Welcome to the Employee Spotlight series! This week, we’re highlighting John Pauley. John is a Data Analyst and joined the SpendMend team about two years ago. When asked what three words he would use to describe SpendMend, he said, “Innovative, growing, and nimble.” John is from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and studied business at Calvin University. He chose a business degree because he found the program interesting! While working at SpendMend, John enjoys listening to podcasts. His favorites are The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers because they remind him of the SNL Digital Shorts. When he really needs to focus, he switches to music instead. When asked about any new music he’s been listening to or if he has any recommendations, he joked, “The only ‘new’ music I’ve listened to recently is from The Wiggles. That’s thanks to my 3-year-old.” A fun fact about John is that in 2018, he ran a sub-3-hour marathon and qualified to run the Boston Marathon in 2019! He started running marathons as a personal challenge and loved the Boston Marathon experience, especially the crowd support. “The best part of the crowds was seeing all the dogs in costume that people brought along.” Since the race takes place on a holiday, people line the course from start to finish. Read the full interview below to learn more about John’s marathon training experience! Another hobby John enjoys in his free time is adding smart home devices to his house and automating everyday tasks. His favorite smart home device is the Nest Hub Max because it can control other devices even without internet access! His next project? Placing NFC stickers around his home that are programmed to perform tasks when he hovers his phone over them. For example, he plans to put a sticker on his car’s dashboard so that when he hovers his phone over it, all the house lights turn off. For anyone just getting started with smart home tech, John recommends using Alexa or Google Home to create some basic routines!
John does a great job in his role as a Data Analyst! We asked Phil Shoemaker, Business Intelligence Manager, about John, and he said, “John possesses a level of curiosity that drives him to explore and learn. He traces issues back to their source and corrects them rather than working around them. His willingness to volunteer for ad-hoc needs, assist team members, and share tips/tricks/insights helps foster collaboration across our team. His contributions have impacted the quality of our deliverables and the overall team dynamic in a positive way.” Thank you for going above and beyond, John!
Interview with John:
What is your role at SpendMend?
Data Analyst
How long have you been with SpendMend?
2 years
How did you first learn about SpendMend?
I was hired in 2010 by John Baker at BSI and was part of the team that went to PRGX in 2012.
What three words would you use to describe SpendMend?
Innovative, growing, and nimble.
Where are you located/from?
I’m from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Where did you go for higher education?
I went to Calvin College (now Calvin University).
What did you study and why?
I studied business, not sure what I wanted to do with it, but it was the program I found most interesting. I also attended Grand Valley State University for a master’s in accounting, but decided about halfway through that I didn’t want to become a CPA.
Why do you look forward to coming to work?
I enjoy new and different challenges every day.
Before working at SpendMend, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
I used to be a night auditor for a hotel here in Grand Rapids. The job itself wasn’t unusual, just some of the guests.
What is one fun fact about you?
Although I don’t run as much these days, back in 2018, I ran a sub-3-hour marathon and qualified to run the Boston Marathon in 2019.
What inspired you to start running marathons in the first place?
I started running marathons because I wanted the challenge. I had done smaller races previously, but I wanted to give the Grand Rapids Marathon a try.
What was your training routine like leading up to the sub-3-hour marathon?
To have a good chance of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, I needed to run a marathon in under 3 hours. After five failed attempts, I switched to the Hanson’s training program. At my peak training, I was running 70 miles a week, sometimes twice a day. I finally qualified in 2018 at the Martian Invasion of Races in Dearborn with a time of 2:58:33.
Did you end up running the Boston Marathon in 2019—and what was that experience like?
Running the Boston Marathon in 2019 was an incredible experience. Most marathons can be boring with little crowd support. At the Boston Marathon, people line the whole course. It’s a holiday (Patriots’ Day), so a lot of people come out to see all the runners. The best part of the crowds was seeing all the dogs in costume that people brought along.
What was your favorite marathon you’ve ever run and why?
Hands down, the Boston Marathon is my favorite, and I would run it again if I qualified. These days, I don’t run more than 5 days a week, maybe 3-4 days a week, and don’t run nearly as fast.
What type of music or podcasts do you listen to during the workday?
Recently, I’ve enjoyed listening to the Lonely Island and Seth Meyers podcasts.
What do you like most about the Seth Meyers Podcast?
I like The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers’ Podcast mainly for the nostalgia of when SNL Digital Shorts were at their best.
How does listening to music or podcasts like The Lonely Island impact your focus or energy at work?
I try to mix in some news podcasts as well, but will switch to music when I am doing deep work. I save the podcasts for busy work.
Have you discovered any other podcasts or music artists recently that you’d recommend?
As for music recommendations, the only “new” music I’ve listened to recently is from The Wiggles. That’s thanks to my 3-year-old.
Do you have any hobbies or participate in any activities outside of work?
I like adding smart home devices to my house and finding ways to automate common tasks.
What’s your favorite smart home device you’ve added so far, and why?
My favorite smart home device has been the Nest Hub Max for lots of reasons, but I like that it works with Matter over Thread so that I can control devices and don’t have to rely on the internet (or for AWS to be fully operational).
Have you built or programmed any of your own automations? If so, what’s one you’re proud of?
I haven’t done anything too advanced, but I just received some NFC stickers I plan on putting in certain places around the home. When you put your phone over the NFC sticker, your phone will run the routine you’re assigned to that sticker. For example, I plan on putting one on my car’s dashboard that, when I hover my phone over it, will turn off all the house lights, close the garage door, arm the security system, and turn up/down the thermostat.
Are there any smart home tools or platforms you recommend for beginners?
For beginners wanting to create some smart home routines, Alexa and Google Home make it pretty easy to create routines, depending on what smart home ecosystem they have.
Do you find that your interest in automation overlaps with your professional skills in any way?
My interest in automation overlaps with some of my work, primarily modifying procedures and scheduling jobs in SQL Server Management Studio, and is analogous to my smart-home routines and time-based triggers.
Can you describe an interaction when you helped a client or a supplier that stands out in your mind?
My communication is all internal to SpendMend.
What is the best part of serving the healthcare market?
Healthcare is expensive. I like knowing that our work may have some impact in reducing that cost.
If you work at the Grand Rapids headquarters, what is your favorite Recovery Room Activity?
Kicking my feet up and relaxing
Do you want to shout out a co-worker who has helped or inspired you at SpendMend?
I want to acknowledge that my manager, Phil Shoemaker, is very interested in the growth and development of his team’s knowledge and expertise.
What advice do you have for prospective candidates who want to join the SpendMend team?
Keep a desire to learn and don’t be afraid to bring new ideas to the table.
What has been your proudest accomplishment at SpendMend?
I don’t think there’s a single accomplishment, just a lot of “aha” moments that make the job very rewarding.
What is something you’re looking forward to for your future at SpendMend?
Seeing where our growth is going to take us next.