We were lucky to catch up with Krystal Aguilar recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Krystal, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

There is a big debate in business school and in the real world, “Are sales leaders born or made?” Many will argue that the right blend of personality and tactics is the trick to gaining business. Very tempting ideology however, throughout my tenure I have met outstanding sales reps; some reserved and soft-spoken as well as others who were boisterous and the life of the party. What is the secret sauce to success in sales? What I have learned through school, corporate training, self-guided learning and mentors is this – try – fail – and always have a growth mindset. The mind itself is very complex, a machine that can be influenced by needs, emotion, routines, and our senses. Being observant of our thoughts, focus, energy levels (what adds and detracts), body, and priorities is key in my routine. I have a “meeting” with myself once a week. I take myself out to a cafe and review areas in my life; where I want to be, who I want to become, what to try differently, get rid of or need support in. You will be surprised how much progress one makes week-over-week! It may be intuitive, or it may require some deep-diving but understanding how we learn, what motivates our core being, our “why” are things to think about and take note along our way. I say think and learn because it can be very easy to “think, think, think” as the animated bear, Pooh, says and stall in paralysis by analysis.

How do we keep the momentum going then? It is a well-known fact that ambitious professionals encounter burnout. We must evade this curse by planning for it – setting vacations a year ahead of time and blocking out time on the weekend or after work to “do” nothing. I wish I knew sooner that taking time to disconnect and be does wonders in productivity and quality performance. When I first started my career I thought every hour of every day I had to be productive and perfect. This is not healthy nor sustainable. Boundaries both personal and professional doesn’t sound sexy but it has helped me and my network be the best workers we can be! If I get stuck in a rut, I empower myself by taking inventory of my values, internal drivers, reach-out, collaborate, ask questions, volunteer, change perspective, look at different approaches, change routines, go to therapy, create daily goals, plan vacations ahead of time, see what sparks curiosity, try new hobbies, mentor, teach or find ways to challenge myself.

Sales, business development, or any revenue-generating role comes with its set of challenges. Something that is underrated is setting yourself apart and being memorable! There is A LOT of noise out there! These two branding skills are essential to making an impact. I’d like to note that being well-rounded in these areas will also help bring home the bacon: authenticity, follow-up, presence, focus, emotional intelligence, listening, asking questions, overcoming objections, psychology, how to position value, negotiation, networking, creativity, organization, innovation, data analysis, pivoting, time management, and listening to your gut!

Krystal, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am Krystal Aguilar, the Marketing Automation and Strategic Services Account Executive for NATEEVO North America. We launched into the USA and Canada a month ago – very exciting! I am in charge of business development activities. NATEEVO is a global business transformation and technology accelerator focused on supporting organizations through the evolving digital landscape while working to achieve their business goals through marketing and commerce solutions. Services we provide include consulting in business transformation, commerce, marketing automation, technology roadmapping, organizational change management and agency services. What sets us apart is our talent. Sounds cliche but it is true. I have been in many Fortune 500 companies and I have not come across such a talented set of dedicated and personable colleagues! Our passion, insight, approach and expertise on a local and global scale is phenomenal. We have walked customers through their digital journey and have seen results first hand from winning awards, increasing revenue, creating efficiencies in data silos, shortening speed-to-market, empowering business decisions, removing operational complexity, increasing engagement and I can go on.
I began my career in social media management, digital campaign strategy, and lead generation. I use that background to find new clients, cultivate fruitful relationships. I am an experienced international sales executive with a background in inside and outside sales, account management and business development. I love producing results in new markets, building revenue streams, and solving problems. If your organization is wanting to become more effective in the areas listed, please reach-out.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Growing up as a first generation US Citizen from immigrant parents from Mexico, being the first born and first to go to college, there were lots of expectations, responsibilities and guilt that was not mine to carry so young. I am very grateful for my parents’ sacrifices, seeing them struggle and not complaining and never talking down on my aspirations.
I had to learn that what I say matters, it is okay to have an opinion, to stand up for myself, to take up space, to say no and that asking for resources to do my job is okay.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had to change my values and how I defined success. Being a Latina in the workplace did help me build rapport with customers, approach meetings with appropriate cultural nuances (Cuban cafecito at meetings) and more. Unfortunately, it also brought workaholic tendencies which employers took advantage of to the point of my physical health deteriorating. I didn’t know what boundaries were. Growing up, being obedient, putting my head down and grinding was the norm. Success was survival and if you worked hard enough, a title that alluded to prestige. I hustled hard, was the teacher’s pet, was the overachiever in school and that translated to the people-pleasing and over-delivering tendencies in the work setting as well. I knew I had a fire within me from very young but my definition of success was climbing up the corporate ladder to bring honor to my family. I had to dig deep and learn from a very dark time in my life what really is my motivator in life. Fast -forward to 2018, I had my dream job at the time. I had a cool title, well-known internationally for my social selling techniques and lived in my poolside luxury apartment in Miami. It was great but the waves came crashing down when I learned my Mom got a rare blood disorder and was going to start chemo by herself. I had to make a decision. To stick to my contract of staying there for 2 years and keep chasing success or go home to Phoenix and be with my Mom during this heavy time. I was torn internally. I realized, I only have one Mom in this world, health is a priority, life is so fragile and all we take with us are memories if we are lucky. I went home. I held my Mom’s hand during every session. She tried hiding the fear in her eyes. She lost hair but I feel like I gained time with her. I learned how to really love and that my parents wanted me to be happy. Unfortunately, the chemo didn’t work but 3 years later after many doctors, hospitalizations and different types of treatment, my Mom is now stable. My perspective on success shifted to self-actualization and to thrive instead of just survive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nateevo.com/en/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nateevonorthamerica/
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystalaguilar/