The Proprietor of Employee and Member Success

If you have ever spoken to an Advisor Service Associate (ASA) at RPAG, whether it’s on the phone or over email, or you attended one of our many wonderful events, you have had an indirect connection with our Assistant Vice President of Service Operations, Maria Salb. Her position spans far beyond the basics of customer service, reaching the entire company with her commitment to ensuring that every member of RPAG is wholly taken care of.

Overcoming Daily Challenges

Managing one employee can be hard, but when you have to coordinate nine while navigating inquiries from internal and external stakeholders, days can become overwhelming. We asked her to describe a typical day in her role, and she shared that it involves a schedule filled with countless meetings, something many managers can relate to.

Maria says that multitasking is the hardest part of her position, but she stays organized and tells us, “I truly enjoy what I do. I want every aspect to be the best and my employees to be comfortable. In customer service, inquiries tend to be negative most of the time, so I try to stay positive and project that mentality to my team.”

This mentality is relayed in every interaction RPAG members have with our customer success team. Her positivity spreads through the ASAs and reflects in the responses to any inquiries the team receives.

Impact of Team Dynamics

Maria has a rigorous training process for each ASA with outlined steps. As she gets to know each person, she learns what their specific strengths are, and can give them tasks that help the overall team. For example, Brooke Visagie has a knack for mathematics and investing, therefore she handles most of our investment questions and even sits in on the investment team meetings to get the best intel for our members. Another great example is the highly personable Alexis Patenaude, who has a talent for explaining concepts in an easily digestible way, making her perfect for member training calls.

Delegating tasks took Maria many years to master. Since she was accustomed to working alone on projects, particularly those involving event preparation, delegating seemed intimidating to her when the outcome was so important. She needed to develop her delegation skills and focus on the talents she identified in her team members so she could use them to create memorable events.

When asked what accomplishment she is most proud of, Maria states, “The dynamic of my team. I am proud of the manager I have become, the relationship I have with my team, and the relationships they have with each other. Managers sometimes overlook the impact that their relationships have on their team, but it’s so important.”

Maria’s understanding of her team’s personalities allows her to navigate the dynamic environment at RPAG with ease. She prides herself on being approachable, offering support whenever her team encounters challenges. Her leadership fosters continuous growth, ensuring both the team and the company thrive while maintaining strong relationships with loyal members and employees.

Inspirations and Aspirations

On an inspirational note, Maria reflects on Veronica Lee’s mentorship as the ultimate reward in her career path at RPAG. She states, “She has such a good balance of professionalism and personal relations. She makes you feel comfortable while teaching you how to handle everything in the work environment.”

During Maria’s journey at RPAG, starting from a catch-all front desk position and moving up the ranks to event planning and eventually running the administration and customer service teams, she used the inspiring mentorship of Veronica and others in the organization to feel confident in her roles. Her goal for the future is to expand the ways that our ASAs can help members and leverage the interactions we have at our events to improve our daily discussions with members through our service lines.

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