About me - The professional

There are three important qualities about me that best describe me as a professional.  I am a Leader.   I am an Expert.  I am a Workhorse.  Let me explain what I mean.

First and foremost, I'm a Leader.  It's just in my DNA.  At 19, I was promoted to the Store Manager position at Blockbuster Video (RIP).  Not because I wanted to pursue a manager position at the time.  I was enrolled in college full time at the time, and my education was definitely my focus.  But leading people just came natural to me, and I welcomed the challenge.  But let's go back a little further in time.  As a senior on my varsity football team, I was awarded "Wolverine of the Year", an award given to the player that consistently demonstrated leadership amongst his teammates both on the field and off the field.  I even have a story that my mom loves to tell about me in Kindergarten.  On the first day of school, the teacher put all of the kid's nametags on the board, and told everyone to grab their name and take it to their desk.  I quickly found mine, but then immediately began helping those kids find their name that did not yet know how to read.  So when I say that leadership is in my DNA, it really has been there since day one.

In my professional career, I have always led a team.  Teams as little as three people, as large as 125.  Teams with all experience levels ranging from entry level to industry professionals.  And in all cases, the individuals and the team have benefited from my leadership through growth, learning, and success.  I've been a teacher, a mentor, and a launching pad for many people entering into a new career.  Throughout it all, I have always maintained a healthy respect for my teams, and the respect has been returned.  

Next, I'm an Expert.  Now of course, no one is an expert on everything.  But when it comes to work or personal pursuits, I make it a point to become an expert on subject matters that are important.  It goes without saying that I'm an expert on customer service, as my entire career has involved customer service.  My expertise extends to board games, as I spent many years working at a game store, and I can still tell you how to play hundreds of the board games we had for sale.  And I can probably beat you at chess.  My highest level of expertise is in the payroll and insurance industries.  The last 15 years of my professional career have been spent in these industries.  And no one out there knows more about the details of the payroll and workers' comp insurance industries.  Need help on an exercise program?  Let me write one for you, fitness is my passion.  Need help on your jump shot?  Let me teach you about the finer points to help your shooting percentage, right after I knock down 10 three pointers in a row.  Expertise comes natural to me, as I have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.  

Lastly, I'm a Workhorse.  No, I'm not a workaholic.  A healthy work/life balance is very important to me.  A workhorse handles the hard tasks, the ones that no one else can do.  I take on the tasks that require advanced problem solving, and I handle them with efficiency, with an extreme focus until complete.  You'll see some examples of outright massive projects that I've completed in other sections of this site, and these projects were only possible because of my advanced planning, problem solving, and organizational abilities combined with an unmatched work ethic. 

I have a lengthy career, and as a result I've picked up a few skills along the way.  I can't say that this is a complete list, but it should give a good idea of some of what I'm capable of.

Technical Skills/Knowledge

Microsoft Office, to include Excel, Word, Outlook, and Access

Experience with a variety of CRM programs, including building a custom one

Experience with a variety of payroll softwares, including building a custom one

Payroll processing at all levels

Payroll tax payments and report filing

HR Labor Laws and applicablility

Insurance policies.  In other words, how to read one

Basic bookkeeping/QuickBooks

Certified Payroll, to include all reporting to DIR, union reporting, and more

Budgeting and forecasting

Project Management

Experience with time and attendance systems, including building a custom one

Talents

Leadership

Employee relations

Customer service, business to consumer

Customer service, business to business

Communication skills

Conflict management

Interviewing/talent acquisition

Negotiation

Organization

Training and development

Detail oriented

Vendor relations

Time management

Rapid learner