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She's So Suite: The Journalism turned Sales Manager at Dreamdata ft. Laura Erdem
- Kristi Faltorusso
- 12 hours ago
- 3 min read
LISTEN TO THE LATEST SHE'S SO SUITE PODCAST
IN THIS EPISODE KRISTI AND LAURA DISCUSS:
Financial Security Enables Risk-Taking
Building "fuck you" savings—enough to live for several months without income—creates the freedom and confidence to pivot careers and take bold risks.
Don’t Be Afraid to Start Over
It’s okay to step into a more junior role or a less prestigious company if it aligns better with your long-term goals. Each pivot can be the catalyst for growth.
Define Success on Your Own Terms
Career moves don’t have to follow a straight upward trajectory. Sometimes lateral or even downward moves lead to the most fulfilling opportunities.
Structure Is Different in Startups vs. Enterprises
Larger companies offer training and structured paths, while startups often require figuring things out from scratch—this teaches resilience and creativity.
Leverage Your Transferable Skills
Skills from one area (like journalism or communication) can make a huge difference in seemingly unrelated fields (like sales)—find creative ways to combine your talents.
Build Your Personal Brand
Investing in your personal brand, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, not only elevates career opportunities but fosters a sense of community and influence.
No One Is Watching (at First)—Just Start
When creating content or trying something new, remember very few notice when you’re starting out. This is the best time to experiment and learn.
Empower and Support Others, Especially Women
Encourage those around you, share your experiences, and make time to support others—lifting each other up creates more diverse and inclusive workplaces.
Balance Is a Choice and Requires Support
Achieving work-life balance comes down to daily routines, setting boundaries, and, when possible, having a strong support system at home.
Always Do Your Best, Then Move On If Stuck
Whatever you pursue, give it your all. If you feel stuck or unfulfilled, be brave enough to switch directions, but always bring your best effort to whatever you do.
Sponsored by: ClientSuccess and WednesdayWomen
Produced by: Manali Bhat
Listen to the She's So Suite Podcast:
Podcast Episode Overview:
In this inspiring episode of the She's So Suite podcast, host Kristi Faltorusso welcomes Laura Erdem, accomplished sales executive at Dreamdata, for a candid conversation about career pivots, personal branding, and female empowerment in the workplace.
Laura opens up about her unconventional journey from dreaming of a career in journalism to making bold moves within the tech and sales world. She shares the challenges—and rewards—of leaving the comfort of well-known enterprises like Red Hat and Gartner to join the early-stage startup Dreamdata, all while adapting to vastly different corporate cultures and expectations.
A recurring theme throughout their discussion is the importance of financial independence. Laura encourages women to prioritize building personal financial security, explaining how having a “rainy day fund” gave her the confidence to take risks and make career moves without fear.
Kristi and Laura also dive deep into the power of building a personal brand. Laura details her strategy for using LinkedIn not just as a resume, but as a platform for thought leadership, connection, and storytelling—offering actionable advice for anyone hesitant to put themselves out there online.
The episode doesn’t shy away from discussing challenges women face in the tech industry, including navigating male-dominated spaces and dealing with feelings of impostor syndrome and guilt around work-life balance. Laura shares her own approach to setting boundaries, building support networks, and helping other women advance in their careers.
Listeners will walk away with practical tips for embracing big changes, investing in themselves, and supporting others. Whether you’re considering a career pivot, looking to expand your network, or simply searching for inspiration, Laura’s story is a powerful reminder that success is about doing your best, staying curious, and not being afraid to reinvent yourself.
About Laura Erdem
Laura Erdem is a Sales Leader who joined Dreamdata at the early days as a 9th employee. Now company is a fast growing unicorn. Through the 4 years of scaling Dreamdata Laura has established Social Selling strategies that are adopted through the company. Laura is a speaker, mother and a sales woman in one.
Timestamps:
00:00 Dreamdata: B2B Revenue Attribution Tool
05:33 Finding Career Paths: A Personal Story
09:32 Career Shift to Sales Success
12:04 Unstructured Startup Challenges
13:50 "Embracing Flexible Career Paths"
19:17 Financial Stability and Embracing Change
22:39 Investing Journey and Learning Curve
26:03 Challenges Women Face in Tech
27:33 Broaden Diversity Beyond Gender
32:15 Target Audience for Personal Branding
36:11 Reflecting on Women in Tech
38:17 "Supporting Women in Everyday Life"
40:37 Balancing Work and Family Struggles
46:15 Promoting Executive Women Visibility
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