Jennifer Payne | DOWL
In our member spotlight, Jennifer Payne takes time out of her busy day to chat with SMPS. Jen, who works for DOWL as their Chief Marketing Officer, shares the rewards of her job and the benefits of being an SMPS member.
Q: How did you find your way to the AEC industry and your current firm?
A: I started my career in television news, transitioned to advertising/public relations, and then went to work for DOT&PF as a public information officer. Someone I knew at DOT&PF who liked DOWL recommended me for a public involvement position. Soon after starting, I transitioned to DOWL’s marketing group and I’ve been here *gulp* 17 years.
Q: What is your favorite part of the job?
A: Just when I think I’ve seen everything, we have a brainstorm session with the team and the creative, fresh ideas come rolling out. I love to see the firm and the marketing team get jazzed when we execute a new idea and it’s a success.
Q: What has been your most meaningful project?
A: Project me. For the last several years I’ve worked hard to improve my managerial skills. I used to view my job as divvying up the work. Now I see my job as caring about people with the work being secondary. If someone at DOWL tells me they feel supported, seen, and cared for, I live on that cloud.
Q: What are your challenges?
A: The marketing and graphics groups at DOWL are held in high regard and are culture and policy makers at the firm. Aside from the occasional bad “go” decision and a PM or two who has trouble maintaining schedules, we run a solid and supportive ship. I am grateful the dark days of DOWL as a proposal sweat shop are long behind us.
Q: What was a pivotal point in your career?
A: I was a bit of a job hopper before I came to DOWL. Meeting Stewart Osgood 17 years ago and starting at DOWL was the stability I didn’t know I craved (even when we had too few marketers and too many proposals). When I became an owner a few years later, it set my course.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is about to enter the marketing or business development field?
A: Be curious, care about people more than projects, and max out your 401K.
Q: What’s on your bucket list?
A: More travel to include some point-to-point bike vacations like the Continental Divide.
Q: How do you spend your time outside of work?
A: Biking, hiking, skiing, cooking, traveling, reading, and my secret shame of watching too many interior design YouTube videos. If you need help choosing the proper size rug for your living room, I’m your gal.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you?
A: Most days I get some sort of physical activity and then once I get to work it’s a hop-hop-pivot situation. Hop on a Teams call for a graphics, proposal, or corporate communications meeting. Hop over to a project from my to-do list (I take a highlighter to the ones I need to get done in the day and try very hard to do them all or more). And then, pivot to some priority communications someone brings me. The rest of the time I’m a professional emailer and quasi-professional writer.
Q: Why is SMPS important to you?
A: Keeping up on industry trends, best practices, and networking.
Q: Who inspires you?
A: Monica Bradbury is one of those do-it-all people. She has a lot on her plate inside and out of work and she manages to keep all those balls flying. I need a nap just knowing about all she must do.
Q: Who would you choose to switch places with for a day?
A: Vladimir Putin - I’d get rid of that big table of his and hope for the best.
A: Concert.
Q: Who do you consider a role model?
A: My mother puts everyone else first. I think the world would be a better place if we were all like my mom.
Q: Guilty pleasure: What can you not live without?
A: I can’t live without caffeine and my other YouTube guilty pleasure is cat videos.
