What kind of career did you lead before joining Steele?
I spent twelve years in the pharmaceutical wholesale industry as a territory sales representative for Cardinal Health. Pharmaceutical manufacturers do not want the headache of shipping their products to every pharmacy and healthcare facility across the country, so instead they ship their products to the wholesalers, who in turn handle the distribution network. Surprisingly, none of my previous job responsibilities was IT related, but I have always had a passion for technology, and over time I began to identify issues that could be solved by the Microsoft 365 products we already had at our disposal. This initially began with learning Visual Basic coding to simplify reporting and quickly analyze data in Excel. Still, over time I got into working with other Microsoft 365 products, such as Power Automate, Forms, and Stream, to provide our customers with a self-service portal, to process orders of short-supply medications during the early stages of the pandemic, and to route internal requests more efficiently within the organization for faster turnaround times.
When and how did you get involved with Steele Benefits?
Wes and I were fraternity brothers in college. He asked me if I would be interested in joining Steele several years ago, but I wasn’t quite ready to leave Cardinal Health. After I had grown tired of being on the road five days a week and had fallen in love with improving organizational processes and developing IT strategies, that’s when I reached out to Wes, and here I am today.
How would you describe your role in one sentence?
I see my job as being like Willy Wonka’s, but instead of chocolate and candy, I work with software and technology. I try to visualize how wonderful and easy things COULD be and then set about trying to make them that way.
Are there any new skills or insights you’ve picked up while working at Steele?
Absolutely! I had never had the chance to work with Smartsheet, Barracuda, and much of the Microsoft 365 administration. I touch all of them daily now, and I thoroughly enjoy digging into all of them!
Do you have a favorite Steele memory?
I enjoy the pool parties at Mike Steele’s house. It’s easy and simple. It’s nice to get out of the business setting, jump in a pool, and hang out with my coworkers outside of the office.
Outside of work, what kind of hobbies do you have?
A core piece of who I am is the desire to build things, so in addition to building software systems and processes, I love working with my hands on woodworking and home improvement projects.
What’s a movie you could watch every day?
I am a huge movie buff, so I’ve thought about this question a lot over the years, and I do have an answer. The Fifth Element. It may not be the greatest movie of all time, but it’s all the things I love in movies rolled into one. It is an action-comedy-love story in a science-fiction/fantasy world.
If money were no object, what’s the first thing you would buy?
The first thing I would do is tear down my house and start over. I love the location, but the build quality of the 1990’s leaves a lot to be desired (and fixed). And since money is no object, it would be getting an indoor pool.
Which unconventional animal do you wish you could have as a pet?
My family is constantly on the go, so I want an imaginary animal, like a unicorn or a sphinx. Something that doesn’t require us to walk it, feed it, clean up after it, or find someone to watch it while we are out of town.
Which phone app do you use the most?
Probably Chrome. I am constantly researching things on my phone, both personally and professionally.
Do you believe in ghosts?
From an intellectual standpoint, no. However, our fraternity house in college had some odd occurrences. Before the fraternity purchased the house, it had been a nursing home for a few decades. Many unexplainable things happened while I lived there, so ultimately, I would not be shocked if I found out they did.
Who is your most embarrassing celebrity crush?
I would say Flo the Progressive Lady.