Celebrating Women’s History Month with Amber Salinas, Digital Sales Strategist at KING 5

At TEGNA, we are fortunate to find good, smart females at all levels of our organization. For Women’s History Month, we are celebrating some of our most fabulous females, and this week we’re highlighting Amber Salinas, Digital Sales Strategist at KING 5 in Seattle.  

Then: Talk about your career path, how you got to where you are today at TEGNA.  

I didn’t get into media the traditional way, so I’ll fast forward to 2011 when I was hired as a media operations coordinator at a small direct response agency. Soon after, I was given the opportunity to move over to the planning/buying side of the company.  

The defining moment of my career is when the agency and KING 5 worked together to bring GoPro to Super Bowl XLIX. If I was feeling the excitement about one commercial, I knew I had to be a part of the thrill at KING 5. I was then hired as a national sales coordinator, quickly transitioned to local sales as an account manager where my passion to deliver the best results for our clients took the front seat and kicked my career into overdrive!  

Now: What is your current role at TEGNA?  

I am currently a digital sales strategist with an emphasis on the pre-sale process of our integrated, cross-platform approach to hyper-local, hyper-targeted advertising. I collaborate with a team of account executives to build and execute strategic media campaigns to best serve our client’s objectives.   

My Halo Moment: What was the most rewarding project you’ve worked on at TEGNA?  

There have been several, however, Home Team Harvest easily jumps to the top of that list. For the past 21 years, KING 5 & Northwest Harvest have partnered to raise meals for Washingtonians facing food insecurity, with an unprecedented 23.5 million meals donated in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. 

Good Company: What does being in good company mean to you?

Being in good company allows me to always be the best version of myself as I continue to learn & grow, personally & professionally, from the good people around me. Whether that’s the incredible #TeamTEGNA or our wonderful clients, I rarely end my day without having learned something new. 

Note to Self: What advice would you give yourself looking back on earlier days in your career?

As a young, single mother at the beginning of my career, it was tough to take risks knowing I was not the only person that would be affected by the outcome. Now I know that the reward, BY FAR, outweighs the risk! Ask the hard questions, apply for the job, believe in yourself, and know that you can accomplish anything. 

Tangible & Emotional Intelligence: What advice would you give to someone looking to work in media/sales/marketing?  

Emotional: You don’t always have to BE right, you just have to GET it right. Know yourself and recognize your feelings and emotions and the impact that your actions have on others. 

Tangible: Time management is key. Managing your time can significantly increase your self-confidence and make you more efficient in every aspect of your life. 

Why is Women’s History Month important to you?  

Women’s History Month is important to me as we must continue the conversation and celebrate the often-overlooked contributions of the women of our past and present, for our children to hear and learn from. As a fourth-generation Latina woman, I did not always see the path that was paved for me, so it’s crucial that young women everywhere know, “yes, you can!”