Staff Spotlight: Ethan Smith, Support & Operations Specialist and QA Analyst

Welcome to another edition of our Staff Spotlight series, dedicated to shining a light on the exceptional individuals who play a crucial role in Strata Health’s success. Today, all eyes are on Ethan Smith, our dynamic Support & Operations Specialist and QA Analyst.

📍 Works from Sandy, Utah, USA
🌎 Born in Salt Lake City, Utah

▶ Favorite food: I’ve got a real soft spot for doing Sukiyaki, a kind of Japanese hotpot-style meal. It’s super tasty and really easy to make conversation over, as ingredients go in and out of the communal pot. 

▶ Hobbies: I’m definitely a Grade-A nerd. I spend a lot of time gaming. (My favorite game of all time is Final Fantasy 14.) When I’m not gaming though, I love to cook and love to write. Not saying I’m great at either, but I’ve won a few company chili competitions. I also have a weekly DnD group that I’ve been playing with for the better part of a decade. 

▶ Currently binge-watching: I’m going to answer this with 2 different shows, one live-action and one animated. For the live-action show, I’ve been watching Succession, big fan of the scheming and backstabbing. For animation, I’ve been rewatching an anime called Tower of God. Gorgeous visuals and soundtrack, excellent characters and setup. Hope later seasons are as good. 

▶ Last song listened to: Further cementing my nerd status; I listen to a lot of video game soundtracks. ‘Flow’ from the FF14 track never fails to make me tear up. You build up a lot of emotional attachment over the course of a 300 hour game. 

▶ On the bucket list: Food tourism. I want to eat the best foods from every culture I possibly can. I absolutely adore food.  

Q: What drew you to Strata Health? 

A: I’d like to say Strata was drawn to me! I was acquired by the company when they bought the SilverSearch product from Mingle Health. Since I had a wealth of experience with the tablets, I went along with them in the acquisition. 

Q: How long have you been with the company? 

A: Because of said acquisition, my grasp on the timeline is a little fuzzy, but it’s probably around 2 or 3 years now. I’ve been attending to the product for almost 8. 

Q: What does your job entail? 

A: I’ve occasionally referred to myself as a Gofer because of just how many disparate duties I’ve taken on. I’m slowly transitioning into a full-time QA role, but in the meantime I also handle the Sandy mail room, do troubleshooting for the tablets when a customer has an issue, answer the occasional support request, and manage shipping for our convention materials. I keep my hands full. 

Q: What do you think sets you apart in your field? 

A: Apart from the sheer number of hats I’m wearing? Probably just the fact that I’m always willing to pick up and learn something new. It increases my value in the long term. (Which is how I wound up with all the hats.) 

Q: What challenges have you faced in your career? 

A: I actually think I’ve been blessed with a lot of opportunities in my career. Challenges tend to confront me more in my writing hobby. Coming up with ideas seems so easy until it’s time to actually put metaphorical pen to paper. 

Q: Tell us about a professional success story that you’re proud of. 

A: Being in the position I’m in is my success story. I’ve only got a High School education, but by working hard and always being open to new opportunities, I’ve been able to open doors into technical fields thanks to Strata believing in me.  

Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received? 

A: The best advice I’ve ever received was to always say yes to new opportunities. I was hired as a data collection agent with SilverSearch but, as per normal for startup companies, we would frequently get asked if we wanted to help with this or that or the other thing. Before you knew it, I was working with the tablets and on my way to where I am today. 

Q: How would your best friend describe you in three words? 

A: I asked him and, after cursing a bit for putting him on the spot, he settled on: ‘Exceptionally competent, Sarcastic.’ 

Q: Tell us a surprising or fun fact about you. 

A: I’ll give you 2. 

1. I’m English-Spanish bilingual from spending 2 years in Chile on a religious mission. 
2. I can play the bagpipes. Not very well. When I was young my mother would try to make me learn piano and I adamantly resisted. She insisted I learn some kind of instrument so I, being a precocious little booger, answered bagpipes. I was certain that there wouldn’t be a bagpipe teacher anywhere near my home and I’d be off free on a technicality. Turns out there was one a mere few blocks away. So, I took bagpipe lessons. 

We hope you enjoyed getting better acquainted with Ethan today! If you’re eager to get to know more members of our team, simply click here to continue reading our Staff Spotlight series.