Q&A: Meet the Guideline Team

At Guideline, everything we do is powered by a growing team of entrepreneurs, investment professionals, and technologists with a shared goal — creating a retirement people can look forward to. We sat down with four of our coworkers from different sides of the business to talk passion, productivity, and what success looks like at Guideline.

Alexis Young, Client Relationships Manager

Why did you choose to come to Guideline?

Guideline’s mission to help small business owners, employees, and self-employed individuals in their retirement really stood out to me. I feel like the work we do truly makes a difference in the lives of the clients we serve.

How is collaboration part of your day-to-day job?

Guideline is made up of many different departments and teams all working together to help our clients invest in their financial future and arrive at a secure retirement. We each have our own specialty and wouldn’t be able to succeed without cross-functional support. I collaborate with my team and with other teams daily to solve problems and improve our products and services. We’re constantly learning from each other.

Why is it important for successful Guideline employees to be adaptive?

No two people or situations are exactly alike, so to be successful, we need to be able to adapt to any situation at any time to meet the needs of our clients. As Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”

What has helped you be successful here?

Being empathetic has been my key to success at Guideline. Whether I’m working with other teams or with clients, it’s important to remember that we’re all human and our words and actions can have a real impact. I try to put myself in others’ shoes to understand how they’re feeling and then determine the best way to respond.

Sam Shipman, Product Operations Manager

What’s your favorite part about working at Guideline?

The best part of working at Guideline is being on a team that trusts my work and gives me the autonomy to solve problems while improving processes along the way.

Why is it important for successful Guideline employees to be adaptive?

Being adaptive is essentially a requirement in today’s workforce. At Guideline, being adaptive can range from transitioning to full-time remote work, to adjusting work streams to accommodate the ever-changing macro environment, to shifting department priorities based on new IRS regulations. The work is always changing and evolving — you have to learn to jump on board and enjoy the ride.

What has helped you be successful here?

Having a supportive team! I spent several years working at other tech startups, but never in the finance industry. I had to utilize the knowledge and support from my team to learn about a new industry. The supportive culture within the Operations team (and Guideline as a whole) is the best I’ve ever experienced so far in my career.

Hannah Wolper, Onboarding Specialist

Why did you choose to come to Guideline?

Before Guideline, I spent 10 years in sales. I knew I wanted my next role to be customer-facing with less emphasis on sales. During the pandemic, I moved to Maine to be closer to friends and family. I knew my previous job would eventually ask employees to return to the office, so I started looking for opportunities in Maine. After catching up with a good friend and fellow Guideliner, I knew Guideline was the place for me. With the Onboarding team, I found the mix of customer operations and project management I was looking for. While I was interviewing,

I could tell how much everyone I spoke to enjoyed working for the company. Seeing people passionate about the work they do and how much they enjoy working together made accepting the offer my easiest career decision yet.

How has working at Guideline helped you grow—professionally and personally?

When I started I didn’t have any real experience in the retirement industry, so I tried to be a sponge and soak up all the information that came my way, but I can honestly say that it was overwhelming. Learning about the retirement industry, IRS rules and regulations, and Guideline’s product tested my endurance, but with time I started to become more confident.

We are dealing with a very complex industry and I wanted to make sure I was consistently providing accurate and timely information to my clients. I’ve learned so much in such a short time, and I can’t begin to imagine how much more knowledge I’ll gain as I continue my career here. Additionally, learning to give myself grace and not being so hard on myself when I’m not sure of the answer or dealing with intricate situations has been a game changer. I am a perfectionist so learning to be patient with myself has been extremely valuable.

What does work-life balance mean to you?

Having a healthy work-life balance has always been top of mind for me throughout my career. I think the phrase “work hard, play hard” is an accurate description of how I try to live my life. When I’m logged in during work hours, I grind it out. I never leave until my inbox is empty.

However, when I log off, I try to separate myself from work. Guideline treats employees to an unlimited amount of vacation time, which I also try to take advantage of. My managers have actually encouraged me to take more time in the past. Burnout is real when you’re consistently busy. As a fast-growing startup, you can bet we are working very hard, so taking time for yourself without feeling guilty goes a long way when it comes to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Lilly Nguyen, Client Relationship Manager

How long have you been at Guideline?

I’ve been with Guideline for 4 years.

What’s your favorite part about working at Guideline?

My favorite thing about my job is the opportunity to work alongside my colleagues. They are always super motivated and inspire me daily.

What does work-life balance mean to you?

For me, work-life balance is all about being able to prioritize and complete tasks while setting boundaries to indulge in fulfilling activities during my downtime and not feeling pressure to overwork myself.

What does being driven mean to you?

Being motivated to make an immense impact for a positive cause.

What has helped you be successful here?

Being open-minded and proactive has helped me a lot at Guideline. Being open-minded allows you to be adaptable in a matrix environment to work towards a common goal.

Each day our teams work together to solve problems in a complex, ever-changing industry. Sound exciting? Check out our open roles and join the Guideline team.