Ava R.

From the classroom to the professional volleyball court, and now to Toast’s 2026 President’s Club, Megan C.’s career path has been anything but linear.

A former Elementary School Teacher and athlete, Megan traded her grading pens for a Toast kit when she joined our team as an Account Executive in Calgary. Today, as a Senior Account Executive, she’s proving that the skills required to manage a classroom—active learning, empathy, and storytelling—are the exact ingredients needed to thrive as a trusted advisor to the independent businesses that feed our communities.

Megan’s Favorite Parts About Being a Teacher 

"I originally wanted to be a teacher because I love kids, learning, and finding creative ways to teach different subjects and material,” Megan shared. "My absolute favourite part of teaching was getting to build a community within the classroom that was fun, engaging, and safe."

The "Spark" of the Career Pivot

For Megan, the transition wasn't about leaving behind what she loved, but finding a new arena to apply it.

"The aspect of teaching that I did not like was that I was confined to a classroom in a building," Megan says. "I used to play professional volleyball, so when I was debating leaving the teaching profession, I reached out to former teammates. They all described sales roles as a perfect fit for ex-athletes. Quickly, I learned that sales was the perfect balance of the aspects of teaching that I loved with the right amount of pressure and competition that I enjoyed in sports."

That desire to be "on the move" is actually what led her to Toast. "Whenever I traveled, I kept seeing this cute little Toast logo and would ask the employees what they liked about using Toast," she remembers. "The reviews were always positive and I quickly became a fangirl of the company." 

"I did not think I would get a job at such an elite and fast-moving company due to my lack of sales experience on my resume," she admits. However, during the process, she realized Toast wasn't necessarily looking for a ‘typical’ sales background. Instead, they were looking for a hospitality mindset. By leaning into her natural strength for building genuine relationships, she proved that her experience in the classroom wasn't a hurdle. It was actually her competitive edge.

The Teacher’s Toolkit in SaaS Sales 

Megan doesn’t just sell; she teaches. She has successfully identified three core "superpowers" from her education days that help her solve problems for Toast customers: 

1. Active Learning: "Students learn better when the process is active," she explains. "I use this in every demo. Instead of a 45-minute slide deck, I make sure my prospects are engaged and checking in. This is how they actually retain how Toast will change their business."
2. Managing Cognitive Load: Toast is a powerful, complex system. Megan uses her pedagogical training to avoid "overwhelming" prospects, focusing only on the key features that will impact their specific restaurant first.
3. Story-Driven Sales: Just as she used narratives to grab a student's attention, Megan uses customer testimonials and personal experiences to build rapport and connect Toast’s technology to a restaurateur's lived experience.

"The one teaching skill I love that I do not have to use anymore? Classroom behavior management." 

The Mindset of a President’s Club Winner

Earning a spot in the 2026 President’s Club is an incredible achievement, but Megan keeps her perspective grounded.

"One thing that I believe contributed to my success this past year is always believing the best is yet to come and having fun along the way," she shares. "Over the years, I have learned how to never let the highs get too high or the lows get too low. This mindset shift has allowed me to approach my job at Toast with ease and gratitude for the process and tiny wins each day!"

A message to those looking to make a career pivot and thinking, 'I don't have the right experience'

For anyone looking at a Senior AE job description and feeling like they don’t have a traditional background, Megan has a clear message.

"I think teaching is one of the hardest career paths and I am glad that I took the risk to see what else is out there. It prepared me so well for a career in Sales. Teachers have possibly one of the strongest, most transferable skill sets out there, from their organization to their ability to handle and put out multiple fires in the span of an hour."

Are you ready for a sales career at Toast? Check out our open positions here!