Can you tell us a little about your background?

Prior to CapStorm, I worked in the apartment industry, where I held end-to-end responsibility for a portfolio of 200-700 apartments. I was arguably the least technical person on the team – I had to call IT when my internet or printer was not working! I came to CapStorm because the company offered way more flexibility than my current position, and it gave me a chance to work from home with my newborn. In the past 6 years with CapStorm, I can now fix my own printer! Seriously though, people are people no matter what industry. The apartment industry was all about serving the residents, and CapStorm is also laser-focused on serving customers. There are different products but the same end goal. Though, I don’t miss the 3 a.m. water leaks! 

What is something unique about you (a fun fact) that few people are aware of?

I have an adventurous side though it’s a bit tamer now that my husband and I have two kids. I like to drive fast in my ‘race van’ – that’s what my kids call our mini-van, and I’ll ride any roller coaster that I come across. Since we have a child starting to read, I’ll keep the rest of my past adventures to myself. You will just have to ask if you want to know! 

What is your favorite pastime?

Chasing kids – as cheesy as it may sound, my crew is my favorite part of life. I love kids, and my favorite thing is to spend time with them and teach them that they are loved by Jesus and their family. If I’m not at work, you will usually find me outside riding bikes or fishing. On the off chance that it’s a rainy day, I’m usually baking cookies, creating an indoor obstacle course, or building a marble track. 

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you pick?

Right where I am. I love to travel to see new things and go on adventures, but at the end of the day, the best place in the world is with my family. 

If you were trapped on a deserted island what are three items you would want to bring with you?

A fishing rod, a firestarter, and a tent. 

How did you get started in your industry?

A leap of faith to join a growing company where I knew nothing about the technology! I only knew that I trusted the founders and that it sounded like a great opportunity to learn new things. Trailhead also was a huge help in the beginning to learning the lingo and basics of Salesforce. 

What are some of your day-to-day job duties?

I asked my kids, and the answers are:
1. Play on the computer
2. Talk to people

This is fairly accurate. In customer success, my main goal is to help customers use their software to drive value for their business. How is this done? Talking to customers, listening to their needs and struggles, then helping! 

What is the most unusual aspect of working here?

The culture – CapStorm’s values are unique to the industry and revolve around serving our customers while maintaining an environment that is people first, profit second. We start our all-hands meetings with a readout of our core values, and this one is always my favorite: 

We are here to serve. We keep the needs of our employees and customers at the heart of our work, doing what is best for the business and best for them. 

Who would you select as a mentor if you could choose anybody, and why?

I already have such great professional mentors, and I suspect that some of them may not even be aware of their influence. Here are a few of them:

• My Parents –  who taught me the value of faith, hard work, and fun.
• Ted Pappas – a professional mentor who is teaching me to microfocus and not get too bogged down in minor details.
• Eric Dreshfield – One of my first friends in the Salesforce world, who taught me that it’s ok to be yourself while enjoying networking.

What are your goals for the next six months?

There are two professional goals that I am working on in the next six months:

• Bring a brand new product to market to make it easier for CapStorm customers to manage Salesforce data while driving their cost of ownership down to nearly $0. (shhh! I can’t say much more until this is released!)
• Develop a new series of workshops that provide in-depth training to help customers leverage some of the lesser-known CapStorm use cases like proactive ransomware protection.