Tell us about yourself & your company?
Tom: I’ve been a salesman all my life. I was the kid who found your lost golf balls and sold them back to you, shovelled your driveway and mowed your lawn. Today I help businesses make it easier for their customers to pay by accepting credit cards in convenient, strategic ways. There are a surprising number of similarities between those childhood endeavours and what I do now.
While navigating covid-19, what new opportunities have you discovered?
Tom: This is going to sound like I’m pandering a little bit but deepening our relationships with professional Associations like HAVAN has been key to our growth.
It’s 11AM Saturday morning, what are you up to?
Tom: This time of year you’ll often find me on a golf course (last weekend was Fort Langley), hiking (two weeks ago was Mt Nutt) or studying for my Research Methods summer class.
What are your hobbies?
Tom: How much time do you have? Golf, hiking, swimming, cooking, calisthenics, reading and in better times, traveling.
Proudest moment?
Tom: Helping a beginner start down a new path is amazing. Where there was only uncertainty, suddenly confidence blooms. You can see it in their eyes and it’s wonderful.
What have you done in your community in the last year?
Tom: I feel fortunate that I’ve been in a position to contribute to the Surrey Food Bank, Coats for Kids and the Easter Seals. Three wonderful causes.
Favourite HAVAN moment and why?
Tom: There have been a lot of good moments over the years, but sitting down to lunch with Renée Auer a few months ago stands out. Renee gave me some excellent advice on how best to handle a sticky situation while also deepening my ties to the Association. Our conversation led to my joining the Membership Committee. As much as I love the big, lavish events that HAVAN routinely puts on it’s these quiet moments that mean the most to me.
Best work perk at your job?
Tom: I get to interact with huge array of people. For someone who’s curious about human behaviour, my work is fascinating.
Last HAVAN member you spoke to?
Tom: Our friendly, neighbourhood Business Surgeon, Keith Lloyd.
What inspires you?
Tom: Living by the golden rule. I love to meet people who live that way too.
What are you excited for / looking forward to right now?
Tom: Traveling again. I know; boring answer that everyone gives. But it’s definitely top of my list.
Share an interesting fact about your life?
Tom: I’m a bit of an adrenaline lover. At this point there are check marks next to bungee jumping, skydiving, hiking iffy mountain trails, zip-lining and jumping off of Vegas’s tallest building. No idea what I’ll be doing when it’s safe to journey again, but whatever it is, there’ll be some heart pumping moments.
Last piece of advice you have received?
Tom: If you fall short of the primary goal, there are always secondary opportunities that can serve to strengthen a relationship. That nugget of wisdom came to me from Doug Tanner of Marble Financial.
Starbucks order?
Tom: Bottled water.
Song on repeat right now?
Tom: Every song in my library is on a constant, random shuffle. Right now, that shuffle is playing “Temple” by Kings of Leon. Fun song.
Where were you born?
Tom: Iroquois Falls, Ontario
Favourite holiday / destination?
Tom: Ottawa, because that’s where my niece lives.
Does pineapple belong on pizza?
Tom: Absolutely! It’s all about striking the right balance.
First concert?
Tom: I’m told I had a great time at Sharon, Lois and Bram as a tyke. But I have no memory of that concert. The first band I saw without parental supervision was The Barenaked Ladies on my 13th Birthday. Great show!
Last book read/show watched?
Tom: Let’s see. There’s my Research Methods in Psychology textbook and Ken Follett’s World Without End on the go right now. And I just watched the final episode of Mare of Easttown last night. What a show.
Fun fact about you?
Tom: I took a month long road trip, hugging the coast from here to San Diego a couple of months before the we all went into shutdown. Pretty lucky timing.
What do you collect?
Tom: In terms of physical mementos I collect books, stones from first time hikes and photographs of my travels.
Netflix guilty pleasure?
Tom: Just about to dive into the final season of The Kominsky Method.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Tom: These questions were fun to think about.
Tom: LinkedIn for business and Facebook for birthday reminders. No @handle for this hombre.
