Cathy is an account manager working in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio and eventually moved to San Jose, California when she was 16. She then went to Los Angeles for college and stayed there for a few years. She started as a rep for Chemsearch in Los Angeles, then moved back up to San Francisco after she got married and also to help her mom. Cathy has been married to her husband Jason for 13 years. They have two boys – Preston aka Bubba 2.5yrs and Noah 6 yrs old. They love to camp and go boating on the lake. As a mom of two boys, her free time is spent tiring them out! Lately, swimming, baseball, and karate keep them busy. She also enjoys wine/beer and cheering on her Giants, Warriors, and Niners.
How does working for Chemsearch FE align with your life goals?
I did not grow up with a lot of money. My mom & dad faced financial problems constantly. I started working at an early age, saved, and paid for college on my own. I did not want my kids to struggle and miss out on kid things like I did. Working for Chemsearch has been very pivotal in me being self-sufficient and helping provide a life for my family with fewer worries for monetary resources.
How did you end up at Chemsearch/FE?
I graduated with a degree in Psychobiology at UCLA and thought I wanted to do research. After an internship in that field, I realized it was not for me because the time just went by way too slow in the lab and I guess I needed more social interaction than a lab rabbit could provide. So, I had to switch gears. Upon graduation, I got two job offers, one with Enterprise Rent-a-Car and one for a dream job on the island of Saipan that paid nothing. I went with ERAC because they had a good management training program, but ended up not liking their work model, so then I went to the fun beach job overseas. I loved it over there but came back to mainland after six months for my parents. Went to a job fair and found Chemsearch. Thought it would be a good steppingstone for pharmaceutical sales. Strange how quickly things change; I knew I wanted to retire with this company early on and here I am 16 years later.
What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment so far in your career with Chemsearch FE?
I was the first female recipient of the Platinum award level.
What are the most rewarding parts of your job?
That I can just be me. I’m kind of clumsy, not a smooth talker, I stumble over my words, kind of weird …but this job allows each of us to succeed by just being our genuine self and working hard. Also, I love who our clients are, getting to know their life stories, and just being able to help make their lives easier with what we do.
What do you consider a fulfilling workday?
I’m a planner and I actually plan my whole month in advance of where I am going. If I can resist the daily temptation to end early and get to all the stops that I planned for that day, then I feel it was a good day.
What is the best piece of advice you have received?
Focus on your WIGs (Wildly Important Goals) and always keep upgrading your accounts.
What is a piece of advice you would give?
Even as a seasoned rep, I still get nervous finding a new QB, doing lunch-n-learns, going for the close, etc. “You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”
