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When I was asked to do the introduction for Patty I was honored. From our very first conversation, it was boldly evident that she was hyper focused on company culture and personal relationships in the best way possible. Culture is something we never stop working on, and when it’s collective in nature, great things happen. Patty’s focus on positive relationships and client success also resonated with how we approach client relationships and everything we do, so having Patty join the team just made sense. We’re excited for her to join us and to be able to introduce her to you all.

Enough buzzwords in one paragraph, let’s get to the fun part, the interview!

Q: What is your favorite thing about where you live now?

A: I live in Northern California, and I really enjoy that it’s less than a day’s drive to the ocean or to the mountains for cooler weather and snow in the wintertime. It’s also close enough to San Francisco, which is one of my favorite places. It’s easy to get into the city, explore, do sightseeing, and enjoy that Bay Area weather.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your journey to becoming a Digital Project Manager.

A: My first experience doing project management was when I worked for a Fitness Training company. They wanted a website built so we hired a designer and developer and I was tasked with managing that project.

A few years later I was working with a hosting company doing technical and server support, and I started managing mini projects for some of our clients for email campaigns. One of the clients I worked with the most approached me about joining their team as a Project Manager, and that is how my journey started. I have been doing project management and customer support ever since and really enjoy being able to help solve client problems and make improvements so they can continue to be successful. I view my role as a Digital Project Manager as a partner with both my team and clients. Being able to take everything into consideration and give honest guidance can help them with decisions and move forward in a positive direction.

Q: What are some of your favorite team building experiences that you’ve had in your career? What made those invaluable to you?

A: There are so many: monthly team happy hours, game nights or crafts with the team, holiday gatherings with teammates and their families, virtual lunch dates, annual summer activities (like paintball or going to a baseball game or museums and having a meal afterwards), annual foosball tournaments, birthday celebrations, etc.

Having activities like these really help you to get to know those that you work with better and allow you time outside of work to have fun with them.  When you know more about those you work with, it can give you a better understanding of how to work better with each one of them.

Q: I’ve heard, from your previous employers, of a magical thing called “The Patty Factor™." As legend has foretold, it initially was an internal designation and then clients soon became aware and benefited. While this was bestowed upon you by your peers and clients alike, I’d love to hear about it from your perspective. Can you tell us about The Patty Factor?

A: Ah yes, The Patty Factor :)  Well, initially I was working for a hosting company doing server and technical support. I assisted hosting clients with many different tasks and they grew to really rely on me and often requested my assistance over someone else.  

I eventually started working as a Project Manager for one of my clients who hosted with us and was able to provide assistance not only with projects, but also assist clients with many other things as well, including IT, email issues, DNS setup or changes, or support with their CMS system and helping them learn how to update things. My team started referring to my expertise in keeping clients happy as “The Patty Factor.”  Then they started referring to that phrase when talking to potential clients about our services and support, and it became a real thing after that.  We actually ended up purchasing the domains for thepattyfactor.com, along with the .net and .org domains, in case we ever wanted to do something with them and initially redirected them to our main website.

So, there you have it, a brief synopsis of how the legend of “The Patty Factor” came to be.

Q: In one of our first Zoom calls, I met one of your furry family members, would you mind sharing a little bit about them?

A: I recently rescued 2 young Guinea Pigs, brothers about 5 weeks old. Their names are Chewey and Ewok and they are officemates with me. They are really friendly and very social!  

I also have a senior dog named Jack that I rescued 3 years ago. He is getting older and is approximately 15 years old. Despite his vision and hearing getting worse, he is very smart. He loves peanut butter and knows exactly when one of my boys gets the peanut butter out to make a sandwich.

Q: What, in your opinion, makes remote teams work? What makes them sing?

A: I have worked remotely for companies in many parts of the United States for well over 10 years. The biggest factor that really makes it work is communication. It is essential to be a part of a team and have those regular interactions. Seeing the others face-to-face is also essential. When you can see your team members and clients and interact with them in real-time as often as possible, it really helps to build relationships. 

Also, doing fun things regularly with your team helps with team building, even if it is done remotely.  

Q: When we first started chatting about potentially joining Foster Made, what were the things that made you think, “This could be the place for me!”?

A: Even after my first call with you, I started getting excited about the possibility. It seemed like there was a lot in common with a previous team I worked with. Then after the 2nd call with additional team members, I felt even more like it could be a really good fit for me. I was very impressed with the skill of the others and how long they had been there, but the thing that stood out most to me was that they all felt huge support from leadership, as well as others on the team. They had each other’s backs and seemed like it was a very supportive, encouraging environment.

Q: When did you pick up photography and who/what are your favorite subjects? What does it take to get the best shot?

A: I started doing photography about 8 years ago. I started taking a variety of types of photos, but my favorite subjects were Hummingbirds. I have also taken a lot of squirrel photos, along with flowers, bunnies and other things. I started posting my photos on Instagram and have been featured by some nature sites. A few years back, a couple of my photos have also been featured by Ginger Zee, chief meteorologist on Good Morning America. 

To get a really good shot, you have to take a lot of photos. I often end up deleting many of them but usually can get at least one really good photo when I do that.

Q: How important is follow-through to you? What drives this?

A: Follow-through is extremely important. In my experience people want to know that someone is there to support them, listen and provide guidance to help solve problems. Even if we don’t have an immediate answer, we can let them know we are here for them. Always following through on things creates trust with others and they know they can count on you. To me, this is crucial to building and maintaining relationships.

Q: Knitting came up in one of our conversations, my Portuguese Avózinha (Grandmother) used to knit everything from mittens to table dressings. What’s your favorite piece that you’ve created? What do you enjoy about it the most?

A: I started knitting when my youngest son was diagnosed with a form of childhood cancer and we spent a lot of time in the hospital. It is really helpful for decreasing stress and increasing concentration. After his recovery, I joined a group and still meet up with them weekly. One of my favorite pieces that I made is a Birdsnest Shawl. It took a long time to make but came out beautifully and I gifted it to a dear friend when I visited her on Bainbridge Island in Washington last year. I also knit Alzheimer’s blankets/shawls for an organization here and those are delivered to many different patients. I enjoy seeing how happy it makes them to receive these pieces.

Q: If you were free to travel anywhere in the world, all expenses covered, for a month, where would you go and why?

A: Costa Rica is one place I’ve always wanted to visit. Many of my photographer friends have been there and it has many hummingbird species there that are readily available for photographing. There are also many places to explore and lots of wildlife in the rainforests as well. Costa Rica is also a place with many beautiful beaches and gorgeous sunsets.