Here at Office1, we believe that the foundation of our success is rooted in our incredible and highly talented team. In our “Inside the Office” series, we get the opportunity to put a spotlight on the people who keep innovating in order to push Office1 to new heights.

In this edition, we get to know LA Market Manager, Tom Menton.

Tom, how are you handling this new remote work environment and leading your team?

It’s absolutely more touches. I’m having to touch base with them more frequently to make sure they are still engaged. When we do RingCentral meetings, I do them with video on so you can get the body language, you can look people in the eye to see how engaged people are. Over communicating has to be the number one thing. We need to have a deeper connection than just a phone call.

Tom, how does it feel to be the 2019 Market Manager of the Year?

It means a lot. For me, the biggest thing is that I have such an amazing team and I’ve had such an amazing team since I’ve been at Office1. I have people that are passionate, work really hard and are focused. With a team like that, it makes it easier to be successful. They are fantastic.

What’s the biggest project on your to-do list right now?

It’s actually a moving target. Right now, we are trying to figure out a business plan for how the reps should be conducting their day to day, what they should be focusing on and the messages they should be delivering to generate revenue right now. This week we will  review the strategy that we put in place to see how we think its working and what we need to do differently.. This is such an unusual time. We are kind of all learning together what works, what doesn’t work and how receptive some industries are to what we are doing. This is THE project.

Do you have any nicknames?

One of my nicknames is T-Bone. My boss that I worked with 20 years ago gave me the nickname and it spread throughout the office and my personal relationships. People at Office1 so far aren’t aware of that nickname.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Buffalo, NY. The lifestyle is very different than Los Angeles. Buffalo is very much a tell you like it is, in your face, no BS kind of place. You always know where you stand with people. People will always be direct with you.  In Los Angeles, it’s kind of the opposite. They hold their cards close to their vest and have a tendency to be positive and approachable to your face and then have a different opinion of you. You don’t always know where you stand with them. You have to tread lightly and you can’t be so direct to people because they don’t respond well to that. It’s easier to know where you stand in a sales cycle in NY. In California you have to be better at sales and figure out how to interpret what your customer is saying because they are not direct. You have to be better. It makes sales a little bit more fun. The more challenging it becomes, the more exciting it gets.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to play football for the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League.

What was your first job?

My first job was working the grill at a Dairy Queen in Atlanta, GA. I moved to Georgia when I was 16.

What is your favorite part about living in Los Angeles?

I love the fantastic weather in Los Angeles. In Buffalo, nine months out of the year it’s oppressively hot and humid, so you get 90 degree weather with 90 percent humidity. It’s almost unbearable. The other third of the year you’re covered in feet of snow. In Buffalo, you don’t get more than 3 months where you can go out and golf, run and do outdoor activities. In Southern California, 12 months out of the year, you can be outdoors. It’s fantastic.

What is your favorite thing about working for Office1?

The empowerment that Danny and Todd provide us. They give us the ability to essentially run our own business. They allow us to manage our people the way that we feel will be effective and the utilize the tools that Office1 in the way that we think will be most effective in our marketplaces.

Pick one of the three O’s (Origin, Operation, Opportunity) and tell us what it means to you?

Opportunity. What’s wonderful about working in Los Angeles, the 2nd largest marketplace in the country and one the largest marketplaces in the world. There’s so much opportunity in Southern California and Los Angeles. The tools and resources that we have at Office1 with the different products and services that we can sell gives us so much opportunity. Not so much right now with the virus but once we get through this, there is just so much opportunity.

What excites you the most about your job?

What excites me most is watching people grow and develop. I get to help people go from a place where don’t really understand how they should go about doing their job to seeing them finally put it all together and be effective, productive money making sales people. You also can’t come up with a cookie cutter approach to developing people because everyone responds differently. You’re always shooting for the same goal but you have to go about it in a very different way and figure out how they will respond.

What are your biggest pet peeves?

People that are late and not being on time for something.

What is your favorite quote?

“Where else would you rather be than right here, right now” by former Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy.

If you could pick a superpower, what would you choose?

To be able to read people’s minds so I can figure out what they want.

Are you interested in helping us build a more innovative world?  Check out what sets Office1 apart.