Today we’d like to introduce you to Aly Merritt.
Aly, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My current role in tech and startups was not where I started — I think this is like my fourth or fifth career now? But I’m definitely where I’m supposed to be, at least for this time and this place in my life. I started in journalism and graphic design, back when print newspapers were still a thing. I interned and worked at major metro papers all over the U.S. as a night-shift page designer and copy editor. I adored it: The camaraderie, the sense of working for something bigger than yourself, everyone pulling for a common goal. It was so much fun! It was very behind-the-scenes because, as a good copy editor, nobody notices you unless you screw it up, but it was incredibly rewarding. But then, newspapers collapsed. I was suddenly really good at a skill nobody wanted. I knew Pulitzer Prize winners who couldn’t get jobs. And, of course, this happened right when we moved to Atlanta and I was job-hunting. So, I had to reinvent myself.
Journalism fell apart before online content writing became a profession, so none of us had anywhere clear to go, except maybe P.R. I worked at a sign company for a bit as a graphic designer and ended up running a freelance copy-editing gig for a bit while picking up temp work on the side to find something new. This led me into a healthcare-related company, where I learned how to be a Salesforce administrator. I worked my way into the marketing manager position there, managing the Salesforce instance for the sales team and trying to figure out how to be a good marketer. I also realized my company offered partial educational assistance, but almost no one took advantage of it. So I went back to school at night in the part-time program at Georgia State, and after 3.5 years, I earned my MBA.
I realized that what I’d loved in newspapers was also evident in another place: Startups. I told my husband that I wanted to go to work at a small tech startup. He was confused, but supportive. And so I basically showed up at events at Atlanta Tech Village, Switchyards, General Assembly, ATDC and other places in town until somebody hired me.
I’m not making that up — I ran into Kyle Porter, SalesLoft’s CEO, at several events, and he was kind enough to reach out to me when a role opened up for a client advocate. It felt “right” to me, and I leaped. (Yet another time my husband was confused-but-supportive, as I am usually a planner with a long pro-con list, not somebody going on gut feel.) And honestly, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. Not a day goes by that I don’t marvel at how lucky I’ve been with the SalesLoft journey!
Has it been a smooth road?
Oh gosh, no! I don’t think any path is a clear, straight shot from beginning to end. In my case, I spent a degree, several internships and six years in becoming very, very good at a specific industry (newspaper journalism), only to have it disappear almost overnight. The hardest part was re-aligning my expectations and goals. I’m a planner and I had some serious plans, and suddenly they were irrelevant. That was hard, to face that the years I’d sweated on minuscule salaries and working nights, holidays and weekends suddenly didn’t matter.
Of course, since then, I’ve realized that the skills I learned in those years made me who I am today and helped mold the rest of my career, but at that moment in time all I could see was what I’d “lost.” It was hard not to think of it as time wasted, but in reality, I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am without those years.
We’d love to hear more about the company.
I am currently the Head of Community at SalesLoft, which means I get to create and manage an external community for sales and revenue professionals. We are the leading sales engagement platform, which helps you understand your customers’ needs and respond in meaningful ways. Our vision is for every seller to be loved by the buyers they serve.
I’ve been a lot of other roles here in the past six years, from client success to support to product manager to Chief of Staff. We started in one tiny room, and now we’re three floors at Regions Plaza and six offices internationally. You never know what will come up next, and that’s been one of the most fun parts. I want to do a job I like with people I like, and that means there’s always a new challenge on my horizon.
SalesLoft as a company is the best place I’ve ever worked, and I don’t say that lightly. I’ve worked at some okay companies, some good companies, and the difference is night and day. It’s a culture thing, which stems from the leadership’s commitment to core values and then runs into everything the people here do, and how we do it. I am incredibly proud to work for a company that says it puts team members and customers first, and then really does it. It’s not just a list of core values on a plaque in a conference room or office “perks” like a ping-pong table that is meant to make up for a toxic culture. At SalesLoft, we say the core values and we mean them. We’re certainly not perfect, but we’re always striving to do better, and that’s the important part.
SalesLoft started out of Atlanta Tech Village (ATV), and a lot of our success is because of the incredible culture of the ATV team and their support. So I also work to give back to the startup and tech scene; I run a blog on tech and startups in Atlanta and support diversity and inclusion in the industry through my role as host of Atlanta Startup Village. I inherited ASV almost four years ago from Jon Birdsong, who created this amazing ecosystem of entrepreneurs that gave startups a place to pitch, and I strive to place a diverse roster of local startups on the stage each month to increase their visibility, refine their pitches, and build their teams.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Absolutely! We have a ways to go in some areas, but overall Atlanta is a great city to build a business and a brand in. We at SalesLoft value it as our H.Q., and the ecosystem of partnership and support here has been integral to us. I know I’m stealing this from someone else, but I’ve heard it said that “while most cities change you, in Atlanta, you have a chance to change the city.” And that’s what I always think of. Atlanta is truly a city of opportunity.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alyintheatl.com | www.SalesLoft.com
- Email: aly@alyintheatl.com
- Instagram: @AlyintheATL | @SalesLoft | @AtlantaStartupVillage
- Twitter: @AlyintheATL | @SalesLoft | @ATLSV
Image Credit:
Lauri Levenfeld
Amanda Wells
Jon Chester
Jason Belisha
Friendly Human
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
