Anna is the Marketing Administrative Assistant at Title Source in Detroit, MI, and one of our finalists for Office Hero of the Year. Anna is no stranger to learning and mastering new things. After working as a personal trainer for six years, she decided to apply her passion for helping people in a new way. She started her Office Hero journey at Quicken Loans answering phones, but was quickly moved up as a concierge team member. Mastering that quickly, too, she moved into her current job at Quicken Loan’s sister company, Title Source.
So, what are Anna’s secrets to success? We caught up with her to find out.
What’s your favorite time-saving trick?
Quickly prioritizing tasks is my time-saving trick. I stay super organized and make sure everything is always in my calendar. I’m also an inbox zero person. When I get an email, I flag it by how important it is and then file it away.
What is your workspace setup like? Is there any tool or device that you can’t live without?
We have an open layout and I sit with the marketing team. The open layout enables us to talk to each other and stay connected. As a technology company, I can’t live without my computers – I actually have multiple! I also can’t live without my calendar.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
My passion is helping people and I love that my job allows me to help and interact with my team members on a daily basis. Since I started with the marketing team, I’ve set up monthly health challenges and team activities that everyone seems to love. I’m fortunate to work with such awesome team members.
In our experience, office heroes are constantly busy and wear a lot of hats. How do you stay focused at work?
I stay very organized and prioritize everything. I’m also always taking notes and writing things down. If someone comes over and needs help, I like to be able to drop what I’m working on to help. Writing everything down enables me do that without missing a beat.
“Anna helps all of us keep track of ways we can support one another and better ourselves. Her compassion is so contagious that it spreads throughout the team. I’ve bonded more with my team because of Anna’s ability to connect people.”
Office snacks: sweet or salty?
We love both! I keep a jar of candy on my desk (I like when people come visit me!) and people seem to like that. But the salty snacks go fast, too.
How do the personal relationships you have at work help you maintain your office hero status?
I’m a strong believer in being connected to your team. When I first started at Title Source, I shadowed everyone so I could understand everyone’s job and how I could help them. I like to do an “about me” activity so we can really get to know each other. I think that builds trust so then we can rely on each other more.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
You get more bees with honey.
Who’s your hero?
My hero is my grandma. She overcame so many things in her life and was the strongest person I ever knew.
Do you think Anna should win Office Hero of the Year? Make sure you vote for her here! The winner will be announced on Wednesday, April 26, 2017.