Meet Our Mentors: Sarah Hickey

Read time: approx. 1 minute

• Sarah is currently the Director of Research & Strategy at Quicken Loans.  
• Sarah has over 15 years of education and experience in consumer insights and brand strategy.
• Over the last eight years, Sarah has done extensive creative strategy work for large corporations such as P&G, Tyson, Jimmy Dean, and Ball Park.

Areas of Expertise

Strategic planning, marketing research, data analytics, branding, product development, communication plan, turnaround, organizational culture in the food and beverage industry

On Endeavor Detroit

Over the past decade, trends are moving toward small entrepreneurial brands changing the dynamics of the marketplace and connecting with unmet consumer needs.  Endeavor provides the opportunity to work with people who are changing the industry by helping them grow. I love the idea of being involved with an organization that embodies volunteering and giving back with skills I have to support entrepreneurship in Michigan.

On Overcoming Her Biggest Challenge

I find one of the biggest challenges is making decisions based on long-term success versus immediate financial payoff. I’ve found that inspiring leadership to share the vision and understand the financial impact beyond current trends is a successful practice for managing long-term success.

On Her Proudest Moment in Business

My proudest moment was seeing the first innovation I ever worked on available on store shelves. It is so rewarding to see something you’ve built come to life. It is the physical manifestation of your hard work.

On Her Best Advice

Agree, Disagree, Commit.

The idea behind this is to never be afraid to share your opinion no matter who is in the room. But also once the decision is made (even if it is not your preferred decision), you commit to the direction and execute excellence.

Important Characteristics of a Successful Entrepreneur

Passion and vision.