Tell me about your job.

Basically what that entails is inside/outside sales for our three data loss prevention products. They protect businesses from leaking data from the inside out, whether maliciously or accidentally. About 93 percent is accidental. My responsibility is targeting health care, going after associations, hospitals, practice management companies, basically anybody that has a hand in making sure a hospital stays compliant (with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).

What were you doing before?

I briefly worked for my best friend when I came back at Grand Consulting doing sales for our (information technology) support side. Before that, I was in Chicago. I worked as a sales manager for a Mercedes, Porsche, Smart dealership just north of the city. I did that for the better part of five years. Before that, I did sales training for a consulting firm that had an exclusive contract with Mercedes-Benz USA. I basically traveled the country and trained dealership personnel on sales process and telephone process.

So you’re a salesman?

I am a salesman, a sales manager, a sales trainer. I’ve seen it from the bottom and the top and the side. I wouldn’t call myself an expert, because I’m not old enough. But I know the process. Building relationships is the best part. Forcing a product on somebody, I’m not too big on. I’m more of a consultative salesperson. How can my product help you? And if it can’t, then it can’t, and I move on. When I was back selling cars, it was kind of fun to help some people (realize) their dream of owning a Mercedes-Benz or a Porsche for the first time.

What attracted you to Des Moines?

Des Moines is at a point in the life cycle of a city where it’s got the potential to really hit a growth stage. It really has the opportunity to have young leaders take reins. If “old Des Moines” has a dream of what they want Des Moines to look like, they have an opportunity to mentor young professionals to kind of continue that and grow that in ways that the established Des Moines community may not even think of. I think the opportunity for anybody between the ages of 25 and 40 is to take something that is brand-new, or create something that isn’t there, and grow that into something that impacts the entire community. It’s really unlike any other city in the country.

How have you gotten involved here?

When I went to Chicago and I was traveling all the time, and then when I was working for the dealership and I was working 50 or 60 hours a week, I really didn’t get any time to get involved with anything. When I made the decision to move back to Des Moines, I told myself that I really want to get involved. I really wanted to be able to come back and bring my mindset and ideas that I’ve had from my past work and my past places that I’ve lived.

What are you up to now?

Right when I came back, I got involved with the Young Professionals Connection. That was the first thing I found on the Internet that was geared toward young professionals and a place where I thought I could have the biggest impact the fastest. I serve on the marketing committee there, which is a great time, and it seems to make the biggest difference in the organization as far as direction and accomplishment.

What about the arts?

I’m kind of an arts junkie, you could say. A couple of weeks ago, I was elected to the Art Noir board. I’m hoping that I can help bring a different kind of perspective to an organization that has actually flourished over the past year. Under the leadership of Laura Palmer, their membership has increased drastically and I’m hoping to help continue that and bring more people in that can appreciate the activities and events that the (Des Moines) Art Center puts on.