We sat down with Joslyn, our Senior Account Manager, to learn about her expertise in account management. From creative branding to psychology-driven problem-solving, she shares what she enjoys about her role at YDM and her love of sci fi and Italian food.
Q: What skills are needed to excel at senior account management?
A: First and foremost, great communication skills. Every part of my job involves communicating, whether it’s with our clients, our internal team, or vendors, and it’s crucial to ensuring everyone is on the same page.
To me, the second most important skill is the ability to think inside AND outside of the box – having both a sense of tried-and-true ways to make a project move along and the adaptability to flex when an unexpected roadblock comes up.
Q: As a senior account manager, what’s your favorite task to work on?
A: I love having a view of the creative process. Even 10 years into my career, there’s something magical to me about how creative concepts come together. So, my favorite tasks are when it’s time to review and discuss branding concepts, whether it’s initial logo designs, mood boards, or applications of the branding. I’m also very much a word nerd, so all things naming – brainstorming, discussing options, helping add to the story behind the name – are in a 1st place tie for my favorite part of a project.
Q: With your background in Psychology and Marketing & Management, how do you integrate your academic knowledge into your approach to problem-solving at work?
A: I think the most common connection of psychology to marketing is from the perspective of subtle influences on and recognition of the way people think. For example, color theory comes into play often (i.e. blue is a calming color, while yellow’s brightness sparks happiness) or what images are tied to the look and feel you want to achieve.
But to me, any role where you’re working with people involves psychology, and that’s where I use it most often. Having an understanding of the people you’re working with – whether clients, vendors, or fellow team members – gives you clues about the best route to solve problems when they come up. When you’ve learned how someone communicates or receives information most easily, you can tailor what you’re doing and that’s how you become a true partner.
Q: What are your best tips at staying organized?
A: #1 – Make things very visual. When your organizing system is nice to look at, you’re more likely to use it and keep up with it. I personally color code as much as possible.
#2 – Streamline, streamline, streamline. Standardize things for yourself in a way that you don’t even have to think about the little things. Set up templates for yourself, or clearly label things so you can file it away quickly and easily. And if two steps of a process go together, put them right next to each other. It’s like always keeping your keys right by the front door, so they’re right where you need and use them the most.
#3 – Work with your brain, not against it. There are a lot of systems, tips, and tricks out there, but if it doesn’t mesh with the way you think, then it’s going to be useless. So even if something’s unconventional, if it works for you, then keep it!
Q: What has been your favorite place you’ve traveled to and why?
A: This is a tougher question to answer than I realized! But I would have to say Italy tops my list. My trip there a few years ago was a solo adventure for my birthday, where I challenged myself to only speak Italian as much as possible (and put my college minor in Italian to good use). Florence might be my favorite city in the world, and I had one of the best meals of my life while in Rome.
Q: As a Queen City newbie, what’s been your favorite thing about the city so far?
A: Definitely the food. I quickly discovered my new favorite combination for a great night – dinner at Ever Andalo paired with a cocktail at Idlewild. After 10 years in NYC and Colorado, I’ve also been really happy to be back in a place where cornbread and sweet tea are everywhere.
Q: What’s your last favorite read?
A: “Iron Widow” by Xiran Jay Zhao. I love a good science fiction read and a badass woman protagonist! If you like the movie Pacific Rim, this one will be right up your alley.
