Hi, ya’ll! That’s right, I’m a Military Brat who settled in Florida, so I have a bit of an accent. I’ve lived around the world and even been around the block a few times. All of which has given me a diverse background and a variety of experiences both personally and in business.
I got my degree in psychology along with about a million others at the time, but it served me well in a variety of occupations including marketing, sales and especially customer service. Always a bit of a rebel and an exceptional problem solver, I tend to think way out of the box to develop effective and unique solutions for my clients. My favorite statements are “why not?” and “yes we can” and “let’s figure this out!”
Many years ago I took the Dale Carnegie course, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” Okay, it is really called “Effective Communication”, but the most valuable thing I learned was the value of listening skills. So I will not offer you canned solutions. We will talk about what you do and what you want to accomplish. I will learn something about your business and how you operate. I will get to know you. Together we will devise your plan for creating your image and promoting your products and services in a multimedia environment.
I firmly believe in taking care of clients and I’ve earned a reputation of not only providing excellent customer service, but have also been successful in creating a corporate culture of customer service in several of the places where I have worked. While I often collaborate with various providers, each of our team is selected for their expertise, the quality of their work and their customer service skills. Hey – customer service is so important to me that I have even written and produced a series of online courses on the topic!
Yes, I am a bit of a teacher. The college I attended in New Hampshire was originally established as a “teacher’s college” and while I was there, no one asked your major – it was simply, “What are you going to teach?” I had no intentions of teaching and would have to explain that I was a psych major! Ah, the folly of youth believing we know the future! I also took a class in Fortran just to see what this stuff about computers was all about. Had no clue, couldn’t get my punch cards to work and declared I’d never need to use a computer! Who knew I’d spend a lifetime teaching and working with technology? And loving it!!
Seems I’ve always had an eye for design and even at an early age I was involved in a variety of crafts and creative activities. Once I began to sew (yeah, that was big back then!) I designed and often tailored my entire wardrobe. As a teen, I was planning to become a fashion designer. So things like visualizing a concept, color, balance and attention to detail are second nature to me. Skills now applied to digital and print design.
So what is my background and what have I learned that can help you? Three jobs in education – Educational Director at Head Start, Public Relations at a County School Board and many years at a small Online Training Institute where I had the opportunity to be involved in marketing, sales, customer service, production and accounting. Head Start taught me how to work with budgets, government contracts and compliance issues as did the Online Training Institute which offered training for Workforce Boards and staff. So if you are a government entity or a 501-3-c non-profit, I understand how your organization works including your procurement and deliverable processes. I was introduced to marketing and communication at the School Board, then low and behold, went to work for a local bank as their Marketing Officer, an opportunity to learn how the private sector works in addition to a firm foundation in the various aspects of marketing and customer service.
Who knew a bank could offer so much? From print ads to product development and promotion to corporate culture back in the day when banks were customer oriented and worked to build their local communities. Lots of fun and lots of opportunity to learn. I learned how to run a business that included lots of compliance and regulatory requirements. I learned about our customers’ businesses and what it took for our customers to be successful. Did I mention we had a marque for advertising? New slogan twice a week for 16 years! That’s how we “tweeted” before the internet and was our most effective media for advertising!
And I learned about computers. From the ground up. Before DOS. Pioneers in the use of personal computers and as a pilot bank for banking software on an IBM mainframe I was fortunate to have access to the latest and greatest in technology – not just on the cutting edge, but often on the bleeding edge! Great experience for a problem solver and gave me a firm foundation in both hardware and software applications.
I started Computer Management Corporation in 1996 when I left banking as a way to continue creating solutions using technology. I learned Microsoft Access and used that to automate the membership records for the Florida State Genealogical Society using an intuitive, user friendly, menu driven design. The Access database I created for their Florida Pioneer records was the foundation of the online records they use today. And getting involved in genealogy taught me much about research, both online and on-site.
In 2014, I left my day job to concentrate full time on Computer Management where I can use my 30 plus years of business and technology experience and ability to visualize solutions through technology to develop quality, cost-effective results across a variety of business applications. I am passionate about using and developing technology as a business tool to communicate, educate and streamline processes. My goal is to help to ease your workload, enhance your company image and increase your profitability.
I attended Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire and graduated cum laude from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. A life-long learner, I continue to expand my skill base through workshops, seminars, online training and other educational opportunities.
Computer Management Corporation is located on the Space Coast in Brevard County, Florida where I put down roots when Dad retired from the US Army during the height of the Apollo space program.
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