Advertising Operations Coordinator Natalie Willis can usually be found running around the office in a flurry of activity, but I managed to talk her into sitting still long enough to give me a glimpse into what a normal day looks like for her at the office.

What communication medium helps you the most during the day?
The most helpful communication medium is my phone. If I need to communicate something short and concise then email if effective. However, most often I find myself typing what seems to be a novel before I pick up the phone to communicate with our vendors and sales representatives about ad sales and production.

What do you reach for when you need an afternoon pick-me-up?
When I start feeling a little tired and my eyes glaze over it's time for a coke, a good stretch and brisk walk around the office. That usually does the trick.

What three software programs do you use every day and could not live without?
I've been using Magazine Manager for over a year to track ad sales and materials. I processed over 1000 ads in 2008 using the software. What a difference it's made. Before, I was using excel spreadsheets to track all the miscellaneous information required to keep up with insertion orders and ad materials. Now it's all contained in a contact record and I can easily find out where to place ads or who to bill. Don't get me wrong, I still love Excel. Since I'm not a designer or writer, I use excel as a creative tool. I enjoy making my reports look pretty with all the formatting features available in excel. My favorite program is Adobe. The ability to create and edit pdfs is a must for my job.

What's your favorite on-the-job responsibility?
My favorite on-the-job responsibility is processing a BPA audit, of course!!! Just kidding. What I enjoy most is forecasting and tracking ad revenue as well as creating useful financial reports. Recently, I acquired several production responsibilities that are proving to be an exciting challenge to my daily routine.

What is the last thing you do before you leave the office every evening?
The last thing I do before I leave is make sure I don't have any last minute urgent email or voice mail. If all is clear, I clean my desk, then I take the mail down. Once I'm in my car I think about what I neglected to finish that day. Once I'm home I usually check email at least once before a new day begins.

Greetings,

I will be out of the office beginning December 24th, returning on January 5th. I will be checking e-mail and voice mail periodically. If you have an emergency please contact me at (615) 332-4933.

Happy Holidays!

I don’t know how all the employees at Hammock find time to post on their people pages, but I’ve asked myself if they can do it, why can’t I. Thanks to Rex’s persistence and Summer’s help creating a new password for my access to this page, I now know how to post. I’ve chosen posting at least one entry per week as my 2009 work resolution. Maybe if I change my routine and set up a reminder to create a weekly post, I can reach this goal. I was so inspired by Shannon’s photo of running shoes on Hammock's PassionCreatesCommunity.com site that I may even make that my personal 2009 resolution.

Natalie eagerly started her career in custom publishing with Hammock Inc. in July 2002. She worked for several years in the legal industry before realizing that publishing was much more interesting and creative than law. She was searching for a career change, and with a bit of luck and good timing Hammock Inc. proved to be the perfect spot for her.

For the past few years, in her role as an assistant to Hammock Inc.’s Managing Director John Lavey, she has learned more than she ever imagined about publishing, production and advertising.

Natalie is responsible for keeping track of publication costs, preparing financial reports for clients, coordinating advertising for publications, auditing circulation and assisting with various pricing, billing and proposal projects. There is never a dull moment as she attempts to help keep the entire Hammock Inc. staff organized.

She is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University and has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a minor in business. Prior to joining Hammock Inc., Natalie worked as an executive assistant for Bass Pro Shops in Nashville.

She grew up in Dallas, Texas, and moved to Nashville after she graduated college. In her spare hours, she adores spending time hiking and boating with her husband, Jason, but most of all she enjoys time with her two daughters born in 2005 and 2006. She’s still struggling with the craziness of working full-time and raising two children under two years old, but the challenges are worth the rewards.