Level Up: From Sales Representative to Sales Director with Alexa Berube
Since joining Main Street Hub as a Sales Representative in 2014, Alexa Berube has Taken Ownership of her career by working hard, staying hungry, and finding opportunities to create change. From selling our product on the phone to leading a team of Sales Reps to creating a training program for new managers, she has never forgotten the importance of teamwork and persistence. We had the chance to sit down with Alexa to learn more about how she has leveled up her career at Main Street Hub and why she loves leading her team.
Get to know the new Sales Director in NYC Alexa Berube:
Tell us a little bit about your background and where you’re from.
“I am from New Hampshire originally. I went to Santa Clara University and graduated with a Communications degree there. In college and growing up, I had no idea that I wanted to do sales. That was probably one of the last things I thought I’d ever do. I was always a quiet one — I’m the easy-going friend of the group. I grew up in a really, really small town in New Hampshire. It has maybe 5,000 people. When I decided to move across the country to go to school in California, my friends and family were asking, ‘Are you sure you can do it?’ Moving across the country made me grow up a lot and come into myself. I was exposed to a lot of new things. I actually started with Main Street Hub in the (now closed) San Francisco office a couple months after college.
“Then, I was given the option to relocate to either Austin or New York. Since I’m originally from the East Coast, I chose New York. Shortly after moving here, I became the Sales Trainer. I was the Sales Trainer until March 2016, when I was promoted to Sales Training Manager Lead. And now I’m changing over to the Sales Director role here. It’s been a wild ride.”
What were the transitions like from job to job, and how did your responsibilities change?
“Cold calling was a complete shock to me. I never really understood that level of rejection day in and day out. It was definitely really challenging, but coming into such a welcoming environment of people who really, truly care about each other and work so hard was a perfect fit for my personality. My goals really aligned there. I was able to get a deal early on, so I knew I could do it. From there, I kept my head down and worked really hard.
“The transition from that to training was really great because in training, I had to learn to manage other people’s emotions, to teach to different personalities, and to make my skill set adaptable to the masses. I liked being new hires’ first impression of the company. I got to build the training program from the ground up — there was never a trainer in the NYC Office until I took that role. So, I had a ton of freedom, which was really cool.
“The transition from the Training Manager to the Training Manager Lead role was very seamless. Looking over the Training Managers, making sure that they had a focus, and coaching the reps — that’s actually the part that I enjoyed the most in manager role, which wasn’t even necessarily something that I was supposed to be doing. But I just loved it so much that I was able to craft my own role with Mike Neri [Director of Sales, ATX].”
“That’s one of the best things about this company. They give you the ability to create your own role if there’s a need for it and you’re passionate and you work really hard.”
What do you love about teaching, training, and leading a team?
“When a Rep gets their first deal out of training. That is by far the most rewarding.
“And also, as a trainer, you’re the new hires’ first impression of the company. You have such a secure connection with them as they go through their first two weeks and throughout the entirety of the time that they’re here. People have fun, they learn a ton, and they enjoy it. That’s always very rewarding, too.”
How would you describe your leadership style?
“I’m a very democratic leader. I’ll nudge someone in the right direction, but I like people to come up with their own ideas and mission. I prefer to have people tell me their goals versus commanding things at them.”
What qualities and or skills do you think it takes to be a good leader?
“You need to be able to get buy-in from your team, and I think that all stems from trust, transparency, and credibility. So, you need to be an expert in the field that you’re training or managing people in. You have to be able to sell this product at the highest level. You can’t be afraid of conflict, because you have to address conflict in a healthy way. That’s what I look for.
“Emotional intelligence is huge — being able to pick up on when someone on your team is upset and being able to then coach to their mentality. You have to give them a message in a way they can absorb. That’s different with each kind of personality type that you’re working with. That was the biggest challenge coming off of being a rep on the phone to transition into being in a leadership position.”
If you could give a new hire one piece of advice, what would it be?
“Stay hungry and stay humble.”
“As long as you come in, you’re willing to work extremely hard, you’re willing to be coachable, you check your ego at the door, and relentlessly ask for help from vets and managers, we give you all the tools you need to be successful. You have to ask and you have to be willing to work hard.”
What’s your favorite Main Street Hub core value?
“Elevate Others. This job is extremely difficult. The cold calling aspect is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. But it’s also one of the most rewarding because of the team and the work environment that we have here. You have people to your left and to your right that you know you can lean on. We’ve really mastered striking a great balance between holding ourselves accountable to getting the job done and having fun along the way. Aside from all the amazing opportunities that I’ve had here for my career, I’ve had so much fun. That’s what’s really kept me going.”
Do you want to work hard, have fun, and help create thriving local economies? We’re hiring Sales Representatives in ATX and NYC!
