Teri is a producer at a super-secret tech company! She joins the show today to talk about what experiences are priceless in this industry, how to grab her attention and some of the inner workings of her company.   Key Takeaways [:32] Heather introduces Teri and asks her to share the story of how she made her way into art production after initially falling in love with advertising while watching Thirty Something when she was very young! [6:54] Teri touches on the skills she learned in her early career that she still uses today — she mentions the iconic waitressing experience! [9:15] A good accountant person is worth their own weight in gold! [11:20] A surprising thing about Teri is hard to find; she is readily transparent and very direct — what you see and hear, is what you get. [12:00] Teri’s previous roles usually had her in more intermediate-sized budgets so she hasn’t felt the enormous drop in finances other people may have, however, the onset of digital has had an impact on the amount of competition out there. [13:52] She speaks to the oft under-appreciated in-house creative teams. [16:10] Teri will look at any portfolio that comes in — her job is now to know who the best talent is out there! Teri usually shows her creative team a top 15 with some highlights. [18:50] Heather touches on the recent increase in requests for curated and custom .pdf’s. [20:53] Teri’s self-education was mostly on-line, she didn’t really use sourcebooks, but she did build a good network of people — Heather and Teri discuss the importance of always putting your best foot forward since you may not even know when you are up for consideration. [23:49] The estimating process at Teri’s company is pretty straightforward; she breaks it down into broad strokes but it’s mostly firm bid. [28:19] Teri explains what her team looks like and how it interacts with the other teams in the company. [29:57] Her personal esthetic isn’t something that Teri wants to bring into the projects as she doesn’t think of herself as a very creative person — her skillset is elsewhere! [31:38] If Teri wasn’t in art production, she would be in art production! [33:27] Heather thanks Teri for coming on the podcast!   Thanks for listening.   In an industry where the rules are always changing, it’s helpful to hear from those on the front line. Heather Elder is the visionary behind NotesFromARep’sJournal.com; visit her website for industry updates, stunning photography and video, and the artists behind the work.   More about your host Heather Elder’s Bio Heather Elder’s Blog Heather Elder on Instagram Heather Elder on Twitter Heather Elder on LinkedIn Heather Elder on Facebook   Tweetables (edited) “When you get good customer service you’re surprised these days.” — Teri H.   “In-house creative teams know the brand to such an extent that they really are a force to make better decisions.” — Teri H.   “My creative team has got strong opinions! I’m happy if I can get them a short list of three that they’re stoked on — that all three are great.” — Teri H.