Welcome to another “Get to Know” post, where you learn more about your coworkers and build a relationship with them through knowledge. We hope you enjoy this latest installment of our series! Grab a blanket, get comfy, and read on.
Ben Weaver is from North Georgia and has been working with CloudQ for almost six years. He works as the Director of Operations for the company and mainly handles the accounts and company’s finances like: accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll. As you can imagine, these are extremely important roles. Ben was most gracious to give us a little of his time for an interview.
What do you enjoy most about working with CloudQ?
My favorite thing about working for the company is the feeling of accomplishment. I feel I impact the company’s success, so it gives me a good feeling and keeps me motivated.
What prompted you to apply to work with CloudQ?
I never technically applied. I met Yasser and Sanjay at my old job, and we developed a relationship. They invited me to come to view the office, and from that day forward, I’ve been an employee.
How do you prefer to start your day?
I wake up; eat breakfast; take a shower; and usually, I just head straight to work when I wake up. I normally stay late at work, so I also come into work a little later than others. It gives me time to sleep in. I like my sleep.
What’s your go-to productivity trick?
I think the best answer for that is just knowing it’s all part of the plan. I tell myself that I have to do things, so it is not seen as optional. Not looking at it as a choice, but just something I need to do.
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
I’m a night owl.
Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?
My parents are great inspirations, and they still work despite their age. They could easily retire, but their actions have instilled the importance of hard work in me.
What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?
I’d say I am passionate about anything I do. I care about what I divert my energy into, and I want to do that thing to the best of my ability. I’m pretty self-aware and open-minded when I take on a task.
What was your first job?
I started working at a young age, probably 14 or 15. I bagged groceries at the grocery store, cut lawns, and mowed grass. Those were my first two jobs.
What’s the worst job you’ve ever had, and what did you learn from it?
I would probably say bagging groceries and stuff because it didn’t pay well, and it taught me that I want to do better with my life. The lesson is: Every job has its pros and cons, and you simply learn to grow from them.
What led you to this career?
So, ever since I was young, I’ve always liked math, and it has always kind of been natural to me. I majored in math at college. I was lucky enough to meet Yaser while I was still in school. I got good experience running accounts and finances. I’ve always liked numbers because they don’t lie. It’s either correct or wrong. I also have a very math-minded and analytical brain. So, this career path was a natural choice.
What’s one thing that surprised you about working at CloudQ?
Responsibility. At my other job, I used to have managers who told me kind of what to do. It was more of a customer service industry. Well, for this job, Yasser or Mike will tell me things I need to do, but usually, I already know what I need to do. It is a feeling of responsibility toward my work and the freedom I have to execute my tasks.
What’s a work-related accomplishment that you’re proud of?
Company’s growth. I’m proud because I feel I’m growing with the company.
How does this role contribute to larger company goals?
I feel my role directly impacts the company’s success because we have all these employees doing all these services, and if we don’t get their payments out on time, we’ll have problems with employee productivity.
What major challenges did you face during your last role? How did you handle them?
At my last job, a major challenge would be that you could do your job perfectly, yet the customer would be really rude towards you. Let’s say like in a Starbucks, if someone orders a drink, and you make it perfectly and everything, but they’re just having a bad day, they could still be very rude to you. You need to know that you can only control things you do, not others. You can’t let other people’s negative thoughts get to you. Just, focus on what you can control.
What are the roles of a Director of Operations?
I handle accounts payable, accounts receivable, the company’s payroll, following up with clients, reaching out to employees about whatever issues they may be facing, and finding suitable solutions. Also, I have a ton of emails to follow up and reply to.
What are the qualities a Director of Operations should possess to be effective?
I feel the director of operations is a person who needs to think analytically and logically. It’s our job to ensure that we have the funds to operate the business. That’s how I view it.
Describe your daily routine as a Director of Operations.
Yeah. I guess just an average day, I come in and say hi to whoever’s here. I check my emails first, and then I check our bank accounts. Depending on the day, maybe it’s a payroll day, or I need to invoice all the clients. Maybe I need to update certain spreadsheets or reply to a bunch of emails. I’ll take care of anything urgent first.
What would you do to ensure the services provided by your team are consistent and up to date?
I always make sure I’m on the same page as my team. Communication is probably the most important thing. You can’t assume things, especially with accounting, it’s either yes or no. It’s very definite, and the communication needs to always be clear.
What is your strategy for dealing with difficult clients, and how has it been successful?
I stay persistent. Sooner or later, the issue will be resolved. If you just keep trying, sooner or later, something’s going to happen to resolve the issues. Always stay connected with them, and let the communication happen.
What are some suggestions for young, aspiring employees who want to work in your role?
Make sure that they’re passionate about whatever they do. I could probably not do this job if I didn’t love doing it. Math is something I’ve always loved. It’s my second nature. Even if I didn’t work here, I would always want to have a job in accounting. My other piece of advice is you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. For example, when I was working my other job, I met Yaser and Sanjay. I could easily have left the opportunity at the door, and I would’ve missed this amazing career. Who knows where I’d be? Simply put, it’s important to take the chances presented to you, even if you don’t see what it could eventually be.
How do you prefer to end your day?
So, I’ll leave work and eat dinner. I like to just relax, unwind, and maybe sleep. Sleep sounds great all the time.
There you have it! We hope you enjoyed this interview with Ben Weaver, and we hope you take a minute to check out some of the other interviews we’ve done.
Huge thanks go out to Ben for lending us a bit of his most valuable time. We couldn’t have done it without you!
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