“Can’t is a Cuss Word.” I Swear.
Editor's Note: This post and podcast episode originally published September 2023 and was updated July 2024 when Jenny was named to CRN's 2024 Inclusive Channel Leaders list.
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You know those people who seem to do it all – and succeed in everything they do? That’s Jenny Krummenacher. She is consistently cheery, no matter how much she has on her plate or how many challenges are thrown her way, and I’ve always wondered if she’s like that all the time or just at work.
As the Director of Channel Sales for Zebra in the U.S. Central Region, Jenny is constantly on the move, meeting with people, trying to make connections that are mutually beneficial for everyone. And, let me tell you, the work she has been doing on behalf of Zebra, our partners and subsequently our customers has been impressive. She’s the one you want to go to when you feel like you’ve hit a wall because she’ll know how to break through it. She also the one who will truly listen to what you have to say and constantly ask for your thoughts. That's among the many reasons she was named to CRN’s Women of the Channel list for a second time in five years and why she was also recognized on CRN's 2024 Inclusive Channel Leaders list. In her own words, she is committed to "leading with integrity and kindness in every situation, while also prioritizing the comfort and well-being of others."
When she’s not doing work for Zebra and our partners, she’s working full time taking care of her family, restoring furniture to donate to those in need in the community, and volunteering in a dozen other ways. She also got her Bachelor’s degree – a three-year program – in just 14 months in the middle of the pandemic, without pulling back on any of her other professional or personal activities. (Yep, you’re going to want to hear that story.)
At some point, you’d think Jenny would run out of steam. Yet, she doesn’t. What we might view as exhausting, she sees as energizing. That’s because she’s not a fan of failure, so she just does whatever it takes to succeed – and she does it all with a laissez faire attitude and genuinely authentic brand of humor and grit. She just rolls, and laughs, with the punches, and everything seems to work out exactly how it’s supposed to. She is definitely someone who will wow you when you meet her – and when you hear what she shared in our latest episode of Women Who Wow.
LISTEN NOW
Curious why this post is titled, “Can’t is a Cuss Word”?
Well, that’s a story best told by Jenny. So, hit play to listen to our entire conversation. She also shares why…
She has come to love channel sales. (Spoiler alert: Our channel partners energize our business, and Jenny is all about energizing those around her.)
She feels Zebra’s channel is different from other tech companies’ channels.
Sales is all about connections. (Not just who you know, either.)
You should use “down” periods to get back to the basics to reenergize your people.
She leans so much into humor, especially in business dealings.
It’s okay to step back from a leadership position (and you won’t be less of a person or leader for it).
She long felt inadequate, even though she was more than capable of doing the job at hand. (She also shares the moment that she finally felt good enough.)
Even the seemingly impossible is always possible. (And it’s actually a good thing to fail when trying to make the impossible possible.)
HIT PLAY (OR DOWNLOAD TO LISTEN LATER)
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Want to hear more inspiring stories from Women Who Wow? Check out these past interviews:
