Conversations at efelle: Account Manager Haley Weaver

What's your favorite aspect of Seattle so far?

Haley: There's nothing like those beautiful sunny days during the winter - if only it rained more! Jokes aside, I love the combination of city and nature. The music scene has been amazing. So far, I haven't experienced the terrifying Seattle freeze - instead, the people have been welcoming and wonderful. I will say I miss living close to my family and dogs, but everything else has exceeded my expectations.

What were you not expecting?

Haley: I'll be honest - I thought people were exaggerating about the traffic. I come from Charlotte, NC, and my commute to my job there was five minutes tops. Now it's about forty-five minutes long, which has given me the delightful opportunity to read more books and listen to more true crime podcasts while sardined between other commuters on my bus.

What do you like about working in the web industry?

Haley: I love that it's always evolving - whether that be best practices for website design or new features for our specific proprietary CMS. It's also fun to educate our clients and help them navigate this ever-changing online world.

Any tips for handling tough situations with clients?

Haley: I always try to put myself in their shoes.

Griff, who sits across from Haley: Did you say bear shoes?

Syd, who was assisting with the interview: So... you're saying you wish you were a bear hibernating instead of working right now?

Haley: Yes - I would love nothing more than to hibernate. In all seriousness, though, I always try to remember that the client and I ultimately have the same goal: launching an awesome website. Sometimes we have to problem-solve along the way to get there - that's part of any process. Of course, hibernating might be a better approach. I'll try it - stay tuned for the results.

Describe your ideal client / project.

Haley: My ideal client would be conference room full of golden retrievers. Just kidding. A great project centers around collaboration. I want everyone to bring their ideas to the table and be open to innovative designs and out-of-the-box approaches! A great client or project comes down to a great partnership, where both sides are offering ideas and working together to hit our desired timeline and budget. If a dog is involved though, that's a bonus (or should I say bone-us?)

Favorite artists or music genres to listen to while working?

Haley: Oh man, let's pull up my Spotify. It depends on my mood. For the most part, I like listening to a playlist of calming music - my brother recently made one that features a lot of chanteurs (french crooners) and brazillian music, which has been my go-to as of late. Of course, sometimes a project or deadline requires a different frame of mind. When I have to get a lot done, I like to turn up some some Madvillain, some Earl Sweatshirt, some Vince Staples - maybe even a sprinkling of Death Grips. If you see me listening to that playlist (it's called "Go"), you should probably steer clear.

What do you want to improve on or learn about this year?

Haley: This is a hard one because I'm perfect, obviously. For the sake of this interview, I'll try to think of something. On a work related level, I want to get more in the weeds with the development side of our business. We have amazing developers here at efelle, and I know I could learn so much from them. On a personal level… where do I even begin? My caffeine intake is an issue. I think I average five or six cups of coffee a day.

Syd: Just drink less.

Haley: I mean… yeah, that's really good advice.

Favorite aspect of efelle?

Haley: Wow, the color orange is the first thing that pops to mind, but that's definitely not my favorite part. My favorite thing about efelle is the incredible team behind the scenes. In regards to the work we do, it's a super collaborative environment, which is fantastic since we have so many specialists here. On the culture side, it's welcoming and fun. And did I mention we're a dog friendly office? That's what I like to call a game changer.

What are your desk essentials?

Haley: First and foremost, a half filled lukewarm cup of coffee that I've been nursing for at least 45 minutes. I also am the proud mother to a cactus, which I received from the Christmas exchange. Big surprise: his name is "Cactus." I also have the remnants of my efelle Halloween costume as the PBS cartoon character Arthur, which include a pair of glasses and a giant library card that has since suffered water damage. My computer tends to be a pretty important part of my desk seeing as all of our business is online...oh yeah, and headphones - two pairs. How else can I listen to brazilian music and rap at the same time?

To see more of Haley's awesome drawings, view her instagram account, haleydrewthis.