There's only one way I can really describe how awesome my team is – and it is by relating it to soccer. But bear with me. Hopefully this lands.
The thing that I love about soccer is that every single person on the field matters in order to score.
It's not like baseball where someone can hit a home run and you can score a point.
In reverse – before the other team even scores a goal, it gets past ten other players before beating the goalie too.
So to win a game, “everybody's got a job to do”. (Famous words of my late-mom too)
Everybody in this room, on our team, has a job to do. We're unbeatable when we’re performing at the top of our game. Yet, when one of us is half-assing it, the team will feel that too.
From our sales enablement team booking meetings, retrying no-shows, and tracking down referrals – to our marketing enablement teammates preparing messaging, positioning and strong social posture on LinkedIn – to our config and kickoff team preparing a strong technical backbone to the campaigns within the automation platforms. Each of these teams impacts how well our client management team is able to drive measurable results. Without tight alignment between the management and kickoff team, we’d be left behind – sales and GTM is constantly evolving, especially this year. We’re doing things in Q4 we weren’t even testing in Q1.
I love my teammates very, very much. We work very hard -- but more importantly, we care. We show up for one another and for our clients every day. If you know us, you have felt this about our culture.
Like a soccer team, there has to be continuity and confidence between the different positions before you’ll score. Luckily we’re all good at GTM and sales, but if we were grooming dogs – we'd be the best damn dog groomer the world has ever seen.
This year, I did my own version of the ESPYs. So, without further adieu…
2024 Playmaker of the Year - When your team is in a bind and we need a player to come in hot, to take risks, to try new things, it requires a ton of creativity. It's an uncharted territory. When you're tied and there's one minute left… your client's struggling to hit goal… you have to score a goal, who are you gonna put in?
The ability to strategize on the fly, execute with precision, and not just make her team win, but to change the way we do it forever. This person drives both innovation and results that absolutely matter the most.
This person's been with me for a very long time, one of those people that just kind of gets me at this point. We've been through an awful lot, but we've landed in such a solid place. The 2024 Playmaker of the Year is Sara Klaus!
2024 Offensive Player of the Year - Like all good soccer teams, we're happy to have somebody with a strong finish – who puts the ball in the back of the net. This person is tackling a lot – there’s a lot of pressure on them. The offensive player of the year is somebody who's essential because they score and secure all the victories.
They usually get most of the glamorous praise like the top goal scorer – but they rely a lot on connectivity and creativity with other teammates. It’s key that they can run fast all while innovating to cross the finish line. This tight alignment with CSMs to receive the pass and actually put points on the board – to deliver when it counts the most. And her willingness to go a little harder, a little faster, and try new things.
This person becomes an undeniable force in the field. This person helps us book the most meetings and collaborates with CSMs the most. The 2024 Offensive Player of the Year is Kalie Watson!
.png?width=6912&height=3456&name=Offensive%20Player%20of%20the%20Year%20(1).png)
2024 Central of the Year - If anybody understands midfield, you know there’s a lot of running. This is a player who has to coordinate and work with all the players on the team throughout the offensive and defensive lines. This person is always moving to fill important gaps on the field and innovate nonstop – this is a very creative, agile player.
There's no cut-and-dry play. It's their instinct and ability to receive a pass from one player – then change directions completely to get the ball forward to the offensive line. This person is also central to the field – as they connect with and distribute to the entire team. So there’s no surprise that the 2024 Central Player of the Year is Tina Xiang!
2024 Defensive Player of the Year – Like all good teams you have to have a strong backbone. Not only to protect your team but to empower everyone in front of you. This is somebody that protects your goal, to make sure no one hurts or scores on us, but also pushes the plays forward so we're able to be competitive and win.
This person ensures the structure and integrity of every single play that happens throughout the entire team. And without this player, every game would be lost. So it requires great leadership to recognize teammates' strengths and gaps, to communicate them, and to creatively overcome them throughout the whole team.
This person has to carry the team through hard days and bad days – but most importantly, motivate their team to move on, to let things go, and to push (the ball) onward and forward. And sometimes you have to do this day after day, after day. Some of the most infamous soccer games were won because of their strong defense. So, this isn't for the faint of heart, but it is always for the most passionate, loyal and best teammates. The 2024 Defensive Player of the Year is Krista Branham!
Of all the accomplishments at AK Operations, what I’m most proud of is the incredible women on my team—the careers we’ve created for ourselves, the impact we’ve made with our work, and the powerhouses these women have become.