Where are you originally from?
I was born and raised in a small town in central New Jersey, and moved out to New York City for University and have been here since.
How did you get started in tech sales?
Like most people in sales, I kind of just fell into it. After studying medicine and history in college, I found myself working at a virtual reality entertainment center next to the Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan, eventually directing corporate and private event sales. It was there that I learned how much I love emerging technologies as well as working to put together a product that my clients were looking for, at a budget they could afford. It was a great experience, not only because I worked in a giant virtual reality arcade with a bar.
Have you always been interested in technology?
Yes, it's like the past 15 years have gone faster than the last 50. Every day there is another startup with another original and fantastic technology, whether on the web or otherwise. After my stint in the VR Center, I moved to Shutterstock, working on developing API partnerships with large content consumers like Wix.com, which funny enough was one of our largest clients. Now I'm managing a relationship as a client of theirs. But that's how the tech world is, and it's great to see how it all evolves over time.
Where do you think technology is headed next?
Within the next 5 years, it will be much easier for anyone to start their own business online, utilize AI for marketing and sales, and reach a larger audience. There will be much more competition, but as the famous artist Andy Warhol once said, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." I think that applies to every business having their opportunity to shine as well.
What do you think technology has forever improved about our lives/society?
I think we often disregard the most significant impacts in our lives, and we tend to focus on what needs to be improved. That's a great thing for perfecting the future, but we often forget how we abolished diseases like Polio, essentially solved disparate hunger, and enabled globalization of not only commerce, but of culture and communication. Something as simple as the entire world watching the same Netflix show can do wonders to help us connect with one another.
What are some of your favorite websites you've seen and why?
I like the elegance and simplicity of www.Tesla.com , the marketing expertise of www.HubSpot.com , and the fully responsive websites built on Editor X by Wix are pretty neat, and hold a lot of promise.
What do you think the 3 main components of successful design are?
I approach design with a sales mentality more than our design team does, while they focus on the aesthetics, and then we have our SEO team focusing on what will rank better. Each is important of course in it's own way and can change in priority depending on the client. Page loading speed is vital to SEO and UX, but a great video can certainly help entice a visitor. Simplicity is always key, especially in the mobile version, so sometimes a one-page website is better than something complex. And lastly, put yourself in the shoes of a site visitor, with the intentions they have, and try to see how easy it is to make a purchase, or get in contact with the business (whatever the purpose is). It should be almost as if the visitor falls into it, with utmost ease.
Besides technology and sales, what are some of your hobbies?
I'm a voracious reader of non-fiction, current events, philosophy, economics, history, and science. I love spending time with my family, and exploring new things and places. You could say my recent visit with my family to the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan was a great combination of some of my favorite activities and interests.
Do you have a favorite show these days?
Seinfeld, Monk, Doctor Who, The IT Crowd, & Monty Python.
Do you have a favorite book?
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - That was the first time I ever laughed while reading.
Kommentare