Jodi Williams is another member of the DC Advance Strategies crew. She has been working with Leigh in that office for four years, during which time she has made quite a name for herself. She has a mixed background of sociology and urban planning that always gives her a different take on clients’ needs. Her questions quickly reveal her love for solving complex problems, kicking some butt on the soccer field, and snuggling with her pets. Along with this interview, she was highlighted in a podcast when this blog turned one year old – so be sure to have a listen for more information!
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Q: You play a lot of sports. How does that prepare you for the workplace?
I’ve been playing sports (with varying degrees of skill and success) for as long as I can remember. Growing up, it was softball (I even met my husband on the softball field). In my mid-20s, I picked up soccer and have found it to be a true love – too bad I didn’t embrace this more when my parents put me in the little kid soccer league and I picked flowers on the field.
Involvement in team sports has taught me how to get along with all kinds of different people, of varying skill levels. It’s also taught me how to be a leader – there’s nothing like having to organize a team of adults with very different skills, interests, and priorities.
There’s also the whole “team player” concept: I typically play midfield for my soccer teams – it’s a position that is truly about teamwork and putting your teammates in the best position either offensively or defensively. That’s definitely a skill that translates to the workplace.
Sports and exercise serve another purpose, as well: health, well-being, and stress-relief. There’s nothing better than the endorphin high after a physical accomplishment, and I’ve truly found that I feel much, much better both mentally and physically after exercise.
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Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
One of the great things about HOK is, I think I could be anywhere in five years. Like some of the other inspiring women around the firm, I’ve found that HOK is a place where you can grow and change very easily. I definitely feel like this is a place I can stick around for a while and find my own path.
Personally, I hope to be staying fit, enjoying life, and smoochin’ on my family and pets.
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Q: Advance Strategies is a fairly unknown part of HOK. How would you describe how important a part of our practice it is?
Advance Strategies, or Ad Strad to those in the know, is a service group within HOK. We’re split into on-site and advisory services (me!). The advisory folks sit within most of HOK’s 20+ offices, while the on-site folks sit with our clients like Nortel and Morgan Stanley. Their job is more about managing the daily business of space, while the advisory folks deal with pre-design services for all kinds of clients across the world. Fellow Life@HOK bloggers Emma and Leigh are also Advance Strategists.
As you mentioned, there’s a lot of “mystery” surrounding Advance Strategies. When we asked our colleagues what they thought we did, we got some hilarious answers:
- “I don’t know what they do, but they’re really smart” – obviously true
- “They’re programmers, but not the computer kind” – some actually are computer programmers, but most are not
- “You guys are telemarketers, right?” – we DO spend a lot of time on conference calls wearing our fancy headsets
- “They put together reports” – correct
- “They um, in all honesty, I’m not sure what they do” – typical answer
- “You guys advance strategies, right?” – smartass!
- “Spreadsheet assistants” – yup, definitely a common occurrence…though now I’m referring everyone to Jan
The real story is that we help HOK clients figure out how their business strategies align with their real estate, facilities, workplaces, and information systems. We help our clients make value-based decisions that achieve clear, quantifiable results.
We work with planning, interiors, architecture, and on our own to help our clients develop and implement strategies that make their real estate work for them
Q: When are you most satisfied in your job?
I’m most satisfied on the days that I am busy doing something meaningful. I am extremely task-oriented and need to be busy and engaged to be happy. My favorite days are those where I get to interact with different people (clients, colleagues, etc.) and check off boxes on my list. For example, a good day might include going to a project meeting or two, working on a deliverable, and strategizing with my team.
Q: If you could choose one superhero power, what would it be and why?
Funny you should ask about superheroes…one of my soccer teams is the Superheroes. We most certainly have not demonstrated super powers this season Image may be NSFW.
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Besides having truly amazing athletic superpowers, I think I’d really like to have the power of healing. It would be great to just focus my mind and take away a person’s pain (or animal or even plant – like the orchid I am currently killing –oops!). I might even use it fix my nasty soccer toes Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Be sure to check out the other Women Across HOK posts, and even start the series from the beginning here!