How did you get into financial planning and investing?
I stumbled into this industry quite by accident. Prior to Telarray, I worked for a small programming and web presence agency, where I built applications and implemented Google Apps for Business, a then-new cloud productivity system. The owner of the agency collaborated with the founders of Telarray on a project that I was involved in. Though that project ultimately didn’t get off the ground, I worked closely with the founders of Telarray and eventually came to work here.
What is your greatest career success?
Without question, my greatest career success is the modernization of technology within the firm. I’ve been relentless in ensuring that every tool we depend on to provide the sort of experience and quick response our clients expect is reliable, secure, and accessible for our staff. I also make sure we are able to rapidly scale to any needs. From automating our computer deployment and security enforcement to ensuring multiple redundant levels of operations exist, I’m proud of that work at every level.
What has been the most significant learning experience in your career?
My most significant learning experience actually happened outside of Telarray, but it’s been the most valuable experience I bring to work every day. Every year, I help to organize an annual three-day charity event called GiveCamp Memphis. We bring together designers, developers, marketers, and content writers to donate their time building software, branding, marketing, websites, and more for nonprofits that can’t afford these things. In organizing GiveCamp, I meet talented and passionate nonprofit directors and staff that have no technical background at all. These experiences, while focused on these nonprofits, have helped me learn how to effectively communicate technical topics to non-technical people and also how to help others more effectively express what their own needs are regarding technology. Being able to translate current concepts into ways of improving an organization or an individual’s daily work life has been an incredible skill to have, and one I rely on every single day.
When people you have worked with talk about you, what do they say?
“He works magic.” While I say that as a bit of a joke, there’s still a hint of truth to it. I try my best to solve problems as quickly as possible and remain responsive to everyone in the firm. Whether it’s troubleshooting an incredibly strange issue or building a tool to turn a quarterly three-hour task into a 30-second task, I work hard to make sure to solve any problems that come to me.
