This month’s Employee Spotlight features our Marketing Assistant, Vanessa Hayden. She brings extensive marketing experience, and great expertise in storytelling that will help boost the rapidly expanding demands of the marketing department.
What is your position at Vision Net and what do you do?
I am the Marketing Assistant and what I do varies from day-to-day, which I love! The majority of my job entails writing, a life-long passion of mine, so I enjoy using those skills to inform our clients, community, and partners on what we do, and how we continue to innovate so Montanans can thrive.
What made you choose Vision Net?
I have always been impressed with the services and solutions Vision Net offers. At a previous employer, we took advantage of the services they offered our small but mighty team; we could stay connected in and out of the office, and the tools and technology Vision Net provided us increased our productivity. When I learned there was an opportunity to be a part of a dynamic and forward-thinking team, I enthusiastically applied!
What’s your favorite Vision Net perk?
The opportunity for growth and advancement; as a company that began in Montana by offering tele-conferencing services and has since grown to be one of Montana’s largest technology firms, growth is what we’re about, and I look forward to a rewarding career with Vision Net.
What do you find the most challenging about your job?
Since I don’t come from a technology background, I have enjoyed learning about this industry and its many acronyms. I enjoy learning; I think there are always opportunities to learn and grow, so this has been a wonderful challenge for me to continually master.
What’s something that you’ve learned at Vision Net?
I have learned the power that a unified and focused team can create and build technology that truly helps our state innovate and thrive. We live in an increasingly-connected world, and our rural communities depend on reliable networks to learn, shop, and innovate. As recent events have shown, high-speed, fiber-driven internet is vital to all facets of life, and my colleagues at Vision Net continually amaze me with what they develop.
If you could add one thing to the Vision Net office, what would it be?
Easy question; afternoon cheese and veggie platter!
How would you describe Vision Net company culture?
Collaborative, innovative, and growth-minded. As a technology company, Vision Net understands that in this world, if you don’t innovate, you stagnate. What worked yesterday won’t work today, so we work together to proactively anticipate needs and prevent errors.
What is your favorite book and why?
Tina Fey’s Bossy Pants; I read it when I need a good laugh, encouragement, or just a reminder that life is for living!
What is your favorite movie and why?
That is a rabbit hole for another day, but I could watch the Back to the Future trilogy anytime! In the 35 years since its release, it has continued to influence, inspire, and entertain. And even though I know Marty makes it back to 1985 when the lighting strikes the Clocktower, I still feel dramatic tension in that moment; that’s the mark of great acting, directing, and an amazing score!
What is one food that you cannot resist?
Anything spicy! I enjoy the variety of spices found in Italian, Thai, Mexican, Spanish, Filipino, and Cajun foods. In high school, I was an exchange student in Japan, where I developed an appreciation for spicy foods and today, I still add at least twice the garlic listed for a given recipe.
Do you have any talents or hobbies?
I enjoy cycling and enjoy the challenge of trails and paths both new and familiar. This past winter, I tried skiing and fell in love instantly and I’m looking forward to trying it again. I’m a Fiesta Ware addict, and a ‘hobby’ of mine is collecting pieces to complete my ever-growing collection. One of my life-long goals is to be a contestant on Jeopardy and I’ve taken the online test a few times; with enough luck and the perfect amount of 90s pop culture questions, I’ll be on Jeopardy eventually! And finally, as someone who enjoys writing, I hope to one day have my work published; I devote a few hours each week to my writing, and here’s hoping I’m creating something that grabs the attention of a publisher.
How do you define success?
Success is measured by how we affect others; if we provide the world, our communities, and our loved ones with care and compassion, we’ll succeed in this world. And as George Bailey learned in the final scene of It’s A Wonderful Life taught us, “No man is a failure who has friends.”
