BABE #19: JACLYN LAPOINTE, <BR>Brewery Representative @ Boston Beer Co.
Chelsea DuDeVoire
If I could describe Jaclyn (Jackie) in one word, it would be powerhouse. She was one of my internship supervisors (and eventually co-workers) in college. At the time, she was an account manager for our agency's largest client, worked nights as the head server & bartender at (arguably) the fanciest restaurant in town, all while completing FSU's PR program. She's a badass. Her dedication to everything she does is unmatched, and I truly do credit her as one of my mentors thus far. She unknowingly inspired me to get my sh*t together and I'm not even the slightest bit surprised that she's out there killing it. (P.S. She was recently awarded Rookie of the Year @ The Boston Beer Company.) Did I mention we're less than a year apart in age? Yeah, I don't want to talk about it.
The Basics:
Hometown: Miami, FL Current city: Denver, CO Alma mater: Florida State – GO NOLES, BABY! Degree: Public Relations Hustle: Brewery Representative @ The Boston Beer Company
The Interests:
How do you spend your free time? Hiking, working out, bar hopping, and lots of bike rides.
Go-to coffee order? In a perfect world where they serve Cuban coffee everywhere – a Cortadito (with croquettas on the side); otherwise, venti cold brew from Starbucks.
Three things we can always find in your fridge? Beer, bacon, and leftover pizza. You'd think I was still in college...
If you could have coffee with anyone in the world, who would it be? It’s a dead tie between Arnold Schwarzenegger—because what hasn’t that man accomplished?!—and Sylvester Stallone, because I’m in love with all the Rocky movies
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle: I work as a Brewery Representative at The Boston Beer Company. I tell people my job is half sales, half marketing—I don’t just sell in new packages to liquor stores or draft lines to restaurants, but I support them with programming as well. I have the liberty of creating promotions I think would work best for each specific business, and I create the marketing materials for it as well (e.g. signs, menu cards, etc.)
What does your typical workday look like? Meeting with buyers at liquor stores and restaurants to sample our portfolio of brands, making recommendations on what would sell best for their demographic, and then creating promotions to run alongside their new packages, and/or draft lines they decide to bring in. I love negotiating with buyers. It’s fun to see how much you can get for the least amount in exchange. I also spend a lot of time educating drinkers—whether wait staff or customers at a bar—on our products.
Favorite part about your job(s): Talking to people. From start to finish, my day consists of continuously talking to others—buyers, distributors, drinkers at a bar, customers at a liquor store—I love it. I’m constantly meeting new people and building relationships.
What motivates you every day? The hustle in making a sale. Pitching to someone that has zero interest in what I'm offering, and turning their ‘no,’ into a ‘yes’ with the power of persuasion.
What is one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in the workplace, and how’d you overcome it? The beer industry is male-dominated—this is no surprise. How have I overcome it? Finding out what my male counterparts have accomplished, then doubling it as a goal for myself. Again, sales is all about numbers—there’s no opinions or picking favorites—you either hit your goal or you don't. I also struggle with breaking that female-relationship barrier. A male supplier can walk up to a male buyer and kick off a casual conversation about anything. When it’s a female talking to the male buyer, sometimes it feels a little more structured and less friendly. I’ve gotten to the point where I just start inviting myself places to force the comfort into the relationship. (“Oh, you’re having a kickball tournament this weekend? Where? I’ll bring the beer.”) I’ve also taken up golf. Why? Because the majority of the males I encounter love talking about it. Gotta make sure I can keep up with the conversation and keep up with them on the green. Oh yeah… and I hate when male buyers call me “babe” or “sweetie.” It happens far too frequently.
What is your dream job? I sell beer for a living… I’m pretty sure I’ve already got the dream job. ;) I’m exactly where I want to be in my life right now—in a constantly evolving sales role that challenges and pushes me to be better every day, at a company where team culture is a huge priority and there’s room for growth in so many different directions.
What does success look like to you? Success is waking up on Monday morning excited for work, then blinking and realizing it’s already Friday. Time flies when you love what you do. I’m 24 years old, live in an awesome city, and work for one hell of a company.
How do you find a work-life balance? ...I’m still working on it.
Career and/or life advice for fellow babes? “The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!” – Rocky Balboa