WAGS Work: Erika Richardson
The WAGS Work Series aims to show our readers that we are more than the stereotypes you might be familiar with--we're creative, hard-working, driven, and willing to do whatever it takes to make this lifestyle work. We also hope to inspire women in all walks of life to get creative and think outside the box when it comes to working and creating the lives of their dreams. Please reach out to the women featured in this series if you have questions or want to learn more about what they do.
TELL US WHO YOU ARE, HOW YOU GOT INTO THE BASEBALL WORLD, AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND.
My name is Erika Richardson and I met my husband Dustin Richardson at the Rogers Stadium in Toronto, Canada, just over ten years ago. Dustin was pitching for the Boston Red Sox and I was a production assistant for the Toronto Blue Jays. It was a summer job and I was assigned to the visiting teams’ media squad. We ended up grabbing drinks after the game down by the harbourside and the rest is history 😊. After that summer, I spent about 3 more seasons in Toronto being a production assistant while finishing my Bachelor’s Degree in Gender Studies.
I then decided to pursue a Master’s in Communication and Technology. I ended up writing my thesis on the baseball player’s placeless lived experience and masculine identity. I wrote my thesis while living with Dustin in Salt Lake City for my first “full” season experience. After living with Dustin for a season, I knew that the right thing for me was to be able to live with him on the road and be able to work remotely.
After I graduated, I found myself looking for a job in Tech and 6 years later I’ve established a career as an Account Executive that’s worked in both the Microsoft and Facebook partner network working with enterprise customers and helping them establish their digital and corporate communications strategy.
TELL US ALL ABOUT YOUR JOB, WHAT DO YOU DO, AND HOW LONG YOU’VE BEEN WERKIN’ IT.
I’m an Account Executive for a Facebook partner called LineZero. What that really means is that I’m an extension of Facebook’s enterprise sales team that helps sell Workplace to large organizations in Canada and the United States. Workplace is an internal corporate communication tool that is essentially a private Facebook for organizations. My role is to sell our customers Workplace licenses and service agreements to implement the platform and then support it going forward.
HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU FIND THIS JOB?
Just like in the baseball world, it’s all about connections, timing and your own personality. I was working at another small tech company handling their marketing and sales initiatives when my dad who was working at Microsoft at the time, mentioned that there was a sales role at a larger Microsoft Canada partner - ProServeIT.
After finding some great success with ProServeIT and winning the Women in IT Rising Star Award across Canada, the owners asked me if I would be interested in being “player 1” and moving over full time to help replicate the success in their new sister company, LineZero. My only focus would be closing new deals with Facebook’s team and selling Workplace across North America. Two years later I’m thrilled that I made the jump and our team is now recognized as the top North American Workplace partner.
WAS WORKING REMOTELY JUST PART OF THE JOB, OR DID YOU HAVE TO ASK FOR THAT? IF YOU DID HAVE YOU ASK – HOW’D YOU GO ABOUT DOING IT? WAS IT AN IMMEDIATE “YES” OR DID YOU HAVE TO KEEP ASKING? WERE YOU NERVOUS?
Yes, working remote is 100% part of my role however before COVID times, I would have to travel for conventions, customer and internal meetings. I think there’s going to be a huge shift in how work is done and largely in the Tech industry, work will be primarily remote.
HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR WORK AND LIVING THE BASEBALL LIFE?
It’s hard but worth it. I’m incredibly fortunate that Dustin respects my career ambitions as much as he respects his own. The hardest part is really our schedule. Since my average day is a typical 9 – 5 and baseball is really a 2 – 11 pm you have to make the most of that “lunch” hour and second dinner after the games!
HOW DID FINDING THIS JOB IMPACT YOUR LIFE PERSONALLY, AND FOR THE TWO OF YOU?
Personally this job has brought me so much joy and a lot of self-fulfillment. I think it’s important to find things that you are passionate about and to fill yourself with people and things that make you the best version of yourself. Dustin has always been my rock. He’s constantly encouraging me to push my own boundaries and expect more for myself. I feel like we’re so invested in each other’s personal growth, that our interest in our careers feels natural.
WHAT’S A TYPICAL WORKDAY LIKE FOR YOU IN THE SEASON? IN THE OFF-SEASON?
During season I would typically take my morning calls in the hotel lobby or shamelessly in our bathroom (if there’s no video) so that Dustin would be able to get his sleep. We all know the importance of good sleep for our guys 😊. The other hard part was getaway day, man the staff at those stadiums were so kind and would allow me to take my calls in the suites or in their front offices. There would also be days that I would be taking the calls from our truck and turning my phone into a hotspot. I feel like baseball women are so resilient and you really do learn to make ANY situation work.
During the off season, Dustin used to play winter ball in Dominican or Venezuela, so I would normally stay behind and spend majority of the off season living with my parents and heading into our local office. My absolute favourite time of season was spring training because it finally felt like our schedules matched and we could go for dinners after work like a “typical couple” at 6 pm!
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER WAGS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR REMOTE WORK OR TRYING TO WORK UP THE COURAGE TO ASK TO GO REMOTE?
My advice would be to leverage this incredible community. Connections and timing are everything and there’s a lot of WAGs who work remote and want to help other women find remote work. I would also highly recommend creating a LinkedIn profile and job hunting there. Majority of tech companies are 75% remote and typically if you speak with the right folks are willing to go 100% remote.
If you are working up the courage to go remote, I would build a 90 day plan to show your manager and explain what you’re going to do in those 90 days. Leaders want to feel some sense of control and if you create an action plan, it will provide them with a schedule in their mind of what you’re up to. The 90 day plan also provides you with a “to do list” that you can show them afterwards of the actionable items that you did while you were working remote.
WHAT’S THE HARDEST PART OF YOUR JOB? WHAT’S THE BEST?
Hardest part of my job is learning when to turn off. I feel like Dustin does such a good job of leaving his work at the stadium and I really try to emulate that (although he’ll tell you I do a bad job). My job is primarily based off of a sales quota, so it’s hard for me to turn off when I’m constantly managing deals or thinking of ways to catch the next big whale.
My favourite part of my job is that I feel like I’m making a difference with how people communicate with their employees and making them feel like family. I love working with companies and having conversations that their people feel more connected, heard and respected because they have a communication tool that works for them.
WHAT’S ONE THING YOU WISH EVERYONE KNEW ABOUT BEING A WAG/BASEBALL LIFE?
The highs are so high and the lows can be really low. I wish people would treat our men like humans. Like you and me, we do have emotions and are trying to live in the movement while juggling our own personal, career and family lives. These guys really do take it on the chin and one mistake or injury can cost them either a very long setback or their entire careers. However, it’s so incredible to watch your best friend live their dream. I can’t explain the feeling of sitting in the stands and watching Dustin strike out the side. It brings the greatest rush to me and I absolutely love watching him thrive in his element.
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE / HOW CAN WE KEEP UP WITH YOU?
For anything work-related, you can find me on LinkedIn - Erika Moll-Richardson | LinkedIn
For anything personal-related, you can find me on Instagram @erika_richardson1 or Facebook as Erika Richardson
