10 Years of Zelle
What a busy ten years it has been!
Since starting Zelle in 2013, our team has grown, we have expanded our space and services, and been able to assist so many wonderful businesses and organizations in HR and recruiting efforts. Along the way, we’ve also developed partnerships with many of Nebraska’s finest associations and businesses. What has not changed, however; is our work ethic, humility, and results we are able to deliver for each and every person we work with. Our team, now consisting of 20 full time and 5 part time team members, has fully grown into our building at 3606 S 48th Street here in Lincoln with a secondary office in Lexington, Nebraska. We are proud to announce that on June 2, 2023, we broke ground on Nebraska Association of County Officials’ new office in Ogallala, Nebraska. We are thrilled to be sharing this space with them and look forward to the completion of construction in 2024. We are currently looking at office space in Columbus, NE to fit our growing team there.
We now extend our recruiting efforts into the management space – offering full-service recruiting management from the initial meeting with your team and candidate screening, to interview scheduling and negotiation. We are excited to continue to adapt to our clients’ specific needs.
Our consulting division continues to deliver the best human resource solutions to our clients. Our expertise we have on the team in compliance, employee relations, compensation, business coaching, training, and development is next to none. Each team member is an expert in their own craft, making our impact even greater.
One constant at Zelle is our desire to take care of each other first. We are a happy team, which is telling in the fact that we do not lose team members. It’s expressed in the laughter and joy we experience every day. We get to live authentic lives at Zelle. Each team members knows Zelle’s expectations, and they come to work as they are, we don’t want anyone to change. What a gift to be able to be authentic at work and we do not take that for granted. We get to come to work every day, what a blessing it is to say that and mean it. We know we are far from perfect people, but we will continue to try every day to be the best version of ourselves for each other and our clients.
We want to thank everyone for the support over the last ten years. We cannot wait for the next ten!
Chad Thies
President
My journey at Zelle started in 2013 – I worked with Chad at our previous employer and when he came up with the idea for Zelle I knew I had to be a part of it! It was a juggling of two roles for a few years, working hard at building our business at Zelle and maintaining the support in HR at Union Bank. As Zelle continued to be successful, we were able to focus 100% of our time on Zelle and moved into our current space in 2016.
Being a part of the Zelle team and saying ‘Yes’ to Zelle is the best professional decision I have made. The journey to be a part of a business from the ground up does not go without challenges, but we have weathered those well because of our team. Our team is comprised of talented, driven, positive people and they are why I care so deeply about Zelle’s success.
Ten years – WOW! I can’t believe we are celebrating a decade of Zelle. Ten years is a milestone, and one that I am unbelievably grateful to be a part of. It has been an honor to be a part of the lives that have been touched by Zelle and the clients we’ve been able to work with. The future of Zelle is what we make it, and with this team, the sky is the limit!
Steph Ledbetter, Vice President
After working as a Store Manager in Retail for a few years, I quickly recognized my passion was no longer for the clothing, but for the people. With my educational background in entrepreneurship and business, the idea of working more directly with people in an HR capacity excited me. While looking for a new career on Indeed, I stumbled upon a job for an HR Specialist position with ‘Zelle HR Solutions’. When neither a Google or social media search found a ‘Zelle’, I hesitated to submit my application, but chose to anyway. What I quickly discovered is that not only was Zelle a real company, but they weren’t actually looking for a specialist themselves. They had posted the role for a client and put the posting under their name (like we still do!). When I came for my first interview, I showed up to a large, empty, and quiet building. I walked up the stairs, sat in a big office with no decorations, and was talked through the role I had applied for. Out of nowhere, a lively and energetic man came into the room! “Who are you?”, “what are you applying for?”, “do you want to work here?!”. This man was none other than our fearless leader, Chad Thies. Somehow in a matter of moments, Chad saw my potential and offered me a job on the spot. My immediate answer was “what is this place? What do you do?”. He proudly stated that Zelle was the next big company in Lincoln, providing HR and Recruiting support to clients of all sizes throughout Nebraska. I was intrigued. I told Chad I would have to think about it and that I was going out of the country the next day and would talk to him when I returned.
If you know anything about Chad, you know that answer wasn’t good enough. Upon returning from my trip (and turning on my phone), I discovered many voicemails, LinkedIn messages, and texts from Chad, asking when I was returning and if I was interested in the job. While still in the airport, I called Chad back and told him I was interested.
A few days later I got the opportunity to meet with Steph and Hannah. Since Zelle only consisted of Chad, Steph, and Hannah at the time, it was very important to make a good impression. We met up for coffee and ended up having one of the best conversations, allowing me to forget the whole time that it was technically an interview. Luckily it must have been a mutual feeling because a few days later I was offered the job and started a few weeks after that.
That was 5 and a half years ago. What Zelle consisted of then, when it was just the four of us, and what it is now (with other 20!), is truthfully not that much different. The dedication to service is the same. The passion for growth is the same. The deep care and love for our employees and clients is the same. Each step of the way, each new opportunity, client, person, that has been added to Zelle has only made it better. But our values stay. That is why I stay. I know that Zelle is my second home. Not many people find it hard to go on vacation, because they genuinely do not want to leave their work and co-workers, but even less people count down the days when they are on vacation to return. The Zelle team does. Because when you fiercely love and care for the people you work with and the work you do, why wouldn’t you feel that way?
If someone asks me what I love about Zelle, I find myself talking at a million miles per minute, trying to find the right words and the perfect reasons. But truly, it is because the heart of this company is the people within it. Everything we get the opportunity to do, every business we get to impact, every client we get to grow, would not be possible without the incredible team we have. Our culture, our mission, and our people are unmatched!
10 years of Zelle means that we have just begun. If my path over the last 5 and a half years shows anything—than truly anything is possible when it comes to this place. Think we have done something great so far?! Just watch!!
Courtney Thorson, HR Consultant, Training & Development Manager
My Zelle story started as the team was growing and looking to bring on another consultant. I reached out to Chad to see if he felt I would be a good fit for the role and encouraged me to apply. I interviewed with Chad, Steph and Hannah for a consultant role and got it! During my first week of training I shadowed with Danny Benge, the head of recruiting, and got very attracted to the recruiting space. I started to focus more and more in recruiting and eventually moved to doing nothing but it.
Ultimately, it was the team what drew me to Zelle. I thought the world of Chad, Steph and Hannah so felt lucky to be a part of the team. But what has kept me here comes down to two main reasons:
1) Our team! It’s very gratifying to work with a team that has the same passion for delivering for our clients. I would do anything asked of me for the success of Zelle and knowing every other team member would do the same, makes it easy to come to work.
2) Our clients. It’s an amazing feeling when you place a candidate with a client that will allow their business to grow and have continued success.
When others ask me about Zelle, I tell them I get an opportunity to make people’s lives better with a great job. Hopefully finding the right job with a great company has an impact on their overall happiness in life. I also tell them I get to have a ton of fun at work.
Ten years is just the beginning! It’s been such a great ride and I can’t wait to see where we continue to go!!
Jake McMullin - Director of Recruiting
As a previous employee of Union Bank & Trust, I was initially introduced to Zelle in 2014 when Chad had recently developed the idea/business of Zelle. After an opportunity with Zelle did not come to fruition, I continued my banking career elsewhere, but always thought very highly of Zelle and continued to stay in contact with the team members I knew. When Courtney was promoted to consultant in 2020, the Zelle team was looking to replace her role as Office Manager and Steph suggested I interview. On my second day at Zelle, I started doing consulting type work and was moved full time into the Consultant role about 6 months after I joined. In 2022, I was promoted to Sr. Consultant as I took on more responsibility.
The energy and positivity of Zelle drew me in. The idea of being surrounded by highly successful, driven individuals everyday was very exciting. However, what has kept me here at Zelle is the feeling I get when it’s Sunday night and I’m excited to go to work in the morning, the energy I get by simply walking into the Zelle office, and the amount of personal and professional growth I have already experienced and the amount I know I will in the future. I have stayed and will stay at Zelle because this is my family, we care so deeply about our client’s success as well as our team’s success.
When people ask me about my position and the Zelle team, I tell them that my bucket is full - I love what I do and who I do with it. I have the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives each and every day and that alone is very fulfilling. I tell them that making a move from a very safe, comfortable job to one where my trajectory was unclear and I knew I would be challenged, was the best decision I could have made.
I have witnessed this business grow from the start; first from afar, and now from an internal perspective. It wasn’t luck that brought Zelle to this milestone; it was grit, determination, and hard work. The success that Zelle has had in the first 10 years is nothing short of impressive and I will shout it from the rooftops that I love my job and I am so proud to be part of this family!
Maddie Hughes - Sr. Consultant
When I was a student at UNL, I was an intern at a company that worked with Zelle and therefore, met Steph and Chad. Once I got to know Steph and Chad, I knew I wanted to do my next internship at Zelle to further my HR knowledge and learn from them. I was Zelle’s first intern and upon graduation was hired on full-time as a Human Resource Specialist. I was first drawn to Zelle because of the uniqueness of the organization’s services and the nontraditional HR aspects I knew I would enjoy. Now, I work at Zelle for numerous reasons:
· I get to learn something new every day.
· I get to teach people about why human resources is imperative to an organization and its employees.
· I get to work alongside passionate, caring, hardworking individuals who have the same goals and intentions I do.
· I get to positively impact individuals in organizations across the Midwest through my work.
· I get to mentor current students who are passionately seeking roles in human resources.
· I have multiple mentors who foster my passion for projects and new ideas, positively impact my life inside and outside of work, and remind me to always be my most authentic self.
· I have team members who care about my health, safety, family, and wellbeing.
When asked about Zelle, I know my face lights up because I get to talk about the incredible work we do for our communities and beyond.
Although I’ve only been with Zelle for just shy of five years, I am enamored at the growth and accomplishments we have achieved as a team. I’m grateful to have found this little brick place that isn’t so little anymore. I look forward to the future of Zelle, our future team members, our future services, our future locations, and our future successes, but, for now, I’ll enjoy celebrating 10 impactful years of Zelle.
Kate Abendroth - HR Project Manager
How did I get started with Zelle? You know, it sort of just happened! My husband and were moving to Lincoln and so I started to get connected with people in the community. My mother-in-law works for UBT and connected me with the head of HR, Christy. Christy and I met for coffee one more and just got to talking. About 15 minutes into the conversation, she had mentioned that I “speak a million miles a minute” and that I “should get to know Chad Thies”. Less than a week later, I received a call from Chad to come meet with him at Zelle one afternoon. In my head, I knew he was just doing Christy a favor by taking an interview from her referral, but I wanted to meet with him anyway to hear what Zelle was about. Within 5 minutes of our conversation, Chad and I just clicked on so many levels. The energy in the room was matched, passion for what we do matched, our love for wine matched, and needless to say, I think my industry knowledge impressed him enough to get asked back to meet with the leadership team at Zelle the following week and later on went joined the whole team for a work happy hour – which at the time was only Chad, Steph, Hannah, Jake, Kate, Jamie, Courtney, and Maddie.
After this happy hour, I got to see the culture of Zelle come out and I was hooked. It reminded me of my team when I worked out in Phoenix, and I knew I would just love it here. Shortly after the happy hour, I received a call from Chad extending an offer and I kept him on his toes for 2 weeks. Mainly because I had a job, was getting married, going on my honeymoon, and trying to navigate the trenches. I accepted with Zelle and they told me to enjoy my time getting married and honeymooning before starting – they already cared about me and my family without even seeing my work yet. This is what got me started and keeps me going here at Zelle. We are work horses. We don’t slow down; we have grit, and we are motivated. It’s an exhilarating environment to be a part of and keep going. And they care about YOU and your life outside of work. That is a big component for me and something that is hard to find in workplaces these days – an employer who understands the importance of family and a work/life balance. I am grateful for Zelle in this aspect as I am a new mother with the ability to watch my son grow!
When people ask me about Zelle, the first thing I usually say is, we are so busy! But I mean it in all the best ways possible. We are running a successful business and we are busy with work! It’s such a great problem to have. I then proceed to say how much I love my job and how I am excited to go to work in the mornings. Not sure how many people get to say that, but I am glad I do! I’ve been asked many times since returning from maternity leave, ‘how is it being back? How was the first day/the first week?’ Yes, obviously it’s hard leaving your little babe in the hands of someone else to take care of them while you work, but going back to Zelle made it just that much easier. My first week back was great! I am not sure I would have gotten that same feeling anywhere else.
10 years of Zelle to means growth. Zelle has only gotten bigger and stronger with each year. I have only been here 2 years and when I started, we were a team of 8 FTE with me making us 9. Now, we are 19 FTE and still growing. It just goes to show that 10 years of hard work, top notch service, word of mouth referrals, and an unmatched culture, can get you to be a successfully ran organization. And not to mention, we are only STILL growing.
Nicole Turner - Sr. Recruiter
I started as a teller at UBT in 2014 and would see Chad come over to Pine Lake East – his energy was electric. At the time, he was VP of HR for UBT. There was an opening for a Recruiter of which I excitedly applied and got the role in late 2014. From there, I started to learn about the little engine called Zelle and wanted to be a part of the entrepreneurial spirit of all those involved. In 2016 I joined the Zelle team full-time. Prior to that, I worked on projects with Zelle in tandem with my UBT HR role.
I get to come to work and have the autonomy and creativity to make a difference in peoples’ lives. Whether that is in the form of supporting our team internally on the operations front or servicing my handful of clients in the field, the fulfillment I receive from my day to day at work is unlike any job I have worked. Zelle is a place that accepts and encourages all aspects of my life both personal and professional, for that, I am forever grateful!
When people ask me about my role, I typically tell them that I get to work with a group of people who are more than just co-workers, they are an extension of my family. It sounds so cliché, but the relationships we are able to cultivate within our team is what exudes the greatness to our clients.
Whew. What does 10 years mean. To me, 10 years is only the beginning of what this company can do. I’ve taken considerable time to reflect on all we have built in the last 10 (9 for me 😊) years and based on the trajectory, it’s hard to imagine where we will be in another 10. We say it all the time internally, we don’t just dream it, we do it… and that is so true. We take things one-day, one-project, and one-task at a time – the difference is the diligence and consistency to keep the engine running that will make all the difference in our next 10 years!
Hannah Murray - Vice President