At SSA, we believe in enthusiasm. In passion. In being an expert in what you do, not just because of your experience but because you love doing it. We hire people who enhance our culture and our business and we’re proud to share more about them in our This is SSA employee story series.

In our July edition of ‘This is SSA’, we interviewed Myke Eggers, Learning and Development Manager. Myke is a perfect example of our fun-loving culture that also encourages people to figure out what they are passionate about and dive right in. Read below about how he started his career at SSA, his amazing advice to his younger self, and which SSA value means the most to him. 

Tell us a bit about your journey at SSA.

I had heard from a few colleagues about a small but stable company called SSA, and they all spoke very highly of how it treated its people. There was a position there that they encouraged me to apply for based on my qualifications which, unfortunately, I didn’t get. However, determined to get me on board and knowing my love for the world of hospitality, guest services, and human connection, those same people later asked me to apply for the Admissions Training Manager role, which is what initially brought me into SSA. 

Since accepting the position, not a single day has passed in almost three years where I have regretted my decision to join the SSA family. It’s nice to work for a company that values your ideas, relationships, and the importance of being your true self—something I have never experienced in any of the previous organizations I have worked for, regardless of their size.

Which SSA value do you resonate with most and why? 

True Hospitality – Ready to Lead. Ready to Follow. 

Until recently, I never realized how foundational hospitality has been in my life. It’s evident in how I treat anyone who visits my home, how I speak up about its importance at work, or when I’m out and about and meet what I call ‘5-minute best friends’. For me, hospitality is not about how I feel in that moment of engagement but about how good I can make the other person feel while connecting in that moment.

Hospitality is understanding that kindness is not something everyone has had the privilege to experience. It resonates with me because TRUE hospitality involves taking the responsibility of leading with compassion while recognizing that societal or cultural differences may challenge me to rethink how that compassion is delivered. It’s a lesson in delivering compassion without compromising the feelings and belief systems of either party. And for me, that is life.

What advice would you give your younger self?

You don’t have to be just one thing- it’s ok to be a goofy oddball with a deep philosophical understanding of what life means to you. People define their truth through a lens that is formed by their personal experiences. What other people think about you is none of your damn business! Forcing a truth on someone else is impossible especially when one or both parties do not value individually lived experiences. Truth is as unique as the individual who chooses how they interpret those experiences. Remember the only thing you can ever be perfect doing, is being yourself.

Share a proud moment or significant achievement in your role.

I don’t know if it qualifies as a 'significant achievement' or a 'proud moment,' but the time I felt most 'seen' in my role at SSA was after I recently revamped our hospitality training.  I took a selfie with that team, and it got posted on our social media with the caption, “It’s giving… best friends.” Two people commented who weren’t even part of that training. One person said, 'It’s how [I make] everyone feel,' and someone entirely different said, 'I second this.'

Just hearing that the training I put so much dedication and energy into is not just a PowerPoint I’m presenting because it’s my job, but that people feel I am living the hospitality I believe in so much, really makes me feel proud!

How do you recharge outside of work? 

Whenever my, mental battery gets low, I like to recharge by spending time in nature. Lately, 'spending time in nature' means accepting that I have an attraction to gathering and collecting plants and calling it gardening.

It’s become the best way for me to let go of stress, be fully present, yet still feel productive. Gardening reminds me how precious and temporary life is; it forces me to focus on what matters in the moment. When you garden, there is no way to bring back dead plants or guarantee end results because there are outside forces, like deer and other wild animals, who think your hard work is their buffet. 

That reality of “the present” for me is what helps me remember that trying to live in the past while simultaneously stressing about the future can drain you mentally, so it’s important to stay “plugged into the present” to keep you rooted in reality. 

Curious to learn more about careers at SSA and the incredible work our people are doing? See more employee stories here.