Finding a career that fits you can be challenging. Luckily, after landing a Dealer Sales Representative role at Simpson Strong-Tie, Halye Vance found the right fit. Halye discusses her journey with Simpson Strong-Tie, what motivates her in her career, and why she loves where she works. 

Hi there! My name is Halye Vance. Currently, I’m the Dealer Sales Representative covering Austin and San Antonio, Texas. I relocated to the Austin area in 2018. I’ve been married for ten years and have two boys, eight and two. I first started with Simpson Strong-Tie in 2015, part-time, entering orders that came through via fax. Six months later, I was full-time in Customer Service. Fast forward another year, and I was moving to Savannah, Georgia for my first ever sales position. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be in sales, let alone sales in the building industry. Something about the Simpson Strong-Tie culture awakened a drive and a confidence I didn’t know had. 

I am beyond grateful to my manager and team for taking a risk and providing me the opportunity to take on this sales role. It has been life-changing. When I think about why I love working at Simpson Strong-Tie, it’s an easy answer. It’s the people.  It’s the people I work beside and the customers I see daily and continue to build a relationship with. Simpson Strong-Tie has the best customers (particularly the ones in Central Texas  — not that I’m biased or anything). But honestly, when you work in such a healthy and encouraging environment and are surrounded by people who genuinely want to see you succeed, it’s hard to even consider working elsewhere. Great people and healthy growth experiences drive me to do what I do every day.  

I shared a post a few weeks ago on LinkedIn celebrating an awesome and successful event that I had attended and worked at. McCoy’s Building Supply is an important customer for our Southeast Territory. I alone have 24 of their locations to call on. I spend a lot of time inside their walls. Every January, they host the McCoy’s Vendor Show in Galveston, Texas, where their very first location opened. They’re a family-run business that has been going strong for decades. This event is always a fun one for us because we can visit with all the store managers in one day. We make it fun — as you can see from our Hawaiian themed shirts. We always have lots of giveaway items, and it’s a serious competition among our sales team, because we want our own store managers to win! 

Being a wife and a mom and having a full-time career can be challenging, to say the least. To be honest, I am still figuring out the perfect work/home life balance. I imagine it’s something that I will always be working on. I am competitive by nature, and I don’t like doing things halfway. I always try to give 110% in whatever I’m doing, whether it’s for my job or at home. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by the most supportive managers. I can be open with them about struggles that I’m having, and they work with me to find a solution.

Simpson Strong-Tie takes care of its people. I have always felt heard when I am having difficult conversations. That keeps me going and pushes me to work harder and do better. Everyone that I’ve met at Simpson Strong-Tie has always been encouraging. They cheer you on, praise you when you’re doing a good job, and help give you a push when you need it. I can’t imagine what my life would look like without Simpson Strong-Tie and my Simpson family. I’ve become the strong, outgoing person that I am today because of my company, its culture and its people. Hands down, if you’re looking to start a career, this is where you want to be!