Can you tell us a little about your background?
50 years of a background is likely too long of a story. The abbreviated version is that I spent my early childhood in Charleston, South Carolina, moved to Atlanta in the 80’s and was raised by a single mother. That said, I’m most proud of being married 23 years to my college sweetheart and being called “dad” by my three kids.
What is something unique about you (a fun fact) that few people are aware of?
I grew up playing the viola. It’s something I played through high school and still love the instrument. Maybe I should try to learn and play it again …
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you pick?
Without question I would live in Mexico. For the culture, the food, the people, and the landscape. I simply love everything about the country. Wait … I’d go to the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy for vacations though.
If you could be any real person from any time period who would it be and why?
Historically life on Earth has been harsh, which eliminates who I would consider to be the great innovators in past centuries; life for those folks were brutal. If I picked someone in the modern era, it’d be Steve Jobs. Not because he invented the Mac, iPod, MacBook, or iPhone but because Silicon Valley in that time period would have been one of the most exciting times for change in history. To be a participant in that would have been thrilling.
What’s your favorite quote?
“The comfort zone is a great place but nothing ever grows there.” by Winston Churchill.
How did you get started in your industry?
I started in the industry in 1997. I was an Infrastructure Engineer working on a Y2K project at Delta AirLines. My then girlfriend, who’s now my wife, convinced me to leave technology engineering and sell technology services solving Y2K problems. From there I was data center focused, then cloud provisioning, moved to applications, until finally landing in the Salesforce ecosystem.
What drew you to CapStorm?
Our Founders, Greg and Mary, were the single largest contributor to me joining. Our product market fit is well established, our global enterprise customers secure our business, but people are the most important part of any business and our founders value the healthiness and professional growth of the people in our business more than anything.
What is the most unusual aspect of working here?
Our culture is the most unusual aspect of working at CapStorm. We have a culture that is driven by a moral compass that’s always pointing north with a family first attitude. Many companies say it, but we live it. And we hold true to it when sometimes it’s to the detriment of our business if it’s best for our people. Yeah, that’s unusual.
What motivates you?
The earlier version of myself would have said “winning”, without question. Entering my 50’s, watching others win now fills my soul. Whether it’s my children, my friends, or my colleagues at work, having input in helping people achieve more than they could have expected keeps me grounded.
What advice would you provide to someone interested in your field?
I’ll take out the “someone in your field” part of the question as my answer applies to all people in any line of business. The advice would be “give more than you take”. Find a way, regardless of the environment you’re in, to put your personal desires aside and focus on achieving a goal for something bigger than you and that impacts the people around you first.
