There's no one-size-fits-all in sales. The lane that's right for someone else might be wrong for you—and that's fine. This module helps you figure out which entry point fits your personality, your goals, and where you are right now.
Here's what this module is NOT:
It's not a quiz that tells you what career to have. It's not a strict blueprint you have to follow.
It's a guide to help you see the landscape clearly—so that when you get to Week 4 and start making your plan, you're already thinking in the right direction. Pay attention to which lanes feel exciting and which feel like the right challenge for where you are.
As you read through each lane, keep these questions in mind. There are no right or wrong answers—just honest ones.
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Do I prefer more conversation or more research?
Some lanes are heavily relationship-driven and conversational. Others involve more strategy, writing, and research. Which feels more natural?
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Do I want a consistent base salary or maximum earning potential?
Some lanes offer stability with a strong base. Others put more earning in your hands—with more risk attached.
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Do I need structure and schedule, or do I want to set my own hours?
W2 roles typically mean set hours. 1099 roles give you flexibility, but require discipline. Which fits your life right now?
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Do I want to learn first, or jump in and figure it out?
Entry-level lanes offer training and structure. More advanced lanes expect you to perform quickly. Where are you honest with yourself about being right now?
The most common entry point. The launchpad.
What it is:
SDRs and BDRs are the front of the sales pipeline. Your job is to find and qualify potential clients—not necessarily close them. You're prospecting, reaching out, having early conversations, and determining if a lead is worth passing to a more senior salesperson (like an Account Executive) who will close the deal.
Day-to-day:
Typical Comp
Base salary + commission. Comp varies widely by company, industry, and region.
Experience Needed
Entry level. No prior sales experience required at most companies.
Growth Path
SDR → Account Executive → Senior AE → Manager
This lane might be right for you if:
The closer. The deal-maker. Where the big commission lives.
What it is:
AEs take qualified leads (often from SDRs) and guide them through the rest of the sales process—from the discovery call to the proposal to the signed contract. You're responsible for understanding the client's needs in depth, presenting solutions, handling objections, and closing the deal. This is where what you learn in Weeks 2 and 3 comes fully alive.
Day-to-day:
Typical Comp
Higher base + higher commission than SDR. Comp grows significantly with performance and deal size.
Experience Needed
Typically 1–3 years of SDR experience, or strong transferable background.
Growth Path
AE → Senior AE → Enterprise AE → Sales Manager / Director
This lane might be right for you if:
Keep the clients. Grow the revenue. The relationship lane.
What it is:
Customer Success is the bridge between sales and long-term retention. Once a deal is closed, CSMs step in to make sure clients are getting value—and to grow that relationship over time. This role sells without pitching. You identify expansion opportunities, prevent churn, and build loyalty. It's one of the most human roles in sales, and it plays directly to strengths many women already have in abundance.
Day-to-day:
Typical Comp
Base + bonuses. Typically lower commission ceiling than AE roles, but strong stability.
Experience Needed
Entry to mid-level. Customer service background is very relevant.
Growth Path
CSM → Senior CSM → CS Manager → VP of Customer Success
This lane might be right for you if:
High volume. Shorter cycles. Faster feedback loop.
What it is:
Inside sales roles are often B2C or shorter-cycle B2B. You may be taking inbound calls from people who've expressed interest, or doing targeted outbound to warm leads. The sales cycle is typically faster—sometimes same-day. It's more volume-driven than enterprise B2B. Think: insurance, real estate, education, financial services, health and wellness products.
Typical Comp
Base + strong commission. Some roles are mostly commission. Varies widely by product and industry.
Experience Needed
Entry level. Retail, customer service, and phone experience all count.
What to watch for
Some inside sales roles are heavy on scripts and pressure tactics. Vet the company culture carefully.
This lane might be right for you if:
Maximum flexibility. Maximum risk. Maximum earning potential.
What it is:
You work as a contractor—not an employee. No base salary. You're paid commission only. You can work multiple companies or products at once. You set your own hours completely. The tradeoff: no safety net, no benefits, and you need enough confidence and skill to close deals without a team or manager carrying you.
This lane might be right for you if:
Note: This isn't usually a great first lane unless you have prior sales experience. Build the skill first—then maximize the freedom.
There's no wrong answer here. The best lane is the one that matches where you are right now—not where you want to be in five years. You can always move. What matters is that you start.
Quick Gut Check:
If you're starting completely fresh and want training: SDR/BDR
If you have customer service experience and love helping people: Customer Success
If you're comfortable on the phone and want to learn by closing fast: Inside Sales / B2C
If you've developed some skill and want maximum control: 1099 / Independent
If you're ready to own the full sales cycle and want the big commission: Account Executive
Hold onto this.
In Week 4, you're going to make your lane official—pick it, set income targets around it, build your weekly action plan, and walk into your first interview prepared. This week was the map. Week 4 is the move.
Instead of going back and forth in your head, let's make this concrete. For each factor below, give each path a score from 1-5 based on how well it matches YOUR current life. Not your ideal life—your actual life right now. Be honest. Nobody's grading this but you.
Score each path (1 = poor fit, 5 = great fit) for your situation:
| Factor | B2B | B2C | 1099 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lifestyle fit: Does this path's schedule work with my life right now? | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Income stability: Can I afford the income pattern this path offers? | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Personality match: Does the daily pace feel natural to me? | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Comfort level: How ready do I feel to start on this path? | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Growth potential: Does this path lead where I want to be in 3-5 years? | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Background advantage: Does my experience give me an edge here? | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| TOTAL | ___/30 | ___/30 | ___/30 |
The path with the highest score is your strongest current fit. But pay attention to which factors mattered most to you emotionally as you scored them—that tells you what you value most, which is often more important than the raw number.
This is the fear I hear most from women in this course. "What if I pick the wrong path and waste time?" Let me put that fear to rest right now.
There is no wrong path. There are only starting points.
Every path teaches you core sales skills that transfer everywhere: listening, objection handling, pipeline management, closing, follow-through. Whether you start in B2B, B2C, or 1099, you're building the same foundational muscles. The "wrong" path is actually just the scenic route to the right one—and you'll arrive with more skills than if you'd waited at the starting line trying to decide.
The only true mistake is not starting at all. Every woman I know who's thriving in sales picked a path, worked it, learned from it, and adjusted. None of them got it perfectly right on the first try.
Pivoting is normal and expected.
Sales careers are not linear. People move between paths all the time. A B2C rep who discovers she loves strategic thinking might move to B2B. A B2B rep who craves freedom might go 1099. A 1099 closer who wants stability after having a baby might take a W-2 role for a few years. None of these are failures. They're intelligent adaptations to a changing life.
The average sales professional changes roles every 2-3 years. Each move builds on the last. Your first path is a chapter, not the whole book.
How to know it's time to pivot (vs. time to push through).
There's a difference between "this is hard and I want to quit" and "this genuinely isn't the right fit." Hard is normal—every path has hard months. But if after 6 months you dread the daily work itself (not just the hard parts, but the core activities), that's your sign to explore a different path. If you're struggling but still find the work itself engaging, push through. The money catches up to the effort.
Ask yourself: "Do I hate the work, or do I hate that the work hasn't paid off yet?" Those require completely different responses.
You don't have to commit to a career path right now. But I'm asking you to commit to exploring one path deeply for the next 30 days. Not all three. Not switching every week based on what sounds best that day. One path, explored with focus and intention, for 30 days. Here's why:
Your 30-Day Path Declaration
Choose the path that scored highest in your Decision Matrix (or the one that your gut is pulling you toward).
For the next 30 days, research only that path. Look at job postings, read about the industry, follow people who work in that space, and start building specific skills for that path.
At the end of 30 days, you'll know more about that path than 95% of people who "research" all paths simultaneously. And you'll have a real, informed opinion about whether it's right for you.
If after 30 days it doesn't feel right, you haven't lost anything. You've gained deep knowledge of one path that will inform every decision you make about the others.
Say it out loud (or write it down):
"For the next 30 days, I'm exploring the ________ path. I'm going to learn everything I can about it, connect with people who work in it, and build the specific skills it requires. I can always change. But right now, this is my focus."
Here's what your first 30 days of focused exploration should look like, depending on which path you're leaning toward.
Week 1: Research 5-10 B2B companies in industries that interest you (tech, healthcare, security, professional services). Look at their Glassdoor reviews, their career pages, and their product. Follow 3-5 B2B saleswomen on LinkedIn. Start noticing how they talk about their work.
Week 2: Search for SDR/BDR job postings in your area (or remote). Don't apply yet—just read the descriptions. Note what skills they ask for. Start a list of requirements that keep showing up: CRM experience, communication skills, cold outreach, etc. Identify which ones you already have and which ones you'll build in Week 4.
Week 3: Reach out to one person working in B2B sales on LinkedIn. A simple message: "Hi, I'm exploring a career transition into B2B sales and I'd love to hear about your experience. Would you be open to a 15-minute chat?" Most people say yes. That conversation will teach you more than any article.
Week 4: Based on everything you've learned, write down: "Here's why B2B is right for me right now," or "Here's why I want to explore a different path." Either answer is valid. Both move you forward.
Before you move on, let's make sure the key concepts really clicked. Answer all questions correctly to unlock the next lesson.
1. What is the recommended approach if you can't decide between paths?
2. Which sales lane is the most common entry point for someone with zero sales experience?
3. What does the Customer Success Manager role focus on?
4. What is the difference between "this is hard" and "this isn't the right fit"?
5. Which factor should have the MOST weight when choosing your starting path?
Complete the Knowledge Check above to unlock the next lesson.