Influential Women Profile: Andrea Smith, sales and business development leader driving purpose-driven innovation.
Andrea Smith is a seasoned sales and business development leader with more than 20 years of experience helping organizations adopt innovative solutions that improve lives and strengthen business performance. Throughout her career, she has partnered with executive leaders and strategic stakeholders to identify emerging needs, implement forward-thinking solutions, and deliver measurable organizational impact.
A graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Andrea holds a degree in Physiology with a minor in Chemistry. Her scientific background, combined with extensive experience across healthcare, SaaS, workforce solutions, and employee benefits, has shaped a practical, data-informed approach to problem-solving. She is recognized for her ability to bridge the gap between complex solutions and real-world needs, helping organizations understand both the business case and the human impact behind important decisions.
Andrea currently serves as Director of Sales at whiskerDocs, a veterinary telehealth platform that supports employers, membership organizations, and pet industry partners in addressing the evolving needs of today’s pet parents. In this role, she helps organizations identify innovative ways to support the people they serve while building strategies that strengthen engagement, loyalty, and long-term value.
Throughout her career, Andrea has been drawn to organizations whose missions align with improving lives. She believes the strongest business results occur when purpose, strategy, and execution work together. Whether introducing a new solution, building partnerships, or leading growth initiatives, she focuses on helping organizations solve meaningful problems through a combination of data, insight, and empathy.
Andrea attributes much of her success to consistently pushing herself beyond her comfort zone and approaching challenges with curiosity rather than hesitation. While sales is often viewed as intimidating, she has always approached it in a structured and analytical way. By focusing on understanding the problem, actively listening, and following a disciplined process, she believes successful outcomes become far more attainable.
Rather than viewing sales as a transactional activity, Andrea sees it as an educational and consultative process. At its core, she believes the work is about learning what people truly need, asking thoughtful questions, and connecting them with solutions that genuinely make a difference. This perspective has shaped both her leadership style and her approach to building long-term relationships with clients, partners, and colleagues.
Many of the accomplishments Andrea values most came from opportunities that initially felt uncomfortable or unfamiliar. By choosing to step into those moments rather than avoid them, she has built resilience, confidence, and sustained passion for her work over more than two decades.
One of the most influential pieces of career guidance Andrea has received is the concept of progressing from survival to success to significance. This framework has shaped how she evaluates her career journey and professional priorities. While early career stages often focus on building skills and credibility, she believes the greatest fulfillment comes from creating meaningful impact for others.
This perspective has helped Andrea prioritize purpose alongside performance. In her experience, success becomes a natural outcome when individuals are deeply connected to the value they create and the people they serve.
Her advice to young women entering the industry is to define a clear personal mission and seek organizations whose values align with it. She encourages emerging professionals to embrace challenges, pursue opportunities that stretch their abilities, and focus on impact rather than perfection.
The values that guide Andrea in both her professional and personal life include making a meaningful impact, practicing thoughtful listening, meeting people where they are, and prioritizing family and community. These principles influence her leadership approach and her commitment to building relationships rooted in trust, empathy, and understanding.
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Andrea enjoys yoga, travel, lake-life, and spending time with her family and their dog. As a cancer survivor, she brings a perspective shaped by resilience and gratitude, which informs both her leadership style and her outlook on life.
She believes the most impactful solutions are those that combine data, empathy, and real-world understanding. Known for her ability to translate complex ideas into relatable stories, Andrea helps organizations see both the business opportunity and the human impact behind important decisions. By aligning purpose with performance, she continues to build partnerships, develop leaders, and champion solutions that create lasting value for the people they serve.
Learn More about Andrea Smith:
Through her Influential Women profile, https://influentialwomen.com/connect/Andrea-Smith, or through her profile on whiskerDocs, https://www.whiskerdocs.com/our_team
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