Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire “Yum” Arnold.
Claire, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up on a farm in southern Virginia and believe that kind of life instills a fabulous work ethic because it gives an opportunity to be a meaningful participant in family life. Before I could reach the table, I was in charge of setting it for each meal, using a sketch my father did to show me the proper placement of silverware and dishes. As I got older, the jobs got harder and more complex.
I also learned about managing finances at a young age. When I was about 12, my father bought each of us a few stocks from our savings account (with money we earned working on the farm). He had us track them each day in the WSJ. Over the course of the last 20 years, I have sat on the boards of six NYSE-listed companies.
My corporate experience was born at Coke USA. I spent nearly ten years there in various roles, beginning in the long-range planning department, working in Bottler Sales and managing the roll out of the first plastic containers. Working at Coke was an amazing experience because they were so open to me there. I had the good fortune to join a newly formed department headed by a very progressive former Harvard Business School professor. He initiated opportunities that led to my working across several departments and geographies with ever increasing responsibilities.
From there, I acquired NCC, a consumer packaged distributor, and over the next 15 years, grew it to become one of the largest privately held businesses in the state.
In 1998, I founded Leapfrog, an IT company aptly named because we show that IT can be fun without being intimidating. We’re about to celebrate our 20th anniversary. It’s been intellectually challenging…and fun… since the beginning.
Has it been a smooth road?
When I came along, many corporate doors were open and I got lucky. Big companies were looking to elevate women. The only challenge I had was lack of flexibility. When my children were young, I didn’t have the flexibility I needed. The childcare I had was great…as long as no one got sick and I didn’t need to work extra hours. I remember being required to work on marketing plans several weekends in a row and it was then I decided to be an entrepreneur. I ended up working more hours, but on my own terms.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Leapfrog is a leader in outsourced IT. We aren’t just a vendor, but a partner in business growth to our clients, acting as their outsourced IT department. We work with some of the top companies and non-profits in the region including Cousins Properties, Enmark, Zoo Atlanta, and the Atlanta History Center.
I’m most proud of our culture and our commitment to service. We try to walk our talk. We care about our people, truly feeling that they are our family. The bigger we get, the harder it becomes to maintain our culture, but it permeates everything we do. We’ve had medical insurance since we started and offered a wellness program and 401 k matches long before anyone our size did. That spills over to the service we give to our clients.
Giving back is crucial. We give a discount to all non-profit clients and have donated nearly $2 million in services over the past 18 years.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
What gives me the most enjoyment is the work I’ve done for organizations across the city. Because I was given the opportunity to go to the college of my choice due to student loans, I wanted to give back to my college and eventually became chair of the board. I realized then how fulfilling it is to give back to one’s close communities and I haven’t stopped giving back since. My focus is on education, sustainability and civic development. Additionally, I have several formal and informal mentees which make for an incredibly rewarding experience.
Contact Info:
- Website:http://leapfrogservices.com/
- Phone: 404-870-2122
- Email: sales@ribbit.net
