Whether you’re looking to get your toes wet in a new career field or simply need a job that will carry you from Point A to Point B in life, it can be difficult to find a company that comprehends the unique value that you bring to the table as an individual. Vagaro understands the importance of both professional & personal growth for its employees and encourages their upward journey within the company. In this Employee Spotlight, Neomi Allen (Technical Trainer), Sam Hutcher (Software Engineer) and Zachary Stewart (Content Writer) all share a bit about their journeys within Vagaro. From how they started to where they’re currently at and how they got there, they provide an inside look behind the curtain of working—and growing—at Vagaro headquarters. Be sure to read to the end to catch all their personal tips for professional growth, no matter your industry!
Neomi Allen: Technical Trainer
To kick things off, tell us a bit about your origins with Vagaro! How long have you worked here? What was your initial position?
I started with Vagaro in June of 2021 as a support agent and have been with the company for a little over two years!
Now, let’s fast forward a bit. What’s your current position, and can you walk us through what a typical day might look like for you?
I’m currently a Technical Trainer! My typical day consists of hosting webinars, personalized one-on-one training with businesses, and trying to improve what we already offer, whether it’s activities for new-hire training, or creating internal training for our current support agents.
Before starting at Vagaro, did you expect to find yourself in your current career field, or did you change direction after becoming an employee with Vagaro?
I always wanted to pursue a field in teaching, so training fits in perfectly with the direction I wanted to go in, and it’s something I enjoy doing.
What kind of experience did you have prior to joining the company?
My experience has always been in customer service and working in call centers. I’ve worked in various departments, whether it was customer service, technical support, sales, or retention. I was also a lead at a call center for a cell phone provider, so I’m very comfortable with the call center environment.
How would you say your time at Vagaro helped prepare or guide you toward your current position? Was it a linear journey?
It was definitely a linear journey, starting as a Support Agent, moving to a Customer Support Lead role, then becoming a Technical Trainer. Vagaro is unlike any other company in the sense that I’ve never worked in an environment where my peers are such positive and motivating individuals. The culture and coworkers were really what encouraged me to decide that training was the right path for me and solidified my decision.
What kind of advice would you give to someone who may be looking to climb the ladder within their own department, or even branch out into another career field?
Be open to feedback & criticism; be coachable. Ask questions and always be willing to learn. Engage with peers that are in fields that you are interested in. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice—everyone is always willing to uplift one another here. Progress isn’t instant. Let things take their time.
Sam Hutcher: Software Engineer
To kick things off, tell us a bit about your origins with Vagaro! How long have you worked here? What was your initial position?
I've worked here for about three years now. I started as a Customer Support Representative, then found myself as a Support Mentor before landing my current role.
Now, let’s fast forward a bit. What’s your current position, and can you walk us through what a typical day might look like for you?
My current position is Software Engineer Level 2. One of the things I love most about this role is how different the day-to-day can be from one month to the next. On my current project, MySite, a typical day will start with a quick meeting with the Development Team which will set me on track for any features or bugs to address for the day. The majority of my time is spent staring at mine and others’ code. Depending on the day, it may end in a late-night meeting with Development again to keep everyone on the same page.
Before starting at Vagaro, did you expect to find yourself in your current career field, or did you change direction after becoming an employee with Vagaro?
This is definitely the career I was hoping to get into, but I originally didn't imagine it would still be with Vagaro. Everything has worked itself out pretty amazingly and I couldn't be more grateful.
What kind of experience did you have prior to joining the company?
I had general customer service experience, but more importantly, I also had development experience making small web apps and tracking software for the City of Oakland.
How would you say your time at Vagaro helped prepare or guide you toward your current position? Was it a linear journey?
Customer Support definitely helped me with how to communicate with our overseas Development Team and how in depth our bug reporting needs to be. It also greatly helped me understand the Vagaro product itself.
What kind of advice would you give to someone who may be looking to climb the ladder within their own department, or even branch out into another career field?
I think it's important to let your manager/supervisor know your goals, show interest, and of course, show capability in whatever way you can!
Zachary Stewart: Content Writer
To kick things off, tell us a bit about your origins with Vagaro! How long have you worked here? What was your initial position?
I’ve worked at Vagaro for about two and a half years and was originally hired on as a Customer Support Representative.
Now, let’s fast forward a bit. What’s your current position, and can you walk us through what a typical day might look like for you?
I’m currently a Content Writer! My typical day involves writing (of course) and publishing articles or creating pieces of content for other teams that need it. It’s also not uncommon for me to conduct interviews here and there for my articles, like in this case, myself!
Before starting at Vagaro, did you expect to find yourself in your current career field, or did you change direction after becoming an employee with Vagaro?
Creative writing and storytelling have always been something that I’ve loved. Even before I knew how to write, my parents would help me spin together wild bedtime stories or tall tales. Truth be told, I didn’t see myself becoming a writer when I thought of careers, though. It was always something that seemed too far-fetched or unrealistic—I was told by many that it was merely a hobby. Within my first week at Vagaro, though, I met a Copywriter who gave me a glimpse into what this world was like. When it became clear to me that writing as a career was within my grasp, and not some wish, I made it my personal goal to follow my passion once again and become one!
What kind of experience did you have prior to joining the company?
The majority of my professional experience is actually in the wellness and tech industries. Vagaro was a perfect fit right away since it blended not only my previous expertise, but my interests as well! My writing experience and abilities are the products of years of help, workshops, feedback, and collaboration from too many selfless professors, teachers, family members, and friends who spent much of their own time to help me get to where I am today. I can’t thank each of them enough.
How would you say your time at Vagaro helped prepare or guide you toward your current position? Was it a linear journey?
As I mentioned before, I always thought of becoming a writer in the same way that I thought of becoming the next hit popstar—the chances were slim! It wasn’t until I was enlightened about the world of content & copywriting by those I met at Vagaro that I had realized it was something I could actually do! Much like Sam & Neomi, I also started in Customer Support, first as an agent, then as a mentor. Networking cross-functionally throughout a majority of the teams in the company, and the experience I gained on the support floor definitely helped prepare me for my current position. Eventually, my passion and preparation were met with an opportunity.
What kind of advice would you give to someone who may be looking to climb the ladder within their own department, or even branch out into another career field?
If there’s something that you want to achieve, accomplish, reach—whatever it is, you can do it. You have to be willing to do it yourself, though. I feel like it’s common for a lot of us to wait on external things/people/the universe to lay our paths out for us. It’s up to us to be our best advocate, though! If there’s a move or a change that you’d like to make in your career or workplace, network and express your interests with those in that department, self-reflect to understand the value that you can bring to that team, and then try to become even better at whatever it is you might do! That preparation will set you up for ultimate success once an opportunity comes your way.
Working at a new company can be exciting and terrifying at the same time. After all, the majority of your adult life is spent at work, so it’s important that wherever you choose to plant seeds, that you’re doing it in rich soil. Choose a company that’s going to support your growth. If that sounds like something you might be interested in, consider taking a look at Vagaro’s careers page and see how you’d fit in.
To get to know the Vagaro employees better, check out our Hispanic Heritage Month article, our Customer Support Spotlight, and our Vagaro Merchant Services Team article!
If you’re a professional or business owner looking for a way to put more time and money in your pocket, consider Vagaro for your booking & business management needs. Between its easy-to-use interface, and built-in add-ons, Vagaro’s here to help you succeed. See how you can get 30 days absolutely free, here!