WIT Employee Spotlight: Ashley Salcido

This is the next feature in a new series of profiles focusing on WIT employees. Today's post features WIT account coordinator Ashley Salcido, who recently completed her first year with WIT. Originally from California, Ashley works with a number of our great partners to help their activations come to life.

‍You've recently completed your first year with WIT. Reflect back on how it went for you:

I feel like it’s gone by really quickly. Recently I’ve done a lot of reflecting on when I first started at WIT. I really tried to be a sponge and absorb as much as possible over the past year, which allowed me to grow as a person and in my knowledge of the company and our products. I have seen a lot of change in my confidence since when I first started. It’s been really exciting and a great year. Time really flies when you’re having fun.

Was there anything you learned that might have been unexpected?

I’ve never really thought of myself as a creative pen-to-paper type of person, more so a creative problem solver. Having been able to dabble in graphic design has not only become a useful skill, but also a new creative outlet. I have enjoyed the opportunity to take creative liberty when it comes to producing graphics for demos and activations as a way to help alleviate the workload of our creative team. Overall, learning the basics of graphic design has been very fun!‍

Let's back up a second and talk more about your background. Where did you grow up and what were you interested in?

I had your typical SoCal upbringing; great weather, going to the beach, and being outside all day. I went to a small private high school and I didn’t really know what I wanted to do afterwards. I thought going into business made the most sense because that’s what everyone else was doing. But then as college started approaching, I wasn’t really sure if that’s what I wanted to do. So naturally, as any younger sister does, I just copied my older sister. She was studying Strategic Communication at TCU, so I declared myself a Strategic and Corporate Communication major at Chapman University. The program is all about analytical thinking, being quick on your feet and problem-solving, all within a communications angle. Going to a place like Chapman was great because you really feel inspired by your peers. The arts are a big component of the school, and although I was not a part of that world, being around people who are so talented makes you want to be more imaginative and live less by the book. I have always admired people’s creativity, and have always wished that I were more creative myself. 

It’s been really great to be able to tap into that at WIT.

What did you do after school?

I knew that I wanted to be in a public-facing role as I’m definitely a people person. So I wanted to go into marketing or sales…whatever that means haha. My first job post-grad was working for a handbag company. During COVID, that meant setting up online appointments and showing super exclusive bags and products. So I got a little taste for sales, but the other part of my role was customer service. And even though I was good at sales and dealing with customers, deep down I knew that was not what I wanted to do. 

After that I did more backend stuff like order entry and the technical side to sales, but then I realized that I missed interacting with people. So I tried to learn about non-sales positions that involved relationship building. That is where I came to understand account management and I started looking for those kinds of roles.

And then I applied for the job at WIT. When I met Vaidhy he was so positive and great to talk to. After learning more about the company, WIT seemed like an awesome place to work. WIT soon became something I was really interested in, but since I didn’t have a background in sports, I wasn’t sure how it was going to play out for me. But I knew that since I am really good at working with people and taking on challenges, I could still be successful and get the job done. 

I actually didn’t get the role after going through the interview process. I stayed in touch with Vaidhy and Stephi, and then that led to me getting a role a few months later which came at the perfect time for me in my life.

How have your unique experiences and perspective help you with account management and service?

One of the first activations that was my very own idea was with the Phoenix Mercury. They were looking for ways to promote Sophie Cunningham, who loves fashion. So I was like, perfect! I love fashion too. I came up with an idea for a vote-to-win based on her various walk-up outfits. We ended up pivoting to a vote-to-win on a favorite design element for design collaboration she did with an apparel company. That was really fun, because I felt like my ideas were actually cool and my fashion brain kind of got to do its thing. So that was really exciting and validating. It reinforced that even though I don’t come from the sports world, I can still bring fresh and innovative ideas to the table.

What are you looking forward to in Year 2?

Continuing to be a sponge and learning as much as possible. I love learning. That’s what I miss the most since graduating from school. As dreadful as the tests were, I really do enjoy any opportunity for personal growth. I want to continue to find ways to learn more about what the roles within other departments entail, so I can understand better and use this knowledge as a tool to speak with confidence when working with our partners.