Employee Spotlight Elizabeth Vandeveer

John: Alright, John McMillan here with another Employee Spotlight. Today, I have Elizabeth with us, who’s been here over a year now, right? 

Elizabeth: Yeah, about a year and a couple months.

John: Cool. And she came in as a project manager, and is now in the coaching role. So, how come you joined Vyral Marketing to begin with? 

Elizabeth: I joined Vyral because I wanted to be in a place where my education was going towards, and something I was very interested in. So I felt that Vyral, especially being a startup company, was going to have that drive and enthusiasm that I was looking for in a job and a career.

John: Okay. Why don’t you describe your first impression? 

Elizabeth: My first impression was that it was very laid-back, but at the same time everyone kind of held their own. Like they were all responsible for their own duties. You didn’t have to be micromanaged but it felt like people really didn’t need it, as well.

John: So how come you’re still here at Vyral? 

Elizabeth: I just really like the environment. As much as people are laid-back, they do come together as a group as well. Everyone gets along with everybody, everyone can go out and be sociable with each other.

John: Cool. Where do you think your career here is headed? What would you like to do? Obviously you’re a coach, so it might be taking on more responsibilities. What kind of things interest you? 

Elizabeth: I think being able to take more responsibilities as a coach, going more towards the advertisement section as well to see how far I can not only improve as a coach, but maybe one day getting into upper management and things like that.

John: Cool, okay. So I’m sure this is a lot, but what are some things that stand out to you that you’ve learned since working here at Vyral? 

Elizabeth: I think some of the big things are just really focused on improving my organizational skills, my communication skills. Being able to keep working as a group, but also able to go off on my own without full on micromanagement.

John: Okay, good. Have you had any breakthroughs in your mindset, like maybe you thought one way before you came here, but your experience has changed your mind? 

Elizabeth: I don’t think there was a whole lot of culture shock. Just in marketing in general, I think a lot of the walls I was hitting when looking for marketing is everyone associates marketing with sales. I think this was the first place that was able to differentiate from the two. There is a sales side, but there’s also a consulting/coaching side.

John: What makes Vyral different than your last employer? And what were you doing? 

Elizabeth: In my last job, I was really more into the accounting department at the company. It was a Fortune 500 company, so it was very large. You were no longer really a person a lot of the time. 

John: More of a number? 

Elizabeth: Yeah. You were a being, that’s about it, that worked on a computer and made sure things got paid. I think here you don’t feel as replaceable. When you get into larger companies, you get into the mindset that you are replaceable. There’s somebody in line right behind you who’s willing to do the stuff that you’re doing, so you don’t feel as valuable as a person. Being here, people are concerned about you, even on your day-to-day, even outside of work.

John: Alright, so what could we be doing better as a company? 

Elizabeth: That’s a tough one. I think just keep moving forward and trying to find ways that will improve the company as a whole, just keep striving to do that. The good thing is you guys are already, so it’s really just continuing to work on that.

John: Great. Let’s talk about the people here. What do you enjoy most about your colleagues at work? 

Elizabeth: I think everyone just comes from different backgrounds. Everyone just goes with the flow. You can crack a joke with someone, and no one’s going to get very upset with you. You feel comfortable going to someone with a problem. You don’t feel like, “Oh, I really don’t want to talk to that person,” but you can just get up, go over there, and talk to them.

John: Let’s talk about some memorable moments. What’s the most memorable moment that you’ve had since working at Vyral? 

Elizabeth: Where do I begin? I do remember walking in the first day of work and having my monitors gone. I think one of the best times was when the first outing I was with, and we were doing the Vyralee Awards. That was a lot of fun.

John: Can you name a time when you’ve really wowed a client, and how that made you feel and the client feel? 

Elizabeth: I think one of the best times with a client I would have to say just being able to really formulate a full on plan with them. When they’re excited, I’m excited. I like when we get the ball rolling, getting things out, getting things done efficiently and effectively. I’m in the process of finally getting done launching everybody, and it’s great to know when you get a letter back saying, “This is fantastic. I’ve already gotten responses.” That just makes your day right there.

John: For sure. What would you tell someone who’s thinking about working here at Vyral? 

Elizabeth: To apply and to apply quickly.

John: Good advice. 

Elizabeth: I think it’s a great place for people, especially getting their foot in the door into the marketing field, because this isn’t an overwhelming situation. There is room for growth, so you might have to start out in a lower position than you want, but there’s always going to be an opportunity to move up.

John: Nice, that’s good advice, actually. So what are some personality traits of someone who shouldn’t work here at Vyral? 

Elizabeth: Probably someone who doesn’t want to work in a laid-back, cultural environment, or who wants to be solitary. People move around, people talk around here. If you’d rather just sit under your rock, you might as well do something else. People aren’t going to crawl under that rock to say hi to you.

John: Good advice. Well, that’s it. Thanks, Elizabeth. 

Elizabeth: Thanks.