We wrap up this week’s blog series with Barbara Kubereit, our Education Editor.
Q; What’s your nickname? BK. Yes. I’m really called “Bee Kay” at work. A former WOW! boss of mine started it years ago and it stuck. She asked me if I’d like to be called “Barb” or “Barbara.” When I said “Barbara”, she said “Barbara’s too long, I’ll just call you BK.” That was about 7 years ago.
Q: What is your favorite word? Vacation. Work is good, but vacation is better.
Q: What is your least favorite word? Epiphany. I have a hard time spelling it and don’t always know when to use it.
Q: What sound or noise do you love? Waves washing up on the beach.
Q: What sound or noise do you hate? Fire alarm drills at work.
Q. Historical Figure for Dinner? Jesus Christ. The most important man that ever walked the Earth. My faith is a huge part of who I am.
Q: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Cooking. Professional Chef I’m a Chef Gordon Ramsey wanna be. Not the personality, because he’s very mean on tv, but I’d like to have one tenth of his cooking talent.
Q: What profession would you not like to do? Nurse/Doctor/Paramedic. I hate the sight of blood.
Q: How long have you been working at WOW!? 10 years this month.
Q: What’s one of your favorite things about working at WOW!? I get to do lots of different things besides quality assurance. Working in a smallish company, your job can be just about anything you want it to be so long as you’re willing to take on more or different work, such as, well….blogging.
Q: If you could live anywhere, where would you live? Somewhere in the Caribbean. The clear aqua blue waters there are the most beautiful thing in the world.
Q: What is your favorite part about your WOW! Buzz category? It inspires me to learn more thoroughly about some things I would normally not pursue.
Q: What is the one word you think of when you describe working here at WOW! What impresess me most is the way core values really mean something here, so in one word “values”: In four words: Respect, Intergrity, Accountability, and Servanthood.
Q: Tell me about one of your favorite WOW! Moments: I got a most unexpected gift of an Apple IPOD for working on the phone migration project several years ago. Even though I didn’t use it for a long time, once I began to use it, the IPOD has become one of my most prized possessions. I use it all the time now and I’m so grateful to have gotten it.
Q. Historical Figure for Dinner? Jesus Christ. The most important man that ever walked the Earth. My faith is a huge part of who I am.
We’ve had the opportunity this week to get to know each of our WOW! Buzz Editor’s a little bit more on a personal level. I hope you’ve enjoyed the series. Thanks for reading, and Libby, Sherry, Steve, Bill and BK – thanks for allowing us to get to know you better!
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Bill Wright has been part of the WOW! team for over nine years now, and is one of the few folks I know who has visited more countries then he has visited U.S. states! Go figure. Here’s more to know about Bill:
Q: What’s your nickname?
I do get called quite a few different names, but none I would call a nickname
Q: What is your favorite word? Epiphany - I just like the way it rolls off my tongue
Q: What is your least favorite word?
Can’t – It is such a negative word
Q: What sound or noise do you love? The sound of waves crashing on the shore. So relaxing.
Q: What sound or noise do you hate? Dogs barking in the middle of the night. Don’t they know I am trying to sleep
Q: If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why? Abraham Lincoln - Apparently I am related to him in some way, shape or form. That would be kind of fun to spend time with some OLD relatives.
Q: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Why? Department of Social Services - I have always wanted to help people in need. I guess that is why I like my job so much.
Q: What profession would you not like to do? Why? Politician - Do I really need to say more?
Q: How long have you been working at WOW!? 9 ½ years. When I started, WOW! didn’t have any customers
Q: What’s one of your favorite things about working at WOW!? The feeling that I am part of a family. Everyone here have been so wonderful to work with.
Q: If you could live anywhere, where would you live? Why?
I could live anywhere as long as I am surrounded by family and /or friends
Q: What is your favorite part about your WOW! Buzz category?
Finding out how the other departments contribute to the WOW! experience.
Q: What is the one word you think of when you describe working here at WOW! “Family”
Q: Tell me about one of your favorite WOW! Moments:
While speaking to a customer, regarding an issue they had at their home; I was able to have a support person on instant messenger. The customer was demanding to have a technician at the home immediately. Before the customer was able to hang up the phone, there was a knock at the door and a technician was standing there. The customer was very impressed!!
That’s a great WOW! Moment, Bill. Thanks for sharing that with us. Tomorrow, we’ll close out our series with Barbara Kubereit, our Education Editor.
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Steve Stanfill is our Technology Editor. Some might even say guru! Today’s his turn in the hot seat in our week long series of getting to know our Editors better.
Q: What is your nickname? Don’t really have a nickname. Just usually go by “Steve”
Q: What is your favorite word? “Grandpa” when it comes out of the mouth of my 3 year old grandson.
Q: What is your least favorite word? “Grandpa” when it comes out of the mouth of my sweetheart to whom I’ve been married for 31 years.
Q: What sound or noise do you love?
The sound of the 2.5 L turbocharged intercooled boxer engine in my Subie STI accelerating up an onramp.
Q: What sound or noise do you hate? A ringing telephone with a customer at the other end who is having difficulty with their service. I like stuff to work, and when something isn’t working for a customer, it gives me pain.
Q: If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why? Thomas Jefferson. I would love to have a conversation with one of the founding fathers—what they went through to accomplish what they did, how correct principles governed behavior and action, etc. And I think that Mr. Jefferson has gotten a bit of a bad rap in recent press. So to quote Frost (another one of my favorites)…
“So when at times the mob is swayed,
To carry praise or blame to far…
We may choose something like a Star
To stay our minds on, and be Staid.”
Q: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt and why? I have two:
Pipe Organ Builder—Because a pipe organ is a perfect combination of engineering and art.
Professor of Organizational Behavior—I’ve worked for a number of companies in my career, a couple were very successful. I think that positive leadership and the organization that surrounds such a culture can be actively taught and fostered. It doesn’t “just happen”.
Q: What profession would you not like to do and why? This is a tough one. There are certainly professions out there that I should not aspire to simply because I do not have the natural gifts to be successful. I’ve never aspired to be a professional athlete, for example.
Q: How long have you been working at WOW!? I have been with WOW since 2002.
Q: What’s one of your favorite things about working at WOW!? I enjoy the daily challenge of managing a voice network supporting 275,000 lines. My team is terrific, and we have a sense of accomplishment every day.
Q: If you could live anywhere, where would you live? Why there? Again, a tough one. I’ve lived in the Wasatch Front area of Utah, South Florida, the South Shore of Boston, and am presently in Newburgh IN. I’ve loved every one of those places for different reasons. All that said, having been born and raised on the headwaters of the Missouri River in Western Montana, that area will always hold a special place in my heart. The reason (aside from the obvious emotional attachment) is that nature, in all its power and beauty, is “in your face” overwhelming your senses, taking your breath away (particularly true when it’s -20°F in winter!)
Q: What is your favorite part about your WOW! Buzz category? I love technology, and how it can be made to serve mankind. Also, it is always changing. I never have to look for very long for something to write about.
Q: What is the one word you think of when you describe working here at WOW!? Friends
Q: Tell me about one of your favorite WOW! Moments: I have had many WOW! moments in my life, but the most significant to me were the births of my five children. The tremendous trust placed in me to father another human being and serve them for a lifetime is one of the grandest experiences of this life. As significant as my work and other responsibilities are to me, this one trumps them all.
Thanks, Steve! It’s great to get to know you better. Readers, tomorrow we’ll check in with WOW!’s CEO Customer Advocate, Bill Wright. You probably know him better as the Editor of our Customer Experience and Support category.
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Yesterday, we got to know our Entertainment Editor Libby Pawlick a little better. Now it’s time to check in with our Culture Editor, Sherry Zachary.
Q: What is your nickname? I don’t have one here, but at a past job they called me ‘Bear,’ a shortened version of ‘Carebear.,’ Are you old enough to remember them? I think I got it because I’m a pretty good listener.
Q: What is your favorite word? That’s a tough one. As an English major, words have always fascinated me. I guess it would have to be onomatopoeia because it’s such fun. Onomatopoeia is a word or words that imitate the sounds they represent, like the hiss of a snake or the buzz of the bees.
Q: What is your least favorite word? Excuse me for saying so: Fart. I hate how it sounds and what it means. It’s an ugly example of onomatopoeia!
Q: What sound or noise do you love? I really love to hear the clacking of horses’ hooves and all that cowboy gear jangling in movies of the wild, wild west.
Q: What sound or noise do you hate? Sirens. I hate what they represent or potentially represent. Say a prayer.
Q: If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why? Winston Churchill. WWII has always fascinated me and to talk to someone who was an inspirational leader through those years of direct confrontation would be extraordinary. But we eat in Paris, not in London, ok?
Q: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt and why? I would love to be a process engineer. I was with a manufacturing company that did a lot of Kaizen and seeing the elimination of waste, plus the savings in time, motion, materials and inventory was such a thrill. Employees loved it too. We’re actually looking at ‘Lean’ applications in one of our WOW! regions.
Q: What profession would you not like to do and why? I was a waitress when I was in college – it’s a really tough, thankless job. Consequently, I’m a really good tipper!
Q: How long have you been working at WOW!? My 9-year anniversary is 11/26/2010.
Q: What’s one of your favorite things about working at WOW!? The most important thing of all – our culture. Our Servanthood approach proves time and again that happy, well-appreciated employees will create happy, loyal customers.
Q: If you could live anywhere, where would you live? Why there? I would live on a small lake in a small town, where ‘everybody knows your name.’ I would have a restaurant that served breakfast and lunch on Tuesday thru Friday only, and it would feature the artwork, crafts and trades of the local folks on the walls and shelves. Why? I love to fish, I love to cook and I love the idea of a small, self-supporting community. Maybe it’s my rose-colored glasses, but doesn’t it sound great?!
Q: What is your favorite part about your WOW! Buzz category? I get to talk about why WOW! is such a great place to work, and the special moments and special people who make it that way.
Q: What is the one word you think of when you describe working here at WOW!? Happy.
Q: Tell me about one of your favorite WOW! Moments: It was mid-January, going on 7pm and I was exhausted. I knew it had been snowing for most of the afternoon and I did not have my boots with me. I left my office looking down so I could pick my way through other people’s footprints to my car. When I got to it and looked up, viola! It was totally cleared of snow – windshield, side windows, back window, even the wipers were scraped off. The VP of Tech Ops had been parked next to me and when Floyd cleaned his own car off, he did mine too. How special was that?!
Your resident tech guru, Steve Stanfill (Technology Editor), is up tomorrow. I wonder what his favorite word will be?!
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We’ve been blogging now for close to eight months and our Editors have done a great job between writing articles or finding knowledgeable WOW! employees to write articles for their topics. And while we have a “Meet the Team” section at the top of our blog header, I thought this week would be a good time to have what I am calling “Get to Know the Editors Better”.
With a shout out to Inside the Actor’s Studio, each day this week, I am going to post a question and answer session from each of the Editors. I think this will allow you to get a more personable feel for the team. And it will allow them to take a break for the week, too!
Kicking it off with our Entertainment Editor, Libby Pawlick, here we go.
Q: What is your nickname? Libby
Q: What is your favorite word? Hello
Q: What is your least favorite word? Goodbye
Q: What sound or noise do you love? Rain hitting the window
Q: What sound or noise do you hate? Tornado Siren
Q: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt and why? I would love to be a ballroom dancer. I love to dance!
Q: What profession would you not like to do and why? Picking up garbage. It stinks!
Q: How long have you been working at WOW!? Four years
Q: What’s one of your favorite things about working at WOW!? I love the people that I work with.
Q: If you could live anywhere, where would you live? Why there? Florida. I love the warm weather and the beaches.
Q: What is your favorite part about your WOW! Buzz category? My favorite part is writing about something I am passionate about.
Q: What is the one word you think of when you describe working here at WOW!? Family
Q: Tell me about one of your favorite WOW! Moments: One of my favorite WOW! moments, that is always happening, is how much our employees care about our customers. It sounds cheesy but it’s true. Anytime that I ride out with our technicians, they are always going above and beyond to make sure that the customer has the best experience possible.
Tomorrow, check back as we check in with Sherry Zachary, our Culture Editor. You won’t want to miss what her favorite word is.
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