Here at Attentive, we’re proud of the talented people who make this company a great place to work. Our ongoing series, Attentive All Access, highlights the extraordinary members of our team to share a glimpse of who we are and what it’s like to be part of our company.

I sat down with Mark Tomasko, a Senior Enterprise Account Executive on Attentive’s Sales team, to learn about his career and role, as well as his interests outside of the office. Originally from a small town in Pennsylvania, Mark attended the University of Pittsburgh. He joined Attentive in August 2019, bringing with him nearly a decade of experience in sales for major email service providers.

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Tell me a little bit about yourself. Where are you from and what’s a fact about yourself that would surprise most people?

‍I grew up in a small town in rural Pennsylvania called Lititz. There’s a lot of really interesting history there: it was named America’s coolest small town in 2013; it’s the Amish capital of the country; and it has the longest-running Fourth of July celebration in the US. I studied Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh before moving across the country to Los Angeles.

My love of the wilderness always surprises people because I live in a concrete jungle. I enjoy exploring remote places that allow me to disconnect and hike. In fact, I’ve been to over 30 national parks, and I plan to see all 58 eventually.

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What are some of your hobbies outside of Attentive?

‍I play a lot of sports, both with my friends and in intramural leagues. I also love house music. Los Angeles is a real hub for that, so I get to attend a lot of live shows.

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What interested you about joining Attentive?

‍The email space has become very crowded, so when I decided to transition from working in email marketing to mobile messaging, what struck me about Attentive was that they were a clear market leader in the space. From a team point of view, I was really excited about the sense of momentum at the company—from the top down, everyone is genuinely pulling in the same direction and there to help each other out. I know it sounds commonplace, but it really isn’t.

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You’re part of our team in LA (our headquarters is in NYC). How do you stay connected to the rest of the team?

‍The team out in LA has gotten close, and often get together after work for happy hours or industry events. It’s also been great to frequently travel to the NYC office—when I’m there, I get a great sense of everyone working toward the same goal. And now with tools like Slack and video conferencing, it’s been easy to stay connected to the home base even when I’m 3,000 miles away.

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What’s your role at Attentive? How would you describe a typical day?

‍I’m a Senior Enterprise Account Executive. I introduce people to Attentive—and, most likely, to SMS because this is a new channel for many marketers. I also work very closely with Client Strategy and attend calls with clients I’ve brought onboard. It’s fulfilling to be a part of a client’s happiness and success, and also to help support our Client Strategy team in any way I can.

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Have you been able to work closely with clients and Client Strategy in the past?

‍Getting to maintain a close relationship with clients, even after they officially sign-up, is something new that I’ve experienced at Attentive. It goes back to what I was saying earlier—everyone here is always willing to lend a hand. Staying closely connected to clients once they’ve come on board is something that’s central to Attentive’s culture and something that really resonates with me. I get to make sure they’re happy throughout their entire journey.

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What does being “attentive” mean to you?

‍It means listening, which is vital in sales. Mobile messaging is a new channel for many marketers, so it’s important to really listen to people’s perspectives and address their questions about the product or space overall. Being “attentive” means being thoughtful and helpful throughout the entire customer lifecycle.

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Finally, what kind of advice do you have for others who are looking to grow a career in sales?

‍You always need to be willing to learn, especially early on. It’s easy to feel like you have it all figured out when you’ve had a good month or quarter. The truth is that whether you’ve been in sales for 10, 20, or 30 years, there’s always going to be something new for you to learn from those around you if you keep an open mind.

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