Meeting the Team 03: Abby

If the office were burning down Abby would be the only one walking calmly out of the building. Everyone agrees that she is the most grounded and kindhearted person. Abby is the studio manager here at Interact. She has been working with us for just over 6 months. Although she is not the oldest member of the team, she is someone that everyone counts on in their day-to-day lives. Abby is a restaurant expert and could rival any yelp or Google review. If you ever need a good recommendation for any activity or food in Boulder, Abby is your girl. We are very lucky to have here at Interact! She is a quintessential aspect to producing the good work that leaves this office everyday.

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

I am a Colorado Native and have lived up and down the Front Range, but consider Boulder my home. I am the Studio Manager at Interact, which is sometimes known as a Project Manager per agency lingo. I direct traffic between the account team and design along with many other admin duties.

2. Why did you want to work in advertising/ packaging design? when did you know it was what you wanted to do?

I have always been interested in the creative world. I always held a strong interest in fashion, interior design, and branding/advertising. I have been able to dip my toes into many of those industries and have found with age and experience that I prefer design over traditional advertising. I enjoy being a part of that process and seeing things curated from the ground up; whether it's a total rebrand (redesign) or new, emerging brand.

3. What was your first job coming out of college?

I interned for the Diane Von Furstenberg Studio in New York City in the Merchandising department.

4. If you could work with any brand who would it be?

If I had to choose a small scale company it would be Dram Apothecary. A larger company would be, Smart Food White Cheddar Popcorn. It is such an iconic, delicious brand that has been around forever with packaging that could use a fresh new look.

5. What is the best part of your job?

To be honest it is working with really fun, creative, and smart people every day. My role requires me to be engrained with everyone in the office and I enjoy the 1:1 time. It is also very satisfying to see the work come to fruition that I have helped move from beginning to end. I also very much enjoy seeing the designers move through the whole process. Because I work so closely with them I really do see them through from start to finish.

6. What is the worst?

The worst part about my job is overloading the design team with too much work. When we are really busy there are a TON o moving parts. It can get very hectic at times. I try to make sure that I don’t police the design team, but it is not fun if a deadline is missed (which happens rarely).

7. What is the biggest misconception about your job?

That it's easy. This job is extremely dynamic and is constantly a puzzle to crack or figure out. In this industry, and especially this office, work and deliverables shift daily. I have to be engrossed in the day to day, and also be proactive at the same time. Working with two different departments also requires two different ways of thinking and delegating as well. An admin role, such as mine, requires wearing many different hats.

8. How do you keep your upbeat and positive attitude?

I am a naturally enthusiastic, passionate person. I am not always positive, but I can usually snap out of a pessimistic mood easily. I think it's important to be a realist and grounded, but to always be hopeful.

9. What is your most favorite city? Where do you want to travel?

London! Hands down is my most favorite city. In the next couple years I would like to visit Tokyo, Bali and Amsterdam.

10. Where do you see your self in 7 years?

NAH. I could not even tell you where I see myself in a year. When I was asked that question when I graduated college, I gave a totally different answer than the one that actually played out. Life is so unpredictable at times.

11. What is your biggest goal for the office?

To have a process in place, which every employee follows religiously to streamline our day-to- day, which will aid in putting us on the map as being a prestigious packaging agency that is sought after by both big and small brands.

12. What would your super power be? Why?

Making people feel less anxious or calm with a look/wink. Why? Because being anxious is a horrible feeling.

13. What is your signature dish you make for people?

I am proud of a side dish I make that is fresh green beans from the farmer's market cooked in bacon fat (with cut bacon pieces mixed in) simmered in white vinegar, pepper and a little bit of maple syrup. So freakin good!

14. What is your ideal date?

Meeting at the Farmer's Market on Saturday afternoon and then moving onto a late afternoon cocktail. - OR - Going to a museum or the planetarium after brunch or happy hour.We're incredibly proud of our team members here at Interact, and are thrilled to get to share with you some little snippets into who we are beyond the work we do. Stay tuned for next month's edition!