Sabrina Seales

June 9, 2022

PSP Short Answer Questions

1. You’re a student in the Professional Selling Program and have a part time job serving at a
local restaurant. Your Advanced Professional Selling teacher e-mailed the class to see who
would like to have dinner with Company X (one of our Corporate Partners) when their
representatives are in town next week. You respond to the e-mail to reserve a spot, later
realizing you have a work shift at the same time, creating a scheduling conflict. How do you
handle the situation?

As a student in the Professional Selling Program, my responsibilities to my studies are my

main priority. Having the opportunity to meet with corporate partners is why I chose to join the
program. I would make it my top priority to join the dinner and meet with the partners. As for
the scheduling conflict, I would see if there were any other servers that would be able to trade
shifts with me. I would even be willing to pay someone to cover my shift because I would not
want to put my workplace in a difficult situation.

2. How do you currently manage your time? (Please be specific) How do you see
that changing if you are offered a seat in the Professional Selling Program?

I am the type of person who thoroughly enjoys staying busy. I feel that two of my greatest
strengths are time management and being able to work efficiently (manage multiple
responsibilities) because of this. I am currently a full-time student with a flexible full-time job
which allows me to work with what I am passionate about as well. At my full-time job, I
perform three roles: managing Olympic athletes, creating digital marketing materials, and
publicly representing the company at trade shows. I can complete these tasks in between my
studies. In my spare time I enjoy picking up work, riding and showing horses. This is something
that I do because I am passionate about it, not because it is mandatory. If I were to be offered a
seat in the Professional Selling Program, it is my goal to learn and grow as much as possible, as
well as be a valuable member. I would easily be able to shift my work schedule and I could cut
back on riding horses to dedicate more time to this opportunity. I am looking for this program
to excel me past the point in my working career that I currently am. Therefore, learning as
much as possible would be my main priority. 

3. Describe a time when you did more than was expected in one of your classes.
In my previous class, Small Business Development, we were given the task to prepare a
business plan, financial forecast, and pitch for new business idea. I went above and beyond to
complete this by finding a mentor in the industry I am most interested in that was willing to
give me insights to her business and guide me if I had any questions. After researching
companies that may be most insightful, I met with a top international equine sales facility,
EquiSale Sport Horses. The founder of EquiSales Sport Horses allowed me to be involved in her
process of elite equine sales between Europe and the United States. I gained insight on the
following disciplines: sales, brokerage, account management, managing PNL, and I had
networking opportunities with top professionals. This gave me real-world information that
added value to my class project. This was an official business plan, and not just an assignment
for class. Creating this plan gave me the confidence to implement this plan in the future if I
decide to establish my own business.

4. Tell us about your biggest accomplishment and how you went about accomplishing it.

My biggest accomplishment was working with 4x Olympian, Elizabeth “Beezie” Madden. Since I

was a child, I have looked up to her and dreamed of competing at the level she did. I was once
invited to an Emerging Athlete event to compete, where I met someone who was working for
her team. She was impressed with my performance and how I worked with horses. This led her
to tell me there was an opening with the Madden team and she thought I would be a great fit. I
was extremely excited and determined to chase my dream, so I immediately applied for the
position. The Maddens flew me up to their facility for a week trial. I was offered the position on
their team... and I accepted it! I landed my dream job at that stage in my life due to hard work,
determination, and commitment to my passion. While working with her, I was able to care for
horses valued over a million dollars, train the Show Jumping horses to compete at the highest
international level, coordinate all veterinary care, manage each horse’s diet and nutrition to
maximize their performance, and mentor and manage other trainers. I traveled with the
Madden team to national and international events including the Pan American Games in Lima,
Peru, Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Alberta Canada, and other Olympic Qualifiers. While all of
this was amazing, Beezie taught me that everything we did was for the love of the horse, not to
just win at the sport. I will cherish what I learned there for the rest of my life.