BreakLiner Bryan Panaccione just accepted a sales role at his dream company, Stripe! Here is part of his story:

“I have a huge, tight-knit family. One of our traditions was going to the University of Delaware vs Navy football games. The sense of community was amazing. When I was 10, I decided I was going to serve my country someday.

I started swimming competitively when I was young, and I really doubled down on athletics. By my senior year of high school, I was good enough to swim in college. I ended up joining the team at West Point.

My experience in the Army was with a close group of people, just like my own family. I am so grateful for those friendships. In general, military service provided so many life-changing opportunities; I traveled widely and lived in Tajikistan for six months.

After fulfilling my 5-year commitment, I was ready to start a new chapter. I started coding as a hobby. When our daughter was born last year, I decided to devote the next phase of my career to the tech sector. I teamed up with BreakLine to make it happen. Casey Deeds, Kelly Maxwell, and I were on a group chat. I knew I had their help any time I needed it.

From the beginning, I had my heart set on working for Stripe. I’d used them as a billing vendor for various side hustles. I loved the company; they’re thriving, global, diverse, and provide an amazing product. And they lived up to my expectations: within a minute of starting my first interview with them, I was so comfortable. I was able to just be myself.

I zeroed in on the sales team. I’m super competitive, and Stripe has a tech stack that is unbeatable. I can’t wait to get out there and help other people leverage it to achieve their goals. (And a huge bonus is that my wife, daughter, and I get to move closer to our families!)

Starting a new path is hard. Expect to stumble sometimes. But if you stick with it, work hard, and ask for help, you’ll get there.”