This month’s Employee Spotlight shines on a member of our leadership team: Jeremy Rasor. Jeremy’s journey is fascinating. He’s been a member of the Commander in Chief’s Guard and a youth pastor on his way to joining ALI, where he is now Vice President of Sales.
These days, Jeremy spends a lot of the time on the road, so you’re not likely to find him behind his desk in our Blacksburg office. Instead, he spends his time in the field where he’s needed: helping our team and clients. After all, Jeremy and his team are responsible for ensuring that our business grows and that our clients feel secure. These are objectives he’s very passionate about and fuel his drive to help people succeed.
A Start in the Military:
In 1994, Jeremy entered the military as an infantry solider, serving as an M60 Gunner. Later, he was selected to be a part of the Honor Guard and, within that, the Commander-in-Chief’s Guard where he performed ceremonial duties in the Clinton White House and Arlington National Cemetery.
“I was an infantry solider that was selected to be in the honor guard, and then more specifically the Commander in Chief’s Guard, which is 100 soldiers. It was all ceremonial duties, and my selection was at the White House.
My military background has taught me the importance of making decisions. If I’m wrong, I know we will learn from it. If I am right, then it’s all good! I really don’t like to sit for long in a state of limbo. Decision making is important to the work we do.”
A Move to Youth Ministry
After his military career, Jeremy was drawn by family connections to Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. He spent his first year in town working as a bouncer at a local bar. During that time, he began attending his sister’s church, never imagining it would be the very place from where his next job would come.
“Youth ministry is certainly a calling, and I felt called. I was a bouncer at a bar, going to church for 8-9 months when I confronted the pastor in his office, telling him to leave me alone! After I was finished with my verbal tirade, he simply looked at me and said, “We need someone to volunteer with sixth graders on Sunday night, and I want you to do it.” I thought he was crazy to ask me to take on any kind of leadership role in his church. After service, I went into the fellowship hall donning a shaved head, goatee, combat boots, torn up jeans, and my black bouncer shirt. Out of nowhere, this little girl walked up to me, punched me in the stomach and asked me what I was doing there.”
Well, because the rest is history. That Sunday night Jeremy helped out with the sixth-grade group and fell in love with it. It wasn’t long after that he was leading the youth program entirely, growing it from 15 to 150 kids in only a matter of a couple years.
Getting Started in Business Development
While Jeremy loved his time in ministry, he was at a point in his life where he was looking to build a career that would support a family. He looked at all the communication and relational skills he had developed in his work as a youth pastor and, combining them to his degree in Behavioral Science, decided sales would be the best path for him. His first job in cellular phone sales taught him the importance of persistence and personal follow up.
“Getting my first job in cellphone sales took some persistence. I sent my resume over to this company three times, but never heard back from them. So, I decided to just walk into the location itself. I spoke with the manager, pretty much forcing an interview on him, and I got the job!”
While this first job in cellular phone sales taught Jeremy the importance of persistence and personal follow up, his next career move taught him a lot about the importance of integrity, and ensuring good value for clients as well as his employer.
“I found myself representing a company I was expected to sell machines to small business owners who were just getting started. We were to sell them leases for credit card machines at prices that were simply outlandish. I just couldn’t do it. These people were members of my community and I couldn’t bring myself to sell them something I didn’t believe was a good value.”
The Move to Enterprise Impact
Jeremy achieved his early goal of selling enterprise software. The kinds of software that could make a real difference to big name organizations.
“My next step was an enterprise sales job. It was awesome! I dealt with large clients and had great mentors who I learned so much from. They invested in and cared for me in innumerable way that helped me succeed in my sales there.”
While the job was great, it required a lot of travel, which was taking him away from his family for extended periods of time. Then as his employer grew, management required that Jeremy relocate. With his strong ties to the local community, he decided to stay in Blacksburg.
New Opportunities at Advanced Logic:
“When I heard about ALI, I was really intrigued. It was an opportunity to work for a local company focused on helping organizations both local and across the mid-Atlantic. I was really excited for the opportunity to help organization solve problems with ALI’s reputation of providing trusted expertise.
Favorite part of his job today:
So as we talked about his career progression, the question was inevitable – what is the favorite part of you job today? A one might expect from a sales leader, Jeremy answered, “Getting the deal closed!” Not surprising, but Jeremy further clarified: “The team drives the deal, getting it over the goal-line, and then I get to come in for the 2-point conversion. I get to make sure everything’s taken care of and buttoned up, so that the sale is final. I absolutely love this aspect of my job.”
Jeremy also has a true passion to develop client executives. His role provides him the opportunity to pass on sales practices he’s developed to help them become truly excellent. He covers a lot of miles each week, but at the end of the day, Jeremy will tell you he is first and foremost a family man who loves his wife and kids. He strives to model effective leadership in all areas of his life.
Are you looking for someone who can help you connect with the right people to discuss your IT needs? Now that you have gotten to know Jeremy a little better, why not reach out and schedule time to have your own conversation!
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