All posts by Susan Young - Human Resources Manager

At Smarty®, our company does two main things to maintain a culture of wizardry, fun, and outwardness. First, we have our staff meetings, and second, we have company spotlights. Both events are in-person, where everyone comes together in school-assembly-style seating. We have a small stage with sound and lighting systems to enhance our gatherings. In our staff meetings, we learn about employees, organizational changes, and upcoming events. Our spotlights have become an easy and entertaining way to get to know people from all departments, learn how they contribute to our organization, and learn what makes them unique.

Richard Oliver’s presence at Smarty improves the beauty of our grounds and the spirits of everyone he meets. His life, marked by a series of unique and enriching experiences, shapes his profound impact on our culture. Richard holding his younger brotherRichard was immersed in environments that fostered his curiosity and resilience from a young age. He grew up near the site of the Port Chicago explosion during World War II. When he was at a neighbor's house, he heard the explosion and saw the smoke, and the shockwave blew out the windows of his home 30 miles away!His childhood one-bedroom home also served as a backdrop in the Academy Award-winning film "All the Kings Men.

Today, we spotlight Trey Rutter, our Dev/Ops IT Associate. Trey is the wizard behind the scenes, helping to ensure that our hardware and address data solutions work seamlessly to deliver accurate and reliable information. Let's get to know Trey better. What is the most surprising thing you learned about addresses after joining Smarty?I found it surprising how a ZIP Code can tell us so much. It's more than just 5 digits at the end of your address. When you were in elementary school, what did you want to be when you grew up?As a kid, I had dreams of being an archeologist.

Interpersonal skills and how they tie to leadership, teamwork, and business growth is no cakewalk. Yet every business knows that retention of employees is largely contingent upon quality interpersonal skills. That's why so many organizations implement principles and techniques taught by the greats. I'm sure you've heard of Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends & Influence People", Steven R. Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People", or maybe even "Dare to Lead" by Dr. Brene Brown.

In the realm of corporate meetings that should've been an email, Smarty's staff meetings are different from what most would expect. Employees at Smarty frequently name our weekly company-wide meeting as a highlight of their week. Like many companies, our staff meetings consist of company announcements, and updates you'd expect from any SaaS company. What makes our meetings unique is the lively, interactive, fun atmosphere where laughter is the most common sound and hurting cheeks are the most common symptom.

Last week, we participated in National Bike to Work Week! Our focus was to encourage physically beneficial commuting methods that get the air running through your hair. We expanded our scope of vehicles beyond bikes to motorcycles, motorscooters, and even walking. It was a transformative experience as we embraced alternative transportation to work. Benefits of active commuting:Active commuting offers numerous advantages for both individuals and the environment. By incorporating physical activity into our daily commute, we reap the benefits of improved fitness levels, increased energy, and reduced stress.

At Smarty, we pride ourselves on our unique company culture, built on three core values: outwardness, wizardry, and fun. What does that mean? We're doing our best to build a company culture in a way that makes folks want to come to work. Smarty's missionCreate great productsAt Smarty, we specialize in location data intelligence, working with global address and location data in validation, autocomplete, and geocoding areas. Our services include:International & US Address Validation: Ensuring that addresses are correctly typed and mailable prevents delayed or returned packages.