This month, we’re excited to honor Jessica Teal, one truly remarkable member of the Ohana and our latest Salesforce Woman of the Month! In her personal life and in her professional life Jessica has shown an inspiring tenacity that has carried her through a battle with breast cancer and allowed her to forge a new path in her career.

As Breast Cancer Awareness month comes to a close, we sat down with Jessica to hear her journey to a cancer-free and passion-fueled life:

How did you learn you had breast cancer?

I found a lump and decided to see a specialist. Two weeks later (the day after my birthday), I was diagnosed with stage 2 triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma — which is a complicated way of saying I had a very aggressive form of breast cancer. I am also BRCA 1 positive, which means I have a gene mutation that increased my chances for developing breast cancer.

Despite how nerve wracking it can be, I don’t want others to be scared to find out if they are BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 positive. Early detection saves lives! That’s why it’s so exciting that Salesforce has provided more than 1,000 Color Genomics DNA-testing kits to help employees learn if they are at risk for certain cancers.

How do you provide support to others affected by breast cancer?

I’ll admit, some days I felt angry and confused about why this was happening, even though I had an amazing network of supportive friends, family, and my fiancé James. My biggest challenge was finding a network of young survivors that I could relate to. I didn’t know anyone my age who had the same surgery or chemotherapy as me, and it was tough to have no one to turn to.

That’s why I’m very open about my breast cancer journey. I often speak to other women who have just been diagnosed and James speaks to their support team. We want to give these women the network of survivors that I couldn’t find, and help their support team understand what they can do throughout treatment, surgery, and beyond. I’m willing to support anyone who needs it — and that includes the #SalesforceOhana.

How can people be good allies to those dealing with breast cancer? 

It can be different for everyone, but here are some of the dos and don’ts that were true for me:

• DON’T ask about their prognosis or share stories of breast cancer patients who didn’t survive.

• DON’T say “let me know if I can help.” Instead, suggest something actionable like providing meals during their recovery from chemotherapy.

• DO be a good listener if they need to vent, complain, or cry — and know that they may do all three in one conversation!

More than three years cancer-free — congratulations! Looking back, how would you say you've changed?

Personally, I always try to see the positive in a situation — or at the very least, see the humor! Professionally, my experience gave me the courage to take my career into my own hands and pursue what I was really passionate about: customer success.

How did your journey with Salesforce begin?

After nine years in tech sales and my battle with breast cancer, I was at a crossroads in my career. It led me to some serious soul-searching about where I wanted to be and the type of company I wanted to embrace. That’s when I found Salesforce, and I knew that the sense of family and dedication to volunteering made the Ohana the perfect fit.

You have slowed down since! Tell us how you went from Account Executive to Portfolio Success Manager.

As soon as I started as an Account Executive, I knew I wasn’t going to settle for the status quo. In my first year, I worked exceptionally hard to stand out as a top performer. As I started to consider my career aspirations, I shared with my manager that the traditional sales path might not be the right fit for me, and together we made an action plan for how I could get exposure to roles beyond sales. That’s how I found the Customer Success Group (CSG), and ultimately the Portfolio Success Manager role.

What's your advice to someone looking to change roles?

Keep the momentum going! It can be tempting to check out from your current job and put your focus on a new or upcoming opportunity. But I’ve found that continuing to deliver in your role and strengthen your relationships is a great way to increase your odds of getting to that next step — and building the support system you need if an opportunity falls through.

The Salesforce Woman of the Month campaign turns the spotlight on the amazing women who help make Salesforce one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies according to Forbes and one of Fortune Magazine’s Best Companies to Work For. Honorees are nominated by fellow employees and selected by a dedicated committee that works to ensure a variety of roles and regions are honored.

To hear more from Jessica, make sure to connect with her on LinkedIn. And stay tuned for more insights from our next Salesforce Woman of the Month, coming your way in November.