I graduated from college in 2011 and landed my first “big girl” job with Marriott. I was an admin in Boston which was far from what I envisioned but eager to grow. In 2013, I landed a management role as a Catering Sales Executive at the Courtyard Boston. I was warned this role would be difficult because the hotel was under renovation and had impossible sales goals. Nonetheless, I was determined because remaining an admin was far worse for my career. I accepted this position and by the end of the year the risk paid off. I achieved 117% of my annual goal and grew revenue by $750,000 from the previous year. So, I asked myself, what’s next? To summarize, there was a job at the Brooklyn Marriott which was also under renovation. This role was a lead position overseeing group sales. When I expressed interest, I was warned just like last time and for similar reasons. I thought, I proved everyone wrong before, Can I do it again? In short, I took the leap and found myself living in NYC. At the end of 2015, I earned “Leader of the Year” at the Brooklyn Marriott. I asked myself again, what’s next? A high-level role in Account Management was then available. I expressed interest and was told by some “You don’t have enough experience” and “You are to young”. To make a long story short, I landed the role as Senior Account Executive. At the end of 2017, I was recognized as a top three performer. From here, I took a step back and realized 1. I like taking risks 2. I aim high 3. My biggest motivation is being told I can’t do something. As I grew professionally and personally, I wanted to have more control of my destiny. Overtime, this led me to real estate, where I could utilize my sales and hospitality skills but become an entrepreneur. Since June 2019, I have been in real estate and started my own business, Habitats by Kat.
How did I get here?
