Pepper Talk with John Porcelli ⋆ Eleven Peppers Studios

Pepper Talk with John Porcelli

Just a little background before we get started, John works as a senior finance specialist who keeps our payroll running smoothly. He’s been with Eleven Peppers for 11 months (almost a year).

1. Do you have any nicknames?
Right now, the only nickname (that I hear to my face) is Dad.

2. What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
Coffee is always the first thing in the morning. It helps me to clear out my inbox and get set for the day.

3. What’s your favorite part about working as a finance specialist for a small business?
Working for a small business requires you to have a diverse skillset and work in a lot of different areas. I enjoy not getting pigeon-holed into a specific accounting/finance function, which allows me to work through the entire accounting lifecycle.

4. How did you get started in this industry?
I began on the client delivery side, working with the Navy at the Navy Yard in D.C., and later for the Air Force at the Pentagon. I was drawn to these mission–driven organizations and wanted to continue to support those types of organizations as I transitioned from client delivery to internal functions.

5. What are your favorite tools of the trade? What are the worst?
Microsoft Excel is an oldie but a goodie. Other than that, Unanet is the main sandbox that I play in, but I have really enjoyed some of the APIs that we’ve implemented, which link our payroll and credit card services to our accounting system.

6. Do you have a set process when tackling timesheets?
Timesheets are a fast and furious monthly process. I follow a loose process for accuracy and completeness, but with so many moving parts, the key is to be flexible and to communicate early and often with our Peppers to keep everything on track.

7. Rapid-Fire Round:

Caffeine or no? Absolutely

Sweet or savory? Sweet tooth, for sure

Favorite TV series or movie? Tough to pick a favorite, but either one of the Top Gun movies is typically on screen when it’s my turn to pick

Favorite place to travel? Another difficult choice, but the food, drink, and sites of Switzerland are hard to beat

Hobbies? Perfecting grilling techniques and tweaking wing recipes are a couple of my favorite things to do when not entertaining the kids

8. Okay, admission time… which financial term do you secretly think sounds made up?
BHAG, or Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal, is actually made up, but it’s a funny term that can assist organizations in establishing a long-term vision.