Tracy Margol’s journey from the medical field to becoming a successful sales professional in the manufacturing industry offers valuable insights into career transitions, cross-functional experience, and adapting to change. Her story begins with what she calls a “practice interview” that unexpectedly led to a 25-year career with Fabrikal, showcasing how sometimes the best opportunities come when we least expect them.

One of the most striking aspects of Tracy’s career is how she leveraged diverse experiences across multiple departments before moving into sales. Beginning in customer service and pricing, she eventually spent 14 years in product management where she developed a comprehensive understanding of product development, commercialization, and pricing strategies. This cross-functional experience proved invaluable when she finally transitioned to sales, giving her a competitive advantage and deeper product knowledge than many of her peers.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Tracy’s sales journey was her successful greenfielding of Canada for Fabrikal. Starting with virtually no established distribution network, she built the business through extensive cold calling, persistence, and problem-solving. Her experience demonstrates that sometimes the most challenging assignments—like developing a market without existing infrastructure or facing language barriers in Quebec—can provide the richest professional growth opportunities. She effectively built distribution relationships from scratch, opened three Cisco houses, and established business with major accounts despite significant obstacles.

The conversation provides important perspective for younger professionals who might be impatient with career progression. Both Tracy and the host emphasize the importance of patience and deep learning at each career stage. They note how today’s younger workers often want to move quickly between positions and companies, creating retention challenges for employers. However, they reject the notion that “you can’t find good young people anymore,” instead emphasizing the importance of providing cross-functional opportunities and learning experiences to keep talented young professionals engaged and growing.

Tracy’s experience transitioning from family-owned Fabrikal to the more corporate environment of Pactiv after an acquisition offers valuable lessons in adaptation. She describes the challenges of going from fewer than 1,000 products to 14,000 products, learning new systems, and identifying support resources in a larger organization. Her prior cross-functional experience proved essential during this transition, allowing her to adapt more quickly than she might have with a narrower background.

The conversation also touches on Tracy’s passion for gardening, which provides an interesting parallel to professional development. Both require patience, consistent attention, learning from experience, and the satisfaction of watching growth over time. Her gardening story reinforces the same themes present in her career advice: success comes through patience, continuous learning, and finding joy in the process rather than just the outcome.

The final part of their discussion addresses current market challenges around tariffs, highlighting how uncertainty creates both chaos and opportunity. Tracy describes increasing inquiries about domestic supply as businesses prepare for potential tariff impacts and notes the importance of making smart decisions about partnerships during uncertain times. Her perspective reinforces how adaptability and strategic thinking remain crucial throughout a career, regardless of external market conditions.

Link to Episode 11: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2255768/episodes/16966756