What It Takes to Grow from Entry-Level to Manager Without a Linear Path

“You miss 100 percent of the opportunities you don’t take,” says Brittnee Perez, Connections Team Manager at Zillow.

It’s a philosophy that’s guided her career from the very beginning—starting in an entry-level role at 19 and growing into a leader responsible for managing a team, driving performance, and shaping the company’s customer experience.

Today, Brittnee leads a team of 15 Connection Specialists within Zillow Home Loans, helping connect buyers with loan officers and ensuring each interaction supports a seamless homebuying journey. Her role involves both data and people: analyzing performance metrics, coaching team members, refining processes, and creating an environment where individuals can grow and succeed.

Her path hasn’t followed a traditional trajectory. Without a college degree, Brittnee built her career through hands-on experience, persistence, and a willingness to step into new challenges, even after setbacks. When she finally interviewed at Zillow—in such a “positive and uplifting” environment at the Denver office—she immediately felt connected to the product and knew the company was where she wanted to be.

Since then, she has transitioned to fully remote work, successfully leading a handful of remote teams. She focuses not just on results, but on the “why” behind them—helping her direct reports understand performance, develop their skills, and navigate their own career paths. At the same time, she’s learned the importance of setting boundaries, communicating clearly, and creating a culture where people feel supported both professionally and personally.

For Brittnee, success isn’t just about hitting metrics. It’s about building something bigger: a team, a culture, and a career rooted in continuous growth. Here, she shares how her career has evolved over the past decade, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and what it really takes to grow within a company like Zillow.

Tell us about your department’s role at Zillow.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work across all three lines of business within Connections, Buyer, Zillow Home Loans, and Seller, which has given me a really well-rounded view of how we support our users. I’ve stayed in Connections because I truly believe it’s one of the most impactful parts of the business. We’re directly talking to our customers, and those interactions can make or break their experience. That matters to me.

At the end of the day, Connections is home. I’ve helped build that environment, and I’m passionate about helping others grow and thrive in it.

Walk us through your day-to-day work.

A typical day is a mix of real-time support and long-term development. I start by reviewing scorecards and queues to understand where we stand across key metrics like click-through rate (CTR), average handle time (AHT), adherence (ADH), and quality assurance (QA). Then I use team huddles to align on priorities and focus areas.

Throughout the day, I’m actively in the work, reviewing calls and SMS, supporting escalations, and using 1:1s and MPCIs to connect performance to behaviors and career growth.

I end the day by closing the loop on action items, documenting learnings, and working on projects like SOP improvements or AI tools that reduce friction.

Overall, I’m focused on supporting my team and driving performance. That includes hosting weekly one-on-one meetings and team huddles, reviewing cases, coaching on soft skills, and partnering with our data team to make sure our performance metrics are accurate and trending in the right direction. I also spend a lot of time on development, helping team members grow in their current roles or prepare for their next step internally.

On top of that, I’ve taken on a big role in driving AI adoption within Connections. Some people call me an “AI champion” (which I’ll take!), but my focus is really on using AI effectively, not excessively. I’m currently leading an AI presentation at an upcoming company retreat across multiple departments, which is a huge win for me.

This year, I’m also prioritizing my own development. I meet with other leaders monthly, mentor peers, get involved in ERG work, and use the internal job board as a networking tool, not just for applications, but for building relationships.

How has your career evolved since joining Zillow?

My career has evolved right alongside the company. I started as a Connection Specialist on a pilot team, where our team meetings were literally a leader standing on a chair giving updates. From there, I got involved in testing new systems—starting with Salesforce and then piloting a CRM called Audrey, which later evolved into Alex Grace, and now Pearl, our current system.

But beyond tools, everything was evolving: metrics, scripts, SOPs. I leaned into that change. That’s what helped me grow into a Senior CS role. I wasn’t just a top performer; I focused heavily on culture, too.

One of my favorite examples is creating “PACopoly,” a Colorado-themed Monopoly-style game that teams played daily. It boosted morale and showed how creativity can impact performance and engagement.

From there, I moved into a Team Lead role, mentoring peers and learning the behind-the-scenes work of management. I applied for the Manager role three times and didn’t get it, but I used each “no” as motivation to improve. I finally got the role on my fourth try, and it was such a full-circle moment.

Looking back, I also explored training roles and realized I wasn’t ready at the time, and that’s okay. Everything really does happen for a reason.

How have you found your own passion, purpose and voice at work, and how has that changed since your early days at Zillow?

I think it’s okay to say that I’m still figuring that out. After 10 years, I’ve spent most of my time in Connections because it felt natural and it worked. I’ve grown within the same department, but now I’m taking time to explore what else is out there. I know I’m passionate about helping our users find their homes, and I’m just as passionate about helping people grow and evolve. That’s what I’m leaning into as I continue to explore.

My voice at work came from experience. It came from being insecure at times, asking questions, failing, succeeding, and staying authentic through all of it.

I once had someone tell me, “We don’t need more Brittnee’s around here.” I took that as motivation. My mindset became that we absolutely do need more people who are themselves. That moment really shaped how I lead today. I want people to feel like they can be themselves, grow, and never feel like they have to shrink to fit in.

What do you find most rewarding and challenging about your work? How have those evolved as you’ve grown from an individual contributor to a manager? 

The most rewarding part is seeing growth, both my own and my team’s. I’ve had six new hires this past year, and one of them is already presenting on a top-performer panel at our next retreat. Watching that kind of growth is exactly why I do what I do.

The most challenging part is helping people balance work and personal life. Sometimes that means having tough conversations that go beyond work, and that can open the door to deeper personal challenges. But Zillow provides incredible resources, and I’m able to guide my team toward those supports.

As I’ve grown into leadership and as a mom, my level of care has grown, too. I care about the business, performance, growth, and mental health. My success is directly tied to my team’s success, and if we’re not in a good place, it impacts everything.

I joke that I could add “therapist” to my resume, but in reality, I focus on creating a safe space where people feel comfortable bringing their full selves to work.

What skills or qualities have been most important for your success in this role, and which ones did you have to develop over time to grow your career at Zillow?

The biggest skills for success in this role are understanding the data and understanding the why behind it. It’s not enough to just know your numbers. You have to ask why those numbers exist, what’s driving them, and how to translate that both to your team and back up to leadership. As a people manager, you’re constantly bridging that gap, and that can be challenging if you don’t take the time to really learn it.

A skill I had to develop over time was my communication style. Every single person on my team communicates differently, and it took me a while to really understand that. Zillow offers great training on communication, but honestly, you learn the most by putting it into practice. Now, one of the first things I do is send a get-to-know-you form and ask about communication preferences upfront.

Another big one is empathy. I’m naturally very direct, and I have strong “red energy,” so I can come across as less empathetic than I actually am. Learning how to lead with empathy while still holding expectations has been huge for me. I call it stern empathy. You can care about your people and still hold them accountable at the same time.

What’s your favorite aspect of Zillow’s company culture, and how has it supported your growth and career journey?

My favorite part of Zillow’s culture is the support. I truly would not be here without it. It shows up in so many ways. It can be something small, like someone you don’t know saying good morning in the hallway, or something bigger, like having someone to lean on when you didn’t get a role you really wanted. It’s also in the collaboration, working together on projects and celebrating wins together.

The feedback culture is another huge piece. Getting feedback can feel scary at first, but here it’s encouraged and normalized. That made a huge difference in my growth. I learned how to take feedback, apply it, and now I give it in a way that feels constructive and routine instead of intimidating.

That support also extends into personal life. I’ve built real relationships here, and the resources Zillow offers for parents and families have been incredibly helpful. It really feels like a place where you can grow both professionally and personally.

How do you maintain work-life balance in this position?

Working from home can blur the lines between work life and personal life really quickly. You can easily bring work into your home and your home into your work if you’re not intentional about it.

For me, it starts with boundaries. I have my workspace set up in a separate area that I don’t go into on my days off. When my shift is done, I shut my computer down. I use my Slack status to communicate when I’m available, in focus mode, or offline, so expectations are clear.

I also block time on my calendar so I can focus on specific tasks without working late into the evening. And I’ve learned not to say yes to everything. I take on projects I’m passionate about, and if something comes up that I can’t say no to, I reprioritize. That might mean leaning on a top performer, adjusting meetings, or asking peers for support.

The biggest lessons are not being afraid to ask for help, not being afraid to say not right now, and not being afraid to set boundaries. I learned that later than I wish I had. Those 9 pm work nights are real.

Overall, what’s the most memorable piece of career advice you’ve ever received? How has it shaped your journey? 

Just try it and give it your best. If it doesn’t work out, there will be more opportunities.

I would go for things, give it my all, and give myself time before deciding if it was the right fit. If I had given up too early or never tried at all, I wouldn’t be where I am today. 

The worst that can happen is you try your hardest, it doesn’t work out, or someone says no. Then you move forward. Don’t take it personally.

What advice would you give to someone considering applying for this role at Zillow?

For your first year, be a sponge. Absorb everything.

Set your boundaries early, and don’t be afraid to reset expectations if those boundaries aren’t being followed. Give yourself grace. You’re learning something new, and that takes time.

Ask for help when you need it. Yes, you should take initiative and learn on your own, but in a remote environment, it’s easy to feel like you have to figure everything out by yourself. You don’t. Someone is always just a Slack message away.

Lean on your team, lean on your peers, and give yourself the space to grow into the role.