At StoneRiver Company, we recognize the immense value our team brings to our success. We take pride in our team and celebrate their accomplishments every day. We are delighted to share their stories with the world, so stay tuned for our monthly employee highlights. We hope you enjoy getting to know our exceptional team!
This month’s featured employee is Taylor Marie Hardy, Asset Manager.
1. What is your role at StoneRiver and how long have you been a part of the team?
I am the Asset Manager at StoneRiver, and in that role, I support the development of the business plans for each investment in our portfolio and monitor the execution of those plans, adjusting when necessary. I began working for StoneRiver in April 2019 as a Finance Project Manager in the accounting department. My background is in accounting and financial reporting. I became Asset Manager in January 2021.
2. How do you like to spend your time outside of work?
I like to spend my time outside of work with my husband, three children, and our dog. We like to be outside a lot and travel. I like to cook, read, and work out when I have free time.
3. What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about childhood literacy and financial literacy for all ages. I’m also passionate about parenting. Most of my non-StoneRiver work and energy right now goes into raising my three children into confident, independent, and kind adults.
4. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Growing up, I aspired to be a high school English teacher and volleyball coach. English was my favorite subject, and I always had great English teachers. I played volleyball year-round and loved it. The career aspiration was a way to combine two things I really enjoyed in high school.
5. What advice would you give to your teenage self?
I’d tell my teenage self not to take everything so seriously.
6. What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
The advice I remember most is to decide what your enough is; stop the pursuit of more when you reach your enough, then give away the excess you receive or generate once you reach your enough. This advice came from a business mentor early in my career.
7. What’s your favorite story to tell about your past?
I like recounting the story of how I met my husband. We were neighbors in an apartment complex here in Birmingham when I was in college, which is funny given my career now. I end the story by saying, “Be nice to your neighbors, you might end up marrying one of them one day.”
8. What’s your go-to productivity trick?
My go-to productivity trick is time blocking. I group similar tasks together and complete them together.
9. What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute to your success to, and why?
I attribute my success most to my determination, persistence, and drive.
10. What energizes you at work?
I’m energized by making a positive impact, continuous improvement, and seeing results. One of my core desires is to make a positive difference every day in the lives of those I interact with. At work, that also means making a positive impact for the organization and our investors every day. I am energized by continuous improvement, process improvement, and organization. I enjoy creating order and processes. The third big source of energy for me personally is seeing results. I love seeing growth in our organization and reflecting on the impact of our efforts and what they have accomplished.
