Hi, my name is Bre and I am a Human Resources Specialist at Wisper Internet. I enjoy my position in HR because I get to be a part of the driving force that grows the Wisper Team. I love watching Wisper grow because it makes me feel like I’m a part of something bigger than myself. As an HR Specialist, I conduct phone interviews on a daily basis. Phone interviews are tough for interviewees. You are faced with the task of showing your personality through voice alone. Let’s not forget about the awkward pauses and interruptions. Without seeing the other person’s facial expressions and gestures, it can be difficult to know when it’s your turn to chime in. I feel like I’ve experienced every possible scenario as the interviewer, from a candidate attempting to be heard clearly over Bluetooth while driving in traffic to a tower climber candidate not mentioning their fear of heights. My experience as an interviewer has given me insight on what to do and what not to do during a phone interview. At Wisper we want you to succeed, so I put these valuable tips together for you. Why you do you like phone interview screenings? I like phone interview screenings because they allow me to tell our story at Wisper. It is important to me that candidates know who we are and understand who we are striving to be in the future. Besides researching online, it’s the first tangible chance for candidates to learn if they are a good fit for our company culture. It is also an opportunity for candidates to share their stories and experiences. Why is a phone interview important? Resumes do get you in the door, but phone interviews are the first opportunity to discover if the candidate is a good fit for Wisper and vice versa. At Wisper is it important that candidates align with our company culture. Our company culture is based around our 5 core-values: Humbly Confident – We truthfully and confidently state our talents, abilities, strengths, and worthiness. At the same time, we recognize that we still have much to learn and more ways to grow. Committed to Serving One Another – We acknowledge that to succeed, we must work together as a team. Focused on Customer Experience – The customer is the most important part of our business. We recognize that our employees are our customers and believe that customer happiness is the main driving force to our success. Driven to Solution – We are motivated to remove obstacles that stand in our way of being successful. No challenge goes unaccepted. Life-Long Learners – We deliberately focus on the ongoing and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge. What do you look for in a phone interview? I look for the following attributes: Examples of teamwork and leadership Qualities that exemplify helping customers, how you put customers first A genuine fit, how a candidate matches our core values and culture Showcase of experience (it’s not all about a degree), tell us about your success stories What are common phone interview questions at Wisper? What is the most complex or niche thing you know a lot about? Can you explain it to me in under 3 minutes? Tell me about the hardest “judgment call” you have ever had to make? When you had extra time available in previous positions, what did you do with it? Provide an example of a time when you went out of your way and jumped through hoops to delight a customer. Do you have any phone interview tips and tricks? When preparing for a phone interview, don’t forget that this is your time to shine! Please talk about yourself and your work style. I know it can feel odd, but don’t be ashamed to brag about yourself here and there during the interview. The interviewer isn’t going to know why you are a good fit for the position or Wisper unless you tell them. What is one thing you want a future phone interview candidate to know about Wisper Internet? I love our culture! Even with our rapid growth, we have a family-type environment. Management cares about their team and wants each person to succeed in their position. For example, if you are a hard worker but your skill set doesn’t match the position you are in, management will place you in another position or department where they feel you would be happier. Ready for your phone interview? Visit our jobs page to apply for an open position. The HR Team and I look forward to hearing from you!… Read More

What does it mean to lead? Let’s turn to our good friend, Merriam Webster. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, to lead means to “direct the operations, activity, or performance of.” Seems simple enough, right? But to lead can come in many different approaches and styles. Since starting Wisper Internet from my garage in 2003, I’ve conducted my fair share of research on leading. A company can’t grow without the proper leadership in place, but too often, the leadership conversation is reserved for individuals in high positions within the company. I don’t think there is a secret sauce – that one must possess all the characteristics listed in the numerous books, podcasts, and more on the topic and be in a high-level position to be a leader. Leadership is unique to the individual and is required by employees at all levels. Managers aren’t the only ones expected to lead. Titles are important, but they aren’t the end all and be all. I expect all of my employees to strive and grow to be a successful leader in their own way. What does that look like? Employees are to lead by example in their role, no matter how big or small. Since leadership can be unique to the person, our team works to put each employee, as long as they demonstrate hard work and dedication, to the position that matches their strengths the best. Then, they have the best chance to reach their full potential as a leader. Consistency is the key to growth and the same rule applies for leadership. You must choose to be a leader day in and day out. It can be hard. There are some days you’d rather do the bare minimum to get by, but the things worth-wild in life usually aren’t easy. It’s a choice you make. So how do you define successful leadership for yourself? And where do you currently stand in your definition? Ask yourself the following four questions to effectively measure your leadership skills. What Attitude Do You Bring? Attitude is important because life is what you make it. Are you going to choose to look at the glass half full or half empty? Your reaction matters in all situations, no matter how big or small. I remember driving my kids to swim practice and being cut off by someone. I just slammed on the breaks to avoid a collision and kept driving. My middle child asked in awe, “Wait, aren’t you going to call him an idiot? That’s what mom does.” I decided to make this is a teachable moment. I responded, “Yes, the other car cut me off, but he didn’t hit me. Maybe he was rushing to the hospital for a family member, or maybe he didn’t know he cut me off. Getting upset about it and saying he’s an idiot doesn’t affect anything or change the outcome.” I could have very easily agreed that the person who cut me off was an idiot, but I chose to put myself in the other person’s shoes, instead of making an assumption. If you do well on the small decisions, it makes the big decisions easier. Do others follow you? Take a look at your followers. It doesn’t mean you are a good leader or a bad leader. It just means you are a leader. Recognizing that you have followers is one of the first steps towards working to become a great leader. How do you influence your environment? The best books I’ve read on leadership are The 5 Levels of Leadership and 360 Degree Leader, both written by John C. Maxwell. In the books, he discusses all things leadership and how to develop your influence on a person. You may not realize it, but despite your title or role, you make an influence one way or another. Do others look up to you? Being a leader may not be up to you, but you do have a choice on the type of leader you are going to be. A leader has great responsibilities. Others constantly observe your words and actions. You have to be intentional about the type of leader you choose to be. As a leader, you are expected to be on your a-game 24/7 because you never know when someone is watching. It takes years for a leader to build respect, but it only takes seconds to lose it. To learn more effective way to measure your leadership, watch this video featuring me, Nathan Stooke – CEO of Wisper Internet…. Read More

To be the most efficient and successful version of itself, Wisper Internet has adopted the EOS Model. The EOS Model outlines the idea that there are six key components to every business, no matter the size or industry. The six components are vision, data, process, traction, issues, and people. The model then continues to say that if businesses continuously work to strengthen these six components, they will achieve success. Don’t worry. The model doesn’t stop there. It provides insight on the necessary roles and steps to strengthen these six components. Let’s start with the basics, the leadership team. A successful business is much more difficult to build, if not impossible to build, without a strong leadership team. One of the fundamental leadership roles named by the EOS Model is that of Integrator. The EOS Model defines Integrator as “the person who is the tie-breaker for the leadership team, is the glue for the organization, holds everything together, beats the drum (provides cadence), is accountable for the P&L results, executes the business plan, holds the Leadership Team accountable, and is the steady force in the organization.” Sound like an important role? It is. We knew choosing a person for the role of Integrator wasn’t going to be a light-hearted decision. After much time and consideration, we choose Ginny Wood to serve as Integrator, or Chief Operations Officer (COO), as we refer to her. The addition of the role allows Wisper Founder and CEO, Nathan Stooke to hone into his strengths and be a true visionary by relinquishing his Integrator responsibilities. Ginny is an entrepreneurial COO, EOS Integrator, and general manager experienced in building and growing businesses ranging from start-ups to $2 Billion in annual revenue. It’s no surprise that she thrives in rough waters. Even though she serves in a high-level role, she is equally comfortable collaborating with peers, leading or managing, being accountable for the P&L or systematically attacking a company’s toughest operational challenges. It’s safe to say that you can call her a Jill of all trades. To help us get to know her better, we asked Ginny a few questions. Here are 10 Valuable Things To Spotlight About Our COO. 1. What was it like growing up? Although I was born in Iowa City, IA, and spent some early years in San Diego, most of my formative years were in Lincoln, Nebraska. I’m blessed to be flanked by an older sister and younger brother who are each a neighbor of mine now. My parents both drove and inspired my growth and continue to model a good life. 2. What’s your morning routine? I fill my proverbial cup before 8 am. After 8 hours of sleep, I make strong coffee in a mocha pot and meditate for 20 minutes or so. Depending on the time zone I’m in, I’ll either start working right away or get a cardio workout in. 3. What’s your educational background? I have an undergrad Business degree + 36 hours of Japanese language study + M.B.A., Finance + Full-stack software development boot camp (5-months) in San Francisco. 4. What’s your career journey? My past P&L responsibility includes five businesses — one grown from nothing to a $1.8M run-rate in 8 months and one where I served as President driving $14M in sales and an expanded 45% net margin. For fun, I took a career break to attend the premier full-stack development school, Dev Bootcamp in San Francisco, where I graduated in the top third of my class. 5. Do you have professional goals? Learn, grow, improve. 6. What are your work habits? Block the time to get the most important things done. Take time to listen and serve the people on my team. Plan a week in advance + review tomorrow tonight. Focus on my health so I am present in my work. 7. What are your hobbies? Family, wonderful friends, running, swimming, biking, yoga, reading, avocados, playing outside, a good night’s sleep, and a love of learning new things every day makes me feel like the richest person on the planet. 8. Tell us about your family! I’m Mother of 3 adult children, a sister, and a daughter. I’m a member of a kind, funny, and loving family. 9. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Take the time to know yourself. Knowing who you are allows you to live your life with purpose and meaning. 10. How do you find balance? Balance is a daily dose of good sleep, exercise, healthy food, good work, and love…. Read More