FloQast Employee Spotlight — Kimberly Garrison: Actress/Singer Turned Software Sales Savant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGARfE5COT8

10 years ago, if you were to ask Kimberly Garrison what she would be doing in 2022, it’s highly unlikely she would have answered “Sales in tech.”

Back then, Kimberly was doing what she had always planned on doing: Musical theatre. After touring the country as part of a theatre group, Kimmy took the plunge and headed to Los Angeles to take a shot in Hollywood. Several years later, FloQast, and several hundred accountants, no doubt, are happy that things turned out differently, and Kimmy Garrison is one of the company’s senior-most account executives.

“We moved out to Los Angeles partly because I wanted to see the movie scene, but also because I just wanted to try California. I talked to my brother, who worked in tech, and he encouraged me to try it. ‘Don't babysit or do things like that; You'll be great at sales.’ I was intrigued. So when I started looking and saw an opening at FloQast, I didn't know anything about accounting. Didn't know much about sales, either. FloQast took a chance on me, and I'm really glad they did.”

Starting as a Business Development Representative, Kimmy noticed that there were similarities between life on the stage and sales.

“When I started as a BDR, first and foremost, it was obvious the work ethic is very similar. Sales can be really challenging, and you really need to push yourself. You're on the front lines, you're dialing every day and reaching out. As an actor, I had to sell who I was with my talent. So, in a funny way, selling accounting software didn't seem as hard to me because of the rejection you face in acting. I think the quote is for every 100 auditions, you land one role. Fear of rejection does not exist for me; I would much rather someone tell me they don't want to talk about accounting software versus them telling me they don't like the way I sing or perform. So that was my mindset: I would think, okay, for every hundred dials, someone will pick up, and we’ll have a conversation.”

Kimmy quickly rose through the sales organization, sourcing numerous deals before eventually becoming an account executive. Now, in her role as a senior account executive, in addition to her sales responsibilities, Kimmy works closely with the BDR team to help train the next wave and set them up for success, something she truly enjoys doing.

“Sometimes, I have to remind myself that FloQast isn’t this small company anymore. It’s constantly growing, and there are always new BDRs joining the team and former BDRs moving to AE roles. What I think is really special about this team is that there’s this constant sharing of ideas, experiences, and tips and tricks. Early on, especially, it was great having former auditors and accountants to talk with to understand better the needs accounting teams face, and now, most BDRs join the company with that experience in place. It’s so rewarding to see the team succeed because no deal is sold by one person: It really is a team effort, and investing in each other means investing in ourselves, too.

Reflecting on her time with the company, Kimberly admitted that it still feels surreal — even four years later — but also said it ended up being a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Professionally, I hit the jackpot. It was my first job in tech, and it's a startup company that makes accounting software, which I knew nothing about. In the beginning, I was half expecting the company to exit or fire me. But here I am, over four years later, and I have learned and grown so much in my career, and I feel so fortunate that I’ve been able to work with the people I’ve worked with. I feel FloQast has prepared me to go to any company and be able to deliver, but also why would I? I’m still at this company that has so much promise and genuinely makes an impact in users’ lives. This is the company everyone wants to be at and I got to start closer to the ground level. How cool is that?”