Why Alliance of Channel Women Membership Matters to Marissa Bybee
Marissa Bybee is a native Texan and is passionate about Technology. She is the newest member of the StackPath team. She was brought on to build the Channel Program for the Security Platform company. Marissa brings more than 15 years of experience in direct sales, sales management and the channel. Specific specialties in; cloud, data centers, dedicated servers, colocation, security, storage, software, disaster recovery, data services and managed services.
- Who influenced you in your early years to become a leader in your own life, what did they do for you?
I really learned how to be a leader from my mother. As a single mom, I saw her struggle with everyday tasks that come with raising two children on her own. She taught me if I want something, all I have to do is go out and get it. I was a leader for my younger brother and became a leader at school in a variety of roles. I have always been encouraged and supported by my family.
- What difficulty have you overcome, that impacted your career for the better?
I don’t have a formal education but it has never hindered me. In fact, it likely gave me more drive to succeed. I had to outperform my peers to get the same opportunities.
- Why did you join the Alliance of Channel Women and what do you hope to get and to give to this membership?
I have been involved in the channel for years and I have always been encouraged by and looked up to the women that I have worked with. Whether in a partnership role or with previous employers women in technology should be admired and respected. With many friends in this industry, it was just natural to join the fellowship of the Alliance of Channel Women.
- What advice would you give to someone new to the channel?
Meet everyone you can and understand how you can be relevant to their business and objectives.
- Where do you see the women in our industry thriving?
Women thrive in all aspects of our industry. I am particularly fond of women that excel in sales roles but I know so many talented women, ranging from help desk staff to engineers to executives.
- How are you positioning yourself to stay relevant and support your clients in the coming year?
Security is a big topic with everyone. From Wall Street execs to your own grandmother, privacy and protecting your personal data is so important. We will stay relevant to our clients by bringing to market easy to use security products that can be marketed to everyone.
- When have you helped another women gain confidence & connection, what happened?
Several times in my career I have had the opportunity to mentor other women. One particular woman comes to mind. We met in an interview and she soon had a junior sales role on my team. She was a sponge. She asked my opinions on everything, at first. I saw her grow personally and professionally so quickly. She was promoted several times and with each move, her expertise and confidence in herself grew. She is no longer in this industry; she is now in the financial industry and running her own business but I call her a very dear friend to this day!
- What can we do to prepare ourselves for the changes that are coming to our industry?
As with any industry, to stay relevant and be prepared for the future, we have to stay educated. Not just as women or in the technology field but as Americans and as a society. Becoming complacent will stifle our personal and professional growth, but learning new technology, skills, or even staying up-to-date with current news will give women the advantage we all want. It truly feels great to participate in a conversation previously thought of as a “man’s area of expertise.”