The “Getting to Know” series is sponsored by Applied Innovation. Applied Innovation is helping to shape the future of accounts receivable management. Product development is driven by customer feedback, agency profitability and compliance and includes platforms addressing client portal access, document management, payment negotiation, Regulation E focused electronic payment authorizations and TCPA communication authorization platforms. Partner with a company who understands your business challenges and evolves to provide cutting edge technology to overcome those challenges and achieve success.
There are people who go into the family business only to learn it isn’t for them and there are people who go into the family business and find their true calling. It’s easy to see from the answers provided by Amy Stratz into which camp she falls. While she may never have found any loose change opening payment envelopes, she did find something far more rewarding, even if it meant not being able to pursue a career in the frozen dairy industry. Read on to learn more about Amy and why challenging her to a game of beer pong is likely not a good idea.
Name: Amy Stratz
Job Title: Secretary/Treasurer, Executive Vice President
Company: FBCS, Inc.
Length of Time at Current Company: 16 years
Length of Time in Industry: 30 Years
How did you get your start in the industry?
My company was started by my father, Joe Neary, in 1982, so I will start by going way back to the 80’s. I used to go through the mail, mainly the empty envelopes, making sure no money was missed. Being 10 years old, the highlight was getting to keep the change; I don’t remember ever finding any though. LOL … Fast forward to 1991; after graduating high school, I started as a skiptracer — calling neighbors, small-town libraries, post offices, and more — this was my favorite job by far, then learning collections and so on … Fast forward once again to 2005; after staying home with my four daughters for eight years, I came back to FBCS full-time, starting in the finance department. Then I moved to to client services, business development, and so on from there, learning the business all over again.
What is your career highlight so far?
A few years back, my father decided it was his time to retire and hand the business to the next generation, so becoming an owner along with my other siblings and being trusted by my father and mother trusted to run and grow FBCS is definitely the highlight of my career.
When or how are you most productive?
I am most productive when I am working along with my team, particularly when a brainstorming session is held in our conference room, which is quite often.
Which industry professional do you admire most?
By far, my father. He has taught me so much throughout my career.
What is one thing you do better than everyone else?
Ha! I can make pretty good “office” coffee.
What do you like most about this industry?
I really enjoy meeting new people and building connections with them. These folks become my industry family; you can count on them for almost anything. I have met so many awesome people over the years!
What is one thing you wish you could change about this industry?
I wish there were one set of rules to follow. Having different “rules” can be very difficult for our industry as a whole.
Describe a typical work day.
Coffee and saying good morning to others is the typical start to my day. Then, reviewing, answering emails, and checking my calendar to see what my day will bring. I meet with my compliance manager throughout the day going over client audits, remediations, questions, and assisting with anything that may have come up. Client conference calls also fill my day — I always like to listen in to be sure our clients are happy and work with operations when needed. Also, reaching out to my sales team is a must and offering support when they need me. Really, my typical day differs from day to day!
If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing?
I love this question; I would work at an ice cream shop dishing out the goods.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Netflix series! Once I start, I can’t stop!
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What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Working hard is important, but don’t’ forget family is always first.
What are you currently reading?
Regulation F. I really must get back to reading for pleasure.
What is one fact you’d like everyone in the industry to know about you
My daughters are all college aged, so beating them at beer pong was pretty impressive to me! LOL
Who else would you like to see answer these questions?
Jamie Barton, FBCS Inc. and Kelly Paul, ERC.
The “Getting to Know” series is sponsored by Applied Innovation. Applied Innovation is helping to shape the future of accounts receivable management. Product development is driven by customer feedback, agency profitability and compliance and includes platforms addressing client portal access, document management, payment negotiation, Regulation E focused electronic payment authorizations and TCPA communication authorization platforms. Partner with a company who understands your business challenges and evolves to provide cutting edge technology to overcome those challenges and achieve success.