Conversations with the Inspiring Elizabeth Karabetsos

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Karabetsos.

Elizabeth, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story starts in a small suburb right outside Chicago, IL. I was the oldest of three children and the first of my family to go to college. At eighteen, I made my way to the University of Iowa where I graduated from the Tippie College of Business with a Marketing degree. Upon graduation from Iowa, I made my way back to the windy city where I accepted a role with the fastest growing 3PL in the country, Coyote Logistics. I found my passion for operations and worked my way up the management chain. After two years of development and growth, I received an offer to move out west to help the Denver office build out their first business development operations department. I packed my bags as quickly as I could and made my way out to the Rocky Mountains. The energy in that office was amazing and I loved my time there. In 2018, I met Mary Grothe who inspired me to take a leap of faith and join the Colorado startup world. I knew in my heart I was ready to move on to the next challenge. Today, I am the VP of Sales Operations for Sales BQ by day and the Chief Charcuterie Architect for Colorado Charcuterie by night.

Has it been a smooth road?
Let me tell ya, it wasn’t an easy journey getting through those five years of college. My parents filed for divorce the summer before I left for Iowa and I had to quickly figure out a way to put myself through college without any help. I was emotional and angry – but I decided to channel that energy into my work. I held four different internships and worked at three different bars in college to pay the bills and make it through. It was challenging and exhausting but it sure did shape me into the woman I am today. These experiences taught me perseverance and grit which have been two amazing qualities I leverage every single day in my career.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Sales BQ & Colorado Charcuterie story. Tell us more about the business.
As Sales BQ, we act as fractional VPs of Sales, Sales Ops, & CMOs who profitably rebuild our client’s sales, marketing, and customer success departments. Our client engagements are custom built with our focus on a holistic approach to revenue growth.

I serve as the VP of Sales Operations where I focus on completing audits, gap analyses, and a variety of deliverables for our clients. With my guidance and feedback, I help them assess their current sales and marketing technology stack, evaluate the return on investment, and develop a roadmap for the future while helping them implement the technology changes necessary for their organization. I spend a lot of time with our clients improving and streamlining their CRM database. Without the proper infrastructure, the sales engine will never operate to its fullest potential.

I love helping our clients understand sales operations and implement this department within their organization, typically for the very first time.

On nights and weekends, I take the consulting hat off and turn my creative side on! This is when I pour myself into Colorado Charcuterie and fulfill any orders I might have. From birthday dinners to corporate events, I love crafting the perfect board for any occasion.

Who do you look up to? How have they inspired you?
Growing up in a big fat Greek family, my YiaYia (or Grandma) was always a huge inspiration of mine. She came to this country with just the clothes on her back and truly lived the American dream. She taught me a few things at a young age – work hard, spend quality time with those you love, and always have enough food in the fridge for everyone to munch on.

When I’m not working at Sales BQ you’ll probably find me on a yoga mat or crafting my latest charcuterie board. In 2019, I decided to turn my late-night hobby into a side hustle and Colorado Charcuterie was born.

Charcuterie is my love language. Crafting these beautiful boards is truly a therapeutic art form that I find so much joy in. If you’re local in Denver, I’d love to build you the cheese board of your dreams one day!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.salesbq.com/ & https://www.cocharcuterie.com/
• Phone: 8472933549
• Email: karabetsos.elizabeth@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salesbq/ & https://www.instagram.com/colorado.charcuterie
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-karabetsos/

  
Image Credit:
Kelsey Harter

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