Jordy Leiser

Bio:

Grew up in Denver, Colorado. Was in a few TV commercials as a kid. Summer road trips with the fellas. Worked in e-commerce and other office jobs. Headed east to Bucknell University to play golf. Was the worst player on the worst team in the worst D1 conference...in the “least athletic” sport -> in 2002, was the worst D1 athlete in America. Lived in London for a year and enjoyed studying (LSE), traveling (Europe) and super serious pint-drinking (everywhere). Passion for sports and marketing led to internships at IMG and MLB. Glutton for misery led to full-time work on Wall St. Dreams of entrepreneurship led to an exit from Wall St. After six moves, four cities (New York twice) and a long-hair phase, a viable start-up emerged. Entrepreneurial life began, and it continues...

• Title: Co-founder & CEO, STELLAService
• Age: 27
• Location: Flatiron District
• Contact: @STELLAjordy

You mention on your website, eljordo.com, that along with Chipotle burritos that you like road trips.  What are some of your favorite places to visit when you decide to embark on a road trip? Also, do you plan ahead or are they more spontaneous?

My most memorable road trips have been themed (beer & baseball), coastal (pacific coast up to Vancouver) and European (windey roads through France and Spain). I've always had destinations in mind, but the beauty of road trips is the inevitable detouring for all kinds of unexpected reasons and places. The more random and spontaneous the detour, the better.   

How did you know it was the right time to quit Wall Street and make that jump into entrepreneurship?

Over time I started to realize there were several things I wanted to do and learn that the banking world couldn't offer. I wanted to get behind a product 110% and internalize its successes (and failures). I wanted to create - and try to execute on - a vision for something that didn't exist yet. I wanted to learn how to launch a product, create strategic partnerships, build new revenue streams and sculpt a company's culture. I wanted to go to work each day truly motivated to make something big happen.     

The task of objectively evaluating and rating Internet retailers when it comes to online customer service is a large task for a startup.  What were some of the initial challenges that you and your co-founder, John Ernsberger, ran into when getting started?

When we first started, we spent months digging up and researching every single touch point of the online customer experience. For each element, we had to figure out how to objectively measure it, how to fairly compare it across merchants, and how to weigh it in our scoring algorithm (i.e. how important one element is vis-a-vis the others). Since day one, we've continued to add, subtract, refine and enhance parts of our methodology based on our continued learning of the space and the changing attitudes and expectations of online shoppers.  

So we’re curious, what was the handicap of the worst D1 athlete in America when you were in school?  How is it now?

At my best I was probably a 5 handicap (and when I say my best, you're correct in suggesting it was the NCAA's worst!). I hardly ever play now and therefore don't really have a handicap. Let's just say I consider it a good day if I finish the round using the same golf ball I started with.