Full name?: Sarah Wollnick
Position / Job title?: Co-founder and Vice President, Supplier Relations, etailz
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a veterinarian. I loved animals, training my dogs from a young age, and I grew up in rural area.
Fast-forward several years/decades. How did you land (or create) your current position?
In 2008, I co-founded etailz with a fellow college student and our professor. We had just won a college business plan competition at the time. In building the business, my passion for developing business relationships led me to focus on the supplier relations side. A teacher in high school shared his philosophy with me that “life is about relationships”, and relationship development and nurturing in our start-up became my passion.
Did you have to take on internships to get there? How important in general, do you think, are internships?
I did internships in college – and they were very eye opening. I learned a lot about different types of organizations and how they work. Anytime you can get real world experience, it provides you with a whole new lens of how you view your career and the opportunities available. etailz has a great internship program and we are always looking for interns.
Tell us what a typical work day looks like for you. What is your job REALLY like, both the glamorous and not-so-glamorous parts?
There are no typical days. The unglamorous parts are miscommunication issues and losing relationships. The more glamorous aspects of my job include meeting our suppliers in person and seeing their excitement about etailz face-to-face. In this digital age, when most of my work is done using email/phone/etc., it’s a treat to meet contacts in person.
What is the biggest career mistake you’ve ever made?
I’ve definitely made mistakes, but my view is that experience is the best teacher.
What is the single most important piece of advice you would give to other career-minded women?
I would pass on the advice that building long-term, mutually beneficial relationships is incredibly rewarding.
Let’s talk about work/life balance. What does that mean to you? Is it important?
Yes, work/life balance is very important and also incredibly difficult to obtain in a startup environment. There are no ‘typical days’ in a start-up because several things require immediate attention and in the 24/7 world of online retail things move at an incredibly fast pace. I have been fortunate because my husband (co-founder and CEO Josh Neblett) and I work together so it feels like we see each other a lot even if we only interact at work occasionally. I’m definitely an advocate of work/life balance and encourage employees to make time for themselves and find balance that works for them. Personally, my husband and I make sure we take time to vacation with friends & family and plan fun outings and activities with employees.
On that note, do you think women can have it all? Both the baller career, and the happy family?
Yes, of course, I think it’s all in how you prioritize and structure your time. In order to ‘have it all’ I think women need to become more comfortable asking for and accepting help, whether it’s with childcare, housecleaning, errands, physical training, etc., and not be ashamed to ask or feel as if they’re failing in some way by not being Superwoman. We need to differentiate between ‘doing it all’ and ‘having it all’ – they are two totally different things.
If you could look into a crystal ball and see 20 years into your future, what would you want to see?
Professionally, I want to see etailz successful with happy employees and a thriving business in whatever way or shape that takes, and I would like to continue in a role I’m passionate about. Personally, I hope to enjoy a healthy, happy family and have time to spend with them. In both realms I plan to continue to build great relationships; and to keep learning, developing, and moving forward.
Do you have any career role models? Who are they?
Yes, I do.
- Beyoncé. People sometimes laugh when I say that! It’s amazing what she has been able to achieve, and she does it with passion.
- The teachers I have had and the people I work with on a daily basis.
What is the best piece of advice that you have ever received – career-related or otherwise?
“Life is all about relationships” – it’s my personal philosophy
What is the difference between what you thought and reality?
With regards to the start-up environment, I had never been exposed to entrepreneurship until the last couple months of college. Before that, I saw myself “in the real world” working in HR for a tech company in a corporate environment. The real world is…interesting. etailz is a lot more exciting, fast-paced, and innovative than I had ever pictured when I imagined my career.
Should you work for the money, or do what you love?
Do what you love and I believe the money will follow. Working towards anything you’re passionate about will open you up to more opportunities and a happier life, which can eventually lead to financial success.
How important is money to you when considering a job?
The goal is to get to the point where money is not important when considering a job. Rather the opportunities the job presents are hopefully what drives the decision making process. I encourage people to identify and follow their passion, and to get as much experience as possible.
What is the single most important factor of a job?
The single most important factor of a job is to enjoy what your doing. If you hate what you do everyday, you have to ask yourself is it worth it, no matter how much money you are making.
If you married a millionaire husband and didn’t have to work, would you? (Be honest.)
Whether I won the Washington State Lottery or struck gold, I would continue to work in the areas that I am passionate about because I get a lot of personal satisfaction from my work.
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