Can you tell us a little about your background and journey to HubSpot?    

I have a bit of a different background I would say. I graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor's in Software Engineering and started working as a backend developer consultant. It was a lot of fun, but also extremely intense for my personality. I'm very outgoing and love to work in an environment where I can discuss things. Something I also found out later is how much autonomy and freedom in my work matters to me. This all led to me taking on a more leading role in my team, I got certified in Scrum and started to work as a Project Leader. This was truly a lot of fun. 

However, I felt really restricted by consultancy-type work and also felt like I needed a new challenge. There was something about the sales team that we collaborated with that I just couldn't understand, it was like a black box to me. Therefore I ventured into sales. I started off as a BDR, which felt like starting a whole new career. I learned a lot, and I really admire people with the drive and stamina that keep our sales cycles going! 

During my time in Business Development, I really missed technology and I knew for sure that it was where I belonged. I didn’t really feel done with sales, however, so I applied for the role of Solutions Engineer here at HubSpot. The journey to get on board with the Solutions Engineering team is a story in itself but after all the new knowledge, I am totally thriving in my role and at HubSpot. It is the best job I’ve had.

What work option did you pick and why?

I decided on @flex, since I really enjoy going into the office for 2-3 days a week, but appreciate spending time at home in pure focus mode. Super happy with this option since it’s given me time to work on my personal goals and be part of the office culture! 

What is your #HubSpot Community?

It’s hard for me to choose a community, so I’m in a bunch of different Slack channels, keeping track of the ones that I’m most interested in. One that I’m an active part of is WISE, Women In Solutions Excellence. It’s a great group that shares experiences, hosts knowledge sharing, and mentors each other. 

When is the last time you left your professional and/or personal comfort zone?

This is a hard question, because being in the HubSpot environment, I feel like leaving my comfort zone is not as scary because it happens pretty frequently. 

In my personal life, I started therapy, with the help of HubSpot’s benefits. It's been so great for my self-esteem and personal growth, which then reflects on my work life. 

When it comes to comfort zone and stretch zone, I'm a firm believer that the best way of working is by jumping actively between the two. Too long in either zone can be damaging. Burn-out and Bore-out are real things!

Describe a typical day in your role.

Every day as a Solutions Engineer is different, but I will try to summarise it. My normal daily routine starts at 6:30 am (often snoozed to 7 am, haha). I get out of bed and then out for a walk with my partner. Walking is super important to me, it helps with concentration and just overall health! 

When we get back we usually decide if we're going into the office or staying in the home office, usually the weather decides. If it's a home day we get some breakfast and set up our desks. If it's an office day, breakfast at the office! The HubSpot Office in Dublin has breakfast and lunch served every day, it's truly a great perk. 

My working day starts around 8:30-9:00 am by getting up to speed with what will happen throughout the day, usually by checking my calendar, emails, and Slack. If I have demo calls, I start to set up windows with the demo I planned to conduct, if it's a discovery meeting I make sure to have read up on the company and that my questions are ready. I also make sure to check in on my reps to see that they have everything they need for their meetings and that we are aligned. Sometimes a good huddle can make a meeting even better for prospect customers.

Usually, my day consists of meetings and prep. I also have the autonomy to create sessions for the reps I collaborate with, to spread knowledge, and to straighten our collaboration. I really enjoy hosting sessions, because it means I will get to dive into a topic to learn more and also share this with my coworkers. 

Around 12, I will take my lunch break, same as with breakfast it depends on where I decided to work. Since I live 10 mins from the office I sometimes go in for lunch even if I started working from home, then I get to meet the sales reps I collaborate with. Sometimes my teammates are in the office too and I can grab a coffee and talk about different deals that we are working on. 

The end of the day for me is usually 1:1’s and admin. Going through my notes and logging them into HubSpot so that the reps can follow along with my thoughts.

Tell us about a challenge you're working to solve right now.     

Right now I'm working on a demo that I have never demoed before. So setting up the environment to accurately show the customer how it can work for them and make a good story. It's a challenge when it's the first time around. HubSpot can be used in so many ways and has different areas of usage. I've only been at HubSpot for a year, so there is still a lot more for me to learn.

In your own words, what makes working at HubSpot unique?    
The empathic and trusting culture. I know most companies say this, and I do believe it's because they strive for this to be true. But only at HubSpot have I ever seen this being actually true. I feel like I can be myself at work and my coworkers support me fully. I feel like when I get a task I am fully trusted in that it will be delivered. If I need any help I feel safe enough to ask for it. It's the perfect environment to grow and thrive!

What's something that nobody would know about you?
Well if you know Swedish and google my name, you can go to the second page of Google and find some gems from my childhood. I used to compete in singing and won some competitions. I even did a little tour in Sweden as a 13-year-old. And yes there is a YouTube video (cringe warning - but I embrace it)

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