Ask anyone at EverCheck about Gabe, and you’ll likely hear a few of the same words over again: kind, adventurous, always willing to help wherever he can, and how his dog, Keetna, is the most adorable Malamute Husky mix.
Gabe Henriques is a Client Success Manager here at EverCheck and in fact, was the first full time EverCheck’r in our Boulder, Colorado office.
We sat down (virtually) with Gabe to learn where he gets his zest for adventure, what made him fall in love with Colorado, and how he manages to always be such a positive influence for the team.
Q | You came from Chicago - a much different city than where you are now in Boulder, CO. What drew you to Boulder in the first place, and what makes you stay?
A | I grew up in Chicago, and I absolutely love it there. College took me to Wisconsin; I always thought I’d end up back in Chicago. But I came to Boulder for a summer internship and quickly realized that it was exactly where I wanted to be. Boulder has this thriving downtown scene with all the great food and breweries, but you also have the mountains right in your backyard. Sorry to say this to you, Florida folks, but if I had the choice between the mountains and the beach, I’d choose the mountains 11 out of 10 times.
Q | You were EverCheck employee #1 in Boulder! Of course, we had folks from CE Broker there and some people who worked on both teams, but you were the first designated person in what was then an ancillary office. What was that like for you to be kind of the lone wolf?
A | Well, it was actually pretty cool because the people who were in the office at the time (and many, still) are awesome. The office was in one of Boulder’s co-work spaces, so there was this whole tech start-up vibe that drew me to EverCheck. Before, I was working with a financial company that was very corporate. I liked the people I worked with, but it was very Dunder-Mifflinesque. Cubicles, someone always looking over your shoulder.
Back then, EverCheck was still in its earlier years, and I loved the idea of working with a growing company. Plus, the cultural fit was right. Here, it feels like an “adult” company; I don’t know of a better way to put it. But people trust you to do your work, to treat your clients the way they want to be treated, and to do a great job. There’s no micromanagement. You’re just expected to hold yourself accountable and get your work done, and I like that level of responsibility.
Q | What experience do you think most prepared you for your role as a Client Success Manager?
A | So, I was actually an entrepreneur right out of college. I helped start a coworking space in Denver. At 22 years old, I was drafting business plans, negotiating leases and other contracts, getting my hands dirty demoing and renovating the space, marketing the business during Denver Start-Up Week, and everything else that comes with starting a company. Being a business owner makes you realize that we all have similar goals professionally - to do a great job and provide value to others. I see that in my clients. That experience instilled a sense of empathy that I carry with me into my day-to-day dealings with my clients. Plus, starting a business meant collaboration with all types of people, and it taught me a lot, not only about what it takes to run a business but how to effectively communicate with people.
Q | Software isn’t always perfect, as everyone knows. What’s your approach to helping your clients when issues arise?
A | Having an open line of communication with your clients is key. I stay proactive, keep a finger on the pulse of my client’s accounts, and make a point to really humanize this whole relationship. Sure, we’re a software company, but people like me here are 100% dedicated to delivering a really human experience. Things will undoubtedly arise as they do, but when you have an actual relationship with your clients, it’s so much easier to work through a solution together.
Q | Who do you look to professionally for advice and as a mentor?
A | I’ve learned so much from Melissa (Collins). Currently, she serves as our Business Operations Manager, but she has worn so many different hats with EverCheck. She’s actually the one who hired me! She was my supervisor for a while there.
What I respect about Melissa is what a great communicator she is. She really taught me to look at every email, every sentence, and every interaction and make 100% sure it would feel right to the person on the other side of it.
Q | Of the six, which of our core values do you hold as your own the most?
A | Considering that my favorite subreddit is Today I Learned, “pursue growth and learning” would have to be the one that I relate to the most. I’m always trying to learn new things, but one thing I’ve really taken to is learning more about my clients. When you say we serve “healthcare organizations,” that’s a really broad term. Not everyone uses our service the same way. For instance, one client I have is a medical imaging center, and they run primary source verification on every physician who sends patients to them. Understanding them well helped me grasp all the nuances of how they use our product, which, of course, is different from your standard hospital. It’s taking the time to really get to know and learn about your clients that make a difference.
Q | You’re admittedly a huge sports fan. You played baseball in college, and you even coach a baseball team! What are some lessons you teach your team that you feel carry over into the real world?
A | Baseball has given me so much over the years, especially how you respond to adversity and work together as a team. In many ways, the game prepares you for real life.
One of my favorite drills to do before a game is called the 5-pointed star drill. It’s a visualization exercise where you lay down on the field with your hat over your face, eyes closed, and envision how you’ll react to different situations - both successes and failures. Say you’ve struck out - are you going to go back to the dugout angry with yourself and sulk, or are you going to get out on the field and continue to give it you're all for your team? When you hit a home run, what would that feel like, and how would it affect you for the rest of the game? When you can visualize your responses beforehand, you can think about how you ideally would like to respond. Plus, you’ll be more likely to give yourself time to react the way you want to when these circumstances do actually happen.
“Training yourself to respond to adversity on the field is really training yourself to respond in the real world.”
Q | What’s your #1 recommendation for folks visiting Boulder?
A | I could give you names of restaurants and breweries all day, but the number one thing I would recommend is to get out and enjoy nature. It doesn’t matter how. There are a million ways to do it. But Boulder is all about reconnecting. Hike, drive to a scenic spot, whatever. Just get outside.
Of course, be smart about it. For those of you coming from lower elevations (like the Florida team), I’d recommend a hike on the Green Mountain West Ridge trail. It’s not too difficult, but it has some really amazing views.
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Click here to meet the rest of the EverCheck team!
