Category: BluWave Team Interviews

Within our Intelligent Marketplace, we have a deep bench of both service provider groups and independent consultants that uniquely meet the private equity standard. To ensure we always have the independents our clients need when they need them, we have team members dedicated to mapping the market and onboarding individuals that are a great fit. Hannah Welsh sits on our Research & Operations team and is focused on building out our bench of interim executives. We recently sat down with her to hear a little bit more about her role and why she joined the team.

How did you hear about BluWave and what made you interested in applying & then joining the team?

I first heard about BluWave from Belmont University’s Career Development Office while pursuing my MBA degree in the spring of 2021. I was interested in BluWave because I have always had a passion for challenge and making a difference. I appreciated BluWave’s ability to solve problems for the private equity industry and wanted to learn more about different avenues of business from seasoned executives.

What’s your favorite part about the team and culture?

My favorite part about the team is the positivity and the determination. I love that the whole company, regardless of the individual team, works together. BluWave celebrates each person’s successes and always explains the “why” behind strategic company decisions. Along with this, everyone has such a strong worth ethic and genuinely wants our clients and our business to succeed.

Out of the BluWave Values of “Team, Value, Grow, Win”, what is an example of how you have seen these values play out in your time here?

Now for the fun stuff, what are your favorite hobbies and activities when you aren’t in the office?

I love to spend time with friends and family and go on runs!

Favorite Nashville restaurant?

Probably Blanco Cocina + Cantina or Edley’s – just depends on the day!

Favorite TV show?

If you’re interested in joining the BluWave team, be sure to check out our open positions.

Interested in learning more about our interim executive practice? Check out our interim executive resource hub, or contact Hannah via email at hannah.welsh@bluwave.net.

Staying up to date with all 500+ PE firms we work with is no easy feat, which is why we are so glad to have added Mike Mahan to our team as Account Management Director. As a leader on our client coverage team, Mike builds relationships with our clients and helps coordinate our account management and business development efforts. Having now been on the team for a couple of months, we recently sat down with Mike to learn more about him, why he joined BluWave, and what his onboarding experience has been like.

How did you hear about BluWave and what made you want to ultimately join the team?

I first heard about BluWave when a recruiter reached out to me about the role. I then did some research and was impressed by all the news I found about BluWave’s growth and how team-centered the company was. When I came in to meet Sean, Katie, Houston, & Kyle, I knew that this was a team I wanted to be a part of.

What’s your favorite part about the team and culture?

Everyone that comes to work is always lending a helping hand and brings the same energy every single day. It is truly a “we” mentality at BluWave and we all want to grow professionally and personally together.

I also have to add that I love our commitment as a company to giving back both through community service and the contributions we make to local charitable organizations.

What was your favorite part of your onboarding experience?

Now for the fun stuff, what are your favorite hobbies and activities when you aren’t in the office?

I grew up with a golf club in my hand and will always find an excuse to go out and play, even if its putt-putt. Other than that, I am a pretty laid back individual that loves watching my Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Reds, and Kentucky Wildcats when they are on TV.

Favorite Nashville restaurant?

Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse – Being a Northern Kentuckian I had to! But also love Edley’s BBQ with a nice cold beer.

Go-to vacation spot?

If you’re interested in joining the BluWave team, be sure to check out our open positions.

BluWave office operations, team outings, hiring, & billing all would not be possible without BluWave’s HR and office manager extraordinaire, Libby Hall Cornelius (not to mention the lack of caffeination our team would experience without her stocking the kitchen!). Libby is the Senior Manager of Office & Facilities, People, & Event Management at BluWave and has the honor of holding the title of BluWave employee #1. We recently talked to Libby to learn more about why she decided to join and help start the BluWave team as well as what it is she loves about her job.

How did you hear about BluWave?

A former colleague of mine from San Francisco introduced me to Sean when he was starting BluWave and was looking to hire someone in Nashville that had a background in events.

What made you want to apply for BluWave and why did you ultimately decide to join the BluWave team?

I didn’t have a background in private equity but after meeting Sean, I could tell that he understood this industry, the pain points it had, and how to solve some of those pain points. His vision and the fact that he had a number of people who were willing to financially back the company sold me on the idea of BluWave. It was definitely a risk to be the first hire but it is also a risk that I’m glad I took.

What’s your favorite part about our team and culture? 

I love that we make a point of getting to know each other as people, not just coworkers. We do this through internal passion project presentations, social events, and volunteering. We’re all working hard, but we do try to keep it light in the office (I like to think putting up animal and travel cams on the tv near my desk contributes some!).

What excites you the most about the future of BluWave?

The nearly unlimited potential – I’m amazed every day at how much we’ve grown in such a short amount of time and I only foresee that continuing.

Moving into some of the specifics with your role, what was your background before joining BluWave?

I received my degree in Music Business here in Nashville at Belmont University but then worked in tech marketing and events in San Francisco for seven years. When I moved back to Nashville and joined BluWave, my focus was initially going to be events, but my role has progressed as the company has evolved.

What’s your favorite part of the job and what do you find most rewarding about it?

My favorite part of the job is the variety of things I get to do — everything from planning a weekly office snack break, working with our clients and service providers on billing, and doing phone screens with potential new team members – sometimes all in a single day.

Out of these activities, planning our team events, both social and volunteering, is most rewarding. Our culture is a big part of what makes BluWave such a great place to work, and these events are integral to that.

Now for the fun stuff, what are your favorite hobbies and activities when you aren’t in the office?

Volunteering with Nashville Cat Rescue (and spending time with my own cat, Sophie), doing yoga, listening to podcasts, and planning the next home improvement project or trip with my husband.

Favorite podcast?

Mostly anything true crime – Morbid and The Piketon Massacre recently, but Disgraceland is also a favorite.

Outside of the true crime genre, Reply All is a top choice.

Go-to vacation spot?

If you’re interested in joining the BluWave team, be sure to check out our open positions.

Our Business Development team diligently works to stay in touch with our current clients and walk prospects through our business model and how we can help them. We recently talked with one of our BluWave Account Managers on the BD team, Evan Garoutte, to learn more about why he chose to join BluWave and what he enjoys about being on the BD team.

What made you want to apply for BluWave and why did you ultimately decide to join the BluWave team?

BluWave stood out to me as an organization that was solving a unique problem in a very interesting space. It was clear through the interview process that BluWave had a hardworking, strong team and I wanted to be a part of it.

What’s your favorite part about our team and culture? What excites you most about BluWave?

My favorite part about our team and culture is that everyone is driven to succeed and wants us to succeed as a team. We have an amazing team of go-getters, but always maintain the idea that it’s better to win together.

How have you seen the BluWave Values of “Team, Value, Grow, Win” play out in your time here?

I see our Team value play out every day. It really takes all hands on deck to deliver a fantastic experience for our customers. Starting with our marketing department that creates awareness of BluWave, our Account Management team introduces the prospect to the platform, and then our Research and Operations team scopes and executes on the client’s need.

What excites you the most about the future of BluWave?

I think what we’re doing is really unique and it’s crazy to think about how much we’ve accomplished in a short amount of time, like making number 127 on the Inc. 5000 list this year. With our team, it feels like the sky is the limit.

Moving into your role and the Business Development function, why did you choose to go into this field and what do you find most rewarding about your job?

I chose to go into Business Development because I love talking to people and building genuine supportive relationships. My role allows me to do that every day.

When I’m on a call and a client says that they wish they knew about BluWave x-amount of time ago because we could have solved so many of their needs, it’s proof that what we’re doing is actually making a difference for our customers, and I find that incredibly rewarding.

Now for the fun stuff, what are your favorite hobbies and activities when you aren’t in the office?

I love to read and play golf. I’m also a huge sports fan – particularly soccer and football. You can check out (part of) my soccer scarf collection at my desk.

Favorite podcast?

Circling Back – a podcast about three thirty-plus guys trying to stay relevant in today’s meme culture.

And finally, what’s your favorite Nashville restaurant?

Little Hats Italian Market

If you’re interested in joining the BluWave team, be sure to check out our open positions.

A crucial part of BluWave is our Research & Operations team. This group of individuals diligently works to quickly scope clients’ needs, onboard PE-grade service providers, and connect clients with the exact-fit providers that meet their unique needs. Recently, we sat down with a Strategic Account Executive from the R&O team, Cydney Dicken, to learn more about her role and why she joined BluWave in April of 2021.

How did you hear about BluWave and what made you want to apply for your position?

I found BluWave through LinkedIn. I was potentially looking for a job in the PE world and the job description caught my eye.

What’s your favorite part about our team and culture? What excites you most about BluWave?

I love the close relationships that come with being on the BluWave team. We all have great relationships with each other and genuinely enjoy being around each other. That makes coming to work really fun because our day-to-day interactions with each other are always positive. As far as what excites me about BluWave, it’s definitely how fast we are growing.

Moving into your role and the Research & Operations function, what’s your background and why did you choose to go into this field?

When I first graduated college, I worked in sales as a sort of stepping stone. I was really drawn to our Research & Ops team because I do well at being organized and thinking through projects, which was a perfect fit for what our team does.

What’s your favorite part of the job and what do you find most rewarding about it?

My favorite part is definitely having the opportunity to learn about so many different nuanced aspects of business across a wide array of sectors & industries. Working with 500+ PE firms, their portfolio companies, and proactive companies, we get to learn about all the nuances for everything from inflation struggles in manufacturing companies to recruiting needs at a recently merged food and beverage company.

Closing a project with a client is what I find most rewarding

Now for the fun stuff, what’s your favorite restaurant here in Nashville?

This is a hard one, but I think I have to go with Superica.

What are your favorite hobbies and activities when you aren’t in the office?

Hanging out with friends, playing with dogs (even though I don’t have one here), & trying new hot sauces.

And finally, what’s your go-to vacation spot?

Hawaii.

If you’re interested in joining the BluWave team, be sure to check out our open positions.

Since our founding 5 years ago, BluWave has seen rapid growth in many ways – from revenue to headcount, to even the growth of various internal functions. One of the biggest growths we’ve experienced in the past year is in our marketing function, going from a collective team effort across the company to a dedicated department of 3 individuals. Recently, we sat down with the newest marketing hire, Brendan Cooper, our Content Marketing Manager, to learn more about why he chose to join the BluWave team.

How did you hear about BluWave and what made you want to apply for your position?

I found BluWave through a job search on Indeed, where I was looking for creative marketing roles. When I found BluWave’s posting for a Content Marketing Manager position, I first looked at BluWave’s website and was extremely encouraged by the growth of the company.  I was impressed by how young BluWave was yet how much had been accomplished in the past 5 years, especially achieving a top 3% ranking on this year’s Inc. 5000 list. Encouraged and excited by the prospect of being part of a fast-growing company in a marketing role that would be heavily creative, I decided to apply for the job.

Why did you decide to join the BluWave team?

The people. Throughout the interview process, I got the vibe from everyone that they genuinely enjoyed working for BluWave, being in each other’s company, and were excited about what BluWave does. I really got the feel that the BluWave team was one that is fast-paced, yet still enjoys taking time to enjoy each other’s company. Having been here for three weeks now, I can definitely say that is true.

Moving into your role and the marketing function specifically, what’s your favorite and most rewarding part of your job?

Going back to what I said on why I joined the BluWave team, my favorite part of the job is working in an environment where the team has a unique energy about it because everyone is truly excited about doing what they’re doing. Having worked in marketing across various B2B businesses for the last 4.5 years, I can definitely say that is not always the case. It makes the job really motivating and gets me excited to come to work each morning.

But for my role specifically, I find designing something from scratch and then seeing it published to be the most rewarding. There’s something very satisfying about creating something and then seeing it on LinkedIn, a website, or any other channel. It’s a great feeling of, “I did that and I’m helping create and contribute to the BluWave identity that is out there in the world.”

So having recently started, what has been your favorite part about the onboarding experience?

My favorite part of the onboarding process has definitely been the fact that I’ve been able to jump right in. I got to start working on projects and be a contributing team member from day one which has been exciting – there have been no dull days! It’s also been really cool that from the get-go I’ve been trusted enough to jump right into things.

Looking forward, what excites you the most about the future of BluWave?

The fast growth for sure. It’s one of the reasons I applied and is definitely something that continues to excite me as I grow in my position along with the company. I feel like the business has been set up cleverly to where the growth doesn’t seem to be slowing anytime soon. That creates a really exciting culture to be a part of because it seems like there is unlimited potential as we keep moving forward.

Now for the fun stuff, what’s your favorite restaurant here in Nashville?

Taj Indian Restaurant. Best Indian food hands down.

When you aren’t in the office doing all things design, what can people catch you doing?

I enjoy playing soccer, all things sports, and enjoying a beer at Nashville’s best spots.

And finally, what’s your go-to vacation spot?

The Jersey Shore.

If you’re interested in joining the BluWave team, be sure to check out our open positions.