Conversations with BJ Miller

Today we’d like to introduce you to BJ Miller.

Hi BJ, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I moved to Colorado for the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in 1996. I fell in love with Colorado after training here to qualify for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where I was fortunate enough to win gold as part of the 4×100 women’s medley relay for swimming.
I competed in 3 previous Olympic Trials leading up to 2000, and fell short each time (3rd place in 1996, so missed the team by one spot). The story of my athletic career is one of persistence and grit, traits that I brought into my professional corporate career.
I had roles of increasing responsibility in sales, culminating in a head of sales at a women’s sports influencer marketing startup called Parity. I was there for a year and a half. My time there made me realize I had gotten a bit over my skis in my desire to climb that corporate ladder – I hadn’t really understood how to be really successful in that role. When I left, I pursued my EMBA through Quantic, and will graduate in August.
My husband and I have two kids on the cusp of leaving the nest, with the youngest graduating from high school this past year. We’ve built this amazing life in Fort Collins, with great friends, lots of outdoor activities, season tickets to CSU games and a hole in the ground in Old Town that will one day be the dream house (my husband is putting his experience in construction and education in civil engineering to the test by building it himself!).

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it hasn’t been smooth—and I wouldn’t want it to be. Setbacks have always created my greatest velocity. From Olympic training injuries to shifting a revenue org in mid-air during a business pivot, I’ve learned to stay fluid and lean into discomfort. Being a woman in enterprise sales, leading teams, being a mom—that comes with its own headwinds. But my values—teamwork, inspiration, integrity—have been my compass. And every hard moment has ultimately fueled the forward motion.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m in enterprise tech sales, which means I help companies solve big, strategic problems through software. But if you zoom out, what I really do is unlock potential—in people, in products, in teams.

Whether it was helping Rocket Mortgage launch a whole new business line or guiding Southwest Airlines through digital transformation, I bring urgency, empathy, and clarity to complex situations. What sets me apart is that I’ve lived performance under pressure. I’ve stood on an Olympic podium and led sales teams through market chaos. I don’t get rattled—I get focused. And I love helping others rise with me.

What matters most to you?
My three most important core values are: Teamwork, Inspiration and Velocity. They play out like this:
First and always, it’s the team.
Whether I’m leading a sales org, coaching my daughter’s team, or just showing up in life, what matters most is that we win together. I learned that as an athlete. Yes, I stood on a podium, but it was for a relay. Every stroke mattered, but no one got there alone. That truth shaped me. Today, I’m most proud of the people I’ve worked with who’ve grown, led, and thrived… not just because of me, but because we built something together.

Inspiration is also a non-negotiable.
I’ve never been someone who’s driven by just hitting a number or chasing the next title. I need to feel connected to something bigger. That’s why I’ve spent time working on equity in sports. It’s why I serve on boards that mentor young athletes. And it’s why I love building sales teams, because when people are inspired, they move differently. They think bigger. And they bring others with them. Inspiration creates velocity and it creates legacy.

Last, speed matters. But so does how you move.
I operate with urgency, but never at the cost of integrity. I move fast because I’m wired that way. But I also believe the how matters just as much as the what. I don’t believe in shortcuts. I believe in trust, clarity, and execution. That’s what has made me successful across sports, sales, and leadership: this ability to combine velocity with values.