WOMEN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

BY JAMES COMBS

May is synonymous with celebrating women, and this month’s column is no exception.

Don’t turn the page just yet. I’m not going to talk about Mother’s Day. You’ll see enough of that on Facebook when every living male predictably boasts about having the best mother in the world. While men are wired to love sports, it appears we’re even more wired to love our mothers. In 2015, there were 1.8 billion Facebook posts on Mother’s Day, surpassing both the Super Bowl and NCAA Tournament.

But women are so much more than nurturers and coddlers of their children. And that brings me to the topic of this column: Women in the workplace.

Women are the glue that hold marriages together, families together, and, yes, company offices together.

At least that’s been my experience at Akers Media Group.

They’re more organized, more detail-oriented, better communicators, and superior listeners.

Rather than give generalities, I’ll provide specific examples.

Advertising coordinator Aubrey Akers helps manage the accounts of our all-star sales team. This is extremely beneficial because it gives our sales team more time to bring in new business rather than become bogged down in mundane office tasks. And let’s face it: Sales reps are more people-oriented than they are detail-oriented.

Staff writer Shemir Wiles has outstanding journalistic instincts and is often the goto person whenever another writer needs ideas for sources. She also held the editorial team together in 2014 when she was paired with two men better known for “uni-tasking” than multitasking.

Office manager Deb Matlock handles seemingly everything—from collecting time sheets and coordinating events to scheduling interviews and photography. Few males can multitask like that.

Leigh Neely assumes the demanding role of copy editor and has the huge responsibility of recognizing poor grammar, editing for AP Style, and catching careless typos.

Heidi Ressler and Lynne Kelley are outstanding saleswomen. Both possess great personalities and are highly confident. They understand our product and can articulate its value to all clients.

As director of client services for Akers Creative, Melanie Melvin helps ensure our clients’ businesses succeed through the production of eyecatching ads, websites, and billboards.

Rheya Tanner, a graphic artist, and Michelle Clark, a writer, are two young, rising female stars in the company who bring fresh ideas and new perspectives. Another young rising star is Shaena Chastain. Her sweet voice greets clients on the telephone, and her big smile greets clients when they visit our facility.

Last, but certainly not least, is publisher Kendra Akers, who has never been afraid to dream big. In 2008—the beginning of a severe economic downturn— she ignored naysayers by launching a brand-new publication in Lake County. In the past eight years, the Florida Magazine Association has recognized that publication as Florida’s “Best Overall Magazine” on numerous occasions.

So there you have it, folks. If you are impressed by our monthly publications and the overall service you receive from Akers Media Group, you have a talented, dedicated group of women to thank.

That’s not to say men don’t have a place in this company. We most certainly do. But the men of this company—if they’re being honest—will readily admit that the best man for the job is a woman.