When passion meets purpose, the possibilities are endless. For Rachel Pace, an Account Executive at Tableau, a Salesforce company, those possibilities extend far beyond her day job. A deep desire for personal growth and financial freedom drives her success. That desire and an unshakable confidence have made her accomplished career inevitable.
So, was this sales superwoman born or built? According to Rachel, it’s a little bit of both.
From Science To Sales
Rachel has been an Account Executive at Tableau for six months, focused on Healthcare and Life Sciences. For many people, sales is less something they found and more something they fell into. Rachel’s path was a bit more intentional, but no less unconventional.
“As a mechanical engineering student at North Carolina A&T State University, I interned at a major pharmaceutical company where I fell in love with the technical side of medicine. Upon graduation, I accepted a role as a Pharmaceutical Sales rep which was a great fit for me. It allowed me to hone in on the technical side but also be personable and interact with my customers. It just fueled me.”
Rachel’s aspirations were inspired by her father, who was a pharmaceutical salesman. His career gave Rachel a front row seat to the fun, freedom and fast pace of a sales career.
“The fancy dinners he’d take his clients on, being able to make his own schedule, not being held to an office or a cubicle… Seeing that freedom first hand inspired me to get into the world of pharmaceutical sales.”
Rachel took to pharma sales quickly and began making a name for herself. She consistently outperformed her peers, earning her praise and job security throughout the first half of her career. She eventually moved into the world of Maintenance, Repair and Operations in Healthcare but after more than a decade at her previous company, Rachel started to feel like there was something missing: A challenge. While her role afforded safety and job security, Rachel started to feel stagnant and lacked career growth. As complacency threatened to settle in, Rachel realized it was time to exit her comfort zone. She interviewed and started with Tableau, a Salesforce company, focused on enabling companies to see and understand data in new ways. In her new tech sales role, Rachel found the challenge she was looking for.
“It feels so good to be reinvigorated and back to a space where it’s like ‘The world of software is so new to me but I know that I can learn and I’m hungry for what it is that they’re trying to teach me.’”
Navigating the Nuances
Rachel Pace’s achievements are remarkable by any measure. She’s just six months into her role and has already achieved 215% of quota. This is, no doubt, aided by the culture of inclusion she experiences in her role. Her success is also, in part, driven by the impact of seeing others from historically underestimated groups succeed. That representation is one of the first things that impressed her about joining both Tableau and Salesforce.
“Seeing Black women represented within Salesforce at both the leadership and managerial levels as well as in my peers is so encouraging.”
Rachel also talked about the importance of vetting company culture before coming on board. She suggests asking future team members questions like:
1. How do the company’s stated values align with what you experience?
2. Do you feel supported?
Are you encountering a glass ceiling?
“Being able to have those candid conversations before coming on board was so affirming.”
This kind of transparency also helped Rachel feel comfortable showing up as her most authentic self.
“It’s inevitable as a Black woman. Yes, we are multifaceted ! I don’t know what else to tell you.”
Take The Trip. Leave The Ladder
There is much to be impressed with about Rachel Pace’s career success, but perhaps even more admirable is her thoughtful perspective on what truly matters in life. She centers family, spiritual health, and the endeavor to leave the people and places she meets just a little better than she found them.
So, what’s next? For many sales people the answer to this question is rooted in career aspirations, but Rachel sees things differently.
“I just want the ability to be content with what I have and for my son to be able to experience other cultures first hand.”
Rachel emphasizes gratitude as a source of motivation. She is in no hurry to climb the corporate ladder, but being content does not equal being complacent. Rachel is hungry to succeed, but says winning as a seller is less about collecting titles and more about making memories with her son. Achieving her sales goals means more than money. It’s fuel to fund their future without limits.
If you’re interested in working with Rachel and the rest of the Tableau team, apply here.
