What does it take to become a part of event platform Bizzabo’s team? According to Senior Account Executive Heatherann McHugh, it’s less about what’s on your resume and more about your vibe — your Bizzavibe, to be exact.
Long before she joined the team, she was selling copiers door-to-door, a task that undoubtedly requires interpersonal skills and an unwavering positive spirit — both of which are essential at Bizzabo.
She walked us through her first impressions of the culture and how it’s measured up since, plus gave Built In NYC some insight into what makes the office such a ray of light in the heart of Manhattan.
What’s your professional background, and what brought you to Bizzabo?
I started my sales career in the tech industry after graduating in 2011. I actually started by selling digital solutions door to door — AKA copier sales! I then found myself at one of D.C.’s most well-known startups, LivingSocial, which unleashed my hunger and passion for the startup grind.
I actually found Bizzabo through a marketing campaign that a friend had shared on LinkedIn. They just released their Event Trends Guidebook for 2017 and I was immediately intrigued by the brand and the marketing material they were pumping out at a company of their size. A few months later, I decided to learn more about the product and knew pretty much immediately that I wanted to be a part of the journey.
Every day I get to be around happy people that love what they do and do it with a smile on their face!”
What was your first impression of the Bizzabo team, and how has it measured up?
So, Bizzabo has a few awesome core values that we truly live by. I think my favorite one is “we smile,” and that really speaks volumes to my first impression of the company. Every single person was super upbeat and I really felt a positive energy and genuine happiness from everyone I met. People are important to the culture, so it was a key factor when considering Bizzabo. It’s lived up to every expectation. Every day I get to be around happy people that love what they do and do it with a smile on their face! Some people are definitely going to say this girl is drinking the Kool-Aid, but it’s so true.
What’s one company value you constantly see being put into practice?
“We are better together.” Cross-functional collaboration and teamwork are huge here, and it’s so important to our company’s success. Our Bizzagood-Vibes channel on Slack is something that comes to mind when thinking about “Better Together.” People are constantly giving one another shout outs and sharing success stories. I think it’s super important to show appreciation and gratitude for all the hard work, so this channel is a great way for people to recognize one another's contributions.
How do you collaborate, both as a team and across departments?
As I mentioned, collaboration is very important here. We’re constantly learning from one another. My sales team often discusses small wins and helps one another throughout the day. We have an open-floor setup, so collaborating across departments is easy. When you start at Bizzabo, you’re highly encouraged to spend time getting to know every single person and understanding their role. Building those relationships early on definitely makes it easier to share ideas and learn from one another.
You have to have a passion to learn, be open-minded, adaptable, take ownership and not be afraid to speak up and take risks.”
What's one trait that everyone at Bizzabo needs to have to be successful?
Curiosity. I think the meaning of that word embodies a lot of characteristics that make an excellent Bizzaboer. You have to have a passion to learn, be open-minded, adaptable, take ownership and not be afraid to speak up and take risks.
What would someone be surprised to learn about Bizzabo?
I don’t know if it’s a surprise, but we have a Bizzabo Dictionary. We literally just insert Bizza in front of every word! Bizza-fam, Bizza-lunch, Bizza-birthday, etc.
What's the most interesting project you've worked on at Bizzabo?
I’ve had the opportunity to work on a few enterprise opportunities here, which have really tested the seven years of sales experience I’ve gained. Bringing those partners on board have been huge achievements and have really helped me grow and scale my skillset.
