There are not enough words to express the loss and sadness we feel over the death of our dear friend and colleague, Jake Berryhill. The news of his passing changed each of our lives and the hole his death leaves in our hearts is insurmountable. As we reflect on the precious time that we were given with Jake, there are a few key traits that we will always remember him for:
Jake was a jack of all trades – master of all. Whether it was helping with finance, sales, product, marketing or customer relations, Jake knew every nook and cranny of this business and was always willing to lend a helping hand. He was always willing to share his knowledge, whether it was leading onboarding, training on the product demo or helping to resolve an invoicing issue. And he always did it was a smile on his face. This is a testament to the kind of teammate Jake was – always willing to help and support.
One of the greatest honors we have had as Jake’s colleagues is watching him excel and grow in his role as an Account Executive. His passion for the company vision, the product and DecisionLink’s future was inspiring. His updates on Team Huddles and weekly sales reviews motivated everyone to be better. His desire for companies all over the world to understand the true impact that ValueCloud® could bring to their business was one of the greatest sources of inspiration for every team member. Jake was a phenomenal salesperson. From DecisionLink’s early days when the product was a skeleton of what we know today, Jake set the bar for expectations and he defined “success” within our business. We will do many great things together, and many records will be made and broken, but there will never be another “First Million Dollar Sales Rep” at DecisionLink. That is Jake’s, and his forever. We know Jake will be watching from above and expects us to keep up the momentum that he set for us.
Above all else, and what Jake will be most remembered for, was how incredible he was as a person. At his core, he cared for everyone – whether it was a customer, prospect, colleague or stranger. Jake was always eager to help, no matter how small or large the task. His love and support for others is unrivaled, and we know he inherited this from his wonderful parents, Jim and Elise. Jake never hesitated to give a compliment or to tell someone how much they meant to him. Jake was a friend to all, and we will never forget the impact he made on our lives.
We don’t need to wonder where these traits came from. Jake was blessed to have the greatest career coach for 33 wonderful years, his father. Jim, Jake inherited your spirit of servant leadership. He understood that in order for DecisionLink to achieve its greatest potential, he needed to listen, trust and coach. Like yours, his work ethic was founded on hard work and diligence. Your common traits are what make DecisionLink an amazing company and what will make it successful in the long-term.
To the entire Berryhill family – Jim, Elise, Jenni, Paul, Annie, Margaret and Georgia: We will never be able to fill the hole that Jake has left in your hearts. But we intend to honor his legacy every single day. We promise to carry on each of Jake’s outstanding traits. DecisionLink has an incredibly bright future ahead – many thanks to Jake – and we intend to pick up his torch and carry it with us always as we build the next great software company in his honor.