Meet Our Guides
Our Corporate Guides® are the people supporting you on the phones or by email every day, answering all of your toughest questions about starting and maintaining a business. They’re the people clearing the brush, pointing you in the right direction, and helping ensure a wayward step doesn’t send you tumbling into a raging river. But who are they?
We have hundreds of dedicated, hardworking Corporate Guides (including those focused on helping our Spanish speaking clients), but we managed to pry a few away from their computers and phones long enough to say a little about themselves and answer some questions about what it’s like being a Corporate Guide for Northwest Registered Agent.
Northwest Corporate Guides®
Ally Quinn
Ally is an avid waterfall photographer who will hike through snow if she knows there’s a full spring waterfall at the end of it. She loves spending time with her cat and always starts her day with a big cup of coffee.
Jamesha Price
Jamesha is a California native who landed in Houston, Texas. She’s a music lover (turn it up to the highest volume!) who also loves a good read whenever her two-year-old isn't getting into everything possible.
Mike Payne
Mike is a big music fan who is constantly going to concerts, especially classic rock and heavy metal bands. He also likes to collect video games. Last time he checked, Mike had just over 800 of them, ranging from the old school to modern stuff.
Camryn Sage
Camryn is a lover of all things coffee and Labradoodles! She is currently on a quest to save up for a new fancy espresso machine so she can complete her in-home coffee stand and serve the best coffee in the Pacific Northwest. Camryn has been with the company for almost 4 years, and loves fine-tuning her customer service skills to provide the best service possible to all of the amazing Northwest clients.
Taylor Collins
Taylor was born and raised in the Northwest and has the free spirit to prove it! She loves being outside in the fresh air and is happiest when she is experiencing new places with sunshine or water. You can also find Taylor spending time with her little family (mostly pets!) in her Idaho home, listening to some good tunes and tending to her beloved plants.
Corporate Guides Question and Answer
How has your background or experience helped you as a Corporate Guide?
Ally
My background in debt collection prepared me to recognize the importance of privacy when it comes to filing state documents. I am able to help people understand what it means to have their information listed publicly and how we can protect their privacy with the state by using our address instead. Also, my financial communication skills help a lot when it comes to explaining state fees.
Jamesha
Prior to becoming a Corporate Guide, my job experience was in banking. I definitely have a love for numbers and customer satisfaction. Running the teller line and helping clients with day-to-day transactions, although worlds apart from my current role, has definitely assisted with catching information quickly and relaying it over to our clients in the way easiest for them to digest. (Who wants to read a paragraph full of long complex words!?)
Taylor
Coming from multiple customer service roles—beginning with selling frozen yogurt and growing all the way to insurance billing—has made me realize that clients are the most important part of building almost any business, and keeping clients satisfied is what will lead to sustaining loyalty and success for everyone.
My experience in the industry has taught me how to exceed service expectations and provide information that clients can count on. I am also an average consumer and I understand that hearing someone talk from a script can make your skin crawl. We are all real people, working with each other to grow, and seeing someone succeed in their business makes my heart sing. I will always choose to be real with our clients and do what makes sense to help make each life and business run a bit smoother if I can.
What is a typical day at work like for you?
Taylor
Working from home has changed up the scene a bit—I think we all have experienced that in the recent years. A typical day today looks like starting the morning with my puppies, brewing fresh coffee and strolling into my office to start my work day. Every client is a little different, so even if the work is generally the same, it is always interesting to meet each new person behind the scenes of the business world. I guide our clients through phone calls and emails depending on what they need. Hearing the stories behind why they started a nonprofit or how they designed a certain brand is always a highlight!
Ally
It’s pretty amazing! I spend the day sitting next to my cat, talking to lovely people about their business dreams, and helping those dreams become a reality by explaining weird state policies and how to navigate them. I take issues brought up by clients and ensure their problem is solved as soon as possible, learning new things along the way.
Camryn
A typical day for me is connecting with clients over calls and emails. I also spend time researching questions and products to make sure the clients are leaving the interactions with Northwest informed and feeling confident in their next steps.
Jamesha
A typical day at work for me is commuting to my office in the next room, turning on my chill lofi mix and vibing out to assist as many great clients as I possibly can. All while watching my toddler with the pair of eyes in the back of my head.
What do you like about being a Corporate Guide?
Jamesha
I love assisting our clients to locate what they need, whether it be big or small. Sometimes I may not know exactly what it is, but I make it a mission to seek out the right information. This adds to my knowledge chamber, and our amazing clients make me learn new things each and every day!
Mike
The biggest thing for me is hearing a customer praise the support they’ve received. I understand how important our role is for our clients, and being able to help them efficiently and in a manner they appreciate means a lot to me.
Camryn
Being a Corporate Guide means that I get to be myself, not just someone with a script and a quota to meet. I get to spend all the time needed to solve a problem, and give each client the attention they deserve.
What’s the most challenging part of being a Corporate Guide?
Mike
It’s hard to pinpoint. I’m asked tough questions almost daily. Typically, questions asked regarding anything we don’t handle as a company can be tricky and difficult; either IRS topics or business license inquiries, usually.
Ally
The toughest question I’ve gotten was from a Canadian client looking to register their longstanding Canadian company in the US. I learned a lot about apostille documents, the paperwork that is used in Canada, and how we can help with that. It was a great learning experience for me and the client, and there is nothing better than learning together!
Camryn
“Can my child who is under 18 start a Non-Profit for a class at school?” This question took a lot of research with the states and the IRS, as it is pretty uncommon. It turns out that in most cases, a minor cannot sign a contract or legal document without a parent or guardian present on the documents. So, they could form the entity, they just need to do it together!
What are some common questions clients ask?
Jamesha
Some of the most common questions are how to update a company name, add or remove members, close a business, and how long will it take for a formation or EIN to be complete. Piece of cake, I’ve got ya!
Mike
Most commonly people ask about upcoming charges, whether that be for Registered Agent service or compliance reports. I end up answering what we do as registered agent quite often, and also explaining the significance of the compliance reports.
Taylor
The most common questions I get are, “How do I sign up for services?” “Can you help with setting up a bank account?” “Do I need to file an annual report?” or “Can I use your address on all my forms?”
Anything else you’d like to add?
Jamesha
It’s super amazing how cool and knowledgeable all of our guides are. To be able to email in, chat, or give us a ring and get the answers you need NOW is magnificent! All while having a down-to-earth conversation—I don’t think you can get this anywhere else!
Taylor
As Corporate Guides, we really are happy to help! When you call us with a question about getting started, we know it can feel like a whirlwind of information. We are always happy to clarify our information, provide any resources we have, and assist with any state filings we can. We are humans and can’t do everything, but we really are here to try our best for you.
Camryn
Northwest is a company that really follows the rule of no question is a bad question! So, feel free to call or email us with anything you have. If it is not something we can provide, we are happy to point you in the right direction.
How Our Corporate Guides Support You
Our Corporate Guides have years of experience navigating state bureaucracy. They’re a mish-mash of paralegals, accountants, advisors, educators, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and experts in the field, all with insider knowledge of the business world. They know the ins and outs of every US jurisdiction. And best of all, they love talking shop. They’re happy to clue you in to the fastest, cheapest and easiest ways to accomplish whatever your business needs.
When you call or email us, a real person picks up the phone or types out a response. Business questions have nuance. What should you do if the state rejects a filing? Does your Texas LLC have to pay a franchise tax? How do you get a Certificate of Existence for an Idaho corporation in order to register to do business in Montana?
Even if we could program a chatbot to answer every business question under the sun, we still wouldn’t. The obstacles and issues your business encounters are not only unique and variable—they’re frustrating. And you deserve a real person to talk to. A person who can answer follow-up questions. A person who doesn’t just know LLCs but knows the intricacies of LLC filings in your state or jurisdiction. That’s why we don’t rely on automated operators. Or scripts. Just real people.
When was the last time you called or emailed a company and got the answers you needed immediately? When was the last time you got a person at all? So many companies are frustratingly difficult to contact. Phone number buried in the website. Phone tree that doesn’t lead to a real person. Voicemail that’s never returned. Or if it’s returned, it’s not helpful and doesn’t provide any avenue for follow-up questions.
At Northwest, our phone number is at the top or bottom of every single web page. And when you call or send us a message? No phone trees. No “no reply” emails. No phone calls or chats scheduled for three weeks later. We pick up fast. We reply to emails fast. We WANT you to call us when you have questions. The reason we have so many Corporate Guides is to make starting and running your business easier for you.
No one likes calling a company for assistance and getting a pushy salesperson angling for commission. Our Corporate Guides are guides first and foremost. Our guides aren’t “scored” based on how many products they pitch. Instead, our Corporate Guides answer your questions and help you figure out how to solve problems.
And unlike a standard call center, we don’t use metrics like call times to push you off the phone fast and mark the issue “resolved.” How could we expect our guides to give you the best information and experience possible if they’re watching the clock and trying to get off the phone? Our goal is to give you the least annoying experience possible. It’s even our slogan: We’re Just Not Annoying®.