I am not motivated by money. Never have been. It is the success of the work or the passion for the project that drives me. Even when I was an advertising sales person for the Minden Press-Herald, it wasn’t the commissions that drove me to sell more. It was the success of the ad campaign that I designed and the increased business for the client that brought me the most satisfaction.
I have had many jobs in my life. My first job was with Ma Bell in Minden. I was a telephone operator and worked in the old South Central Bell building behind Minden Medical Center. I had dropped out of college and sought full time employment. In my more than one year on the job as a telephone operator, I challenged myself to beat the record for the number of calls completed in an hour. As best I can remember the record was thirty something. I had managed to exceed fifty completed calls in an hour. My supervisors became suspicious. They began to monitor my calls and question my numbers. I was young and did not realize that these supervisors were also operators at one time and it was their record that I was busting. It became apparent that they were not happy with my performance and I had reached my goal and was now looking for another challenge. So, I transferred to a sister company in Shreveport.
This new job with Ma Bell consisted of reading the stamped time cards and placing them in one of more than fifty slots. I set a new record there, too. I left Ma Bell when we were transferred to Leesville. I could have transferred with the company but I was looking for a new challenge. I eventually went to work for the Leesville Leader. It would be my first time as a sale person. The managing editor of the Leader was an old newspaper man. Jack taught me all the in’s and out’s of selling ads. I not only sold the ads but I had to design them and construct them. I learned fast and before long I was leading the group in sales. Jack took me under his wing and taught me all that he knew about the newspaper business. His mentoring was life-changing for me. I thought I had found my calling.
When we returned to Minden some four years later, I applied at the Minden Press-Herald and was hired on as the advertising manager. I was the first female to hold this position. Even then, I was not driven by money. It was a good thing because the publisher of the paper set my salary slightly lower than the salesmen who worked under me. This was the first time that equality for women in the work place became an issue for me. I approached my boss about the inequality and he did a very smart thing….he challenged me. If I could increase the newspaper’s revenue from the previous year, he would raise my pay. I accepted the challenge and set out to break another record.
I took on many jobs from working as the promotional manager for Channel 6 in Shreveport to in-house illustrator for a national manufacturing company. But it was the advertising and the marketing jobs that brought me the most joy. So, I decided to start my own business. I opened an advertising agency, Specialty Design. I had several clients and my success was measured more by the successful advertising campaigns I created rather than the size of my bank account. And while I enjoyed self employment for more than two years, I eventually sought a more reliable revenue stream and accepted a newly created position as the marketing director for People’s Bank.
Out of a personal need, I would eventually open The Children’s Center in Minden. I needed to give my 5 year old son a safe haven for after school care, so Minden’s first afterschool enrichment center was opened. This became my passion and my favorite job. Providing a creative space for children set new standards for care for children. And again I made it about the work and not the money. I had to take on other jobs to sustain the business until it could sustain itself. I truly believe that it was that mindset that contributed to the long running success of The Children’s Center. ..Now celebrating more than 25 years and in the hands of my dear sweet friend and former employee, Julie Vogel.
In all my professional experiences, nothing has changed much. I did discover my real passion was art and in particular children's access to the arts. I now work part time as the art enrichment teacher for Glenbrook and love it. My more than 200 young art students give me great joy and drive my desire to do more to advance the opportunities for children to express themselves.
Money still does not define me. I know that most people don’t understand that and don’t understand me. And because of that, my intentions are sometimes misunderstood. My non paid job as the executive director of Cultural Crossroads has laid before me the most challenging body of work. With unlimited artistic license, I am challenged to lead a group in the development of a four acre festival site known as The Farm. But I can’t complete the body of work without money. The four acre homestead was donated to Cultural Crossroads by my friend Zenobia West. In 2000, she offered our nonprofit organization the opportunity of a lifetime. Her desire to create a haven for children and a playground for creative expression has been my greatest challenge. I promised her that I would see it through. This sounds a little egotistical and that is not my intention. I don’t mean to discount the many wonderful volunteers who help us drive this project or the many wonderful people who have served on the Board of Directors. And I don’t mean to discount the many individuals and corporate partners who have contributed funds to this twenty-two year old organization. However, I do feel an enormous responsibility to make Zenobia’s dream a reality.
Her dream has now become mine.
Her dream has now become mine.
Great insight Chris. It's interesting to know the path that made you who you are today. And you just get better every year.
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