Today, we spotlight Trey Rutter, our Dev/Ops IT Associate. Trey is the wizard behind the scenes, helping to ensure that our hardware and address data solutions work seamlessly to deliver accurate and reliable information. Let's get to know Trey better.

What is the most surprising thing you learned about addresses after joining Smarty?

"I found it surprising how a ZIP Code can tell us so much. It's more than just 5 digits at the end of your address."

When you were in elementary school, what did you want to be when you grew up?

"As a kid, I had dreams of being an archeologist."

To what resources do you turn to stay current in your job skills?

"The best resource for my role is hands-on learning. If you don't work with and solve current issues, it's hard to stay current with how fast the tech industry moves."

What do you enjoy about your job role at Smarty?

"I enjoy having the ability to help others and focus on several unique tasks throughout the day."

What challenges do you face in your job role at Smarty?

"Knowledge is a big one for me. The DevOps world can be very unintuitive until you understand what is happening under the hood."

Do you have any completely irrelevant skills or talents? 

"Yes, I have a lot! A couple of skills that come to mind are that I can hold someone above my head and do a backflip, which I learned on the BYU cheer team."

What are some of your favorite work-related projects or accomplishments, and why were they meaningful to you?

"My favorite project and accomplishment was the implementation of mobile device management software across all the relevant devices at Smarty. The whole company now uses this software, and it helps us easily maintain, update, and secure devices. It also plays a key role in meeting and exceeding SOC2 compliance standards."

What or who inspires you, and why?

"I am inspired by individuals who can make any situation positive and know how to wordsmith bad situations into good ones."

What are some of the most valuable lessons you've learned at Smarty, and how have they impacted your approach to work?

"Failure is okay and leads to progress. I was very scared to fail early at Smarty but have learned the quicker I fail, the faster I can get to the right answer."

Trey, what do you think makes Smarty's culture unique? How do you contribute to maintaining it?

"Smarty has many different personalities, but you can put anybody in any group, and everyone will get along and have a blast. I try contributing to this by being friendly and finding joy in everyone's interest."

What life advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?

"If I could talk to myself as a 20-year-old, I would tell my younger self to find IT faster! It took me a while to find IT, and I wish I would’ve found it a few years earlier."

Where do you experience your most energizing moments?

"My most energizing moments come while playing golf! It's the perfect anti-social social activity. You can learn a lot about someone while golfing."

What has been your most joyous discovery?

"Recently, I've discovered the joys of meal prep. It's easy to spend a few hours on a weekend and have great meals the whole week."

What tips would you give someone considering a career in your field?

"If you're considering a career in IT, I'd advise you to find what you love to do and do it. It’s more rewarding to do something you love than to be paid for something you hate."

We hope you enjoyed getting to know Trey and learning from his wisdom. Trey's spotlight was so inspiring we decided to write him a poem. 
 

In the world of IT, where knowledge takes flight,

Trey's a wizard, his skills shining bright,

From ZIP Codes' secrets to a mac's embrace,

He's a master of tech in every case.
 

With hands-on learning, he conquers the day,

Helping others with passion, come what may,

From backflips to systems, his talents so vast,

Trey's the wizard who makes IT a blast.
 

So, if you seek guidance in the tech's mystic haze,

Turn to Trey, let his wizardry amaze,

In the realm of addresses and codes to decode,

He's the IT magician on the winding tech road.

If, like us, Trey's story inspires you and you want to start your adventure, we're always looking for passionate professionals to join our team. Explore our opportunities by checking out our careers page–no poetry required. If you make the team, I bet Trey would happily teach you how to do a backflip, too!