November 5, 2024
Building a career in financial technology is contingent on one's ability to roll with unexpected developments. With that in mind, I have set out to conduct a few "Ambush Interviews" with my co-workers. Participants don't know they're going to be interviewed, have no time to prepare, and their answers are captured via Zoom recording or text correspondence and reported here, by me, Jimmy Marks, in a new series I call Think Fast.
Morgan Schluttenhofer began her career at Trabian as an Intern, then enjoyed a brief hiatus to attend Purdue before returning as a project manager. In her time as a member of the Trabian team, she has overseen several projects and helped many new ideas spring to life.
But can she handle an ambush interview?
As a matter of fact, she can. Morgan is the type who can accomplish nearly anything she sets her mind to, as you will learn in this edition of “Think Fast.” I surprised Morgan with a conversation about what constitutes a “Mid-West Vibe,” her love of yarn work (not “yard work”) and how she went from couch to 5k…almost without a second thought.
Question 1
JIMMY: You live in Minnesota, but grew up in Indiana. While either could be lumped into the "Mid-West," what do you think sets them apart?
MORGAN: The culture is pretty similar, in my experience. In Lafayette, where I went to school, a lot of the city was united by Purdue (University), and where I am in Minnesota, a lot of people are connected or united by the hospital system where I live. So, you’re less of a “stranger” – people are very friendly in both places. [...] The vibes are fairly similar.
Question 2
JIMMY: You're a project manager. What tools are most important to you for getting the job done?
MORGAN: Time [laughs]. Having time to do all of the things. In project management, your "tools" are twofold; how things go with development and how things go with clients. For clients, Zoom and note taking apps.
Good, clear communication is key for both. For Dev, good expectations, good means of tracking progress.
JIMMY: But not like it's not like, “if this one app got deleted off your computer, it would ruin your life…”
MORGAN: Oh gosh…email.
JIMMY: Well, yeah, that’s a good one! [laughs]
Question 3
JIMMY: You enjoy crafting, especially crochet and yarn work…
MORGAN: Yard work?!
JIMMY: “Yarn work,” not “yard work.”
MORGAN: I do not enjoy yard work.
JIMMY: No, you don't. Nobody does [laughs]…so,
Question 3 (Cont’d)
JIMMY: What are your favorite sources for new [crochet and yarn] projects or ideas?
MORGAN: Instagram and YouTube. I really like watching videos of people preparing for markets or showing what they've sold at markets. I would love to put my stuff in a market one day. I don't think I can ever put my stuff in the farmer’s market where I live. Here [at] our farmer’s market, you can only sell if every single part of the process is from our county. So I'd have to have my yarn made in our county in order to sell my creations in that market.
JIMMY: No way.
MORGAN: But that is a goal of mine. Right now, I really just enjoy making custom orders for friends and family.
JIMMY: What aspects of project management have helped you get better at your yarn making projects, and what aspects of your yarn projects have helped with work?
MORGAN: There’s a lot of overlap actually with my projects with crochet and my projects with Trabian. When I’m making custom orders, I like to know who the end user is/if it’s for a special occasion. I make sure I’m thinking about the end user while I’m making the product and always strive to deliver with excellence. My project management background helps me gauge how many products I’m able to deliver and how to estimate time spent per project, resources used, etc.
As for the crochet helping with work - I think it does because it gives me a creative outlet and I come back to work energized after I’ve completed a project.
Question 4
JIMMY: When you start out working with a new client, what are your favorite things to ask up front to help the project along and make things smoother for everyone involved?
MORGAN: I like to find out why the Client wants to do the project. It's important to get any background in addition to project scope to ensure what Trabian is building will actually accomplish the goals of the Client. I ask why they want to do the project, who are the end users, what criteria would they use to say this was a successful project when it's completed?
JIMMY: We do a lot of pre-pro in the scoping phase, but it sounds like when you ask them directly, you hear it in their own words and they add additional “flavor” to the “what” and the “why”.
MORGAN: Exactly.
Question 5
Matt Dean’s question for MORGAN
“You recently started running. What's something you've learned about yourself through that training process?”
MORGAN: I can do hard things. That it's good to test my limits. I've known this about myself, but I continue to learn that I put my whole personality into whatever I'm doing.
JIMMY: Is it a daily thing for you?
MORGAN: I'd say 3 times a week…
JIMMY: Do you want to do a race?
MORGAN: I just did my 1st race! My goal was to run 51% of the race. I had only been training so like running and walking, and my runs were like a faster pace, and then I ran with somebody who encouraged me to slow my pace and just see how far I could run, and I ran literally the entire thing without walking, which I haven't even run a full mile without walking since I started training in May. I was really proud of myself, that was really fun.
My plan was, “run 51% of this one, and run a full 5K In October,” Well, I already did that, so what’s the plan for October? I'm gonna train as if I'm gonna run a 10K, and after 4 weeks, if that's going well, I'll sign up for the 10K. And after 4 weeks I'm like, “I don't think I can get there yet,” which is okay. I’m not gonna be mad. I'm hoping to run the Indy Mini in May, which is a half-marathon. And it ends at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the 500 is. Your [finish] line is crossing the bricks at the end of the race track.
JIMMY: Wow!
MORGAN: I would love to do that.
Question 5
MORGAN’s question for Kenny Vo, Developer
If he could work any job, regardless of training or money or anything, just [...] wake up with whatever salary he needed, whatever education already gained, what job would he do? It doesn't even have to be a job that exists.