A proven HR technology pioneer with over 15 years of experience building and leading Software as a Service (SaaS) businesses within the discipline of Human Capital Management, Michael Papay currently serves as CEO & Co-founder of Waggl, a San Francisco Bay Area company that provides a real-time employee voice platform for driving actionable dialogue around critical business topics. Michael is a frequent author and contributor to advancing the thought leadership around organizational learning and employee engagement. He believes that mutual respect and active listening leads to more meaningful relationships and productive organizations, and that candor and transparency lead to a more connected and engaged workforce. He strongly believes that the best ideas and input can (and should) come from anywhere in the organization.

Where did you grow up? How did your upbringing influence your career?

I grew up in Pennsylvania, and am the grandson of a slate quarry owner who taught me that hard work pays off. Both of my parents were entrepreneurs, and the stories of their businesses were common topics of conversation.

What do you see as the biggest challenge in your market?

Waggl provides the leading platform for real-time feedback powered by Employee Voice. Our solution is designed for leaders and organizations that are willing to be bold and brave in their quest for the truth. Truthful feedback from employees can deliver the greatest positive impact, in terms of improving organizations, but sometimes it requires some courage in order to ask the right questions and to hear the truth.

How do you continue to educate yourself?

As a Founder and CEO, I certainly read quite a few books and articles. But honestly, the most valuable knowledge usually comes from interacting with peers, colleagues, and thought leaders. Asking the right questions is the key. Sometimes, the best insight is knowing the next question to ask. For example, I learned to make wine by going to wineries and talking with the winemakers about the process. When I was learning about fermentation, I asked questions about the temperature, etc. Once I had that figured out, I moved on to questions about clarification, aging, and bottling.

What role do partnerships and relationships play in your career?

Mentorship has played a huge role in my life and is a big part of where I am today. Throughout my life, I have been lucky enough to have parents, teachers, and other mentors who have been willing to take me under their wing. Most notably, Cal Wick, a well-respected Management and Leadership Training consultant and the Founder of Fort Hill Company, asked me to help him start a new HR Technology company when I was fresh out of Babson College. It provided me with massive exposure to top talent, leaders and hundreds of leading organizations. But in addition to that, Cal put great care and effort into my development and served as a wonderful mentor to me. His was not just a “check the box” approach. Cal trusted me to try some new things and to start a new sales office in San Francisco, give keynotes for the first time, and more. I worked with Cal for more than a decade, and the learning I took from that experience shaped everything I do to this day.

In terms of relationships, the interaction and connection with people is where the joy comes in for me. If I were doing this all by myself just for the paycheck, it wouldn’t be as meaningful.

True or false? Hard work solves almost anything. Tell us why you feel this way.

True, with a caveat. Hard work can get you through almost any challenge, but in order to really succeed, you need to really believe that it’s possible. Hard work plus energy, passion and belief is the magic recipe that makes almost anything possible.

What achievement are you most proud of?

This year, Waggl has seen a culmination of awards and accolades that have made me extremely proud. Last month, we placed 151 on the 2019 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States, with a three-year revenue growth of 2,482 percent. Waggl placed 26 within California-based companies, 19 within software companies, and 10 within San Francisco companies. Waggl was recently named as “Employee Engagement Vendor of the Year” by the 2019 North American Employee Engagement Awards. The company was recognized as a Top Workplace of 2019 by the Bay Area Newsgroup, and by San Francisco Business Times/Silicon Valley Business Journal as one of the Best Places to Work, earning the #2 ranking for wellness and the #10 spot for smallest companies. Waggl was also included on the Inc. Magazine’s 2018 Best Workplaces list.

These honors put us in the company of some of the most successful and well-respected companies in the US. But perhaps more importantly, they acknowledge the balance we have worked hard to maintain between rapid growth and commitment to sustaining a customer-focused culture and great employee experience. We view this recognition as a significant validation of the work of our passionate and talented team, as well as all of our game-changing customers, who are committed to building an inclusive culture powered by actionable Employee Voice.

What’s next in your career?

We started Waggl five years ago with a handful of people, then quickly grew to 10, 20 and now more than 50 staff members. Every time we bring in a new person, they bring their own perspective and energy, and it changes the dynamic of the entire company.

Even at this point in our company’s growth, I realize that every day is a new beginning. Our goal is to give employees a voice in organizations around the world. What got us to this point won’t be enough to get us where we are going next. Every chapter has a new set of challenges and opportunities. We need to continually reimagine ourselves in order to keep going forward.

What advice do you have for our readers?

I believe in the old proverb, “Half the battle is in the beginning.” There are a lot of people out there with great ideas. If you find something you believe in, the biggest step is to commit to it and get it started. After you do that, figuring out how to do it is the fun part.

Is it possible for our readers to hire you or work with your team?

Yes, if you learn about Waggl and decide that you share our passion for helping organizations to elevate Employee Voice, we’d love to talk with you about bringing us in to help create actionable, authentic dialogue within your organization. And we are constantly growing, and looking for great talent, so if this feels like the right step on your career path, we’d love to hear from you.