Inside the Genius Labs: Steven

inside the genius labs steven

Name: Steven Borders / aka "Bordy"
Job Title: Marketing Strategist
Staff Superlative: Most likely to forgo the office Keurig in order to make pour-over coffee (and teach everyone else how to do it in the process).

If I could do anything for a day, I would:
I would totally go camping. Technically, that's longer than a day but I would love to get out somewhere pretty remote, preferably out west, and spend the day hiking and exploring the land.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
I like helping and educating others — whether I'm telling a story with data and numbers that helps us make a decision or writing a blog post about a feature that helps educate our users about tools and tips. I spend a lot of time learning and researching so that I can best help others around me. That's the great part about working on a team where we learn from one another as we tackle challenges that lead to improvements.

How have you seen SUG organizers change the world?
I used to work on our support team and had the opportunity to see a lot of various ways that organizers use our site. I've seen a lot of very cool sign ups — big and small. I've seen a single person creating a community potluck and attempting to connect with their neighbors and foster relationships. I've seen sign ups organizing volunteers to help wildfire relief efforts. I've even seen lots of sign ups for collecting donations, fundraising and organizing volunteer events for a variety of purposes. I'm amazed at all the ways that people have used the site to make a positive impact in their communities and the world.

Of our six core values, which one stands out the most to you? How do you see people in the company embodying it?
"Treat people better than we'd expect to be treated."

The culture of the company is very healthy, and we convey such respect and honor to one another. Even in brainstorming meetings where there are differing opinions, there is always a willingness to listen and value the perspective of others. Everyone really respects one another — even if there are varying opinions and perspectives at the discussion table. I think there's an element of grace that each person extends to others. It's such a rare trait in companies.

I could go on with this one. I think the company has a culture of treating people well. I also think that we have policies that are based on the idea of treating people better than we'd expect to be treated. The value is one that is seen across the company at all levels.

What's a funny story or favorite memory you have from working at SUG?
Hmmm… we've had some pretty funny times around here. Maybe that time we did a company scavenger hunt and we were running around doing a bunch of crazy things to check off on the list. When Teresa had to stick her head in a copy machine to photocopy her face at a Kinkos as a part of the scavenger hunt, I realized we had hit a new level of ridiculously funny. (Sorry Teresa, didn't mean to rehash that embarrassing memory.)

Editor's note: We wanted to provide photo evidence for this memory. Please see below.

photo of teresa with her head in the copier at Kinkos

What was your favorite day while working at SUG?
There have been lots of great days at SUG. So, it's difficult to choose. Honestly, one that comes to mind was when our site first hit over 10,000 users on the site at once. This was about five years ago and it was sort of a milestone at the time. I remember Dan, the creator of the site having this dumbfounded look on his face as he stared at the traffic monitor. I'm sure he was just shocked to see how something that began as a small tool for friends and family turned into a site that was being used by millions to make a positive impact in so many communities. You could sense that the site was getting big and was really helping empower a lot of people. It was cool to witness the success and impact of the tool as it grew.

SignUpGenius would not be the same without Bordy! We are so grateful for his company culture leadership, analytical mind, and the way he contributes to the SignUpGenius mission. Learn more about our team here!