Hiring the right person for a job can be very difficult. Other times it can be really simple. There never seems to be a pattern. Now and then, there is a chemistry that is so good and obviously right, that it seems too good to be true. Five years ago, we started the process to find a new media planner-buyer. An employee referred a former co-worker. I went to meet her in Cherry Creek North and within minutes, I knew she was the one for the job. And she felt the same way. The chemistry was there and of course her qualifications fit the bill as well.
That interview was with Sarah Allen Chapin and five years later, the chemistry is stronger than ever. We hit a home run with that hire and look forward to the next five years with Sarah. In celebration of Sarah’s five-year anniversary here at Explore Communications, Becky wanted to share some of the greatness that is our Sarah Chapin.
From Becky:
Following are five things that we have learned about Sarah after working with her for five years:
- She has the voice of an angel. Not only does this come in handy for client presentations, where she can soothe just about anyone through a media deck, she also has won the title of company entertainer. She will tell anyone who will listen that she sounds exactly like Sheryl Crow and we have lost track of how many times we have seen her do impromptu performances at company outings (but we know the number has to be somewhere in the forties). No one could ever forget her peak performance in La Jolla, when she grabbed a remote control (thankfully she swapped out the Raid bottle) belted out her favorite song and convinced the owner of the bar to wave an American flag behind her. Oh, did we mention that it was not a karaoke bar?!
- She never backs down from a challenge. Sarah could be drowning in client work and deadlines and she always stays calm, cool and collected. We admire her composure and have all been comforted by her famous line of “it’s going to be OK, the work always gets done!”. Her down to earth attitude wins over clients and shines in her work.
- The girl can dress. Sarah is known around the office for her fashion and she always looks good! She can mix patterns and colors (that most of us would never think of) and always looks dynamite. On her first day at Explore, we experienced one of those crazy spring snow storms and Sarah was not willing to swap out her already planned “first day of work” outfit, so she strutted through six inches of snow in her pencil skirt and ballet flats and started her first day at work looking like a rock star!
- Your cheeks will hurt from laughing when you are around her. She is a little quirky and she is really funny! Sarah can steal a room with her stories and we can’t stop laughing when we are around her. From stories about drinking at the zoo to stories of her childhood, we are always looking forward to our next laugh together. We can’t help but think about a recent team conversation about irrational fears. The normal suspects came up: spiders, snakes, rodents, etc. but we were all left saying “Huh??” and laughing hysterically when Sarah announced her biggest fear of buffalo…
- Everyone loves her. Sarah has the ability to make everyone feel comfortable. There is no doubt that all of her clients love her and everyone enjoys her company. Her first response to any request is always “no problem!” or “you got it!” and she always has a smile on her face. All of us at Explore are lucky that we get to see her five days of the week and there is no question that she brings a lot of joy to each and every member of our team and extended team of clients, creative partners and reps.
Becky could have gone on and on, but Mindy wanted to pipe in with some of the work side of Sarah’s life here at Explore Communications. From Mindy:
That is just a small sampling of Sarah the person and friend that we love. After five years of exceptional work at Explore (and over ten years in media overall), it was only fitting that we find a way to put Sarah’s top personal qualities to better use in her everyday role at work. Following are some of the important things that “Super Sarah” is going to be taking on with her recent promotion to Strategic Planner/Communications Manager at Explore Communications (congratulations Sarah!!!):
- Sarah will help Explore show-off its media savvy and brilliance through regular social posts. We get so busy with our 25+ clients, we sometimes we forget to share our media thoughts and expertise with the world. Sarah is a veteran of media herself, and loves to write, so she is going to make it her job to be sure we are regularly sharing our agency’s experience through Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Explore’s blog. She is sure to educate and entertain our followers!
- Use Sarah’s “Sheryl Crow-like” charm to keep stirring up new business. We are lucky that we have been in biz for over 21 years in Denver so we have a good network of like-minded partners. With that said, Sarah’s smart, innovative and fun-loving personality embodies our agency so we want her to get out there and mingle! We love to work across all industries and we are always energized by new, challenging clients who want a true strategic partner.
- Sarah is our official Head Cheerleader. The most fun job of all … keeping Explore Communication’s awesome culture alive and kicking. We believe in Aristotle’s concept of synergy when he wisely stated that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. We have something special here in our shop. We strive to be the best and most passionate media professionals around and part of how we manage that is to make sure that our peeps are happy and healthy. We are a tight-knit group and we have a blast as a team, while we are working our tails off. Sarah is going to make sure the happy and healthy part continues.
Sarah will continue to lead on multiple clients as the Senior Media Planner Buyer she has been for her five years at Explore Communications. Sarah has always been able to juggle a variety of projects and clients while maintaining our high standards of quality work. She’s pretty much a rock star.
And a Go-Game Champion with her Explore teammate Jon! Congratulations again Sarah – we are lucky to have you as a co-worker and friend!