Cloud Girls is honored to have amazingly accomplished, professional women in tech as our members. We take every opportunity to showcase their expertise and accomplishments – promotions, speaking engagements, publications and more. Now, we are excited to shine a spotlight on one of our members each month.
March’s Cloud Expert of the Month is Jess Bryar
Jess Bryar is a Global Account Manager for Masergy, where she helps multinational companies with their global connectivity, security, telecommunications and SD-WAN solutions. Prior to joining Masergy, she was Sales Director – Cloud Solutions for Sandler Partners, where she helped partners and their clients move network, storage, email and other applications to the cloud. Jess has seven years of experience in the telecom industry.
When did you join Cloud Girls and why?
I joined Cloud Girls because I’m a philanthropist at heart and I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to mentor the next generation of young woman.
What do you value about being part of Cloud Girls?
I value the lifetime friendships that I have received, but what I value most is the camaraderie, mentoring and network of women that empower me and lift me up. It’s amazing to be in a group of competitors, but when together we’re all equal. It’s nothing that I have experienced, it’s awesome.
What advice would you give to your younger self at the start of your career?
Be confident and do not second guess yourself. When I was younger and starting in my career, I missed a lot of opportunities because I was so focused on knowing every last detail about my service and I felt that I needed to be able to answer every and any question my client may have had. I learned that I have a team and resources and to ask for help when needed and that it’s OK to say some version of, “That’s a great question, let me get back to you”.
How do you avoid being complacent in your role?
I love this question because I’m always on the hunt for more knowledge. In order to avoid complacency, I make it a point to challenge myself. Every day is a learning experience for me. When my engineers mentions something on a call, I make a point to ask them what it means so I can learn it for myself. I like to be challenged and learn what’s in the marketplace, newest technologies and trends. For example 5G and security are both so hot right now, and my partners and clients keep asking for more information on these topics. I’ve had previous employers that did not see the value in certifications and learning, so I found time to do it on my own. There’s nothing more empowering than knowledge.
What one piece of advice would you share with young women to encourage them to take a seat at the table?
Times have changed; women have proven that we’re smart enough to sit at the table. This is a question that I’m very passionate about and one of the reasons why I joined Cloud Girls. I admire how Cloud Girls gives back to young woman through our giving campaigns, and it was such an honor to be their Philanthropy Work Group Co-chair this year. I would tell women not to be afraid and that they are smart and qualified enough. Technology is evolving and such a fun field to be in. I would also tell young woman to stick up for themselves. My first job in tech was a difficult one and a lot of that had to do with management. Thankfully, I persevered and since then I found wonderful mentors and companies that value me and see that I’m an asset. Lastly, and most importantly, be confident! You can do it and anyone within the Cloud Girls organization will mentor and guide you — just reach out!