The “Getting to Know” series is sponsored by Arbeit. Arbeit is a powerful, and easy to use communications platform that empowers businesses to reach more consumers. Innovative by nature, we are constantly listening to and understanding the businesses we partner with and developing long term industry relationships that allow us to be proactive in anticipating industry needs.
Sarah DeMoss might be the first person ever from Alaska to participate in the Getting to Know series, which makes her one-of-a-kind right off the bat. Add in her proactive approach to managing her team and that makes her even more special. Read on to learn more about Sarah and why she never gets bored in her job.
Name: Sarah Sipe DeMoss
Job Title: Director of Compliance and Licensing
Company: Premiere Credit of North America, LLC
Length of Time at Current Position: Six years
Length of Time in Industry: 12 years
How did you get your start in the industry?
I worked for the Alaska Court System for a couple of years right out of law school. Since I was located in Northern Alaska, our court was a one-stop shop that handled all areas of law. This experience gave me an opportunity to get my feet wet in civil matters, and weed out those I was not interested in pursuing like criminal law. I then moved to Minnesota where I actually answered a Craigslist ad to be a collection attorney at Rausch Sturm.
What is your career highlight so far?
Getting everyone rapidly deployed to work from home when the COVID quarantines started was a pretty amazing feat. The dedication from every department at Premiere, and our parent company Performant, made me proud to be a part of such a caring team.
When or how are you most productive?
I’m the most productive in the late afternoon and into the evening. I am definitely not a morning person nor do I operate well when I am hungry.
Which industry professional do you admire most?
There is a group of women in this industry that are doing an amazing job of making a name for themselves while still remaining really down to earth and approachable. Lauren Burnette, Lauren Valenzuela, Nicole Strickler, and Jessica Klander just to name a few. I can get very reliable industry information from all of these ladies, but also laugh and commiserate with them before the conversation ends. There isn’t a stuffiness to them even though they have unmistakable expertise, and that’s what makes them so admirable.
What is one thing you do better than everyone else?
I’m able to get compliance buy-in from our operations department. It’s hard to create a true culture of compliance, but by putting in a lot of hours and face time, I’ve been able to create a partnership instead of a dictatorship. As a result, I’m consulted early on in processes and able to prevent and mitigate instead of just reacting.
What do you like most about this industry?
Constantly changing regulatory, legal, and client requirements mean I never get bored and there is always a new challenge to tackle.
What is one thing you wish you could change about this industry?
It’d be nice if some of the aforementioned constantly changing regulatory, legal, and client requirements moved a little bit slower from time to time.
If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing?
Prior to law school, I was on track to be a Sociology Professor so I’d hopefully be teaching at a university somewhere.
Describe a typical work day.
I have a true open-door policy. Prior to COVID, I would have a non-stop trail of people (from collectors to managers to executives) popping into my office all throughout the day. Now, that we have so many people working remotely, I get a lot more e-mails but it’s not quite the same. I miss some of the craziness that comes with an office right next to the collection floor.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Cheesy Christmas movies, but only in November and December.
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What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Be nice to support staff. Court clerks, paralegals, receptionists, assistants, etc. are often overlooked, but they also hold the keys to a lot of information. They are more likely to help when you are in a crunch if you are nice to them when you aren’t in need of something.
What are you currently reading?
Do Kung Fu movies with subtitles count as reading?
What is one fact you’d like everyone in the industry to know about you
I have an awesome family … A husband who holds down the fort when I work long hours, and three adorable kiddos (10, 5, and 4 months old) none of which are old enough yet to be embarrassed by me.
Who else would you like to see answer these questions?
Trying to think of someone who hasn’t yet. Has Wendy Badger?
The “Getting to Know” series is sponsored by Arbeit. Arbeit is a powerful, and easy to use communications platform that empowers businesses to reach more consumers. Innovative by nature, we are constantly listening to and understanding the businesses we partner with and developing long term industry relationships that allow us to be proactive in anticipating industry needs.
