How Stephanie Pierce’s Courage & Drive Translated to Sales Leadership
What does it truly take to aggressively pursue the next stage of your career—especially when that stage is uncharted territory?
For most, it involves stepping away from success, taking a major risk, and finding the courage to build something new without a manual. For Stephanie, it’s a default mode.
That’s exactly the challenge Stephanie Pierce accepted. After three years with us, Stephanie is stepping into a new leadership role, moving from Fasteners Plus Inside Sales Manager to BDC Manager—leading the Business Development Consultant (BDC) team for US Cargo Control and Fasteners Plus. two of our brands. This move highlights her consistent commitment to individual growth, as well as our internal focus on building strong leaders.
Courageous Leadership & Analytical Drive
Stephanie’s decision to take on a new leadership role is a testament to her courage and drive. She was already successful, but she chose to take a risk that is likely different, maybe even harder, fueled by a desire to learn and contribute at a higher level. It will require her to move into a role that hasn’t existed before. She’ll be venturing into uncharted territory. Fortunately, her leadership style aligns with that type of opportunity: Courageous, Strategic, Curious, Decisive, and Opportunistic. Because she is a continual opportunity seeker, she is ready to engage, get informed, and execute toward a result.
Another nod to her ability to work in new and undefined environments is how she approaches new challenges when they arise. Her direct reports consistently praise her ability to move beyond only identifying problems. She is known for working decisively and precisely to solve them.
“Stephanie is the type of person who, when there is an issue, something comes up, she’s got multiple solutions before the rest of us have even really considered what the problem is. And not only that, she will call you and say, ‘Well, let’s take a look at the numbers.'” – Melissa Rose, Fasteners Plus Inside Sales Manager and former direct report
Stephanie’s ability to move into this outbound sales role was driven by her desire to be aware of the ‘beyond,’ meaning the larger scope of the customer base. She thinks of the customer base as a collective, where insight can be gathered from each area, leading to a conclusion that offers a specific strategic step to follow.”
Her strategic thinking is deeply rooted in data. She champions her ideas using concrete evidence, often pulling numerous reports to back up her vision. This ability to separate what must be done well and what can be improved later is the essence of decisive, growth-oriented leadership. This focus on quality is paramount; as her previous manager, Eric Japenga, notes, “The number of times you do these things isn’t as important as the quality that is placed within each interaction.”
Sustaining Our Sales Foundation
Stephanie’s leadership is strategically important for our business because it formally bridges our foundational Inside Sales Specialist (ISS) team and the outbound Business Development Consultant (BDC) team. Before accepting this new challenge, Stephanie was leading the Fasteners Plus ISS team to its highest-ever revenue results. As Eric Japenga shared, her impact will “provide sustainability for the ISS team and growth for the BDC team.”
The BDC role—which Stephanie will now lead—is entirely built on the foundation of the ISS job. That ISS role is challenging, requiring consistency, deep product knowledge, and customer relationship management with people across the country and the world. But it is foundational to sales success. Every member of the BDC team started as an ISS, proving the strength of our internal growth pipeline. Stephanie is stepping in to lead a system where these teams are running a system together.
Stephanie is energized to tackle head-on the challenge of bridging those sales areas together in a way that is new and strategically critical. As we write this, she’s only been in this new role for 2 months. Unsurprisingly, she has already been diving into learning the systems, strategies, and people so she and others can be even more impactful.
Partnering for Peer & Team Growth
Beyond the numbers and strategy, we hear others sharing the impact of her support of those around her. As a peer, she is naturally opportunistic, not just for business, but for people. Eric attributes this influence to her work ethic: “Individuals she works with closely can trust and rely on her to put a full force effort into the work…leading to trusting relationships and a desire for those individuals to give equally and more.”
As a fellow manager, Emily Dailey said, “When you’re talking one-on-one with her, she challenges you. She supports you. If she can help you make the right decision, she will do everything she can to do that. And it doesn’t come at a sacrifice. It’s just how she is naturally.”
The opportunities being created and seized are born out of Stephanie’s leadership style and Clickstop’s commitment to employee engagement. A prime example: The person who succeeded Stephanie as the ISS Manager was one of her direct reports. Former Inside Sales Specialist, Melissa Rose, is stepping into Stephanie’s prior role in part because Stephanie built a strong foundation for someone else to step into. And, because of Melissa’s growth-mindset and ability to be opportunistic. As CEO, Tim Guenther reflected, “She enthusiastically advocated for Melissa and Melissa is proving herself quickly,” underscoring Stephanie’s deep commitment to the growth of her team.
We could tell stories like this all day long. It’s not simply a one-off instance of something inspiring or heartwarming. This truly is our mission in action: to create a business that is sustainable, enjoyable, and provides opportunity for those who seek it.
Grow Yourself on Our Team
Stephanie’s journey embodies a core lesson: “Be aggressive in the pursuit of the result you want to achieve,” a sentiment Eric emphasized. Leadership opportunities are available to those who step up with courage, seek growth, and prioritize people. Her decisive and action-oriented mindset that led her from successfully managing the high-volume Inside Sales environment to now taking her analytical drive to lead the Business Development side—all while never losing sight of the importance of the team around her in the process.
When we boil down this opportunity from the business perspective, this transition solidifies the connection between two vital teams and makes it stronger and clearer. Stephanie’s promotion is an investment in our team’s future and an acknowledgment that our strength comes from an intense focus on growing highly engaged people.
If you’re ready for a role that is challenging, supportive, and built on growing as a team, consider joining our Inside Sales team. We are looking for future relationship-builders who are team-oriented, collaborators who love feedback, and strategic thinkers who can solve complex problems.