Sara is the newest addition to the SportsTech team. Her pragmatism, problem-solving, and openness will make her shine as a business development manager, and we’re excited to see her grow in her position.
As a soon-to-be business school graduate, Sara knows not to put all her eggs in one basket. She’s a Local Committee Vice President of Finance & Legalities, a part-time intern at Dell, a loving dog mom, a shoulder to lean on, and THE life of the party.
I sat down with Sara to ask her a few questions about her plans and ambitions at SportsTech. Here’s what she had to say.
What are some key characteristics of a successful company?
For one, it definitely needs to keep up with the times. It should be innovative, and it should constantly strive to meet the needs of its customers in the most sustainable ways possible.
Furthermore, its focus shouldn’t be primarily or solely the pursuit of profits. Rather, it should be value-driven. That is, it should teach, inspire, and help people.
Finally, it should be made up of employees who are passionate about their work. People are a company’s greatest asset: only when they feel and work at their best can the company perform at its best.
Are you a fan of the technological progress that we’re currently seeing? For example, are you a fan of innovative sports technology?
More than I’d like to admit! I am not the biggest lover of regular exercise (think gym sessions or runs). I don’t mind them, but I usually don’t have the motivation to do them. In fact, my best friend (who also happens to work at SportsTech & is currently interviewing me – hi Emma!) (hi Sara!) is the only person who manages to get me to do either of those. That being said, even she realized that it wasn’t the best way to go.
But that’s okay, because there isn’t just one way to stay active.
Instead, I love going on long walks; I love dancing; in the summer, I love swimming; and I love MultiBall. About a year ago now, Emma took me to play MultiBall for the first time, and I’ve been playing with her ever since. You can even spot me on @SportsTech.Life social media! I didn’t work for SportsTech at the time, nor was I getting paid; I was tagging along to her content creation sessions and events for fun.
As to why I love MultiBall so much: in short, the gamification element. I completely forget that I am working out because I’m playing Candy Crush XXL or because I’m competing with Emma in math. It’s just a whole lot of fun, at the end of which you’re a whole lot of sweaty 🙂
So are you excited for other products in the SportsTech portfolio?
Of course! If I’m not the first person to try out Exercube when it arrives in Slovakia, I will get offended! 🙂 I’ve also never been more excited by the idea of squash before I discovered that InteractiveSQUASH exists.
What piqued your interest about SportsTech?
Oh wow, so many things! First, as I said, I’ve been seeing Emma work and talk about SportsTech, and I’ve been tagging along for almost a year. Emma was always excited about her job, and I really wished I could experience something like that too. At the time, I was working a very mundane job that didn’t fulfill me. I wanted to have something that I could be excited and passionate about. So, quite literally, I was WAITING for the opportunity to arise.
Second, I love having the opportunity to play with the innovative sportstech products; and, even more so, I love seeing other people enjoy it. Third, I adore the SportsTech team! Everyone is so funny, friendly, down-to-earth yet ambitious. I constantly seek to surround myself with people from whom I can learn and with whom I can grow. That’s how I view all of my new colleagues.
What was your relationship to sports like, growing up?
I was a very active kid. I started where I think a lot of us do: playing soccer on the streets with my friends. I was climbing trees, running away from imaginary monsters, learning to fly, and all your other typical, magical childhood adventures.
In terms of organized sports, I did dodgeball in elementary school and swimming in high school. In university, I met Emma, whom I think we should categorize as a sport 🙂
What are your goals for the next year at SportsTech? For the future?
In the short-term, I want to settle down into my new position and do a lot of learning, especially in regards to sales management and business communication. One of the perks of being a small company is that I get to learn a little bit about everything else as well, as the communication is very open.
In the long-term, I hope to be a productive asset for SportsTech. I’m hoping to get our products into the hands of the right customers; and I’m hoping to embody all the SportsTech values as well as I can!
Also, spending more time with Emma!
Do you feel that your answers were influenced by your interviewer in any way during this interview?
Next question, please 🙂
