From Closing Deals to Opening Doors: My Leap from B2B Sales to HR’s Big Leagues

Let’s start with a confession: I never thought I’d leave sales. For years, my world revolved around quotas, pipeline reviews, and convincing CFOs why “this quarter’s SaaS solution” was the one they couldn’t live without. Yet here I am, sitting in classrooms, reading case studies, and raising my hand to discuss organizational behavior instead of objection handling.

So how did I get here? Let’s rewind.

I was born in a small town in Mexico, where education wasn’t always guaranteed. Thanks to my parents’ courage and a lot of grace, I moved to the United States at age five. I didn’t speak a word of English. Kindergarten was basically a silent film for me. But with bilingual programs in Texas schools, something eventually clicked, and English became second nature.

Fast forward a couple decades, I earned my bachelor’s degree, built a career across corporations, mid-sized companies, and startups, and racked up over five years in B2B SaaS sales. It was a grind, but I learned how to build trust, influence decision-makers, and keep my cool when a deal went dark right before quarter-end.

So why walk away from sales? Because the workplace is changing, and I want to be part of shaping it. The demographics of our workforce are more diverse than ever, and HR is no longer just about paperwork—it’s about strategy, inclusion, and leadership. I want to create environments where people like me—first-generation professionals navigating new worlds—don’t just survive but thrive. And I want to help others grow, develop, and unlock their potential.

Now, as I begin my MBA journey at the top-ranked HR program in the country, I already feel like I’m learning a whole new language again. Leadership, organizational design, workforce strategy—it’s exciting, challenging, and a little terrifying (in the best way).

This next chapter is about more than career change. It’s about using everything I’ve learned—from small-town beginnings to sales negotiations—to build workplaces where people feel valued and empowered.

I’ll be sharing more along the way: lessons from my MBA, insights from HR, reflections on being first-gen in corporate spaces, and maybe a few stories about sales deals gone sideways (because those are always fun in hindsight).

Stay tuned—this should be a ride worth watching.