Roujean Sabouri

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

Not at all! I definitely didn’t go into college saying, “I want to work in Sales.” I actually thought I was going to be a journalist. But over time, I realized I was less driven by the idea of a specific job title and more by what the work gave me: fulfillment, challenge, and recognition. What really drives me is making people happy, making people better, and being able to see the direct impact of my work—on people and on the business. That led me down a winding but meaningful path. If you look at my LinkedIn, you’ll see I’ve worked in retail, PR, marketing, real estate, Customer Success, Learning & Development, and Sales Enablement. It wasn’t part of a grand plan—I just followed what challenged me, taught me something new, and yes, helped me increase my income (which is also important!). To give you a real example of my salary journey: I started at $35K, moved up to $45K, then $60K after a promotion, then $120K + commission, took a step back to $80K when a job wasn’t a great fit, and then worked my way up to $120K, then $145K, and now $200K. That’s an average salary increase of around $23K per move—not because I chased titles, but because I chased growth, impact, and alignment with what motivates me. So no, I didn’t “pick” my career in the traditional sense. I followed the work that excited me, gave me purpose, pushed me to grow—and paid me what I’m worth.

What is it like when your job gets tough?

When my job gets tough, it usually means I have way too much to do and not nearly enough time to do it. Five years ago, I didn’t handle that well. I’d work 10+ hour days, skip lunch, stop exercising, and even work weekends. I didn’t tell anyone I was overwhelmed because I thought admitting it was a sign of weakness. It wasn’t until my leaders noticed and pulled it out of me that I shared how burned out I was. Now? I don’t let it get to that point. I’ve learned to set clear boundaries. I’m honest and proactive with my manager about my capacity, and I bring them into the process by practicing radical prioritization—meaning we work together to decide what’s most important and what can wait. That way, I’m not trying to do everything at once, and they’re not surprised if something shifts. If things do start to get tough, I speak up early. And here’s something I’ve learned the hard way: not all managers are good managers—and how your manager supports you during tough times should absolutely be part of how you choose where to work.

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

In simple terms: I help people do their jobs better and faster. I work in Sales Enablement, which means I train and support the sales team so they can be more confident, efficient, and successful when they’re talking to potential clients. I create onboarding programs, write playbooks, run workshops, and build tools that help our sales team grow their skills and close more deals. But I don’t just teach how to sell—I help them understand why our product matters and how to communicate that in a way that clicks with each person they talk to. How does this impact the company? When salespeople are better trained and more confident, they’re more successful—which brings in more revenue for the company. I also help reduce turnover by setting new hires up for success early. So while I’m not selling directly, I’m building the engine behind the scenes that helps the company grow.

What is the one piece of career advice you wish someone gave you when you were younger?

I wish someone had told me: "Your experience—no matter how many years—is already valuable. Own it." When I was early in my career, I saw myself as someone who was still “too green.” In interviews, I felt like I had to prove I was worthy of the job, like the company was doing me a favor by considering me. I downplayed my strengths instead of owning them. Fast forward to the interview for the role I have now—it was a turning point. For the first time, I saw every job I’d ever had—retail, marketing, customer success, L&D, real estate—as part of a powerful story. I walked into that interview confident and clear: I was the right person for the role. Not because I had every answer, but because my experience added up to something unique and valuable. So if I could go back, I’d tell my younger self: 💬 "You don’t need 10 years of experience to speak with confidence. You just need to understand how what you’ve done so far has shaped who you are—and how it can help the company you're interviewing with. You bring value. Act like it."