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FastSpring’s Employee Spotlight is a Q&A series that features the hardworking, intelligent, and fun people that make FastSpring great. Get to know the fantastic team behind the ecommerce platform!

In this post, we’re featuring our Digital Media Manager, Hamilton Kiah!

Describe your current role at FastSpring.

I would say my role is a culmination of all my past experiences because when I started at FastSpring, it was mainly to help out with our digital media. I used to help with design projects with our creative director, but as time went on, I made a shift from a Digital Media Manager role to more of a digital strategist role that’s more cross-functional.

How long have you been at FastSpring?

On August first, it’ll be four years that I’ve been with FastSpring.

Has it been challenging to perform your role during this remote work time due to COVID-19?

I definitely miss the office environment and having the chance to be in person with our team. I’ve had experience working remotely before, though, so it’s been a pretty seamless transition working from home for me. I’ve found benefits of being both in-office and remote. For me, it’s been great to spend time with my kids during this time, which has been an unexpected benefit.

What did you do before FastSpring/How did you get to where you are today?

Before I moved out to California, I did a lot of philanthropy work in Atlanta, GA, for a nonprofit called SECME (Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering). They are a nonprofit organization under Georgia Tech, and they sponsor underprivileged kids that are highly intelligent in STEM subjects. The director I worked for lived out here in California and asked me to come out and work on a project with him. The first project I worked on was for Lenny Kravitz’s documentary. I got to be a personal assistant on that project, and after that, I started working for Disney, and then on to Sony. Later on, I began working for IdeaWork. My last job before FastSpring was at QAD, and I started realizing that in my work, I was buying a lot of software and plugins that were using FastSpring, so that’s what intrigued me. I think all these experiences are what has built my role here at FastSpring.

What excites you every day about working at FastSpring?

I think for me, it’s the opportunity to be cross-functional and bring new ideas to the table. I think there’s so much potential for this company to continue growing and developing, which is fun to be a part of.

Describe a favorite memory of your time at FastSpring.

FastSpring is the reason I got into cycling. We used to have these cycling kits because a lot of the employees were cyclists, and they had an extra jersey and bike they offered to let me borrow to see if I liked cycling. As I would ride the bike, cyclists would ride by and stop and tell me they loved the bike I was riding, and I was confused until I looked up that the bike I was riding was one of the original high-end bikes that you can break down and travel with. This bike had so many memories, which made it really special to me that I got to use it while I was first getting into cycling. I have many great memories with FastSpring, but I would say that one sticks out to me the most.

What is your proudest accomplishment while working at FastSpring?

I would say our collaboration with our movement in all of our SEO efforts. That’s a great, ongoing, and consistent effort that we work on, which is measurable and affects our bottom line.

What are your favorite hobbies and activities outside of work?

Definitely cycling and fishing, but one that I’ve taken up since COVID-19 started is gardening. I grew up visiting my grandparents, who owned a farm in Virginia that we used to help out with, and my dad used to garden a lot when I was growing up.

What is a fun fact most people may not know about you?

I still hold three high school records at my high school for basketball for all-time assists, all-time field goal percentage, and all-time average steals a game. I was also the first African American kid to graduate from my high school.