Why I joined Asana: Terri Burden, Customer Success Manager
Welcome to our monthly series, “Why I joined Asana”! Every month, we’ll be talking with Asanas across our teams and offices—from Dublin to Sydney—to get to know the people inside the company and learn why they chose to work here.
At Asana, our Customer Success team is committed to helping customers adopt Asana—both as a technology product and a holistic approach to teamwork. The team strives to help all customers—across countries, industries, and functions—start off on the right foot and get the most value out of Asana over time.
Terri Burden is a Mid-Market Customer Success Manager in our San Francisco office, supporting and growing our strategic customer accounts and empowering them to achieve their missions. Read more about Terri and her journey to becoming a part of #teamasana.
How did you become interested in working at Asana?
When I first moved to the Bay Area, I submitted countless applications and sent numerous emails and messages, in hopes of finding a great fit for my skills and interests. The job search was rough and definitely impacted my self-confidence.
A few months after applying for a role with Asana, I got a call and decided to take the interview. I didn’t know what to expect and didn’t have much experience with Asana. During my interview day, I quickly realized that Asana was the perfect fit for me… and luckily they felt it, too.
In addition to providing a radically inclusive work environment, Asana’s culture is one that promotes mindfulness, compassion, and personal growth.
Based on my location at the intersection of race, gender, and education, it took some time for me to fully show up at work and have confidence navigating spaces in which I was the only representative from my community or with a public school education. Once I began to show up fully, I had an opportunity to showcase my unique experiences, create safe spaces for others that face some of the same issues I’ve faced, and make a positive impact.
What team are you currently on, and what are some of the most interesting aspects of your role?
I’m a Mid-Market Customer Success Manager (MM CSM) and the most interesting aspect of my role is getting a chance to meet so many incredible customers that have inspiring missions. The most exciting part for me is getting a chance to learn the intricacies of my customer’s workflows and how they run their businesses. As I grow in my role at Asana, this provides me with transferable skills that I can use as my book of business expands!
The mission, the commitment to working smarter and not harder, and of course the people, made me feel like this is where I need to be.
One of my favorite parts of my work is that I get to help people use a tool that I love while empowering them to drive their missions forward. It’s truly the best of both worlds!
What’s it like to use Asana the product everyday?
I’m obsessed with the Asana product! I would still use the product religiously even if I wasn’t an employee here. I’m in the tool every day as I manage most of my life using it—everything from my grocery list to the household duties my husband and I share. I actually even trained my husband’s team on Asana and they upgraded [to a paid version] shortly after.
What was your journey to becoming a Customer Success Manager?
When I interviewed with Asana, it was for an entry-level position on the User Operations team (I came from a non-technical higher-education background). I had really big goals for myself to grow in my career, and I didn’t let my degrees, experience, or title, influence my decision to join the team. I learned the ins and outs of the role and worked my butt off for 14 months because I realized that having a foot in the door is way better than standing in front of a closed door.
After a little over a year, I moved to the Customer Success team as a Customer Success Manager. Following a year in that role, I transitioned into the Mid-Market Customer Success Manager role. It’s been such a fun journey expanding my area of expertise and constantly pushing myself to evolve into the next best version of me. Asana has played a huge role in this effort of becoming my best, most authentic self and pushing me to do my best work.
What principle or value have you carried with you along the way, and where did you first hear it?
Everyone is fighting a battle (or helping someone close to them fight a battle), that many of us don’t see. Be kind to others. Smile more and take time to let people know that you see them, like really see them.
If you could give someone new to Asana one piece of advice, what would it be?
Be gentle with yourself. Yes, Asana has hired brilliant and talented professionals from all different types of backgrounds, but that includes you! You’re here for a reason. When imposter’s syndrome tries to creep in, remind yourself not to compare yourself to anyone else. Stay grounded and remember that you have something unique to bring to the table and “can’t nobody do it like you!”
Come work with Terri and the rest of the Business team in San Francisco, New York, Dublin, and Sydney. We’re looking for passionate, creative people to help us grow. Check out all our open Business roles!
