Allison Ross, Allison Ross Consulting
Name: Allison Ross
Designation: Owner/Marketer
Company: Allison Ross Consulting
What do you do every day? I’m learning that the first hour of the day is the most important as it determines the tone of the entire day, so I’ve been dedicating my first hour to reflection, gratitude and calm. Not always possible but I try! Then I tackle my to-do list.
As a marketer, my to-do list consists of strategy development, blogging, web design, graphic design, and social media management for myself and my clients.
How did you get into the tech space? Quite by chance. I started my working career as an assistant to the stock planner of a large retail corporation. Years later, the company I was employed at needed a Systems Analyst but they couldn’t afford one, so they decided to take someone from the business who understood retail processes and have them learn everything about IT. I was the privileged one! This training provided me with a holistic view of what the IT industry was and the role I wanted to play in it going forward.
What was the best advice anyone ever gave you? That everything happens exactly as it should, even when it doesn’t seem that way at the time. When I look back on my life from this perspective, even the situations that seemed like disasters at the time provided insights that changed my life for the positive. Knowing this, I’m able to take life less seriously and look for blessings in every situation.
What advice would you given someone wanting to get into the tech sector? Technology is everywhere so when you choose a career in the tech sector, you can combine your passions in unlimited ways. If you’re passionate about technology and you’re as passionate about, for example, Arts & Culture, you can choose a career that uses technology within Arts & Culture. No matter what your passions, hobbies or causes, as a woman in technology there’s absolutely nothing stopping you from creating your dream job and your dream life. You can choose to change the world from the comfort of your home or you can choose to travel the world as you change it.
What motivates you to get out of bed everyday? Knowing that each day is a fresh opportunity to create the life I want.
Who do you want to be when you grow up? Wiser. So that I’m always able to share with others what I wish I knew when I was a young woman in business.
Find me on:
Twitter: @colossally
Blog: allison-ross.com
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/allison-ross/15/b66/84
Facebook business: https://www.facebook.com/allisonrossconsulting
Facebook personal: https://www.facebook.com/allisonwross
Website: http://www.youhaveawebsitenowwhat.co.za
About The Author: Samantha
Samantha Perry is the owner and founder of SJ Perry PR, a small, independent agency that specialises in providing public relations and media relations services to small to medium-sized businesses. She recently served as the JHB Agency Lead for Irvine Partners, an integrated public relations and marketing agency. She has over 20 years' of experience writing for a range of media - print and online - mainly in the ICT sector including Computing SA (editor), ComputerWeek, and Brainstorm magazine (editor). In her capacity as a PR professional and consultant, she has and does work with a variety of companies including Google (South Africa & Nigeria), Salesforce, CLEVVA, Euphoria Telecom, Paymenow and Tiger Content (UK). She also has a Masters degree in ICT Policy & Regulation. She served on the IAB SA Marketing Council as the PR rep, has worked as an independent telecoms researcher for some of the analyst houses in that field and was regularly called upon to comment on telecoms issues in the press. Nowadays she can be found commenting on women in tech issues in the press and speaking at conferences on the subject and the issues women in the sector face.
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