Welcome back to another edition of Inside Drift, where we introduce you to the fantastic people that make Drift such a great place to work.
We have another amazing Drifter for you to meet today — Lorraine Chon-Qui. Lorraine joined the Drift team in 2019 as our first Sales Development Representative (SDR) in Tampa! In her time as an SDR, she broke company records on most opportunities created by a single SDR in a month and was recognized as top performer for most opportunities created in 2020. In May 2021, Lorraine moved on to the Marketing team at Drift, where she currently works as a Digital Marketing Specialist in our demand generation function. In her spare time, she is also an active member of our Latinx Employee Resource Group (ERG).
Ready to meet Lorraine? Let’s go ⚡
Editor’s note: The following has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Kaitlyn Martins: Let’s start with an easy one. Can you tell me a little bit about what you do at Drift?
Lorraine Chon-Qui: I’m part of the Revenue Marketing team here at Drift, and our goal is to generate new business pipeline through personalized marketing strategies, go-to-market (GTM) plans, and integrated digital journeys. Along with my manager, I execute on promotional plans for current and new offers across business units, including paid social and search channels, SEO, email campaigns, and third-party partnerships.
Kaitlyn: What does your day-to-day typically look like?
Lorraine: As a Digital Marketing Specialist, my day-to-day is focused on creating awareness of Drift’s brand and driving new customers. I support my team by building website experiences, email and paid programs, and SEO campaigns. I also partner daily with our content team to track campaign and content performance, and determine the best offers for our audiences.
Kaitlyn: You started at Drift as an SDR and recently joined the Marketing team as a Digital Marketing Specialist. What was that internal transition like for you?
Lorraine: Because I chose a non-traditional career path, I’d be lying to you if I said the transition was easy 😁
From the moment I started at Drift, I knew that my long-term goal was to become a marketer, and I knew the opportunity to become one was one in a million. To make this happen, I knew I had to prove myself as a top performer and advocate for my goals internally.
I made it a point to connect with folks across the marketing organization and learn about their day-to-day. Then, I identified the skills needed for those roles that I could apply to my day-to-day as an SDR (things like copywriting, reporting, sequence building, etc).
I’ve been lucky to have many Drifters within different departments — marketing, sales, HR, and even customer success — supporting me day in and day out. They’ve helped me stay motivated and focused towards my goal, as well as transition successfully into my new role and grow my career.
Kaitlyn: How has your experience in a sales role prepared you to work in marketing?
Lorraine: If I could go back in time and choose between starting as an SDR or as a marketer, I’d 100% choose to be an SDR again. This role was not only the catalyst for learning how the B2B world works and the foundation of Conversational Marketing, but it also helped me grow personally and professionally.
It taught me patience, resilience, and adaptability. It taught me how to carry the water, come back from a bad month, stay humble during a good month, mentor others, and how to lead.
The hard and soft skills I gained as an SDR were crucial for a smooth transition into my current role.
Kaitlyn: Now that Drift is a Digital First company, how has your routine changed?
Lorraine: The main thing for me is that now I fit my work around my life, not vice versa. This might sound silly, but my favorite thing about being a Digital First company (other than being able to work from anywhere in the world) is that now I can do laundry, fold my clothes, or cook my lunch in the middle of the day if I need a break from the screen. Also, I spend way more time looking for my next plane ticket since I can now work from anywhere ✈️
Kaitlyn: You’re an active member of our Latinx ERG at Drift. Can you tell us a little bit about the group, its mission and goals, and how you execute on those at Drift?
Lorraine: Within Drift, our goal is to promote and empower the Latinx culture and help recruit Latinx talent, while also building and fostering connections between Latinx employees and the greater tech community. More broadly, our goal is to help our founders become the next face of corporate America through our work.
Want to learn more about Drift’s Latinx at Drift ERG? Hear from Lorraine and other members in this episode of The American Dream podcast.
Kaitlyn: What’s a fun fact that people might not know about you?
Lorraine: When I was nine years old, I taught myself the alphabet in sign language (I made up some letters here and there), and taught it to my circle of friends from 5th grade. To this day, we can all still hold full conversations in this made-up sign language ✌️
Kaitlyn: What initially drew you to Drift as a place to work?
Lorraine: I was looking to break into the SaaS industry but I didn’t know how. Tampa wasn’t necessarily known for its tech market and working remotely wasn’t as normal as it is now. When Drift announced the opening of their new office in Tampa, I was drawn to the opportunity to make an impact, break into this new market in Florida, and be part of the first Tampa class of Drifters.
Kaitlyn: Drift is growing like crazy in Tampa — why is now a good time to join the Drift team in Tampa?
Lorraine: I’ve had the opportunity to see the Tampa team grow from three to approximately 40 Drifters, and it has been a wild ride. Tampa is emerging as a tech hub, while Drift is now a unicorn company. Joining the Drift team in Tampa is a huge opportunity to break into the tech world and contribute to a hypergrowth company. It’s an exciting time to be a Drifter 🚀
One of my favorite memories at Drift (so far), was hanging out with the Mayor of Tampa at the Gasparilla Pirate Festival in January 2020. It’s this parade that’s been held in Tampa since the early 1900s, and Mayor Jane Castor personally invited Drift to come to the event and welcome our team to Tampa.
Kaitlyn: Finally, what advice do you have for prospective Drift candidates?
Lorraine: Stay authentic. One of my favorite things about Drift is that you are encouraged to bring your whole self to work. There is no such thing as a goal that is too big or an idea that is too small. Bring your unique perspective to the table and own your story ✍️
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