Hey there, folks! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Sara - Melissa's full-time Office Manager. I've written on Melissa's blog before about a high school senior that I photographed late last year, but never have I written an entire blog post as a guest blogger before, nor have I ever written a blog post AS Melissa (in case inquiring minds want to know). Needless to say, this is SUPER exciting and quite a treat for me!
I'm often asked by other photographers, "What is it like working for Melissa?". Since that question is so common, we thought it might be fun to have me answer that for you right here on the blog! So, without further ado, I give you the whole truth, and nothing but the truth when it comes to working for the infamous, Melissa Jill. PS. Originally, I decided not to write it in a "day in the life" format, but Monday just really illustrates our working relationship. Plus, I'm currently writing this post from my home, and here's why:
On Monday, I woke up with an extremely sharp pain in my upper back directly on my spine. After a few attempts to crack my back with no relief, I panicked. Realizing that this was way more serious than I have ever experienced before, I immediately called Melissa. I mean, doesn't everyone call their boss FIRST when they're in serious pain? I was on the verge of tears, and wasn't sure what to do. Go to the doctor or see the chiropractor? Melissa recommended the chiropractor. Fact #1: Melissa is always right.
My appointment wasn't until 4:45pm. There's nothing worse than having to wait for an appointment when you're in tons of pain, and I certainly needed a distraction from it, so I decided to get ready for work. But there was no way I could shower - I could barely get my arms over my head to change - so I pretty much looked like death. Fact #2: It doesn't matter what I wear to work, what my hair looks like, or if I put on any makeup - I won't get judged for it. In fact, half the time Melissa doesn't care what she looks like either unless she has a meeting. We typically joke about who looks the "prettiest" each day.
I strolled into work around lunchtime, which is not the norm by any means, but it shows Fact #3: my schedule is just as flexible as if I were working for myself. Typically, I get to work between 10am and 10:30am, because Melissa and I are so not morning people. Although, we strive to be one day. (Haha, we'll see...) As soon as I figured out how to get out of my car without screaming in agony, Dixie came running outside to greet me. Fact #4: Dixie gives the BEST greetings EVERY morning, so I always start my workday with a big smile! Having her around is a super cute distraction and always keeps things interesting on a day-to-day basis. There's never a dull moment with that long-lashed, sweet girl.
I'm often asked by other photographers, "What is it like working for Melissa?". Since that question is so common, we thought it might be fun to have me answer that for you right here on the blog! So, without further ado, I give you the whole truth, and nothing but the truth when it comes to working for the infamous, Melissa Jill. PS. Originally, I decided not to write it in a "day in the life" format, but Monday just really illustrates our working relationship. Plus, I'm currently writing this post from my home, and here's why:
On Monday, I woke up with an extremely sharp pain in my upper back directly on my spine. After a few attempts to crack my back with no relief, I panicked. Realizing that this was way more serious than I have ever experienced before, I immediately called Melissa. I mean, doesn't everyone call their boss FIRST when they're in serious pain? I was on the verge of tears, and wasn't sure what to do. Go to the doctor or see the chiropractor? Melissa recommended the chiropractor. Fact #1: Melissa is always right.
My appointment wasn't until 4:45pm. There's nothing worse than having to wait for an appointment when you're in tons of pain, and I certainly needed a distraction from it, so I decided to get ready for work. But there was no way I could shower - I could barely get my arms over my head to change - so I pretty much looked like death. Fact #2: It doesn't matter what I wear to work, what my hair looks like, or if I put on any makeup - I won't get judged for it. In fact, half the time Melissa doesn't care what she looks like either unless she has a meeting. We typically joke about who looks the "prettiest" each day.
I strolled into work around lunchtime, which is not the norm by any means, but it shows Fact #3: my schedule is just as flexible as if I were working for myself. Typically, I get to work between 10am and 10:30am, because Melissa and I are so not morning people. Although, we strive to be one day. (Haha, we'll see...) As soon as I figured out how to get out of my car without screaming in agony, Dixie came running outside to greet me. Fact #4: Dixie gives the BEST greetings EVERY morning, so I always start my workday with a big smile! Having her around is a super cute distraction and always keeps things interesting on a day-to-day basis. There's never a dull moment with that long-lashed, sweet girl.
Since it was lunchtime, I asked Melissa if she wanted to eat before I got too "comfortable" at the computer. Fact #5: Whenever possible, we eat lunch at the same time. It's usually only for about 30 minutes or the length of a television show that she has Tivo'ed. It really does feel like I work from home, because I have a cabinet and space in the fridge to keep my own groceries. And we always share if one of us is out of turkey or OJ. Since I couldn't move very well, Melissa offered to get anything I needed - water, ice, food, etc. And instead of watching TV, she sat with me at the table so I wouldn't have to eat alone in pain. Fact #6: My boss is more thoughtful than your boss.
Continuing her thoughtfulness, Melissa helped me get comfortable at the computer, so that I could check my email and take care of a few important tasks without being in too much pain. I do any number of things throughout the day, and it can vary depending on what we have going on. Since we are a small business, I have my hands in everything. But I'm sure some of you are curious to know exactly what I do, so more on that in an upcoming post! Fact #7: I'm given a lot of freedom and leadership. When Melissa hands off a project to me, I own it. She has identified my strengths, and wouldn't send it my way if she didn't think I could handle it. I'm given the authority to make decisions and to figure out how to make it successful. I'm always allowed to seek her advice, but some things are ultimately my decision. Pretty cool! And because I need to balance so many different projects at once, I keep a pretty detailed to-do list. Fact #8: Melissa loves to add to my to-do list, which can happen at any moment and usually happens at least 2-3 times a day. She especially loves to give me tasks she doesn't particularly want to do. And since we're so similar, you can pretty much bet that I don't want to do them either. Haha. But someone's gotta!
Fact #9: Melissa loves to talk through her thoughts with me, but most of all, she VALUES my opinions. She is currently preparing to launch a project that I think you all are going to LOVE, so she is knee-deep in problem solving right now. Our workdays have included a lot of discussions as of late. I love feeling confident and not afraid to give suggestions or ideas, knowing that she won't take them lightly. AND she'll always give me her honest opinion in return, so it's really a collaborative effort. Fact #10: Melissa often tells me I'm wrong. Hahaha! Jay kay. I kid, I kid. But we really are point-blank honest with each other. It's pretty fantastic. I feel so fortunate to be in a work environment with such open communication. Of course, we're always considerate of each other's feelings, but I never feel like I can't say what's on my mind.
At 4:15pm, it was time to go to the chiropractor. Most employers will simply wish you luck and hope you feel better quickly. Melissa went above and beyond by offering to DRIVE me to my appointment AND helped me change into one of those embarrassing gowns for X-rays AND stayed with me for the results AND sat with me while I got electro-therapy AND this all took about 2 hours or so out of her day. Fact #11: Melissa is not just my boss; she is a very close friend, an older sister, a mentor, a confidant, someone who loves me for me, and cares for my well being. We listen to each other vent about boy troubles, lost love, and help each other heal from a broken heart. We encourage each other to have work-life balance...okay, so I encourage Melissa to have good work-life balance, haha...and she encourages me to be more healthy. And to top it all off, Fact #12: I feel appreciated on a daily basis. Melissa is always telling me how much she appreciates me and the work I do. And sometimes, for no reason at all, she'll give me a little gift.
Do I have a dream job or what?!! It may seem like I glammed it up, and only told the positives. But I swear, we rarely fight or have disagreements. It doesn't mean that they don't happen though. Melissa is not perfect. I am not perfect. I make plenty of mistakes that upset her, and she can drive me a little nuts at times. We both want things to always be perfect, so there are moments when we get overwhelmed and stressed out. Sometimes, she'll sit in the other room so we can have some space and there are times when I love her being out of the office. The key is knowing how to communicate through those negative feelings. They are inevitable in a small office envirionment, and you have a choice on how you react to situations and control your emotions. I think we do a darn good job of communicating and working out issues when they arise.
Well, I hope that gives you an idea of what it's like working for Melissa! There's plenty more I could talk about, but this post is already a novel. I'm an open book, so feel free to ask me any questions and I could always answer them in a future post.
Continuing her thoughtfulness, Melissa helped me get comfortable at the computer, so that I could check my email and take care of a few important tasks without being in too much pain. I do any number of things throughout the day, and it can vary depending on what we have going on. Since we are a small business, I have my hands in everything. But I'm sure some of you are curious to know exactly what I do, so more on that in an upcoming post! Fact #7: I'm given a lot of freedom and leadership. When Melissa hands off a project to me, I own it. She has identified my strengths, and wouldn't send it my way if she didn't think I could handle it. I'm given the authority to make decisions and to figure out how to make it successful. I'm always allowed to seek her advice, but some things are ultimately my decision. Pretty cool! And because I need to balance so many different projects at once, I keep a pretty detailed to-do list. Fact #8: Melissa loves to add to my to-do list, which can happen at any moment and usually happens at least 2-3 times a day. She especially loves to give me tasks she doesn't particularly want to do. And since we're so similar, you can pretty much bet that I don't want to do them either. Haha. But someone's gotta!
Fact #9: Melissa loves to talk through her thoughts with me, but most of all, she VALUES my opinions. She is currently preparing to launch a project that I think you all are going to LOVE, so she is knee-deep in problem solving right now. Our workdays have included a lot of discussions as of late. I love feeling confident and not afraid to give suggestions or ideas, knowing that she won't take them lightly. AND she'll always give me her honest opinion in return, so it's really a collaborative effort. Fact #10: Melissa often tells me I'm wrong. Hahaha! Jay kay. I kid, I kid. But we really are point-blank honest with each other. It's pretty fantastic. I feel so fortunate to be in a work environment with such open communication. Of course, we're always considerate of each other's feelings, but I never feel like I can't say what's on my mind.
At 4:15pm, it was time to go to the chiropractor. Most employers will simply wish you luck and hope you feel better quickly. Melissa went above and beyond by offering to DRIVE me to my appointment AND helped me change into one of those embarrassing gowns for X-rays AND stayed with me for the results AND sat with me while I got electro-therapy AND this all took about 2 hours or so out of her day. Fact #11: Melissa is not just my boss; she is a very close friend, an older sister, a mentor, a confidant, someone who loves me for me, and cares for my well being. We listen to each other vent about boy troubles, lost love, and help each other heal from a broken heart. We encourage each other to have work-life balance...okay, so I encourage Melissa to have good work-life balance, haha...and she encourages me to be more healthy. And to top it all off, Fact #12: I feel appreciated on a daily basis. Melissa is always telling me how much she appreciates me and the work I do. And sometimes, for no reason at all, she'll give me a little gift.
Do I have a dream job or what?!! It may seem like I glammed it up, and only told the positives. But I swear, we rarely fight or have disagreements. It doesn't mean that they don't happen though. Melissa is not perfect. I am not perfect. I make plenty of mistakes that upset her, and she can drive me a little nuts at times. We both want things to always be perfect, so there are moments when we get overwhelmed and stressed out. Sometimes, she'll sit in the other room so we can have some space and there are times when I love her being out of the office. The key is knowing how to communicate through those negative feelings. They are inevitable in a small office envirionment, and you have a choice on how you react to situations and control your emotions. I think we do a darn good job of communicating and working out issues when they arise.
Well, I hope that gives you an idea of what it's like working for Melissa! There's plenty more I could talk about, but this post is already a novel. I'm an open book, so feel free to ask me any questions and I could always answer them in a future post.
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