Description of product/service of your company:
Insperity offers a unique HR outsourcing solution that makes it possible for small business owners to reduce their costs and mitigate their risks related to being an employer.
How many years have you been with your company?
I started my career as a Business Performance Advisor at Insperity in November of 2017.
Company or organization besides yours that you respect most:
I love companies that champion things like LGBT equality, sustainability, and social justice. That’s why I like IBM, Microsoft, Gap, EY, Hyatt, Apple, Dropbox, Comcast, and local organizations like IBA, Equality Pennsylvania, William Way, Equality Forum, and so many others.
Business leader or innovator you want to emulate:
I’ve recently been reading good things about IBM’s CEO, Ginni Rometty, and Patagonia’s, CEO, Rose Macario. I’m secretly a huge fan of Queen Elizabeth I who ran a small country very well and didn’t shy away from making the hard decisions.
Most important business decision:
I spent most of my career providing HR solutions to very large companies in corporate America. Choosing to become a Business Performance Advisor at Insperity was a difficult decision because I knew I’d be focused entirely on supporting the needs of small business owners, and I mistakenly thought their needs would be very different and outside of my knowledge base and comfort zone. I decided to move forward with the job anyway based on Insperity’s stellar reputation and depth and breadth of services, and quickly learned that the challenges faced by small businesses aren’t all that different from large businesses. Small companies just don’t have access to the same resources. Insperity levels the playing field between a large and small employer by making big company resources available to the small business owner. In this way, the work I do at Insperity is much more impactful and personally rewarding than anything I’ve done before, and I’ve never been happier. Choosing to join the team at Insperity was the most important and best business decision I’ve ever made.
Most important life decision:
I have always strived to be authentic so I think coming out may be my most important life decision. I want people to know who I am.
When and why you joined the IBA:
At Insperity, our mission is to help businesses succeed so communities prosper, and Business Performance Advisors like me are encouraged to work within our own communities. IBA events are a fun way to tap into the local LGBT community to make new friends and valuable business connections. I attended my first IBA ConnX in November 2017 and couldn’t believe how many people I met that night. I became a member right away. A year later, I no longer feel like I’m walking into a room full of strangers because I’ve made so many friends, yet there are always a ton of new faces at every event too.
Greatest advantage to being a member:
There’s a common bond between IBA members that feels almost like a sibling relationship. IBA is so unlike other chambers in that way.
Proudest moment, honor, or achievement:
A few months before marriage equality became the law of the land, I legally married my long-time partner, and we’ll be celebrating 20 years together this year.
How are you involved with giving back to the community?
At Insperity, we’re committed to giving back to our communities and enriching the lives of others. Insperity’s philanthropic efforts totaled $6.2 million last year. As an Insperity employee, I’m happy that we’re required to participate in community involvement events on at least a quarterly basis. I’ve also been an active member of nonprofit committees and boards supporting the LGBT community, and I’m passionate about dog rescue (particularly boxers).
Little known fact:
When the weather is nice and temperatures are above 50 degrees, I’m a weekend landscape oil painter.
Guilty pleasure:
Hands down, my guilty pleasure is fine wine.
Favorite vacation spot:
Anywhere in Europe, but Italy and France in particular for the art, food, wine, and architecture.
Last book read:
No Man’s Land: Where Growing Companies Fail, Doug Tatum – loved it! If you’re a small business owner, read it!!