Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?
My parents and grandparents. They taught me to go to work every day, work hard, and that any job worth doing is worth doing right. That work ethic was instilled at an early age and has grown throughout my career.
What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?
Responsibility for the work I’m outputting and always looking at each opportunity analytically and strategically.
What led you to this career?
I always liked technology, and the early 2000s had somewhat of a technological boom, which was when I graduated high school. I studied various computer fields and decided that System Administrator fit my strengths the best. I was a terrible developer/coder.
As I gained more real-world knowledge of the technology that companies were using, it gave me the ability to accept a Sales Engineering role that helps design solutions for new and existing customers by using Involta products
.What’s the one thing that has surprised you about working at Involta?
Even though I was employee 18 at Involta and we’ve grown to over 250 employees nationally, it still feels like the same small company we were 15 years ago. We feel more like family than co-workers.
What’s the biggest misconception people have about your position?
That we’re just “quote factories.” Sales Engineers specialize in technologically advanced products. They use their technical skills to explain the benefits of their products or services to potential customers and to show how their products or services are better than their competitors’ offerings. Harnessing great personal and technological communication skills isn’t something everyone can do.
What is your favorite hobby?
I have three kids (11, 11, and 8), so hobbies are usually designed around what they’re doing that week/weekend. If I had to pick something that we do to unwind, it would be playing trivia. The pandemic did end some of the great groups we played with, but we still find an occasional game and sit down to see how we stack up. We made the State Tournament of Trivia (yes it’s a thing for Sporkle) one year because we placed so well all year.
What’s the one thing most people don’t know about you?
I will say most people don’t know that I have two middle names. Those are Harold and Charles. My parents struggled with which great-grandfather to name me after on their paternal side, so they just gave me both. Now, I’m always second-guessing myself when asked for my Middle Initial. Is it just the H or HC? Ha!
