Coast to Coast: Expanding Pendo’s Reach

Callie Mahlan is one of the key players on Pendo’s Business Development team, but her story is a little different than the rest. Growing up in southern California, Callie crossed the country a little under a year ago and ended up at Pendo. And we’re so glad she did. Working on the front lines for our team, Callie understands how to truly connect with people from the moment she meets them and usually even provide a laugh (not to mention, “Callie from Cali” is pretty fun to say).

We sat down with Callie to learn a little more about her journey and what she enjoys doing outside of Pendo’s walls.

What brought you to Pendo? Why here?

Funny story… I moved to Raleigh about a year ago now to work with a small staffing agency that was opening an office downtown. As one can imagine, small staffing agencies need to find business quickly, especially when they’re the new kid on the block. A coworker of mine reached out to Melissa at Pendo to grab lunch and discuss the possibility of Pendo using our staffing resources. Long story short: Pendo didn’t use our staffing services, but I kept up with Pendo, and simply put, I fell in love with the story and growth.

What keeps you at Pendo?

Lot’s of people say “My work is the best because of the culture, growth, opportunities, blah, blah..” —you know, those generic answers that your boss loves. I stay at Pendo because the people I work with actually want to be here. Yes, Pendo has an awesome culture and tons of opportunities for growth, but we also have that special pizzazz. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the pizzazz is what keeps me here.

What do you love to do outside of work?

I like to classify myself as adventurous and outdoorsy. My current go-to’s are kicking butt on adult sport leagues. Yes, that includes kickball, dodgeball, and soccer (not so good at the latter). I relax by working out in a sauna – some may call this haute yoga. I also frequent at comedy shows- one day, I will be a stand-up comedian.

What are some of your other passions?

Helping victims of domestic violence and sexual assault find their voice again—to be the courage, strength, and support they need. Sexual assault and domestic violence are rarely spoken of, but 1 in 4 women are victims of domestic violence and raising awareness is the only thing that will bring this to an end. Currently, I volunteer weekly at InterAct, but previously I was also a volunteering at the YWCA.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

The “shock” factor. Let me explain: this can be a variety of things. It can be when a prospect shuts me down and my rebuttal wins them over, “Wow I am shocked, and yes that makes perfect sense!” It can be after a prospect sees a demo of Pendo: “This is amazing! What a shock!” It can be when I shock myself on how boss I sounded on a call. It can be the shock of how sending a pair of Pendo socks turns a “no” into a “yes”. The shock is that unexpected turn of events that well, shocks either party.

What would you like to see happen more often with clients?

I would love to see a greater number of customer meetups. The energy that you feel when walking into a room full of Pendo lovers is truly magical. I want to see that magic spread.

What are you most looking forward to with Pendo?

When the number of employees gets to 500, and I reminisce on my first day as Pendo’s 51st employee, thinking of all the leaps, bounds, and bumps we have overcome to get where we are today.

“And that’s when I knew that once you go Pendo, you can’t go back.”

An aha moment or story where you learned something from a client.

My aha moment was actually from a prospect, not a client. It was a month or so ago when I was traveling in Santa Barbara meeting prospects from all different size companies. There was one company in particular, a small company, about 7-8 employees, and we gathered around the outdoor patio furniture and gave a demo of Pendo. I sat behind the computer screen and just watched as their eyes tracked and widened and their facial expressions said it all. Their eyes glistened as if they had just seen pure gold. And that’s when I knew that once you “go Pendo” you can’t go back.

How you approach a new task/ project/ prospect? What about problem-solving?

Every task/ project/ prospect is different, but you can always find similarities – something that connects each person or problem. The trick is to find the connection, personalize the problem, and show a little humility.

If you want to work with awesome people like Callie, check out our open positions and join our team!