Welcome to this month's employee spotlight interview! We are thrilled to introduce you to Emily Neville, our extraordinary Account Executive.
Emily's unwavering commitment to providing phenomenal sales experiences has been instrumental in propelling our company forward. When she's not busy driving market momentum, Emily enjoys teeing off on the golf course, cherishing moments with her partner and furry friend, and managing her side hustle, Beer to Bags.
Join us in applauding her remarkable achievements by reading her captivating interview.
Employee Spotlight Q & A:
- Ashley: If you could give a TED Talk on one thing, what would it be?
- Emily: It would have to be about my journey with startups, which has been a winding path! I’ve continually learned to prioritize steady, consistent growth over sudden highs or lows. Keeping your startup lean especially until you figure out your product and who you’re selling to pays off in the long run.
- A: What’s a work-related accomplishment you’re proud of?
- E: I’ve been fortunate to receive several accolades over the years from Raleigh’s 20 in their 20s to Triangle Business Journal’s 5 under 25. That being said, I’m most proud of my commitment to pivot which has led me to Peoplelogic as well as some other great startups over the years. My first business didn’t work out quite like I expected, but I’m excited to still be in this industry getting to innovate and disrupt every day.
- A: What type of recognition and appreciation do you value most?
- E: Words of affirmation (aka stroking my ego) used to be right up there. I’ve always cared about what other people think, so their words carry a lot of weight. However, the recognition and appreciation I value most today is spending quality time connecting with others. I appreciate getting together with people (whether virtually or in person) to learn from them and relate to one another. Since everyone’s time is becoming increasingly limited, it always means a lot to me whenever people prioritize spending time with me.
- A: What’s one thing that surprised you about working for Peoplelogic?
- E: Like any startup or early business, Peoplelogic has had its surprises! I don’t think any of our team would have guessed that we would have acquired Plai earlier this year. What has been most surprising at Peoplelogic, and what I’ve appreciated the most, is the empathy leadership has for our team. I value the emphasis on work-life balance, flexible goals as we build this together, and trust for remote work. We have team members in Portugal, California, Texas, and North Carolina, but it really does feel like it doesn’t matter and doesn’t affect your ability to get work done.
- A: What’s a small act of kindness you were once shown that you’ll never forget?
- E: Actually, as I was sitting here trying to think of something, I remembered when Ashley, our Customer Success Manager, left beers at my apartment door her first week in Durham where Peoplelogic is headquartered, and I also lived until very recently when I made the move to Raleigh! It was extremely kind and completely unexpected!
- A: If you were to describe your work style as a type of music, what genre would it be and why?
- E: I feel like my work style is like a long classical song that has several climactic parts and then grows soft and light until it gets very aggressive and wild again. It’s like light violin and then suddenly the violins and clarinets and flutes and drums go crazy. I have huge bursts of energy where I get a lot of focused high-intensity work done followed by lulls where I’m putting around cleaning things up.
- A: If you could have superpowers, what would they be and why?
- E: For me, this must be teleportation. I love travel, but not so much the transportation part! I’d love to grab breakfast in London, teleport to Dubai for lunch, and finish with dinner and drinks in New York!
- A: If you didn’t have to work, what would you do with your time?
- E: A few years ago, this question would have had me hyperventilating. I used to hate the weekends because I didn’t know what to do with my time when I wasn’t working. I’ve come to really appreciate the time between work when I get to recharge and hang out with my family and friends. If I wasn’t working for a while, I would have my daily activities like cycling, running, tennis, golf, etc., and then I’d also like more of a long-term project whether that’s mentoring entrepreneurs, sitting on a board, volunteering for the Boys & Girls Club, or even going on a long backpacking trip or something like that!
- A: What’s something you learned about yourself in the last three months?
- E: In the past three months, I’ve really been focused on finding more contentment and patience. And I continue to learn that I’m not great at either. I’m 25 and act like I’m running out of time. What’s been a great real-life practice of patience is moving to our house in the past three months. It’s the first time I’ve been a homeowner. When I first moved in, I was pulling weeds, looking up interior design inspiration, and essentially trying to do everything in the first week. I’ve learned that creating your dream home or building the life you want, takes time. Sometimes it’s good to hold off on furniture decisions, or decisions in general. The furniture I want now is so different from what I wanted when we first moved in. I’m learning to sit in my decisions longer and be more discerning.
- A: What’s the simplest thing somebody can do to cheer you up at work when you’re feeling down?
- E: The best thing anyone can do is to pull me into a project or involve me somehow in the work they’re doing. I love working, so if I’m feeling down, focusing on work and feeling influential always makes me feel better! Outside of work, spending quality time with people I love, forging genuine connections, and having unique conversations with others help get me out of my head and cheer me up.
- A: What’s your go-to tactic for unwinding after a stressful day?
- E: I love exercise and baths! Either a quick trip to the gym, cycling on the trail behind my house, playing pickleball with friends, running outdoors, or soaking in the tub makes me much more relaxed and at ease.
- A: If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- E: Definitely tacos - steak tacos.
- A: Who has influenced you most when it comes to your work ethic?
- E: My husband Tyler has influenced me the most in recent years. I admire how he tackles work each morning – we’re both early risers – and how he puts his best self forward every day for his colleagues and clients. Recently, I was really struggling with getting everything done every day that I needed to, and he suggested each morning writing down the most important and necessary things for me to accomplish that day. He gave me a moleskin for the task, and it’s been working well. Sometimes it’s only one thing, but that one thing must get done regardless of what goes awry.
- A: What's one piece of advice you’ve found that’s helped you along your entrepreneurial path?
- E: For me, it’s “Don’t confuse looking successful with actually being successful.” This has been a huge learning curve for me. I’ve learned a lot of hard lessons through various business struggles (which have grounded me). Sales, and business in general, can be tough at times! But that's why I like being in sales because the numbers are either there or they are not. And since revenue is the lifeblood of any company, it motivates me to show up every day and give it my all.
