance and what I have to offer. So it was. I mean, it’s a really cool, it really was to have a change in dynamic of how, how I am as a salesperson, but also a consultant and a mentor for a lot of our customers. And that is really, it is really cool to be able to offer that guidance and earn their trust in that way. And it’s not easy.

Greg White (13:56):

Because your industry is HVAC heating. What does the V stand for? I’ve been doing this industry for a long time ventilation and air conditioning, right? And now a lot of those companies are what they call home services companies that include plumbing and electrical as well.

So those are really, really broad businesses. And there, especially during now with so many people at home, they are really mission critical, right? They’re booming. They are frontline, they are essential during COVID. So it’s been, it’s been a big kind of grind for this industry. So I’m glad that you’ve gotten to impact those companies.

You know, at CURO we were doing that. Not with the same industries, but we were doing that too. And you can see that when somebody goes from taking a hundred phone calls a day to being able to go home to their family and not take a single phone call during dinner…

Delaney White (14:52):

It is really powerful. And it is really cool to accomplish that and to have people appreciate your help and your support, and to make a bigger impact on their business, which I love about sales. It really is. It has really been something totally new to me, but something I’ve really enjoyed.

Greg White (15:08):

So let’s talk a little bit more about the mentorship because I think – and I think I’ve probably told the world – that eventually you will be, you will rule Mars, but I think there are bigger things in store for you. And clearly I think the folks at Field Edge believe so, too. So tell us a little bit about who has gotten involved in how they’ve gotten involved in helping you reach your personal goals.

Delaney White (15:30):

So I’ve had a number of people that have really helped me grow both as a salesperson and a consultant and a support to our customers. My initial manager, Jeff Sterling was incredible and helping me learn because I knew nothing.

And then I’ve sat down with women who were leaders in the company, and we spoke about challenges and accomplishments and what we could be doing to get to where we wanted to be. But one person who I really see as a mentor today is Adam Chambliss. He’s my current manager. He works with our Accountant Executive teams as well as myself. But I think something that Field Edge does just really well, and particularly Adam does really well, is foster growth and talk big picture. And he really made me feel as though I had a bigger purpose now in my new role and that I was doing things that were really benefiting our customers.

Delaney White (16:31):

And he really took the time to sit down with me to make himself available, even on our craziest weeks when we might be behind on our numbers, or there’s a ton of deals coming through the funnel and there’s this issue and this issue, and we have these things to do. He always takes the time to sit down with me no matter what, take an hour.

Even if things are absolutely hectic and say, what can we do better? What do you need help with? And I really, really respect that. I think my respect for him also really affects me in my role and doing what I can to make his job easier to make our acquisition team successful. And that’s just something that I’m so appreciative of – and any company that doesn’t have a program like that – I really think it’s beneficial for people my age, who don’t quite know where they’re going, or don’t quite know what they’re passionate about. It really, really built my dedication to this company, to this role, to what I want to do in five years. And I’m very grateful for what all of them have done for me.

Greg White (17:35):

So that’s the classic question is, you know, it’s usually an interview question or it used to be, I don’t know if it even is anymore. Where do you want to be in five years or, or where do you see yourself longer term? I feel like you’ve been – sorry. I just asked you a question. I have to amend it – I see you having been kind of ignited.

I mean, I think we all knew because you’re a planner, you’re a studier, you’re a voracious reader. You’re an outstanding speaker – rhetoric, right? The real rhetoric, right. Is one of your specialties and you can relate to people really, really well.

You do make plans. I remember your plan to have a F-450 and a horse trailer at 12 years old.

Delaney White:

Yep.

And I also remember the time when you applied to the University of Georgia riding team, the equestrian team also when you were 12 years old. And also interestingly, received an encouraging letter from the coach of the equestrian team saying, “Hey, you seem like you would be a really good candidate, but you’re 12 years old. So let’s, let’s work for a few more years and do that.”

But I think somebody saw that also, without having experienced it for 18 or 20 plus years as I have. And they’ve somehow fostered that. So I think that’s an important part of it. But if you think about what you’ve learned or what maybe you could share with companies who are looking to bring their young people up in the business or help them be as good as they can be. Help them meet their own personal goals.

Are there any, you know, can you make a list, a top two or three things that you see that really worked for you that you think would really be beneficial for companies to provide to their young people on the team?

Delaney White (19:28):

I think there’s so much that people can offer and help to build a powerful and happy and successful team.

1. One thing I think that is so important is being able to foster growth in your younger or entry level positions to help them grow, to learn, to provide a career path for them.
2. Another thing I think is to be able to sit down and truly get introspective in each position, what can we do better? Where can we learn? Where are we missing out on opportunities? I think I’ve learned so much about myself and about sales because I am in a company that is not afraid to admit failure or to look at one another and say, Hey, we could have done this better to grow, to truly grow.
3. And then third just, you know, being encouraging and, and excited to, to have people and learn and, and also understand that we don’t know everything. And everyone has an interesting and exciting perspective. I think there’s a lot of things you can really do to, to foster the same kind of passion that I’ve, I’ve come up with.

Greg White (20:48):

That’s Fantastic! So you touched on what you’ve learned about yourself. So, what do you think is the most important takeaway? What is, what do you think is the most important thing you’ve, you’ve learned about yourself in this experience?

Delaney White (21:01):

I think undoubtedly is follow your passion, go where your – this sounds so cliché – go where your arrow points you. I mean, looking back, I thought I was passionate about being an attorney and going to law school. And it’s so crazy how, when I immerse myself in a new environment, I totally recognize that I wasn’t passionate about that. And I kind of was just doing what my thought I should do.

Greg White (21:28):

I, wasn’t trying to drive you down that path. It’s just the things that I saw in you, where were those things, but a lot of that is applicable to what you’re doing today as well. You are very driven. You’re coin operated, like so many salespeople are, right? And I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I mean, there is a gift for that, and you clearly have not just the desire to make money. And frankly, it’s, it’s gamification for you. It’s not even the money. It’s just putting those numbers up on the board. But also – and I think this is important – discover, you’ve discovered that the helping people to really change their business is an important part of it as well.

Delaney White (22:08):

I love working with people. I really do. I love talking. My communications studies major has totally come into sales, which I never thought would, you know, building rapport and, and changing your tonality and having a diverse and strategic approach to each sale to become more successful as a salesperson. It’s really a way to put your mind to good use, but to also help people grow their businesses and make their lives easier. And just to have somebody there for them, I really have loved connecting with, with all of my prospects and all of our customers. And it’s always great to have somebody say, you know, Delaney was pivotable, pivotal,

Greg White (22:52):

Also pivotable! From the lawyer to Sales force.

Delaney White (22:58):

I could be a pivotable person, but yeah, I just, I really, I dove in and did different things all throughout my life and try different professions. And I found my passion through that. And I’m really glad I did. So taking the chances and finding your niche and your space, and it worked out really well for me.

Greg White (23:18):

That’s awesome. I’m ever so proud, which most of our audience knows. I’m proud of all of you. I think particularly because, you know, when we sat around the dinner table, we talked a lot about tech and a lot about what tech could do for people. And, you know, you often wonder whether it’s sinking in, but I think a lot of those discussions around the dinner table are why people wind up often in the same industries that their parents are in, it just becomes so natural. Right?

We talked about how to change businesses. And we talked about some of the little and big things, the wins, the losses, the ups, the downs, and things like that. And I think it’s just sort of a slow osmosis process where it, it becomes a part of who you are and glad it is because I feel like there are some companies out there that need leadership, and I see you on that path, by the way, I can see you, you know, we often joke about it around here. We need to build you a company so you can run it. And I think you’re on the path to do that. And I think, I think Field Edge, your company is really helping to enable that. Do you feel that, I mean, do you feel like they could help you get to that, you know, kind of not just sales level, but maybe leadership level?

Delaney White (24:32):

I mean, undoubtedly and I think anyone who feels that they, you know, aren’t, aren’t doing that should. It fosters growth and loyalty and employees are happy to be there and do their jobs. I think it’s monumental and building a transparent and, and functioning culture. So I absolutely think they’re doing that. And I think had I, you know, worked somewhere else. I may not have ended up here and yes, the dinner table conversations did help me get to where I be. He’s a hot, he is hard shoes to fill, into follow up behind. But yeah, I had a real go getter dad. That really kinda helped me figure out where I wanted to be.

Greg White (25:19):

Well, you know, I think that the truth is it doesn’t have to be a particular thing. It has to be your passionate. It has to be what ignites you. And it, it could be the law, it could be sales. It could just be a place where you land. I mean, you know, a lot of people are really intentional about their careers and that shapes their life. And a lot of people, even me, I mean, a lot of people kind of, as I tell people, often I fell backwards into supply chain. They didn’t have supply chain degrees. Right. I didn’t grow up saying, gosh, I want to be in supply chain. Right. And likewise, you did not grow up saying, I want to be in sales, but you knew it when you got there. And I think that awareness is really critical for, you know.

If there are three things that I would say that, that, young people need to consider, it is definitely,

Greg White (26:09):

1. Definitely follow your passion. It’s very cliche. It’s been being said for decades, and you may not know it until you get there, right? But don’t do a job because your parents say you should. Don’t do a job because you feel the obligation or you want to make $600 an hour or whatever. Do a job that ignites you, that really makes you feel fulfilled because that’s a job that you can do – believe me, you do your job for a long, long time. So that, that is a job that you can do for a long time without burden.
2. The other is seek, seek companies or seek people, more importantly – companies are really just accumulations of people – seek people who want to help lift you up, seek out those mentors. You know, when I work with the companies that I advise – Flourish, Verusen, and various others, one of the things that I tell them is if you don’t have advisors, get them, and it’s similar with people in their career, you have to have mentors. You had your eyes opened to the possibility that sales could even be something interesting to, by simply experiencing it. And people with those experiences, they can give you those insights without you having to dive in head first.
3. And then lastly is, if you aren’t getting what you need out of a company, out of a leadership team, if you’re not being treated fairly, or you don’t feel like it’s headed towards your purpose. If, what did you say? If, it’s not the way your arrow is pointed, find someplace where that’s the case. Those are the three bits of advice that I would give to young people in the career path.

So that’s six takeaways for this, this episode. That’s pretty impressive. Three for you. So you’re guiding companies here, and I’m guiding people of your generation. How about that for a..flip flop? So,

Greg White (27:56):

Anyway, I really appreciate your time allowing me to kind of invade your space here and use you as a great example. I think you are a great example. I’m very proud of what you’re doing. And I think you’ve got a lot of additional growth in you, and ultimately we will find you a company to run.

I hope Adam and the team at Field Edge, don’t get too upset about that. Maybe it will be Field Edge. You never know, but I think that’s sort of the path. If that’s your passion that you have the strong potential for.

And again, there are lots of people out there that can tell you as a company – if you’ve got strong people or you want to get strong people – learn how to nurture them and how to get them to where they want to be. And they will most definitely help you get to where you want to be.

It’s a symbiotic relationship. It’s really necessary. It’s the right thing to do, but it also hits the balance sheet and the P & L statement. And that’s an important part of what we do. So first of all, thank you for sharing your time with me. I really appreciate it.

Delaney White (28:59):

It’s great to be here. You’re welcome. There was no way out of it. We’re in the same space. I couldn’t make an excuse because you would call me out on it.

Greg White (29:11):

I can excuse you for a few weeks. And then we managed to corral you. Yeah.

Delaney White (29:14):

Yeah. I’m glad I’m here. Yeah. It was fun.

Greg White (29:17):

Delaney White with Field Edge and your title again. I’m sorry.

Delaney White (29:21):

I’m an Account Coordinator at Field Edge.

Greg White (29:25):

Not for long. I have a feeling you’re on your way up there. So, Oh, also , how can our community connect with you?

Delaney White (29:33):

So definitely feel free to add me on linked in Delaney White. I think it’s just Delaney-dash-White-217. I’m happy to talk with anyone who is interested in sales or even law or, or, you know, finding the right company for them also feel free to you know, to add me on Instagram, if you would like at DJ-dash-D-Lane, not so much business,

Greg White (29:58):

I think it’s underscore isn’t it? I don’t know. DJ something.

Delaney White (30:03):

It doesn’t matter. Stick to LinkedIn.

Greg White (30:09):

Yeah. And then as long as we’re talking about Field Edge, though this isn’t an ad for Field Edge, but it’s fieldedge.com.

Delaney White (30:17):

Yes. Fieldedge.com. We are Field Edge, formerly D-E-S-C-O Desco. If you guys have any questions, I guess I’m kind of a shameless plug for them right now, but happy to answer anything or for your field service software or field service company, I’m happy to be a resource.

Greg White (30:37):

Thank you. All right. I have to do a little, a little Diddy here. Are you ready? All right.

So look, whether you’re a founder, you’re a practitioner or you’re an investor in the supply chain technology industry, and you want to learn more about supply chain tech, feel free to reach out to me, Greg white at, on LinkedIn or Greg at Kubera, K-U-B-E-R-A-dot-vc. And I’d be happy to help you with whatever you need. I am a life long supply chain tech and practitioner, and look, I’ve probably seen it. So I’m happy to help if, if you ever need anything. Thank you for joining us.

Intro/Outro (31:24):

TECHquila Sunrise. Is part of the supply chain, now network the voice of supply chain, featuring the people  technologies best practices and key issues in the industry. And Hey, listen UP! To build your supply chain knowledge. Listen to get this supply chain is boring or Chris Barnes connection to the who’s who that got supply chain where we are,, point as to where we’re going and take us to the next level

Or check out this week in business history with supply chain now owns Scott Luton to learn more about everyday things you may take for granted and pick up quick insights you can use as inspiration and conversation starters. I logistics with purpose series puts a spotlight on inspiring and successful organizations that give first give forward as their business model. If you’re interested in transportation, freight and logistics, have a listen to the logistics and beyond series with the adapt and thrive mindset, Sherpa Jayman Alvidrez and also check out tech talk hosted by industry bet and Atlanta zone Kerryn bursa supply chain pro to no of 2020, where Korean discusses the people, processes and technology of digital supply chain for sponsorship information on TECHquila Sunrise, or any supply chain.

Intro/Outro (32:42):

Now show DM me on Twitter or instagram@gregoryswhiteoremailmeatgregatsupplychainnow.com. Thanks again for spending your time with me and remember acknowledge reality, but never be bound by it.