We’re excited to give you another look inside Upper Hand. In our Meet the Team series, we are introducing you to the incredible people that work on our team.
You’ve previously met Alexus Jimson-Miller, Aydan Koyles, Sebastian Buckeridge, and Matt Murphy. Today, we’re excited to introduce you to Shawn Burcham!
Shawn leads our Customer Education team, where he empowers customers to get the most out of their experience with Upper Hand: from getting up and running as quickly as possible to staying up-to-date with new features as they are released. With years of experience in the sports industry, Shawn has a unique, well-rounded perspective as it relates to running a successful sports business.
Ready to meet Shawn? Let’s go!
First, the basics: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
I’m from Greensburg, Indiana. I have a wife, Caroline, who I’ve been with for 14 years (married for 5) and we have two boys, Eldon (3) and Sawyer (almost 1) and two dogs (Nelson & Winnie). We currently live in Indianapolis near the Geist Reservoir on the northeast side. I attended Indiana University and before joining Upper Hand I worked for the Indiana Pacers, St. Louis Cardinals, Indy Fuel & Indy Eleven.
As the leader of Upper Hand Customer Education, what is your role at Upper Hand?
I oversee the Education department by making sure our customers are well-informed about how to use our products and services effectively.
Learn more about Upper Hand’s educational resources here!
What does a typical day look like for you? What initiatives are you currently working on?
A typical day for me is making changes to the Help Center, building out courses in our customer LMS, executing Education Meetings with our SMB customers and leading onboarding meetings with our franchise partners. The big initiative I have been working on most recently is getting Upper Hand University built out and redesigning the entire onboarding experience for our customers to enable them to see value in our products as quickly as possible.
What is your favorite part about working at Upper Hand?
My favorite part about working at Upper Hand is being able to have a daily impact on the trajectory of the company. I love to problem solve and I get to do that both externally and internally.
How do you define success?
My definition of success has changed over the course of my life but right now it’s definitely more intrinsically focused than it has been. To me, a successful person or organization is one that can overcome obstacles, make a difference in other’s lives and continuously look forward to creating a better future.
How does your sports background and previous experience working with sports teams help you in your role at Upper Hand?
I would say my sports background plays a big role at Upper Hand because I lived through a lot of what our customers and their clients are going through. It’s much easier to be passionate about an industry you personally experienced and want to make better.
You’re a big sports fan – where do your team allegiances lie? What are your favorite sports?
I was a weird kid so my allegiances are odd but I’ve stuck true to these teams since I was 12 years old: all Indiana University athletics, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Commanders, Pittsburgh Penguins & Manchester United. My favorite sports to play are basketball, slow pitch softball and golf but my favorite sports to watch by far are college basketball and college football.
What’s a fun fact people may not know about you?
A fun fact about me is I have only needed medical surgery once in my life to date and it was because I swallowed a nickel as a joke and it got stuck in my throat (still have the nickel by the way).
What are your hobbies or interests outside of work?
My hobbies and interests these days are centered around quality time with my family. Personally, I enjoy nearly all forms of entertainment and love to attend sporting events, especially IU ones, when I have the opportunity.
What advice would you give to sports business owners to achieve success and grow?
My advice to sports business owners is don’t be afraid to try new things and eliminate tasks that don’t add value to your product or service. This is a rapidly evolving industry and those that survive tend to be the ones willing to take risks and think outside the box.
Ready to give your business the Upper Hand? Book a demo today!
