Working at FastSpring means having a true commitment to fostering a culture of recognition and appreciation, where we all feel valued and encouraged to contribute our best. The Springie Award, our quarterly Peer-to-Peer appreciation award, exemplifies this commitment, providing a platform for employees to recognize their colleagues’ exceptional contributions.
After being at FastSpring for nearly 9 years, it comes at no surprise that Jon Tewes has won the Q4 2023 Springie Award! Jon is a Senior Solutions Architect who has consistently demonstrated the embodiment of FastSpring’s core values – Make a Difference, Seek to Understand, and Act with Urgency – through his approach to life that has a focus on empathy and enthusiasm.
Jon’s impact on FastSpring is evident in the grounded relationships he has with supporting his teammates and customers alike. While taking time to work from our Amsterdam office, he easily worked closely with the entire team there, really helping to build our relationships across the long distance. This included a multitude of dedicated 1:1 sessions with members of our sales team, including AEs, SDRs and managers. A highlight of this global collaboration was exemplified in Jon’s change to his personal work schedule to start his day super earlier for four weeks straight to personally train our new Sales Engineer Marco Agüero. Marco was able to start working with clients on his own in just a few weeks directly because of this effort. Our Chief People Officer, Louise Cherry Barber, sat down (virtually) to chat with Jon about his recognition and time at FastSpring.
Jon’s dedication to his work and his commitment to FastSpring’s values have made him an invaluable asset to our team. His positive attitude, willingness to help, and problem-solving skills have made a significant difference in the lives of his colleagues and the overall success of FastSpring.
We are incredibly proud to have Jon as part of our team and congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition. His commitment to excellence and his embodiment of our core values serve as an inspiration to us all.
Keep reading for an abridged version of the interview with Jon:
Louise Cherry Barber: Jon, congratulations on winning our Springie award. This is much overdue. So hopefully you were a little surprised when we announced it.
Jon Tewes: Absolutely, I was incredibly surprised. You know, what we have in a team — in our PSI team, one of the greatest groups of people I’ve ever worked with, and to hear the things that they were saying about what I do was incredibly touching. But just as easily, those exact same words can be turned around and pointed right back at each and every one of them. We really have each other’s backs. And anything that any of us do individually, we all take credit for as a team, and good or bad. So if something goes wrong, we’re all there to jump in together in order to make things right. So I couldn’t have done it without those guys. They mean a lot to me, and, you know, more than the award, for sure. But the award definitely felt great to get.
Louise Cherry Barber: That’s awesome. And it was really special as an observer to hear all of your team members be able to go around and share stories and the impact that you’ve had. And it’s great to hear how meaningful the team is to you and to your experience here. When you think about the Springie Award, and living up to the FastSpring values of Making a Difference, Seeking to Understand, and Acting with Urgency, what advice do you have to those — you know, you’ve been here for almost nine years. How do you — how do you live those values? How do you bring them to life?
Jon Tewes: You know, I’ve been involved with a lot of different companies with different values. And the set of values that we have right now really mirror my own core values. So not living them is kind of foreign to me. It’s not a conscious effort, something that I strive to do. Just the way I approach life. Making a difference, understanding, and being urgent about what you’re doing are our fundamental principles that just guide how I work each day. You know, we’re working directly with sellers that are being onboarded. And you know, empathizing with them, and working with them to really understand what their problem is, figure out a solution quickly, and really give them the best experience for selling is just the way that I live my life. And it’s great that we have a company that really mirrors the way that I already do it, so I don’t even have to try.
Louise Cherry Barber: It makes it easy to not have to think about it when it’s part of who you are. Reflecting on your time here, what have been some of the most rewarding aspects of being at FastSpring?
Jon Tewes: Well, as you know, I’ve been here for quite a while. But at the base of it, I’m jazzed to do my work, you know, and why is that? Well, you know, I mentioned the people before, the people I work with, it’s best in class. And the platform that we have, in this merchant of record space, we are leaders, and I get to work with those amazing people to really mold the future of FastSpring. That’s why I’m still here.
Congratulations again to Jon, and if you’d like to join our team, you can find our open roles here.