Heather Bell spent years in tech sales as the only woman in leadership, and now works in MarTech at Vector after building her career at OpenTable. After years of watching gender shape who got access to relationships and opportunities on sales teams, she began rethinking what she actually needed from a job to stay in the industry long term. Her search for the right fit included being the only woman in leadership at a security tech company, hiding that she was a mom during interviews, and leaving a role once she realized her sponsor could not take her to the after hours meetings where relationships and opportunities actually got built.

Heather shares why she finally stopped trying to be the torch bearer for every woman in the room, and what she looks for now so she's never the only woman or the only working parent in leadership again. She also explains why remote work became less about convenience and more about equity, how she uses the same skills from sales leadership to advocate for her son at school, and why something as small as a company's swag closet can reveal whether its values are real.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Meet Heather Bell
(01:27) Working in tech sales at Vector and OpenTable
(05:13) On being the only woman in leadership
(07:01) The day she left a company that couldn't sponsor her
(07:46) How to find a workplace built differently
(13:39) Choosing remote work for the childhood she wanted
(14:55) Ruling out companies over the commute
(19:22) Being open about motherhood in interviews
(21:02) Why Heather refuses to carry the torch alone
(33:49) Advocating for her son like a sales leader
(36:34) How to build a community with other moms
(39:10) Save of the week

Connect with Mallory Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorylee/

Connect with Shannon Curran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-sweeny-curran/

Connect with Heather Bell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherbell-sales/

Check out Vector: https://vector.co

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

www.shareyourgenius.com