At Telarus Town Hall, we have a lot of fun celebrating the success of the past year, getting to know new employees (and old), and, for the first time, we are adding a few new awards for individuals. We have so many amazing people at Telarus, and we felt it was important to take time to recognize them for their efforts.
We have added five new award categories, most with multiple winners. The Telarus executive team decided each winner after a good deal of review. Below is a script as taken from the event. It explains what the award is for and then announces each winner. Without further ado…
Rookies of the Year
In 2018, we added more employees than any other year in Telarus history. These awards are for the team members who joined us in 2018 who made an immediate impact.
Our first Rookie is a specialty leader. Although she previously worked for a competitor, this person came in and built the foundation for one of our fastest growing specialty practices. Nestled in her home office somewhere in Oregon (trust me, she can’t tell you where she lives), this person has grown our Verizon practice tremendously in one year. Ladies and gentlemen, our first Rookie of the Year, is Whitney Andrea.
Our second Rookie joined us in the Spring. Spring might be the right word to describe this high-energy go-getter. This person has proven to be much better than a kick up the backside. Although his life has been a bit of a dog’s breakfast since he joined, he has never been a few stubbies short of a six-pack. This person has been successful selling cloud (dominating everyone with a 100% cloud average) and signing partners at a record pace even though, until November, his nearest coworker was 7,500 miles away. If you haven’t guessed by now, No worries, mate, she’ll be alright. Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Tony Heywood.
Our third Rookie will be presented as a Duo because you really can’t take one of these ladies without the other. Like Batman and Robin, Laverne and Shirley, and Sonny and Cher, this team is the Telarus equivalent of Thelma and Louise. These two hard-charging ladies have taken over the Carolinas. Setting a new sales mark in November, these two are just getting started. Please join me in congratulating both Emily Lisewski and Reagan Roberts.
Our final Rookie of the year changed the game in our CenturyLink specialty team. This person is known for speed and loves to go in early in the morning and take all the quote requests out of the box so no one else can get them. They are always looking to top what was done before to measure progress. This person’s speed for CenturyLink quotes changed the game and allowed the team to improve the partner experience. Congratulations to the man, the myth, the legend… Mr. Phillip Foltz.
Superstars
These are individuals who were promoted in 2018 and had become stars in their new roles.
Our first superstar has quietly turned his team into an absolute powerhouse. His ability to innovate and automate has changed how his team works. By creating better tracking tools and new measurements, he has improved how his team operates. This person quietly kicks butt. You may not see him coming, but after you have met him, you will truly walk away impressed. I know I have. Ladies and Gentlemen, a big hand for Mr. Kelly Hoyle.
Next up is another dynamic duo who we need to acknowledge together. These two go together like peas and carrots, bacon and eggs, salt and pepper, mac & cheese (gluten-free of course),. These two have successfully identified roles, created processes, and synchronized on how to best work together. One is an all-star sales leader, and the other is an operations star. Both are highly results-oriented and always focused on doing the right thing for partners and employees. As you have likely guessed, Mike Betilyon and Ciera Broberg.
This next Superstar has redefined a department. A year ago, this person was handed a department and told to run it. With little data and no real process, this person started to work out how to best serve partners.
This person’s team of three has already doubled and expanded across the country. Partners now have access to the best technical resources in the industry. Need an engineer? We gotta guy you can talk to…Say hello to Josh Lupresto.
Our last Superstar award goes to a person promoted to Director in 2018. This person ended up taking over a territory that changed out every person in that region and had to start fresh. We have now added amazing sales and support resources to help, but this person helped us bridge the gap. She knows her numbers, knows her partners, and is always willing to help when she can. Please congratulate Meggan Fenton.
Rock Stars
These are people who have continued to excel in their jobs. Our first Rock Star is one of the most consistently high-performing individuals I have ever seen. This person just works. Several months back, I pulled a metric that showed the # of orders entered into the back office. With no exaggeration, this person was near twice the next person on the list. In addition to the great individual work, this person has also taken the time to train new staff and willingly accepts assignments as asked. This person set the standard for what it means to be a Cable Support Manager — boots on, head down, kickin’ butt — Chelsea Crump.
Our next Rock Star is a standard-setter as well. This is a person who took a department, flipped the job description, and helped a marketing team become the best events team in the industry. Telarus events are seen as the standard in the industry, and our 2018 Partner Exchange in Florida proved we can create the Telarus magic anywhere in the country. If she isn’t raising a few million dollars in sponsorships or hammering me for updates on President’s Club attendance, she is planning the next great Telarus event. The one, the only, Amy Bailey.
Up next, we have the quiet assassin. This is a person many of you may not know. If you don’t, it is truly a loss. This person finds a way to get things done. He has the respect of his team, and he leads by example. He is willing to help whenever he can. He has consistently won over other teams and helped to create processes and responses that have improved how our CenturyLink team performs — another great Telarus leader with no available pictures anywhere online – Frank McClure.
Our next Rock Star is another quiet performer who consistently redefines herself without ever drawing attention. This person is a stellar contributor who finds a way to hold things together. She regularly teaches herself new skills and takes online courses to fill the gaps she wants to address. When the company needed additional help to with reporting, she went out and taught herself how to write reports in Tableau. The new views have simplified and improved reporting, incentives, and planning: ladies and Gents, The amazing and talented Joyce Carleton.
One thing all of our Rock Stars have in common is that they quietly and consistently perform. This next winner is no exception. A few days back, it was about 6:45 am, and I walked into the building with this person. I made a joke that she was the last person I saw at 6:30 PM the night before. This person always puts in the time and the effort to get a difficult job done. Handling inquiries and questions from partners about money is always tough. This person handles her role with a calm and consistency that makes her a Rockstar! Please join me in congratulating Lorie Mohler.
Standard Bearers
These are the people that are true blue Telarus. They are always willing to help, always willing to do a bit extra. First up, this person may well be the happiest person in the office (unless I forget to call her back). She is always smiling, always willing to help. Over the past few years, she has been given a variety of assignments. This person does the work with a smile and always exceeds expectations. Have a committee that needs help? Need to plan an activity last minute? You probably want Kyra “Vegan Voodoo” Augustus.
Our next winner does more jobs than anyone else in the company. She is often the first face a person sees when you come to the office. She keeps our meeting rooms from looking like pig pens, hydrates our visitors, and keeps the caffeine flowing. She is the voice of the office, begging for just a little cleanliness in a filthy world. That said, be careful, if that fork is upside down, she will cut you. You guessed it – Deborah Bay.
Our next standard-bearer often sets the standards for how our events look and feel. She arrives at events early and is one of the last to leave. She makes sure the details are handled, and things are ready to go…including making sure that I get my company shirts ordered. When the curtain comes up, you can guarantee this person made it special. Join me in making her feel special – Stephanie Call.
Our next Standard Bearer has maintained his Rockstar ways since his Carrier days. This man also does a little bit of everything. He has spent most of 2018 managing partner payouts from two different systems. His job has been to try and wrangle data in one tool and make sure it aligns the way it should. I have been personally impressed watching this man keep everything together. His ability to roll with the punches in 2018 sets him apart. Mr. James Boase!
Earlier, we discussed how Deborah had more jobs than anyone else. This person is a close second. For many years now, this person handles ALL the breakdowns. Something wrong with your paycheck? Talk to her. Something wrong with your manager? Talk to her. Need to understand why your 401k, chosen specifically for dividend-paying stocks is not funding? There is a good chance the amazing Cindy Cokl is already on it.
The MVP
This is the person who the executive team believes has had the greatest influence across the company. If you are going to have touchpoints across the company, you need to be involved in a bit of everything. Our winner this year found a way to do just that. Let me read this from her LinkedIn profile – Helping businesses leverage technology to achieve a business outcome is my passion. I enjoy uncovering business solutions through a “user-first” design methodology and driving efficient collaboration between all business units and managing projects from start to end. I also enjoy Managing a Team of people and assisting them in professional growth. This person did all of the above. Please congratulate on 2018 Telarus MVP – Stefanie Cortese!
