Tori Moss, Global Head of Revenue Operations at Pigment, shares how trusting her gut early in her career shaped her path, even when others doubted her.

She opens up about overcoming imposter syndrome, proving herself in male-dominated spaces, and the power of deep, authentic networking.

Her advice? Optimize for learning, not titles. Invest in relationships. Delegate faster.

To accelerate gender equality, she pushes for more capital to female-led businesses, believing action speaks louder than words. Read more from Tori here...

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What has been your career defining moment as a woman in business?

Pretty early on in my career, I pulled out of an offer I had accepted at a prestigious PE firm. I had gotten excited about the allure of the role on its face, but realized in my heart of hearts I still had a lot more learning and growing to do in my current role.

It was one of the best decisions I have ever made, but they weren’t thrilled and told me it was the best job someone with my pedigree (or lack thereof, as they implied) would see for a long time. It really lit a fire under me to prove myself right and believe in my own intuition and sense of direction.

Were there any obstacles you had to overcome as a woman in business?

The first time I was promoted from IC to Manager, I transitioned from peer to Manager for a group of my all male peers. Even though I had great relationships with them, I was surprised at how much imposter syndrome I felt making the shift.

In the end, it was a really positive experience, but I definitely had to work extra hard and over-compensate to prove myself.

What advice would you give to a younger woman looking to join your industry?

Network, network, network. I never imagined all of the ways the relationships I built would come back in spades when I least expected. If you are generous with your time to connect with and support others, it will always come back to you.

On the flipside, if you burn bridges or treat even the most junior people with anything but kindness & respect, it will come back to you. It is a MUCH smaller world than you think, especially women in tech!  

"Savour the learnings, especially the failures, and trust the process."

Also, be patient & optimize for learning and growth versus title & compensation. Every time I’ve tried to take a shortcut in my career, I’ve ended up with egg on my face. Do the hard things, invest in deep relationships, savour the learnings, especially the failures, and trust the process.

If you could do one thing to accelerate the pace of change for gender equality, what would it be?

Divert more capital to female-owned businesses. At the end of the day, talk is cheap. Women represent half of the US population and only 10% of the Fortune 500 CEOs. If we want to see more women in power & promoting other women, they need to be given equal access to capital to recoup centuries worth of inequality.  

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Delegate faster. Especially at fast-growing companies, the pace at which you can shed your former scope and create space for your team to execute will be a huge unlock to increase your impact and scope. It took me way too long to realize how fast I had to evolve as a leader and give away my legos.  

What’s your go-to advice for preventing burnout?

If you take your career seriously and you love what you do, it’s easy to overwork yourself, and especially if you’re young in your career, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

"Surround yourself with people who give you energy versus those who consume it."

My best advice is to surround yourself with people who give you energy versus those who consume it. Both at work and in your personal life, double down on the relationships that inspire and motivate you, and don’t be afraid to lean out of relationships that are weighing you down.

Why do you think it’s important for women to help other women win?

As women in business, we have many shared experiences and challenges. We should channel these shared experiences into both empathy for one another, and drive to be successful so we can pave the way for those who look up to us.

The more examples we have of successful women in business, the smaller the mountain to climb for the next generation of female leaders.    

What compelled you to attend a Panelle event?

I love connecting with smart, motivated, and well-networked female leaders who are investing in their careers and helping others to do the same. What better place than Panelle?!

Finally, please put the spotlight on another woman in business who either inspires you or has pulled out the seat for you.

Pam Schumann pulled out the seat for me in a big way, taking a chance on me fresh out of college. I feel so fortunate that my first exposure to leadership was a strong female who modelled how to simultaneously be an unapologetic powerhouse at work and a supermom at home.

Cassie Young taught me the importance of your network, and how critical P&L literacy is to increase your exposure as a leader - and she has done so for SO many other female leaders!

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