Take us back to the beginning and explain how long you have been with the company?

I’ve been here for almost 25 years, starting with The Ovid Bell Press in 2000, which later became Walsworth – Fulton.

Since I was little, The Ovid Bell Press was the big brick building in the middle of Fulton. I had no idea what happened in there, but I knew that if you could get a job there, you were really doing something. It took knowing somebody on the inside to get a job here.

And it turns out, I did. This would have been in 2000. I ran into an old friend and found out she was the HR manager.  I asked her if there were any openings and there was one. She got me scheduled for an interview.

I started as a customer service assistant and moved into the CSR role pretty quickly as a position opened. I did that for eight years and then moved into sales. I was in a sales role for 10 years.

Then in 2019, I moved into my current role as customer relations manager.

I want to talk more about the different roles you’ve had here, but before joining Ovid/Walsworth, were there any other noteworthy career stops?

Oh, I worked in bookkeeping at a hardware store and managed the office and check-out staff. I left that job because of the retail schedule. I never knew when I would have to be there, so that wasn’t going to work after I had my first son.

I also worked at a bank here in Fulton and was supervisor of the tellers. But I only did that for a year, and I left to start my career in printing.

Did you ever envision that you would make a career out of customer service?

Yes, because I really like working with people and loved my role as a CSR. Brainstorming with our customers to reach their goals is a fun challenge. You really do become a part of their team. I felt like I was making a difference.

What is your favorite part of your job?

People! The people I work with locally and throughout the entire platform are great. There is such a wide range of personalities, and we’re all helping each other reach a common goal. As a CSR I worked closely with the customers and made some really great friends along the way. In my current role, I still interact with our customers.

One of my most memorable accounts, which I ended up receiving an award from, was a magic magazine.  The award was from the Society of American Magicians. I don’t remember what year it was, but it was for service to their society. I went to their conference and received the award.

So it’s just building those relationships, whether it’s magic to horses to airplanes. There’s just so many different publications out there and they’re all passionate about their subject matter.

Do you need to have a certain temperament or personality to succeed in customer service? Like you said, many times you’re kind of putting out fires.

Sure, I’ve told people that to be a good customer service rep, you need to be a chameleon and be able to kind of turn into or mirror someone else’s personality to get along with them. That might sound disingenuous, but it’s not. It’s being empathetic and trying to get on their level and understand what their passion is and then helping them reach their goal.

Publishers, printers, we all want a nice, printed piece in the end that we can all be proud of.

Can you walk us through a typical day in your current role? Do you still have as much interaction with the customers?

I will get involved occasionally on particularly complex projects or when a customer needs additional support.

Like right now, I’ve been helping a CSR and our customer by grabbing some videos and photos from the production floor to show the customer what’s happening here in the plant with their project. It’s fun to see them getting excited about it.

Often, I’ll hop on the phone with customers just so they can hear a different voice from the plant, along with the CSR, to help complete the picture.

You’re from the Fulton area, right?

Yes, my family moved here when I was an infant. The Missouri School for the Deaf is here in Fulton, and my dad was the shop teacher there. We moved here for him to take the teaching job there in 1971, I think.

I went to school here and graduated from Fulton High School.

Can you tell us about your family?

I have two adult sons, one daughter-in-law and my youngest son has a long-time girlfriend. So, it’s Steven and his wife Macey, and Donnie and his girlfriend Kait. They are my whole world.

I have an older brother and sister.  We’re all very close.  Those two and their spouses along with my nieces, my nephew and two great nephews make my heart happy.

They’re all in the area?

Yes, actually Steven and his wife live close by. They built their home on my property. Steven has his own business and so does his wife. Donnie is a machinist and Kait is a second-grade teacher in Boone County where they bought their home.

The others are mostly around here, but a couple live out of state.

How about hobbies? What do you like to do for fun outside of work?

I love the seasons. I enjoy each one and am always looking forward to the next. I work on landscaping in the Spring and enjoy the beauty of it all while splashing in the pool in the summer. In the fall, it’s time for Chiefs football. Winter is about Christmastime and hibernating.

I enjoy entertaining friends and family in my home. From weekly meals with my kids to gatherings of all the extended family, I love the way the house comes to life when visitors are there.  I like to host holiday gatherings, pool parties, and homecoming meals when someone from out of state is visiting.

I’m blessed with a group of wonderful friends.  We find time to get together for shopping, meals, concerts, etc.

What’s an interesting thing about you that most people might not know?

A lot of people who know me at work might think of me as kind of serious. But it might surprise people to know that I’m silly and can be fun. I like to be goofy and laugh and have a good time.  I love stand-up comedy and comedy movies.  Laughter really is the best medicine.

Let’s go through our fun questions. Do you have a favorite book?

I love anything motivational and right now I’m all about “Let Them” by Mel Robbins.

I’ve read it and listened to it, and I recommend listening. It’s better audibly because she narrates it herself and gets very animated.

I’m also a sucker for a good romance novel.

What about a favorite movie or TV show?

My favorite movie of all time is The Family Stone. I won’t watch it until Christmastime. I save it for a snowy day or a really cold day. I love that movie.

My favorite TV show is The Big Bang Theory. I just love it.

My guilty pleasure is Hallmark movies.  Yes, I know they’re all the same.   I don’t care.

How about a favorite food or meal?

Mexican, but that’s mainly because of the margaritas.

Do you cook?

I love to cook.

What’s your favorite thing to cook?

I like cooking everyone’s favorites.

The five of us have a family dinner every week.  We might miss a week here and there, but most weeks we get together.  Oddly, one of their favorites is baked potatoes and salad, because I lay out a big salad bar and baked potato bar with all their favorite toppings.

Do you have a favorite vacation spot?

Yes, it’s lame, but for me it’s my home. My ideal vacation is taking a week off of work, going home on a Friday night and not leaving the house until I go to work the following Monday morning after the week off. (laughs)

You know, I go do things. But if I had to choose, it would be stay home for a week and everybody come see me.

If you had a personalized coffee mug, what would it say?

You can’t compete with me. I want us all to win!

What are you looking forward to most in the next year at Fulton?

Well, all this water damage stuff is almost in the rear-view mirror. (Editor’s note: A water line break in Fulton caused flood damage in several areas of the building.)

We are so close. We can really see the finish line, and the plant looks so good. I’m so proud of it.

The Fulton plant has made a turn.  The print quality, turn times, and on-time delivery are right on target.  I’ve recently taken on scheduling in the Fulton plant.  I’m looking forward to learning that role and perfecting the process.

Do you have a favorite memory from your career? Or a particular accomplishment that you’re proud of?

I have a lot of great memories and have enjoyed some great wins along the way. A lot can happen in 25 years, making it hard to choose a favorite.

Every day on this job is such a journey and an adventure. Every day truly is a different day, and it doesn’t matter how prepared I am or how prepared I think I am, it never unfolds the way I think it’s going to. You never know what’s going to happen and figuring it all out is part of the fun.