How quickly can a quarter of a century go by?
For Miguel Becerra, it can happen in a flash. He’s been a Cox Communications employee for an impressive 25 years and said it doesn’t feel that long at all.
“Cox gives you so much opportunity to work your way around and up the company,” Miguel said, chatting with us from his work-from-home space in Orange County, CA. “It always feels like I’m doing something new and that I’m evolving.”
Miguel is currently an Outside Sales Manager with Cox Business, a Cox Communications company. He began his Cox career journey as a customer service representative with the company’s residential operations, before moving into a role at Cox’s retail stores, becoming a technical service advisor with Cox Business and then eventually moving into sales and leadership.
“It just shows you what kind of a company it is and how they help you find your path,” Miguel said. “I still plan to grow within the company.”
Miguel doesn’t just sell Cox’s leading-edge technology – his family uses it, too, and found it to be especially helpful during COVID-19.
“It was a godsend that we had the capability to do remote schooling,” said Miguel, a father of four. “Our internet connection was excellent and it was a life source for staying connected. My wife is a teacher and had a hybrid program, with some students in a classroom and some on Zoom; and my brother is a principal at an elementary school in the area. They both experienced Cox internet at its best.”
“We as a company were there for students and teachers and really shone,” Miguel added. “During COVID, we were positioned to not just help employees, but society. A lot of people benefited from our products and services during this difficult time.”
Miguel also noted that Cox’s family-first culture and work-life balance allows him to take plenty of time for himself and his family, both in times of crisis like COVID-19 and for fun activities, like an upcoming whitewater rafting trip.
“That’s one of the things I love about working here: I can put the work away and not stress about it,” Miguel said. “The culture here is very pro-employee. The company wants the best for its people – in terms of opportunity, diversity and success.”
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In 2018, Sterling Shortall made a bold decision.
In the middle of a successful career in radio advertising with Cox Media Group in her home state of Florida, Sterling had an opportunity to transfer to California to start a new career within media sales at Cox, helping local businesses build awareness and attract customers.
Sterling – age 25 at the time – didn’t know anyone in California. She had little experience in TV advertising, which would be the primary focus of her new job. But she was ready to strike out on a new adventure. So she accepted the new job as a media consultant at Cox Media and started packing.
“I moved to San Diego without ever visiting before,” Sterling said. “The team was really encouraging. I didn’t know anybody out here, so the Cox Media team is my California family.”
Sterling settled into California life, moving into a home about a block from the beach and exploring southern California. In her new job, she began learning the world of TV and digital advertising and building her book of clients from scratch. She called on local businesses, introduced herself, explained what Cox could offer and ultimately helped them reach their goals – and soon discovered that this line of work was perfect for her.
“I love working with small businesses,” Sterling said. “I love learning about the business owners. It’s really motivating working with people who started their own companies; how much they’re invested in their business.”
Sterling is one of Cox’s most successful media consultants. She was part of Cox’s prestigious Winner’s Circle in 2019 and at the time of this story far exceeded her goals for 2021.
“Cox arms me with the resources to succeed,” Sterling said. “There are great mentors and management, and everyone wants you to do well. The sky is the limit – if you have motivation and drive to succeed, you will.”
Sterling does have that drive – as well as an outgoing personality that helps her build trust with her clients. She especially loves working with clients in the medspa, hospitality and restaurant categories but also enjoys her partnerships with home services businesses, experiences, car dealerships and more.
“With every business, I find something unique,” she said. “It makes me happy to help them grow and exceed their goals.”
Part of Sterling’s job is helping local business owners understand the importance of marketing in the first place.
“The main challenge is usually speaking with companies who have never advertised before – informing them of what advertising is and how it can help their business,” she said. “Small businesses have to pay their employees and keep their lights on, and advertising is an added expense. When you invest in your company to reach your ideal customer, you get a great return on investment. I always learn what exactly drives my client’s bottom line, and I create a marketing strategy based on that. I utilize our research, digital, and production team to brainstorm and create the best marketing strategies for each specific business.”
Sterling, who is very much a “people person,” is looking forward to a return to in-person normalcy so she can see her clients face-to-face.
“There are clients I haven’t met in-person yet because I couldn’t stop in and see them during COVID; that’s something I really miss,” she said, adding that phone calls and virtual meetings have been her source of connection with customers during the pandemic.
In the long term, Sterling’s goal is to stay in San Diego and grow in her current role.
“I love the team I’m with and I love being here,” she said. “I see myself continuing to help clients achieve their goals. I’m heavily involved in the digital advertising space, so I’d love to continue to put more emphasis on that and help more small businesses across the country with their digital marketing strategies. The fact that Cox takes such good care of their employees is special to me. We’re a family – we’re all there for each other.”
Interested in a sales career at Cox? We’re hiring! Click here to start exploring.
Stephanie is a professional sales educator, providing success clinics, product coaching and contests to our teams. This sales savant and New Orleans Saints superfan stepped up in a big way to help her community in 2020. Elizabeth Saulsbury from our Employment Brand team chatted with Stephanie about Connecting Through Kindness, her sainthood (is that the right term?) and learned that tomatoes do NOT belong in gumbo.
Elizabeth: Alright Stephanie, you ready for this interview?
Stephanie: As ready as I’ll ever be!
E: Let’s do it. Okay, you live in New Orleans, right? I need you to tell me the difference between gumbo and jambalaya.
S: Are you kidding me? You don’t know?
E: I genuinely have no idea.
S: So, gumbo is more like a soup. It has rice, but it definitely has a broth to it. Jambalaya is a dry dish – it’s rice with similar ingredients, but it’s dry.
E: Describe your perfect gumbo.
S: Oh my goodness. My perfect gumbo is going to be a dark roux gumbo – you have to cook the roux down very, very dark; makes it a lot richer. Uh, definitely gotta have seafood in there. There’s got to be crab meat, there’s got to be shrimp…some people are partial to okra, which makes the gumbo a little bit thicker…and I like to add hot sauce in mine.
E: You’re making me hungry.
S: And if you cook gumbo with tomatoes, you’re doing it wrong. That’s a big mistake.
E: No tomatoes. Got it. What’s your favorite spot to grab a bite in NOLA?
S: If I’m looking for something fancy, I love Emeril’s Delmonico. The food is phenomenal. It’s in a house, there are streetcars that pass and they always have someone playing piano, so you get a cool nostalgic vibe. If I’m looking for something quick, I’m going to Short Stop Po’boys. They have the best, unapologetically messy roast beef po’boys. And I love Trep’s NOLA, an indoor-outdoor venue in Mid-City.
E: Well, I know where I’m traveling after COVID. So staying on the topic of New Orleans…you were named the Saints Fan of the Year for your community service in 2020. Congratulations! Tell me about this award. You’re basically part of the team now, right?
S: I mean, I feel like I should have a contract…guess we’re still working that out. But seriously, what happened was that when the pandemic started, I started thinking to myself “what can I do to help?” I leveraged our Saints Facebook group and we started working on getting masks for frontline employees, we did stuff with Second Harvest [Food Bank] and through the grapevine, I learned that I was nominated for Fan of the Year by people in the group.
E: How did you find out that you’d won?
S: During the NFL season, there was a fan mosaic where fans would log in virtually and they’d put your face on the screen. It was the Saints vs. the Bucs at Tampa Bay, and they said “Hey, you want to be on the mosaic again?” and I was like “Yeah, sure absolutely.” So I get in and I start seeing guys from my Facebook group. And I’m like, what are the odds? And then there’s Tyrone Hughes, who is a Saints legend…he pops in, and I’m still totally oblivious. Then he starts talking to me, and that’s when he told me that the Saints elected me. And I just got really overcome with emotion. To be recognized like that on such a large scale…a very big honor. And I have to say that the Connecting Through Kindness campaign from Cox really helped springboard what I was doing. It reassured me that this was exactly what I needed to be doing right now: I needed to be giving back.
E: What kind of prizes does a fan of the year get?
S: They gave quite a bit of stuff. Very nice jerseys, branded sweatsuits, Cris Carter sent us personalized mini helmets, we got to attend some virtual meet-and-greet sessions with Roger Goodell and Wilson made us each a football that’s branded “Fan of the Year” and has our names under it. And they just invited us to the draft!
E: Very cool! So, you’re a professional sales educator at Cox. If you could teach any other subject, what would it be?
S: I think it would be how to connect with people and build rapport. I think that with technology, we can be so impersonal sometimes. Building relationships is a forgotten art form that we could use more of.
E: Is that what you love most about working in sales at Cox? That aspect of connecting with people?
S: Not just connecting with people, but being able to support so many different lines of business. I’m on the Cox HomeLife side, but I get to support all of retail. I’ve gotten to meet teams and leaders from all across the country. Meeting all these people, learning from all these people and to be able to support them…to me that’s very special. I have the ability to influence so many people, and I take that very seriously.
E: On the topic of education, what was your favorite subject in school?
S: English.
E: Do you have a favorite author or favorite book?
S: There are a few books I love. Mind Gym is sports-related, and it’s all about overcoming mental hurdles when it comes to life and a game. I love servant leadership books, and The Precious Present. It’s a short book all about appreciating what you have in the moment.
E: What was your least favorite subject in school?
S: Oh girl, hands-down math.
E: Do you listen to music during the workday? What kind?
S: Yes, and I’m not lying when I tell you that I listen to everything. Being in New Orleans, I love listening to jazz, blues, zydeco. But then I can switch it up…anything that puts me in a good mood.
E: You’re gonna love this segue…tell me how you “make a little music” in your job at Cox.
S: I really try to do things a little bit more creatively in my approach to projects, especially while we’re virtual. For example, we just did a bracket challenge contest at HomeLife and that was something that could have been an email with all the rules and whatever. But instead, I put on my basketball jersey and my headband and played “Eye of the Tiger” in the background…ya know, to break up the monotony of emails and have fun. So just being a little more creative in how I communicate.
E: Well Stephanie, thanks for the creative communication in this interview! It was great to get to know you.
S: You too! Take care.
Interested in learning more about Cox’s culture? Click here.
Jackson Saeman’s collaborative approach to sales is successful: the proof is in his happy clients and accelerated career growth. Keep reading to learn more.
“Dropping the rope”
Salespeople have often gotten a bad rap for being overly aggressive.
For advertising account executive Jackson Saeman, working in sales is a much more collaborative process – no tricks, no pushiness. He isn’t simply a salesperson – he’s an adviser.
“I like to be the person customers can turn to if they have a question,” he said.
Jackson began working at Cox Media – a Cox Communications company – in 2020. His job is all about helping local businesses put together advertising campaigns, with a particular focus on TV and digital.
Jackson referred to the sales adage of “dropping the rope” when describing his team’s approach to dealing with customers; in other words, eliminating tug-of-war tension between buyer and seller and instead working collaboratively to find the best solution for a client’s needs.
“One of the main things I’ve learned is to be a resource for a potential customer,” he said. “The customer doesn’t have to choose us; they need to see if it makes sense for us to work together in the future.”
Jackson’s empathetic sales tactics have paid off in customer satisfaction and career growth. Cox invested in Jackson by enrolling him in the Cox Media sales associate training program and after one year with the company, he was promoted to his current role as an account executive.
“The skills I learned are centered on the industry as a whole,” Jackson explained. “Being able to talk the lingo, learning how Cox stacks up against competitors and tips for finding new business.”
Finding a big opportunity in The Grand Canyon State
Jackson, who is from Denver, CO, began searching for a job in Phoenix after his fiancée was accepted to medical school in Arizona. He liked his job in Denver – working in sales for an A/V technology company – and wanted to find an organization that offered similar benefits to employees.
“It was a good company to work for,” he said. “As I was transitioning to Arizona, I knew I wanted to work for a company that had similar values and benefits. Cox is a big brand in the southwest and has a great reputation, and I loved learning more and more about the company as I began working here.”
In spite of the fact that he hasn’t been able to connect with his team in-person due to COVID-19, Jackson said that he’s felt welcomed and connected in his first year at Cox.
“Everyone’s been so nice,” he said. “Cox has exceeded all expectations. The leadership team from day one was so caring, never putting pressure on you.”
Next stop: The Winner’s Circle
Looking ahead, Jackson wants to continue his career growth at Cox and aspires to be in Cox’s prestigious Winner’s Circle: an all-expenses-paid luxury getaway for the company’s top-performing salespeople.
He added that with the support of his leadership team and colleagues, he feels empowered to excel in his job at Cox.
“I think it’s an atmosphere where people want to see you succeed. If there’s a new business win, we put it up on the scoreboard and everyone celebrates it. Everyone has your back and supports each other, and it starts from the top down.”
Interested in exploring a sales career at Cox? We’re hiring! Explore sales jobs at Cox Media.
For Jordan Knope – an advertising account executive early in his career at Cox – putting the pieces together for clients is all in a day’s work. Keep reading to learn how.
First job, first pandemic
It’s natural to be a bit nervous about your first job after college. And starting your career during a pandemic adds another layer of apprehension to the process.
Jordan Knope experienced this firsthand.
He started working at Cox Media – a Cox Communications company – in the summer of 2020. This is his first full-time job since receiving his undergraduate degree in marketing from the University of Arizona.
“It’s been a little bit weird because I’ve only set foot in the office twice now,” said Jordan, who lives and works in his hometown of Tucson, AZ. “It’s been a double learning curve.”
But Jordan has navigated the learning curve well, receiving a promotion from sales associate to advertising account executive within six months of his employment at Cox.
“The opportunities to grow and advance have been really solid,” said Jordan. “I’ve received a lot of training around perfecting my sales process. I had some familiarity with B2B sales before this, but actually implementing it and seeing it in the real world as opposed to the classroom has been great.”
Jordan has also been surprised by the amount of flexibility his sales job provides.
“One thing that I really like about this role, especially in the past eight months, is that I really do set my own schedule,” Jordan said. “My manager and my team are there to set expectations, but I don’t ever feel like I have to be at a certain place at a certain time. I feel like there’s a lot of flexibility and that’s been nice to have this year.”
The marketing puzzle
Jordan is passionate about piecing together solutions to support clients. His job is all about building bespoke advertising campaigns for regional businesses. This kind of problem-solving is appealing to Jordan, who likened his work environment to the agile, fun environment of an agency.
“To me, marketing is a big puzzle,” he said. “There’s sales and there’s psychology and there’s technology and it all wraps together into accomplishing a specific goal.”
One of his favorite puzzles to solve came in the form of a local motorcycle gear shop. Jordan himself is an avid motorcyclist and recognized an opportunity to help this business. He recommended a geofencing marketing strategy to identify devices in the area. Essentially, every time a customer would walk into a local motorcycle dealership, they would be pinged with an ad for the gear shop.
This kind of real-world experience has been rewarding for Jordan, whose love for marketing shines in his creative solutions for clients.
“I really like working in media,” Jordan said. “That’s where my passion lies.”
Driven to win…and to work together
Like any good salesperson, Jordan has a competitive streak.
“I really like to win,” he said. “I like to be the best at my job. Anywhere I go, that’s the goal.”
And while Cox’s culture is sales-friendly, it’s anything but cutthroat. Rather, it’s collaborative. Jordan enjoys partnering with colleagues in similar client-facing roles, as well as people in creative, production, editing and more.
“The people that I interact with are friendly,” Jordan said. “Even the people who have very busy schedules and have a lot of clients are always willing to answer questions and help me out with things.”
Interested in exploring a sales career at Cox? We’re hiring! Explore here: Sales Jobs at Cox Media
Mike, a sales employee at Cox Communications, isn’t just a poker pro and a media maven. He’s also an empathetic listener who is gifted at building relationships. Keep reading to learn about his career journey at Cox.
Mike Berger is something of a poker expert.
He’s had a seat at poker tables across the US, from the west coast to his home in Oklahoma, and has played with many, many people – including movie stars, mayors, business owners and professional athletes.
What does he love most about poker? Applying advanced game theory and reveling in the competitiveness of the game (no surprise there – he’s in sales!).
“Poker is a much deeper game than many understand, with math and strategy being very complex to compete at a high level,” Mike said. “The days of old men in smoke-filled rooms playing poker have changed to intelligent men and women skilled in math and advanced strategy taking over. Optimal strategies are always changing and with technology, the game and those who successfully play are far more advanced now than even five to ten years ago.”
As a Media Consultant II at Cox Media – a Cox Communications company – Mike can certainly attest to ever-changing technology. Much of his job revolves around building trust with clients and helping them keep up with the pace of innovation. With Mike’s help, businesses are able to get their messages in front of a targeted audience via multi-platform campaigns. Mike works in sales, but he sees his job as much more than that.
“Reacting quickly to client needs and putting thought into the recommendations I provide allows me to earn trust and create partnerships, versus just selling advertising,” he said.
Building relationships is key to Mike’s success
Like many people at Cox, Mike learned about the company by way of current employees. While working as a National/Major Senior Account Executive for a newspaper, Mike’s accounts included Cox Communications’ residential and business services.
“I built relationships with Cox employees, which eventually helped lead me to my career with Cox Media,” Mike said. “John Odgers from Cox Business, Sonya Bell, who is now on the residential side, and Carrie Holland all spoke very highly of their experience working for Cox and formed a good impression in my mind. John always encouraged me to at least look at opportunities at Cox if I ever decided to look at new opportunities. These Cox employees became friends and started me on the path to Cox.”
Mike said that the culture of the company was something that John, Sonya and Carrie referenced frequently.
“The culture was something my friends at Cox talked about constantly and was one of the main reasons I interviewed,” he said. “Once I started working for Cox Media, I immediately knew what they meant about the culture and how well the employees were treated. Media sales and all sales can be tough and having a good positive work environment where everyone feels included is huge! Everyone was fantastic in welcoming me to the team from the existing sellers to the support staff and leadership team. I’m proud to work for a company that is so invested in diversity and inclusion and doesn’t just talk about it but lives it!”
Mike added that he feels supported in his career ambitions: “My manager Pieter has helped to keep me on track of my lofty goals with Cox Media and feel like I have a bright future.”
Reading people and leading with empathy
His penchant for poker aside, Mike is a deeply honest and empathetic person who enjoys learning about different perspectives.
“I care deeply about the wellbeing of the people around me and their happiness can outshine the importance of my own,” Mike said. “I try to acknowledge my own faults and mistakes and be open to change by trying to understand different points of view regardless of if I agree or not.”
And in sales and poker alike, Mike has learned that it’s important to be present and stay humble.
“Always studying and analyzing your play and learning from your mistakes correlates poker success to business and life success.”
Interested in exploring a sales career at Cox Business? We’re hiring! Explore here: Sales Jobs at Cox Media
If you chat with Wendy Fadala about her hobbies outside of work, it won’t take you long to realize she’s an adventurous person.
Her favorite hobbies include scuba diving and swimming with turtles. She joined her husband, a newly-licensed private pilot, in their 1970’s Cessna on his first “real” flight this year. And she loves to take her fat-tire e-bike off-roading on the dirt paths and hills near her home in Arizona.
Of course, one adventure Wendy was not prepared for was a pandemic that drove people inside and employees to remote working.
When she joined Cox Business in March, COVID-19 had turned the world upside down. Wendy, who found her way to Cox when a Cox Recruiter reached out to her directly via LinkedIn to tell her about a new opening, turned right along with it.
Shortly after starting with Cox Business, she was enrolled in Cox Business University (CBU) Program – a comprehensive internal training program designed to help Cox sales employees deepen their expertise. In fact, Wendy took part in one of the first CBU programs that was fully virtual.
“The training was to not only give us a foundation of knowledge on the services that Cox offers, but to improve our sales skills so that we can effectively show the benefits of our solutions aligned with the customers’ needs,” Wendy said.
The six-month program included in-depth training on sales tactics as well as Cox products, from voice and TV services to Cox’s Managed Cloud Solutions.
“I can say that I had a number of lightbulb moments,” Wendy said. “Even being in the industry for a number of years, I learned things that I should have been taught in prior roles.”
CBU has instilled greater confidence in Wendy in her role as the single Enterprise Account Manager in Tucson, where she works with some of the largest customers in her market in areas like healthcare, finance, utilities and social services. The training she received early on in her Cox career journey have emboldened her as she connects with customers, processes their requests, discusses their existing services and introducing them to new offerings.
An unexpected benefit of the CBU program was the relationships it generated.
“Our cohort group of 14 contained a wide range of Cox employees, such as inside reps, outside reps, people with no sales background and experienced salespeople moving from one Cox company to another,” Wendy said before adding that she and her cohort group continue to support each other over Microsoft Teams.
Whatever her next sales adventure at Cox may be, Wendy looks forward to being part of the company’s distinct culture and professional development opportunities.
“I absolutely love the Cox culture,” Wendy said. “I have been amazed since the beginning. The amount of time invested in training is incredible. From my small team to leadership, it feels like Cox cares about each and every employee.”
Interested in exploring a sales career at Cox Business? We’re hiring! Explore here: Sales Jobs at Cox Business
From an early age, Reggie Ellis was inspired to be a selfless person.
Reggie watched closely as his older brother, a gifted academic and star cross-country athlete, turned down a full-ride scholarship so that he could go straight into the workforce and help care for his siblings.
He observed his mother, a “relentless hard worker” who put the happiness of her children before her own needs.
And now, as a Retail Market Manager at Cox Communications, Reggie says that he tries to demonstrate similar qualities of servant leadership.
“I firmly believe in not asking my team to do something that I wouldn’t do or champion myself,” Reggie said. “Even through our current pandemic, I’m side by side with the team. I want them to understand as much as they think they work for me, I genuinely work for them.”
Reggie is accountable for the overall performance of all Cox retail stores within the Northwest Arkansas market. An employee of Cox for 12 years, Reggie has held a variety of roles: tech support agent, customer satisfaction analyst, direct sales supervisor and more.
“There so many opportunities here; truly the career opportunities are endless.” he said.
Of course, nothing in Reggie’s previous roles prepared him for how to respond to a pandemic! So how does he oversee safety for the stores in his purview? Reggie said that health screening measures are in place for his stores, which include a temperature check for team members before they enter, a mask mandate, gloves for employees, plastic shields at registers and social distancing requirements. Additionally, extensive cleaning happens throughout the day, especially in high-touch zones.
“This gives us peace of mind and makes it easier for us to focus on taking care of customers and communities,” Reggie said. “Speaking for me, there wasn’t a point I felt that the company or our leaders made any decision without the health and wellbeing of team members in mind.”
In this new normal, Reggie has found a rhythm.
“I usually start the day in one of my stores before the store opens and before the team arrives,” he said. “I typically learn a lot from an engagement standpoint; I gain early feedback from team members and support the store manager by sharing any company initiatives. I observe our customers, the reasons for their visit, and glean anything I can learn to help us adjust to better deliver on their experience.”
Ever the team player, there are days when Reggie seamlessly becomes part of the team: working as a door greeter, or breaking down boxes and taking them out the back door.
“It means the world to me to set the right examples not only around values, but how to give voice to those values and always do the right thing.”
Reggie has myriad of activities outside of work. A former professional basketball player in Australia, he stays active by biking the beautiful trails in his community. He’s a husband and father and loves traveling with his family. He’s pursuing his master’s degree in business and is even working on a mini-album to highlight his musical talents. It’s a busy lifestyle that matches his mantra: “Be bold and be fearless – in thought, but also in your actions.”
Want to read more stories like this or discover a day in the life at Cox? Check out our employee blog or search for open roles to learn more.
When was the last time you walked into a store and felt…normal?
For many of us, the answer is “before COVID-19.” But employees at Cox Communications’ retail stores are helping customers feel relaxed and safe during a time that is anything but ordinary.
If you were to enter the Cox store located in the Stockyards Plaza of Omaha, NE, you would see all staff and customers wearing face masks. You would notice plexiglass shields between employees and guests, hand sanitizer located in all stations and social distancing throughout the store. And you might be greeted by Manuel Rosales, a retail sales associate at Cox Communications.
Manuel has been with Cox for eight years. He was referred to this job by a good friend and Cox retail employee.
“The way he described the culture within Cox and the opportunities the company gave its employees made me want to apply and join the Cox family,” Manuel said. “I have loved being a retail sales associate from my very first day and still enjoy every minute of the role.”
As a retail sales associate, Manuel focuses on the customer experience.
“I strive to make sure that customers are well taken care of so that they enjoy the experience of visiting our stores and keep coming back,” Manuel said. “By showing customers a positive experience, I have been able to build up a loyal clientele, which has its perks while working in sales also. As a retail employee, I showcase the products and services that Cox offers, not only to boost my sales but to maintain customer relationships. If the customer has better and up-to-date services and products, they stay with us longer and are happier.”
Of course, a key component of both the customer and employee experience these days is safety and peace of mind.
“This year has brought a lot of change in the retail world,” Manuel said. “I feel that Cox has responsibly handled the pandemic within the company by taking measures that better protect employees.”
Outside the store, Manuel has leaned into Cox’s wellness benefits during the craziness of 2020.
“Especially during a time like this, where the pandemic has added new changes and more stress into our lives, it is important that we keep our health and wellness a high priority,” he said. “Cox provides amazing benefits and resources that can assist us.”
Manuel added that he loves the culture at Cox and the way employees can make an impact in the community.
Ever the team player, Manuel said that he sees Cox as “a really big family.”
“I have been able to meet a lot of awesome people all striving to help others,” he said. “Cox is a company that takes care of its employees and that, I love. I don’t feel like just another number at this company, but as someone who matters and is highly valued.”
Want to read more stories like this or discover a day in the life at Cox? Check out our employee blog or search for open roles to learn more.
The moment you meet Elisa Pulido, you can sense that she is a born collaborator.
Elisa exudes a vibrant energy that not only suits her well for a career in sales, but also for working closely with teammates in order to stand out in the whirlwind of the automotive industry.
“That’s one of the things I can tell Cox really cares about: teamwork matters,” Elisa said. “The collaboration is real.”
Elisa is a Senior Dealer Success Consultant at Cox Automotive, where she serves as a trusted partner and resource for automotive dealers. She specifically supports Cox’s Autotrader brand, helping dealers find opportunities to engage car shoppers online.
“[We’re] able to walk into a dealership and sit with a GM, a dealer principal, a digital marketing manager – whatever the case may be – and really help them,” Elisa explained. “It’s about providing a consultant-based opinion on a broad digital strategy; and helping them fine-tune their operations from inventory acquisition to pricing to merchandising. We help them not only become successful with Autotrader, but beyond.”
Elisa’s go-getter attitude has propelled her through a thriving career in sales, going from radio to pharmaceuticals to television to her current job at Cox Automotive.
“I was taught that if you do the right thing even when no one’s looking, those types of qualities and actions will get you further and help you rise to the top,” Elisa said. “Always be humble and try to be the hardest worker in the room. Do the right thing every day, and it compounds.”
Elisa embodies this attitude outside of work, too. A fitness guru, she is passionate about building healthy habits with her husband and their five-year-old son, Liam. She is also a big fan of the Peloton community and loves the sisterhood she has found by connecting with other cyclists.
“When we do live rides together, it’s not about who’s the best or the fastest,” Elisa said. “It’s about carving out time for yourself. I love being part of a team and uplifting others. Being a part of a community seems to be a common theme for me,” she added with a laugh.
Elisa knows that collaboration not only results in strong rapport with coworkers, but is also good for business.
“Handing off clients to other sales team members in different business units (BUs) was nerve-wracking in the beginning,” she said. “Delegating has always been hard for me. And when we work cross-collaboratively across BUs, you’re really talking about handing off a relationship. But last year, if you look at referral-based [sales], I was one of the top in different products because I realized that I could be confident in other teammates and build deeper relationships. Now, I always have someone in those BUs I can lean on. It’s never a fight of ‘let me be the hero.’ It’s true collaboration.”
At Cox, Elisa has discovered that teamwork habits are by no means limited to coworkers in the same location.
“One of the things I was concerned about coming into this position is that everyone is in a different location,” said Elisa, who is based in south Texas. “I was used to an office environment where everyone leaned on each other. I’ve been utterly shocked with the amount of collaboration that you can still have when you’re 300 miles away from someone!”
Elisa added that especially now, in a virtual world, she feels more connected to her colleagues than ever.
“There’s a true form of community across the nation,” she said. “I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Being able to know that everybody has your back and that you’re all pushing for the same thing? Every step of my journey with Cox has been built on that.”
Interested in learning more about the salespeople who drive Cox forward? Check out the rest of our For the Love of Sales series and follow along on social media using #ForTheLoveOfSales.
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