By: Joshua Finley

A job in sales can bring enormous financial rewards, but the potential personal costs of those sales can also be enormous. Sales people cope with financial uncertainty, long hours and the pressure to perform, and balancing these demands can be incredibly stressful. For the 29.5% of women who make up the salesforce in the U.S., the pressure can be especially daunting, and for women under 30, the stress of a career in sales can have a severely negative impact on their quality of life.

Evolution in Action

Kayla Hodges, international speaker, podcaster, entrepreneur, and trainer is committed to closing that gap and has first-hand experience of the pressures faced by women in sales. Hodges is the founder of Elite Sales Women, a company committed to providing women with the tools to cope with the stresses of a high-powered sales career – and double their closing ratio.

The journey toward success as one of America’s female-centric trainers (and was recognized as the Female Sales Trainer Under 30) has been one characterized by overcoming challenges, and those challenges have been instrumental in motivating Hodges to focus on women in sales.

“For me, a career in sales was something I almost fell into. I was 23 years old, studying towards my dream job of being a doctor, a single mom, and balancing a fine dining waitressing job with the demands of being a personal trainer.” 

My journey started with a blog. I wrote an article that grabbed the attention of one of my clients at the gym. She shared it with her friends, one of whom was on the board of the Lamborghini Festival in Houston, and they wanted to know if I’d be interested in being an event spokesperson for their company.”

For Kayla Hodges, that was a pivotal moment. After attending a glitzy pre-festival black-tie event, Hodges was left without a ride home. Fortunately, her chance meeting with a fellow attendee resulted in a lift to her car and the revelation that her knight in shining armor had a personal relationship with Jim Rohn, a personal mentor to Tony Robbins. Her savior recommended listening to Jim Roan’s series ‘A Challenge To Succeed.’ 

Hodges devoured it, and after a meeting at a local coffee shop with her new professional resource was offered a job in B2B sales.

A chance meeting had set Hodges on the path to becoming one of the respected women in the U.S. coaching and training market.

“I’ll never forget when he said that I was the one in control of my destiny, burn all the boats and jump in. I was struggling to cope with the challenges I was facing, & it was as if a lightbulb had just gone on in my head.”

Feminine Focus

Women in sales tend to draw on their life experiences to empathize with clients’ challenges. However, in many instances, these experiences are shaped by socio-cultural factors and life experiences that are different from those experienced by men. 

“It’s a fact that anyone’s earning potential depends on their state of mind,” says Hodges. “Women often have experiences during their life that differ from men. These experiences can range from emotional trauma, and family issues, including limitations placed on them to conform to toxic relationships, and even having to cope with pregnancy and menstrual cycles. Each of these factors shapes who a woman is, and often comes with a generous helping of psychological trauma.” 

Kayla Hodges has a background that extends far from the halls of academia, with experiences in behavioral psychology, strategic intervention, NLP, sales, marketing, and events. However, it is her lived experiences that have helped her empathize with women who have a career in sales, and offer them advice that extends beyond improving skills to maximize commissions.

Hodges is convinced that her approach of balancing coping, leadership, life skills and top-level selling strategies pays dividends for her clients. 

“What sets Elite Sales Women apart is that we’re balancing training in leadership and sales skills while accounting for the unique experience of women in the salesforce.”

“Women are wired differently from men, so there has to be a focus on empathy and empowerment to get the premier results. It’s not just dollars and cents. Women need advice from someone who has learned to cope with life’s challenges on an emotional level. That approach is why Elite Sales Women has achieved such success.”

The Power of Passion

Kayla Hodges is a passionate person, and nowhere is it more apparent than when she talks about women’s empowerment and the upliftment of the marginalized. But it’s a passion that is tempered by reality.

“The lived experience of many women in sales is one where they have felt powerless, I’m focused on changing that with a holistic view of what it takes to be a really great sales woman.”

As the founder and CEO of Elite Sales Women, Hodges is on a mission. It’s a mission to change the way women perceive themselves by giving them the tools they need to flourish in a highly competitive, traditionally male-dominated environment. For more insight into what Kayla Hodges can offer, visit her website or learn more on her LinkedIn profile.

Published By: Aize Perez