Jennifer lives with her husband Kevin and two young daughters in Mount Airy, North Carolina, near the border with Virginia. Mount Airy is small—home to just over 10,000 people—but it has one big claim to fame. It’s the hometown of actor Andy Griffith and is thought to have inspired the fictional town of Mayberry on the show of the same name.
Life in Mayberry
Mayberry might be famous, but the real-life Mount Airy doesn’t have a whole lot of jobs. Jennifer joined AnswerConnect as a virtual receptionist but quickly found she wanted more responsibility. She talked to her lead, who advised her on how to grow in the company. Jennifer initially thought she wanted a position as a lead or mentor, but when a position opened up in sales, she decided to give it a try.
Remote motivation
Like our virtual receptionists, AnswerConnect’s sales team works remotely, usually from their home offices. Remote work allows Jennifer to stay in her small town home without a long commute. “A lot of people struggle working virtually,” she says. “I don’t. I’m a self-motivated person. The statistics we provide on her progress help her stay on track. “I view my box scores every day, because I want to know where I’m at,” she says. “Am I meeting my goals? If not, I need to try harder.”
We’ve found that Jennifer is a good fit for our sales team. And part of the reason is that she is careful to make sure the clients she brings to us are good fits for our service. “I want to make sure the accounts I’m selling are ones that are going to be with our company for a long time,” she says. “It’s not just about the sale.”
Squad goals
Working from home has another benefit for Jennifer. It makes it possible for her to be more involved in her two young daughters’ lives. In fact, she’s the coach of her younger daughter’s freshman-mascot combo cheer squad. The squad, a group of kids aged 3 to 7, cheer on a local elementary school football team, the White Plains Raiders. Jennifer’s older daughter is also a cheerleader, on a team of slightly older kids.
Heading into winter, Jennifer has signed on to be an assistant coach for her girls’ basketball team. Thanks to her lack of commute and flexible schedule, she’s able to take on these volunteer roles. “I just want to be involved in my kids’ lives,” Jennifer says. “I think it’s important. This job allows me the opportunity to be involved with my children.”
Team members like Jennifer prove to us every day that when you trust people enough to give them work flexibility, they repay you by bringing their best to the job. It’s better for our people and our business. Jennifer even does a little cheerleading for the company, in a way. “The management here has helped me tremendously to become a better employee and have the opportunity to grow within the company,” she says. We’re glad to have her on our team!
