20 Questions With Sam Baker, A/B Testing and CRO Consultant

Sam Baker is an A/B testing and CRO consultant at Sam Baker Consulting, which helps digital sellers maximize online profits by helping them leverage their own data to make more money. She’s also a Women in Retail Leadership Circle consultant member! In this member spotlight, we asked Baker a series of questions about both her professional and personal lives, including the woman that inspires her, her leadership style, her advice for the next generation of female leaders, and much more, so that you can get to know her better.

1. What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
“We Should All Be Millionaires” by Rachel Rodgers

2. What’s a tip you have for productively leading a remote or hybrid team?
Make sure you’re not all business during every interaction. Talking about the weather or asking associates about their weekend might feel forced, but it’s so important outside of the office.

3. What’s a mistake you made early on in your career?
I spent a lot of time trying to build work relationships around negativity instead of positivity. It’s really easy to build surface relationships around a common dislike, but I think you get so much more out of work relationships that are focused on lifting one another up.

4. What’s the toughest part of being in charge?
It’s easy to forget to take care of yourself when you’re so focused on making sure everyone else has what they need. 

5. What’s the best way you motivate team members?
Lots of coffee! But also new opportunities to thrive.

6. What woman inspires you right now and why?
I have a lot of friends right now who are having babies and killing it in their careers at the same time. They’re all inspiring me every day!

7. What are you looking forward to the most for the industry?
I’m so excited to see how the pandemic continues to change the industry. I think it has made us resilient in the face of challenges, and I’m excited to see the innovations that come out of that.

8. What’s one thing you look for when interviewing a job candidate?
Passion. It doesn’t matter how smart or talented you are if you aren’t passionate about what you’re working on.

9. What’s something that you learned about yourself in the past year?
I built a six-figure business while pregnant with my first child last year! It taught me that I can accomplish anything with the right mindset.

10. What’s your favorite podcast?
The Best One Yet (previously called Snacks Daily). It’s a short, daily podcast that keeps me up-to-date on business news.

11. What values are most important to you as a leader?
Strategy, empathy and gutsiness

12. What’s the most important thing people should know about you?
I’m an optimist at heart — sometimes to a fault.

13. What’s one habit you adopted while working from home that you kept/would like to keep with you as you return to the office?
I’ve taken the pressure out of my mornings and I would like to keep that going forever!

14. How would you describe yourself in a single sentence?
Optimistic with an eye on the future

15. What’s your favorite app?
Spotify

16. What do you do to recharge?
Take a walk outside.

17. What’s your biggest accomplishment?
Creating a six-figure business while pregnant and working a full-time job

18. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
Approach the corporate world as if it’s school or training that you’re getting paid for. 

19. What gets you up in the morning?
My nine-month-old daughter!

20. What do you like most about being a member of Women in Retail Leadership Circle?
The community! I love seeing the list of all the new people who join every month. I’m proud to be a part of this group!