When Justine Songey reflects on her career progression, the words “transformative” and “advocacy” are repeated refrains.
Starting off in the bustling sales environment of Yelp, she swiftly climbed the ladder before departing for a startup in Silicon Valley: Verkada, a pioneer in cloud-based physical security solutions.
Opting to move from Yelp’s managerial ranks to an individual contributor role at Verkada, Songey strategically aimed to deepen her mid-market expertise before leading others.
“Verkada aligned with my criteria: a meaningful mission, a strong product, a mid-market role, and space for career growth and development opportunities,” said Songey, who now serves as director of sales.
“The focus on impactful, scaled outcomes means embracing a learning-as-you-go ethos,” she shared, noting Verkada’s decentralized model encourages individuals to collaborate across many different teams, which allows employees to stay close to broader business priorities and more easily manage internal relationships.
Verkada stood out to Songey as a culture that truly cultivates growth and harnesses each team member’s potential. Within the first few months at Verkada, Songey used the company’s professional development stipend to complete certifications (such as Sandler Sales Training and MEDDPICC sales methodology) to further her personal growth, and she helped create a leadership development coaching program for sales managers to encourage learning and development efforts across the sales organization.
“Joining Verkada as an individual contributor was crucial for my goal of becoming a mid-market leader, a journey I didn’t think possible. The opportunity to fully own my book of business and continue to build on relationships based on the trust from my leaders allowed me to stretch from an account executive to a sales manager to a director in under two and a half years,” said Songey.
Advocacy and Collaboration
Songey’s internal drive, coupled with the company’s culture of mentorship and growth, made her rapid career progression possible.
“A supportive leader advocates for you, develops your skills and empowers you to make an impact. They create opportunities for visibility that drive your career growth,” she said.
“A supportive leader advocates for you, develops your skills and empowers you to make an impact. They create opportunities for visibility that drive your career growth.”
When leaders invest in their team members, the next wave of leaders begins to form. And this mindset is a top priority at Verkada.
“What sets Verkada apart is the adaptability of our managers. Their personalized coaching, development and guidance have been crucial, giving me visibility and opportunities that have greatly advanced my career,” she explained.
Advocacy at Verkada goes beyond mentorship: it’s about leaders who are champions for their teams, who see potential and nurture it into performance. Songey attributed her fast growth at the company to having leaders who consistently showed up as advocates and brought more visibility to her work.
According to Songey, a successful career relies on a blend of internal reputation, performance, and peer interaction. She emphasized that the support of team members is crucial in this process to drive continuous innovation, impact and inspire the hard work.
Leadership in Action
In her leadership role, Songey’s vision has shifted from personal success to empowering her team to excel. She is committed to supporting her team’s growth and development to reach their highest potential.
The transition from an individual contributor to a director at Verkada required a blend of skill, adaptability and the right opportunities.
“At Verkada, I’ve been given challenging opportunities ranging from mentoring new leaders to presenting at our global sales kickoffs,” she noted. “These opportunities have been crucial in building my confidence and enhancing my ability to lead effectively.”
“At Verkada, I’ve been given challenging opportunities that have been crucial in building my confidence and enhancing my ability to lead effectively.”
She added, “I'm excited and encouraged by my team’s efforts and achievements, but the job is far from finished.”
Professional development at Verkada is not just a concept but a tangible reality. Songey touched upon how Verkada’s environment seamlessly integrates learning, collaboration and networking, offering a unique platform to thrive. Further, the flexibility and abundant resources provided allow for a fun and enriching learning environment.
With her sights set on the promise of the future, Songey’s priorities are not grounded in self-interest but in the shared success of her colleagues and the impact they can have. There are many opportunities for the company and her team, but she’s most focused on building up strong internal talent who are knowledgeable and hungry, while also strategically bringing in external hires with fresh ideas. Songey believes diversity of thought and diversity of experience truly round out an organization and employee population as a whole.
Songey’s ascent at Verkada is more than a personal triumph; it’s a testament to the power of advocacy and a culture that champions growth. When ambition meets opportunity, the only way to go is up.
