The Best Outcomes Start and End with Hyper-Collaboration

There are two Snapsheet values that I carry with me everywhere I go: Be The Next and Stronger United. Both values help to drive a hyper-collaborative mindset in my role as a Strategy & Implementation Manager and in my side-hustle importing exotic hops. Both roles demand that I seek out internal and external ideas, resources, and networks to improve innovation performance. I live these values in the work I do each day at Snapsheet, and as I pursue my personal passions.

Brewing Up Something New and Different

I love taking on new challenges and applying a hyper-collaborative mindset to building my passion for craft beer into a side-hustle. A couple years ago, I noticed a gap in the variety of hops available, and I started my own company to source and import exotic hops for US craft breweries.

Through my research and connections, I ended up working with a farm based in the Xinjiang region of Northwest China to bring new hop varieties into the US market. By tapping into this ecosystem of brewers, hop farmers, and beer enthusiasts, I met up with Chicago-based Empirical Brewing to develop tasting notes and flavor profiles for these hops, which eventually led to a partnership. If you’ve been to Empirical, you may have even seen the Chinese-sourced hops on the menu and tried some of the delicious beers made from them!

The more I look back on this experience, the more parallels I see between planning and launching a successful import business and helping implement Snapsheet’s technology from a client-focused perspective. Developing a customer-in focus helps drive my business and develop stronger, more meaningful partnerships across this vast craft beer ecosystem. The result is bringing imported hops to breweries that produce great tasting beers which surprise and delight customers.

Innovation Starts With Customers — Not products

As a Strategy and Implementation lead, I am client obsessed. In order to innovate for our customers, we start with the problems they’re trying to solve. We are the client partners and problem solvers: hearing what our customers need in terms of functionality; understanding their pain points; helping customers translate those problems into solutions through our software offerings; and delivering successful implementation and adoption within their organizations.

Recently we were able to address a client’s pain points: paper-based payments forms requiring customer signatures. After prioritizing this feature in our weekly product strategy and roadmap meetings, we built e-signature capability seamlessly into our Transactions software, allowing carrier associates to settle with claimants on the phone. This is a significant advantage considering the traditional paper process previously took weeks. How we continuously look to break new ground for our customers truly reflects one of our core values, Be The Next.

Internally, I get to bring our clients’ perspectives to our teams each week when we meet with Engineering, Account Management, and Product Management to discuss our product strategy and roadmap. I always look forward to the spirited discussion around how we can improve our products to solve our customers’ toughest problems. I get to hear each teams’ recommendations and I love the unique perspectives and expertise that everyone brings to the table when discussing improvements to our products.

Strategy & Implementation truly works cross-functionally across Snapsheet and in hyper-collaboration with our clients and ecosystem partners. In the past year, we have been able to pull together people from across our Technology, Account Management, Transactions Operations, and Strategy teams to successfully launch five clients on our Snapsheet Transactions platform. Really goes to show that we are Stronger United!

Learn more about careers at Snapsheet.