The Trustpilot Culture series continues with a feature on our growing Denver, CO office. These pieces highlight our employees’ stories on our team and for this edition we are happy to feature Mr. Dave Arkow, Director of Sales, Denver, CO. Below, Dave talks from experience about what it takes to succeed on the sales team in a scaling start up and opening up our Denver office.
Dave started with Trustpilot in 2013 as one of the first hires out of our NYC office and has matured through the organization, rising to Senior sales positions, Management, and now the Director and leader of our Denver office. Dave is a great example of what success looks like in the Sales world as well as the startup world where things can change quickly but results are still expected. Below, Dave discusses what it took for him to be successful at Trustpilot, opening up the new Denver office and advice to incoming job seekers considering the startup path.
Trustpilot: What initially attracted you to Trustpilot in NYC? Has that changed over the years and the jobs you’ve held?
Dave Arkow: I started with Trustpilot in New York 4 years ago and what really attracted me to the team was the leaders of the office. I was interviewing at a few places and although I wasn't entirely sure what I was looking for I knew I wanted to learn, move my career forward and to be able to really contribute to a company. From my first interaction with the leaders at Trustpilot I remember being sold on the passion behind the company’s direction and wanted to be a part of it.
From there it only took a few days for me to fall in love with Trustpilot after starting myself and my own passion has been strong in the last 4 years regardless of the role, office building, or city. I can also proudly say that all the excitement I was sold around the growth potential of the company during my interview turned out to be spot on and is still true today. The mentorship I received early on really made things happen for me and I look forward to making that happen for future hires at Trustpilot.
TP: What sparked your interest in moving to Denver?
DA: It was a combination of things both personally and professionally. On a personal level, I was ready to leave NY mainly because I grew up on the East Coast and thought Denver would be a really interesting new home. On a professional level, I was really excited to help lead a small office and instill that same spark that the New York office had in its early days.
TP: Now that you’ve grown with the NYC team and are building the Denver team, what qualities do you think are most important for startup employees to have that will make them successful in a scaling organization?
DA: It's important in this world that people see their role as more than just a job. When you’re at an early stage company each person has such a strong impact on the culture that you need people who don’t just clock in and clock out but people who are truly ready to build something amazing. In the early days in NYC and now in Denver, our employees need to have the willingness to help the person next to them and the grit to work hard when they might not have as many resources at their disposal compared to a more established company. Without eagerness and drive to succeed, the startup world is a struggle.
TP: Any advice you would give to current job seekers interested in Trustpilot Denver?
DA: Come hungry and ready to work! You will learn a ton here and will have fun doing it but you need to be prepared to grind. If you want it bad enough and are eager for an awesome opportunity, then please interview here and you'll love it.
As a leader of both the NYC and the Denver office Dave has grown into one of the most successful salespeople to date as well as a cultural staple of the company, earning him several awards and commission checks throughout his tenure. His vision for the Denver office is to make Trustpilot one of the premier places to grow your career in Colorado while maintaining the really hardworking and fun loving group we have been since he joined in 2013.
Thanks for reading!
The Trustpilot Talent Team
