WAY (Women at Yelp) is a women’s employee resource group centered around educating employees on female-focused issues. With chapters in six Yelp offices around the world — and Erica Galos Alioto, SVP of Local Sales, as the executive sponsor — WAY’s mission is to connect its members with other smart, inspiring women and spark conversation through networking events, panels, learning lunches, and much more. We asked some of our most influential WAY members to share their best career advice and some real-world examples of how they put their own advice to work. So, take notes — you won’t want to forget these!
Make Yourself Uncomfortable![]()
“You’ll never be better if you aren’t making yourself uncomfortable…I’m naturally an introvert so when I was contemplating an opportunity in investor relations, I recognized there were aspects of the job that might be challenging for me (example: frequent meetings with investors and analysts, always needing to be “on”, etc.). While I’m more tired than other people might be after a day of meetings, I’ve gained new skills around effective communication and found that there are aspects of the job that I love and would have never had exposure to (example: building relationships with people out of the company, engaging in interesting industry discussions with leaders in the space, etc.).”
Wendy Lim
Vice President, Strategic Finance
San Francisco
Be Authentic/Stop Apologizing
“When I first became a manager, I felt like I had to edit my communication style because people didn’t expect me to be as direct and upfront as I am. I felt much more confident and much more like myself when I realized I needed to build strong relationships and speak directly. Don’t soften a message to appear ‘warmer.’ Be direct, speak with candor — your peers and your team will respect your authenticity.”
Paige Cecil
Associate Director, Local Sales
Phoenix
Learn How To Humblebrag
“Five years ago, I took a business trip to visit clients in New York and shared a recap with my boss afterward, detailing my accomplishments and what I was proud of from the client meetings. She then forwarded it to her superiors, and from that exposure it led to my opportunity to relocate from SF to NYC to be the first National Account Manager in our New York office. I advocated for myself and made it easy for my boss to share my accomplishments up the chain. Within six months of that business trip, I was living in NYC.”
Alice Hazen
Manager, National Sales
New York City
Do Something About It/Take Initiative
“I was an Account Manager for five years, but had some sort of skills with Excel, Powerpoint, and Salesforce. I’ve done a lot of self study and also asked for new contacts to receive training and to define my skills. This made me the expert in my department and was recognized by my manager and also our director. It was not needed for my role at that time, but it scored me a new position a year later, when they needed someone with these skills. I was the number one choice that came to their heads.”
Jennifer Johannsen
Elite Account Manager + Revenue Operations Associate
Dublin
Your Network Is Never Complete
“Many of the folks I lean on to help tease out professional challenges are people I met through people I already knew simply because I asked them to make introductions. Asking “Who do you know?” and “Who should I meet?” is powerful. Doing this consistently has helped me expand my network, find extraordinary talent to hire, solve myriad problems, and gain insight.”
Miriam Warren
VP, Enterprise Engagement and Culture
San Francisco
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