EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: Lexi Armburst

John: Welcome back to another Vyral Marketing Employee Spotlight. Today we are here with Lexi Armbrust, who just got moved from project manager to the client manager role. Lexi, why did you join Vyral to begin with and how long have you been with the company?

Lexi: I joined Vyral in mid-September, 2016. I was looking for my first real job. I recently graduated from University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a marketing degree. I wanted to do something with that, but I wasn't really sure what that was. I started applying online and came across a job post for Vyral and decided to apply. I checked out the website and what intrigued me was all the success stories and all the things the clients had to say.

John: Describe your first impression.

Lexi: I didn't really know what to expect coming into my interview, but I immediately realized the atmosphere and culture were really laid back, relaxed, and very young, which appealed to me as a young professional. I thought it would be a great place to work and was pleasantly surprised. The office definitely has a lot of character. It was a good first impression.

John: Why are you still here?

Lexi: I am still here because I don't think I'm done learning here at Vyral. Like you mentioned, I was given the great opportunity to move from the project manager role to a client manager. I think those skill-sets are completely different. I got really comfortable in the project manager role after a few months, and with this awesome opportunity, I think I have a lot to learn. I'm excited for that. Being a project manager, I was more behind the scenes. As a client manager, it's more of using the marketing skills I gained from my education, which I'm really excited about.

John: You recently got promoted. Where do you think you're headed with your career now? 

Lexi: I honestly am not really sure. I just started this new position. I think for now, I'm going to focus on giving it 100% and get really comfortable with it. I really just want to learn all I can and once I feel like I have, I will probably reassess and decide from there.

John: Talking about learning, what have you learned since being here at Vyral? 

Lexi: A lot. I learned a lot about technology being a project manager. HTML, coding, little things like that. The biggest difference I've seen in myself is communication skills. When I first started as a project manager, I was terrified to make my first testimonial phone call and after a couple weeks, I was hopping on calls with clients to eliminate some back and forth on projects. Yesterday, I was on the phone for almost a half hour talking about marketing strategies with one of our clients. I've definitely learned a lot of great communication skills.

John: What's been the biggest breakthrough in your mindset? 

Lexi: Just realizing how important communication is and having those skills in the business world, no matter what you're doing. It may be the difference between you and another person applying for a job. Even though I didn't want to make those phone calls at first, I had to.

John: What makes Vyral different than other places where your friends work? 

Lexi: I have a few friends in the corporate business setting and I think that sounds a lot more boring. I think what sets this company is apart is the trust you have in your employees and the openness to talk about salary and other things. Giving your employees a sense of freedom and autonomy to work on your own without having someone breathing down your neck. I think that makes us more productive in the end. It's laid-back, but there are rules.

John: Anything we could be doing better as a company?

Lexi: The only thing I can think of is raising the lower end of the pay-grades. In the end, you are getting experience in return. You might not be making the big bucks, but you're getting the experience.

John: You mentioned you like the people here, but what makes them different and why do you enjoy working with them? 

Lexi: The people that work here are hilarious, and outgoing, and not only love to hang out outside of work, but are very helpful, driven, and ambitious. People are so willing to help out and it makes for a great culture and makes it enjoyable to work here.

John: Do you have any memorable moments so far in your career here at Vyral? 

Lexi: I remember on one of my first days in training as a project manager, I was training with a girl who worked here, Brittney. I hadn't brought my lunch, and even though she had, she got a huge group together to go out to lunch. I got to meet some new people, and it was really nice to be included. Obviously all of the company parties are great and being recognized for spot bonuses is nice, too.

John: So you're kind of new to the scene of directly working with clients. Were there any moments where you were recognized that really stood out to you? 

Lexi: It's hard, because the clients tell us they love the writing, the video editing, and the graphic design. For me, I just kind of put it all together as a project manager. There were times where I have expedited something and clients always appreciate that. Other than that, I would say being recognized for spot bonuses and recognized by being promoted was pretty awesome.

John: A lot of people watching this are probably thinking about working here. What would you tell them? 

Lexi: I would tell them to come in with an open mind, meet a lot of people, and we're really just a big family who likes to work hard. We like to have fun as well, but we put in the time.

John: Any personality traits of someone who maybe shouldn't work at Vyral? 

Lexi: I would say you shouldn't work here if you want to come into work every day wearing a suit. It's very laid-back here, which is great. If you don't like to work hard, or don't get along with people you should steer clear too.

John: Alright. Thanks, Lexi. 

Lexi: Thanks, John.