People are the lifeblood of any organization, but so rarely do they receive the spotlight like the innovative applications and services, company missions, and devoted customer communities they work so hard to create. We want to change that.
At JumpCloud every individual makes a difference, and their work matters no matter what function they hold. This new, ongoing series aims to showcase the personalities and contributions of every JumpCloudian and share the spotlight with the people who work hard every day to help Make Work HappenTM.
Michael Kol (He/Him)
Business Development Manager
Denver, CO
We recently caught up with Michael Kol, also known as “MK,” about what it’s like to work as a Business Development Manager at JumpCloud. On a typical day you’ll find him meeting with prospects and connecting them with the proper people, as well as training a growing group of sales development representatives. Outside of work MK loves to travel, and he made the most of the limited travel restriction this past year by taking several cross-country road trips with friends and family.
When did you start working at JumpCloud? February 2018.
How did you first learn about JumpCloud? I first learned about JumpCloud while looking for roles after exiting business school. I knew I wanted to start over and move west and find something in either finance or tech. I have always had a passion for business and entrepreneurship and wanted to be a part of a team helping to build a revolutionary new product or service. Luckily, I found both and have never looked back since.
Can you run us through a day in the life of your role at JumpCloud? My role is simple — to help as many people as humanly possible get started with our software. I’m a part of the prospecting and pipeline generation team, so every day I have the opportunity to sit down with those looking to see if modern cloud directory services are for them, and if so, connect them with the proper people to help them continue the evaluation. I’m also fortunate to be able to train the next generation of sales development reps to do the same and help them on their journey to becoming world-class salespeople.
How have you grown as an individual since starting at the company? Exponentially and worlds over! JumpCloud has helped me grow personally and professionally. I’m on the path to living the life I’ve always dreamed of, in addition to honing my skills as a manager and leader, which is something that I’m passionate about and hope to pass on to others.
Pick a JumpCloud value (Build Connections, Think Big, 1% Better Every Day) and share an example of how you lived that value recently. Think Big — I love this one. My favorite quote, by Benjamin Disraeli, is “Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think.” I truly believe that this is indeed the case for all goals that we set. As a super-fast growing and maturing startup, we take a pragmatic approach in terms of innovation and optimization, which are always prevalent and forever changing. When we put things back together or develop new processes or procedures, it’s always with the mindset that if we work super hard to do great work that honors our business, prospects, and customers, and make an effort to do right by them as a priority, we’ll be able to hit and achieve our super high goals. And we do!
What is something that you have accomplished at JumpCloud that you are proud of? I’m very proud of being able to teach others how to do great work and excel far beyond my own capabilities. I’ve also been lucky to be able to serve alongside some pretty phenomenal and impressive individuals. I like to take a “servant leadership” approach, which means that as a manager, my job is to work for my team, and in turn, the team works for JumpCloud. If we practice this across the board, we’ll succeed and have a team of very happy and highly productive people that sincerely care about their roles and doing great work, which is exactly what is happening today. It is very humbling to see, and even crazier, it works extremely well!
What keeps you energized about working at JumpCloud? I have a bias toward action and like to win. We are creating a brand-new product that’s disrupting a very established and monopolized market, and challenging other organizations that pull more revenue than most countries’ GDPs — and we’re winning. That’s what keeps me energized. It is extraordinary to be a part of growth and success like this, indeed.
What do you like to do on your days off? I like to travel and try new things. Last year during the pandemic, I had the opportunity to make several cross-country road trips with friends and family and it was very cool to see other parts of the U.S., which is something that I’ve always wanted to do. This year, I hope to step it up a notch and fly to countries and cities outside of the US.
What advice do you have for prospective JumpCloud candidates? As long as you are willing to work hard, have internal motivation to do great work for yourself and your team, then JumpCloud is the place for you and we can teach the rest. That’s what I tell every candidate that I interview. We also care about each other as humans, and have a great and practiced leadership team that feels the same, and that type of mindset echoes down through everyone and everything that we do. It is unique, and we’re lucky.
What book or movie have you recently read/seen and why would you recommend it? “10% Happier” by Dan Harris. I’ve been focusing a lot on mental health recently and this book was recommended to me by one of our colleagues who is super into health and wellness. It is all about learning skills to reduce stress and anxiety, improve focus, boost happiness, and promote teamwork skills through mindfulness and meditation. It’s changed my life and has given me the tools to continue to do so. I highly recommend it!
What’s something you’re planning to do in the next year that you’ve never done? Travel to other countries — I’ve only been to Mexico and Turkey. I really want to take some time to experience other cultures for myself. Perhaps one day I’ll do a stint overseas, which would be incredible. One day at a time!
What is your 15 minutes of fame? Immediately after college, my brother and I wanted to be those kids who make an enormous amount of money off of a mobile app, strike it rich, and live a beautiful life. So we grabbed some books, studied, and came out with a few apps for the Windows Phone operating system, if anyone can remember back that far. This was when the word “selfie” became a thing and apps like Snapchat and Instagram were coming to fruition. We actually had a few thousand downloads and when Microsoft did away with that OS, we tanked. It was a hard life lesson learned, but super valuable and I wouldn’t do it differently.
If you could only eat one item for every meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Pasta! I’m not Italian, but I have a feeling that in another life, I could have been.
Do you have any pets as in-house colleagues? I do! I have four super awesome and fluffy kitties that keep me company and snag pets daily. They’re all from the same litter and were given to my girlfriend by her parents when they were very young. So, it’s not like I collect cats, I just like creatures of all natures and nurtures.
Learn More About JumpCloud
Want to Make Work HappenTM at JumpCloud like Michael? Join our team of dedicated, passionate, and creative people who are eager to change the IT industry forever. Take a look at our current job openings here.
