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Michael Schmid
General Manager - Director of Operations
Professional Background
Michael Schmid is a distinguished professional in public policy, international affairs, and government relations. With a rich history of leadership roles primarily within the U.S. Navy and the Department of Defense, he has consistently demonstrated exceptional acumen in logistics, acquisition, contracting, and business development. His multifaceted career reflects a dedication not only to military service but also to enhancing public policy through strategic management and decision-making.
Schmid started his notable journey as a Bachelor of Arts in Pre Law graduate from Saint Louis University, laying a solid foundation for his academic pursuits. He later earned two Master's degrees: a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Saint Louis University, which equipped him with essential administrative and policy skills, and a Master of Arts in Government from the Ecole Nationale Des Travaux Publics De L'Etat, adding an international perspective to his expertise. His pursuit of a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy at Saint Louis University underscores his commitment to advanced scholarship and leadership in this vital field.
Over his extensive career, Schmid has served as a J3 Deputy Ddoc Chief at the U.S. Transportation Command, where he played a critical role in strategic planning and operations. His prior position as a Senior Acquisition Officer for the U.S. Navy provided him with deep insights into managing complex supply chains and contract negotiations within defense programs. His work has not only contributed to military operations but has also empowered streamlined processes, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness throughout various missions.
Education and Achievements
Michael Schmid's educational journey is nothing short of remarkable. From his secondary education at De Smet Jesuit High School, he excelled academically and pursued higher education at esteemed institutions. His time at The George Washington University studying International Affairs broadened his understanding of complex global issues, preparing him for the dynamic challenges in public service and defense.
He has been involved in rich academic environments, serving as a visiting researcher at NATO, focusing on Military Integration of the Baltic States, showcasing his international scholarly focus and contribution. Furthermore, he worked as a Research and Teaching Fellow during his doctoral studies, where he exercised his proficiency in public policy, which is key in shaping policies that benefit society.
Schmid's work experience transcends military service, as he also has significant roles in the private sector. He held positions in business development at DRS Technologies, Inc., and Boeing, where he honed his skills in organizational strategy and commercial operations. His experience in government affairs and strategy at renowned corporations like Anheuser-Busch illustrates his diverse capabilities and understanding of both public and corporate sectors.
Notable Achievements
Throughout his career, Michael Schmid has gathered numerous commendations for his service and contributions. As the former Executive Officer of the Navy Reserve Forces out of St. Louis, he demonstrated strong leadership skills by overseeing reserve training and operational readiness. His role as an N4A Battle Watch Captain and Public Affairs Officer evidenced his capabilities in communication and crisis management.
His internships and educational roles further illustrate a life dedicated to understanding the broader scope of public governance and the intricate interplay of policy, law, and international relations. Each position he has held reflects a steep trajectory of personal and professional development, substantial enough to inspire future leaders in public administration and policy.
Michael Schmid epitomizes the melding of military discipline, academic excellence, and strategic innovation in the realm of public policy and administration. He continues to impact the fields he operates within, leveraging his profound insights and experience to foster positive changes in processes and practices. Overall, his journey is not just about the positions he has held, but about the lasting influence he continues to mold in public policy and military logistics.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.