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Grab a ham and cheese sandwich and settle in, folks — this month we're spotlighting the one, the only, Jack Harpster.
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Jack has been at Cents for over four years and honestly, by the time he got here, he'd already lived about three other lifetimes: teaching English in Costa Rica, going pro at the poker table, and being an ordained minister — before finally landing at Cents as a sales manager and working his way up to Director of Client Success. We're not entirely sure what this man can't do, and honestly we've stopped asking, because the answer is always "hold on, let me figure it out" — and then he does.
Jack is also a proud creature of habit, and honestly we respect the commitment to a bit:
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Ham and cheese sandwich (accept no substitutes)
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Tuesday night concerts
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Friday nights at La Hacienda, because a man needs his tacos
And when it's time for All Hands? Jack trades in the client success hat for a headset — he's our unofficial (official) DJ, spinning the vibes for the whole company. Truly a full-service human being.
So here's to Jack — minister, poker pro, English teacher, DJ, manager turned Director, sandwich loyalist, taco traditionalist, reptile guy, and proud father of four very lucky chickens. Cents wouldn't be Cents without you.
Q. What gets you out of bed every morning?
My team. I’ve been in leadership roles for Account Management, Sales, and Training for over a decade. As most leaders, I came from the floor as an individual contributor and had the benefit of working with many people that to this day I consider both mentors and friends. Being in the trenches to understand what the team goes through everyday, connecting with everyone in both team and individual meetings, and all working towards a common goal is the highlight of my week. There is nothing better than seeing the growth and success of my team.
Q. What makes Cents different from other places you’ve worked?
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Responsibility. Prior to Cents I worked for a publicly traded company that had a finished product, thousands of employees, and departments built with several layers between individual contributors and the C-Suite. This gave every employee a hyperfocus on their immediate role, in turn not knowing much about the organization as a whole; only the immediate tasks within a given role. Here at Cents, many hats are worn by everyone and individual impact goes well beyond the initial job description. This provides empowerment to everyone at Cents to benefit all departments, work alongside and regularly learn from each other, further progressing professional development. It’s funny to think back over the years as to how much is learned in this type of environment, as it comes day by day and before you know it you’ve learned a new tech stack, how to create marketing exposure, understand a bit of coding language, understand local and state taxes, how to manage payout accounts, provision various products, and so forth. Cents provides a “level-up” that comes so naturally that until you are speaking with friends or family and answering that common question when you tell them you work for a vertical SaaS and Hardware company in the laundry industry, “So what is it you do?” you didn’t even realize how much knowledge and experience you’ve gained!
Q. What advice would you give to your younger self?
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Opportunities only present themselves if you put yourself in a position to look for them. It can be easy in the younger years to feel limited, even stuck in whatever job you hold. For me, I spent a decade in restaurants, bars, and hotels starting in high school and well past getting my Bachelor’s of Science in Education. Post-college, I left the country to teach at the collegiate level for half a year, returned to do a bit of teaching to high-school students, followed by a short stint in social services while working part-time in hospitality in the evenings and on weekends. I didn’t feel stuck at this point, but I knew I wanted more and started applying to random roles that sounded interesting with not much luck. Things changed when I ran into an old friend in an elevator who happened to work for a company that had an office in the same building as the position I held at the time. We went to lunch, he mentioned what he did and that they had open roles, and without a second thought I applied that night. From there started what I consider my professional career and I haven’t looked back since. Opportunities come at unexpected times; be ready and take advantage when they come as you never know when the next door may be open.
Q. If you could switch your job with anyone else within Cents, whose job would you want?
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Director of Distributor Sales, Erik Nemes. Erik manages distributor relationships for Cents & Laundroworks and has traveled nation-wide to distributor shows where laundromat owners get a firsthand experience and exposure to certain makes and models of machines, alongside the hardware and software that further support the functionality of washers and dryers. Although I’ve visited countless laundromats, attended a distributor show or two and taken part in the industry’s largest events from WDF Conference to Excellence in Laundry and CleanShow, having the variety of experiences through travels that Erik has made are another level. I’m a firm believer in more in-person experiences leading to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the industry, one reason why all of Client Success visits at least one laundromat per month!
Q. Tell us one thing people don’t know about you.
My mother ran a 55 an older community that I grew up in, meaning I had hundreds of grandparents! I attended monthly birthday parties with random acts she would hire for entertainment, called bingo for everyone in the neighborhood and also worked in the community as a landscaper and maintenance worker in my teenage years and early 20’s. Growing up and having people with so much experience and diverse backgrounds is probably why I was always referred to as an old soul by friends and family. It was an awesome childhood experience that has given me a deep appreciation for generations of music, art, mannerisms, and history.
