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Three Questions with Customer Success Manager, Samantha Pedraza

If you ask Samantha Pedraza if she’s where she thought she would be, it’s likely she would say no – and she is grateful for that. The path to where she is now as a customer success manager on the SailPoint Crew began long before she got her feet wet in the tech world. Following a handful of internships after college, jobs at non-profit organizations and a fundraising company, her accidental foray into tech put her exactly where she needed to be. Today, she uses her love for people and their stories to provide our customers with great experiences as they navigate their identity journey.  

We sat down with Samantha to learn more about her career and leadership insights.

If you had to start over from scratch, knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?

That’s a tough question to answer! I truly believe that every step I’ve taken has led me right where I’m supposed to be, so it’s hard to think of what I’d do differently. While I’m still early in my career I’d say the one thing I would do differently is to believe in myself more and what I have to offer. I think as a young woman in tech it’s easy to shrink back and accept the offers/positions that are offered to you. Knowing what I know now, I’d go back and advocate for myself whether that looks like negotiating salary, fighting for a position I really believe in, etc.

2020 has been an interesting year. What’s the most important business or other discovery you’ve made in the past six months?

That it’s okay to ask for help! These strange times have affected us all in different ways, one day you’re working at home thinking you’ve got this, and the next day you’re like, did I brush my hair today? I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without the help of my team. As someone who tends to think she can do it all by herself, the last 6 months have shown me that teamwork really makes the dream work, and my customers win when I can offer the best version of myself.

What is the biggest challenge you face as a leader in your role?

I’d say the biggest challenge for me personally, as a person of color in the tech space, is stepping outside of my comfort zone and knowing when to use my voice that helps create change for good. I tend to be someone who’s fairly quiet when it comes to the workplace, but working for a company that values its people, has taught me that my opinions are welcomed and encouraged. It’s a rare gift! It can be challenging for me to share what I believe in, but the moments where I do, I want to make sure that it’s done in a way that is edifying and helpful to the company and my coworkers as a whole.


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