When people ask what I do for a living, credit card processing rarely garners wide-eyed excitement, nor jumping up and down. The financial world tends to draw up visions of numbers, spreadsheets, and accounting terms that can bore you to tears. Most are not even sure what it is that we do, “so can you get me a credit card,” I’m often asked. And while a really refined elevator pitch can clarify what it is we actually do, I always tend to explain what it’s like to work at Arrow Payments, because that reason is easier to communicate to people.
I’ve been at Arrow Payments for over six years, and in that time, I’ve grown in leaps and bounds. Not only as an employee but as an individual. I know that the time I’ve spent under this roof has made me a better version of myself. This is all thanks to the mission that our CEO, Deborah Jackson has instituted; to improve the lives of her employees. Most financial corporations list missions that relate to the bottom line, but here at Arrow Payments, it’s people over profit. This kind of mission produces an interesting environment and team. We are invested in each other on an emotional level.
Of course, we have goals for work, but we also prioritize time to check-in with what we are carrying around. It’s pretty amazing how this kind of self-awareness and management can improve the productivity of its workers. Instead of stumbling through the day investing in water cooler small talk, I am able to let people know when I’ve experienced joy, frustration, worry, pain, anxiety, eagerness, and nearly any other emotion that flows through me. This kind of encouragement makes it far more likely that I can identify and communicate to my team what I need to move forward.
Personally, this culture has gotten me through some huge life events, that were big enough on their own, but wildly amazing when I know my co-workers care about my life outside the office. When my mother passed away, my boss sent me flowers and encouraged me to take as much time as I needed. Followed by in-office hugs whenever I needed them, this was a huge help to me during the many times tears flowed. During my wedding, my whole team attended and made sure congratulations were known. I have a gift I wear often that was given to me this day. I remember sitting on a bench with Deborah and she told me I hope you remember this day whenever you wear this, and I do. When my nephew and niece were born, I was given space and time to meet my little loves as they entered the world. When I was having a hard time feeling productive, I was encouraged to write and process my feelings and take time to assess instead of jumping back into my to-do list and ignoring my feelings. When I separated from my husband, I took a day off to unpack, and I received a grocery delivery of all my favorite foods at my new address. Feta cheese and olives have never tasted this good. When I chose to volunteer at events outside of work during the holidays, Deborah supported my time and mission by showing up to help with her own family. When I moved into a new place closer to work, I was high fived and hugged at the news. When my sister went through a life-saving surgery, I was given time to be with her during the recovery process. I have made it to this point because of the people around me, and those that have supported me the most are those I see every day in this office. And I tell you, that is some wild support. Usually, you need a DnA strand to get that kind of support, but I found it here at my job.
So yes, we work to help other businesses and enterprise clients tackle complex goals in their payments solutions. We can help you identify and patch security gaps in your solutions. We can help you automate the time it takes you to reconcile your money. We can listen to the people who want to do well at their job so they can enjoy the time outside of it, with exciting trips, or family events, or personal goals. These little bits and pieces are what drive us to help with payments. Because if your job is more efficient and less overwhelming, you can enjoy your time at work, and away from it as well, and that’s a pretty worthy goal.
