Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Poe.
Jennifer, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been working in corporate since I was 18 years old, WOW, that’s almost 17 years (I am almost 35). I started at a high-end car dealership in San Diego working for a salesman by the name of Martin Datnow as his assistant. From that point on, I knew I was going to breathe, eat, and live the car business. During this time in the early 2000s, the car business was taking a new turn, internet sales and departments were at its infancy. Being an 18-year-old female in a VERY male dominated industry might sound very intimidating for most young women, but I grew up being the youngest with 2 older brothers and had the determination, work ethic, and strong will to try and not fail at anything I put my mind to. It also helped to have an amazing mentor. Martin Datnow you see wasn’t just any car salesman, he was honest, transparent, and worked the longest hours of anyone I knew. Yes, he was a workaholic, but he enjoyed it and as one of the top salesmen in the country his paychecks exceeded the General Managers on some months.
From the very beginning of my career, I still use the skills and advice he bestowed upon me, be the best, put your heart into what you do, listen to your surroundings, and trust your gut. In sales, listening is the art of the deal and I truly believe that is what had helped me become successful in my career. I moved out of the retail industry and into the technology industry, I found this to be a better fit being an older millennial. I climbed up the corporate ladder bringing with me the skills I learned, which brings me 13 years of experience working for the same company in the auto finance/technology industry. I love my job and love what I do. Over the 13 years, it allowed me to travel all over the country and take me places I probably wouldn’t have ever visited on my own, for example: Roswell, New Mexico; Elko, Nevada; Davenport, Iowa; Junction City, Kansas; Pasco, Washington. I also got to go to many large cities too, my favorite being Calgary, Canada and driving up to Banff. I told myself I would go back there someday, the drive in town is absolutely breathtaking. I dealt with a lot of discrimination being a young woman in the auto industry by dealership clients but I brushed it off, not let it get the best of me, and became a better person because of it.
After so many flights and hotel visits, I had many points to use to travel leisurely. I met my husband Kyle in 2016 and we started traveling internationally, that’s when I decided to start a travel blog in 2017 (JenzTravelz). We got married, and I became a mother and the travel blog turned more into a lifestyle blog that focuses on being a mom and my experience with my daughter and travel (JenRaePoe). I also blogged about being on a small reality San Diego Dating Show called The Romance and blogged about my engagement and wedding. While the blog isn’t my sole income, I make very little affiliate income from the site, It’s like a digital journal of my life and my goal is to share my experience with others.
Has it been a smooth road?
What would be like without obstacles and challenges? Man, that would be nice… but like I mentioned before, in my journey I experienced discrimination by clients. That was really tough because it wasn’t happening within my organization which I am protected. When it was happening, I tried to ignore it, but after multiple cases with a specific client, I told my manager I wanted to be taken out of the field and took a demotion. I was young and wasn’t familiar with what my legal rights were at the time. I didn’t want to make a big deal of it and took the high road and stepped down from the position. Even though I took a pretty large pay cut, this allowed me to work remotely and get my freedom and time back, as well as it was less stressful without the constant travel and living out of a suitcase for most of the week. Advice for women who are starting out on this journey, it’s okay to take a step back once in a while to take leaps forward. Do what you love, and don’t let others make you feel inferior doing it.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
For this interview, I want to focus on my blog rather than my corporate job. I am a mom, finance, travel, and lifestyle San Diego blogger. It’s my part-time gig that is also a hobby. I research and write about my experience as a mom from pregnancy, birth, and beyond. My husband and I love to travel, and I love sharing my experience and research. I am a planner, so someday, when I am not working full time and going to school full time I would like to become a travel concierge advisor, helping people plan their vacations! What sets me apart from other bloggers is that I don’t make this my full-time job. I write when I choose to and it makes me happy to share my experiences with friends, family, and other mothers.
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
For women in corporate, especially automotive, the biggest barrier being that glass ceiling. Women in the auto or tech industry aren’t very common, it’s also very competitive. I feel without a college degree this has also prevented me from promotions even though I am more than qualified with my work experience which is why I have returned back to school to get my degree in Business Administration.
Contact Info:
- Website: jenraepoe.net
- Phone: 5163684501
- Email: jenraepoe@gmail.com
- Instagram: @jenraepoe
Image Credit:
JenRaePoe.com
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