Sara Taylor-Demos
Cora Home
Chicago, IL USA
"Be resourceful. Don’t think that your employer is going to hand you what to do on a silver platter. If you can go and just figure stuff out, you’ll have a job forever."
Career Roadmap
Sara's work combines: Technology, Business, and Learning / Being Challenged
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Find a role working with or under a digital/marketing strategist. These roles touch on everything: business, making money, innovation, technology, customer experiences, UX and public speaking.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Accounting
Iowa State University
Certification
Fashion/Apparel Design
London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Co-Founder & CEO:
High School
Bachelor's Degree: Accounting
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
Attended Iowa State University.
2.
Started out majoring in fashion with the goal of becoming a fashion producer who assists designers in making their creations come to life.
3.
Got the opportunity to study abroad at the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London.
4.
After watching classmates graduate and then struggle to start their careers in fashion in New York City, she made the decision to change her major.
5.
In 2005, graduated with a degree in accounting and finance.
6.
Decided to move to Chicago, IL—began working as an accountant, but lost interest in due to the fact that it’s a field largely focused on the past and not the future.
7.
Transitioned into digital media and began working as a project manager, producer, and strategist—had to teach herself how to code, the basics of marketing, analytics, advertising, and more.
8.
In 2017, utilizing her skills in technology, advertising, and finance, she co-founded her company, Cora, an AI-enabled visual furniture curator that helps you make cost-effective choices.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
She's really too inexperienced to handle this client.
How I responded:
My boss said this on a conference call in front of my work peers just 2 years ago (she didn't know I was in the room with everyone listening). Consider the source and context. This particular leader at my last company didn't take the time to truly know or understand people on the team. She was fairly self-absorbed. While it bothers me still (clearly, I just brought it up), she recently wrote me a note congratulating me on the business' continued success. I kept my cool and forgave her.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
In my sophomore year, I started to realize that my fashion major wasn't right for me. Not knowing what to do, I took my dad's advice and switched to accounting. I still struggle with balancing the creative and analytical sides of my personality.
I feel like I've always struggled with being taken seriously and have had to prove that I am intelligent enough to do the work. From the time I was a fashion major and up until now, this is still something I face.
After working in accounting for a while, I really started to dislike it. It just wasn't the field for me. I decided to transition into digital media, but I didn't know anything, so I had to teach myself a lot of skills.