From Biology to BDR Manager: How Lizzie Bruce Built Her Sales Career at OneThirtyFive

When Lizzie Bruce started at John Carroll University pursuing a biology degree, becoming a Business Development Representative, or BDR, after graduation was not part of the plan.

She spent most of college on a healthcare track. Then, during her junior year, an internship running the on campus coffee shop, Saxbys, introduced her to business operations and opened the door to a different career path.

A few entrepreneurship classes during her senior year confirmed what that experience had started to reveal. Lizzie was drawn to sales, business, marketing, and the opportunity to work in a fast paced environment.

Around the same time, she began hearing about OneThirtyFive from fellow John Carroll students who were interning with the company. Despite having no professional sales experience, she decided to take a chance on a completely different career path.

Less than 18 months later, Lizzie progressed from learning the fundamentals of business development as a new BDR to earning an internal promotion to BDR Manager.

Her path is one example of what career growth at OneThirtyFive can look like when someone is willing to learn, take feedback, and continuously improve.

For OneThirtyFive Founder & CEO, Kevin DeFranco, Lizzie's potential stood out before she even joined the team:

“When I first saw Lizzie’s resume, I questioned why a biology major was applying to OneThirtyFive, but she answered that concern in her voicemail. Her athletic background playing soccer at JCU and her entrepreneurial ambition fit the mold of what I look for in our candidates. As icing on the cake, she still has one of the highest scores on our Rep2x candidate roleplay, ranking in the top 10 out of 300+ candidates.

Her ability to learn and iterate quickly, strong work ethic, and attention to detail as a BDR made it clear she was the right person to promote internally as our second BDR Manager when the need arose.”

Starting at OneThirtyFive With No Sales Experience

“I was honestly kind of terrified.”

That is how Lizzie describes starting at OneThirtyFive with only a few entrepreneurship classes and essentially no professional sales experience.

Becoming a BDR was a significant departure from the science focused path she had spent years pursuing. OneThirtyFive's sales training gave her the foundation and confidence to start making calls, while experience quickly became one of her best teachers.

Every call gave her something she could apply to the next one.

Booking her first demo became an early confidence marker. It gave Lizzie tangible proof that she could succeed in a field that was completely foreign to her.

From there, her focus shifted toward continuous improvement. Each conversation, call review, and piece of feedback became another opportunity to develop the skills she would eventually bring into a leadership role.

Building the Skills to Grow as a BDR

As Lizzie developed as a BDR, she learned that success was about more than raw call volume. She focused on having substantive conversations with decision makers, learning from each interaction, and continuously refining her approach.

Her goal was roughly ten substantive conversations each day, but she also learned that sales metrics need context. The quality of the conversation mattered just as much as the number on a dashboard.

That mindset became an important part of her growth at OneThirtyFive.

Her ability to learn and iterate quickly, combined with her work ethic and attention to detail, ultimately helped position her for an internal promotion when the company needed its second BDR Manager.

From BDR Experience to a Leadership Opportunity

Lizzie is still early in her transition to BDR Manager, but she enters the role with valuable firsthand experience. She knows what it feels like to make cold calls, work through objections, chase goals, receive feedback, and build confidence as a new BDR.

Now, she is using that experience to help other reps develop.

The type of manager Lizzie wants to become reflects what helped her grow at OneThirtyFive. She wants to lead with positivity, provide honest and actionable feedback, and serve as a sounding board for her team.

During call reviews and objection handling meetings, her approach combines “keep doing this” with “try adjusting that.” The goal is to help reps understand both what is working and where they can improve.

Her recent experience as a BDR also gives her an important perspective as she steps into leadership: she has been in their shoes.

Sales comes with great weeks and difficult ones, and Lizzie knows firsthand how quickly confidence can shift. As a manager, she wants to help her team celebrate wins, learn from setbacks, and stay focused on consistent improvement.

What Career Progression Can Look Like at OneThirtyFive

Lizzie entered OneThirtyFive without a traditional sales background. She had a biology degree, an entrepreneurial mindset, an athletic background, and a willingness to learn.

Less than 18 months later, she earned an internal promotion to BDR Manager.

Her progression shows what an entry level BDR role at OneThirtyFive can become. BDRs have the opportunity to develop skills in prospecting, communication, objection handling, accountability, and problem solving while building a foundation for greater responsibility.

Lizzie's story also shows that sales experience does not have to be where someone starts. Growth can come from being coachable, applying feedback, putting in the work, and continuing to improve.

For prospective BDRs wondering where a career at OneThirtyFive can lead, Lizzie's progression offers one example.

And hers is just getting started.