Week 4: Keeping pace

Week Four.

My desk at ESaThis week Anna, Lauren, and I worked together on most of our job assignments. We did this because a lot of the designers had meetings with their clients and they were out for a couple of days so it was pretty low key. We ordered a lot of samples for contractor boards, we filed away all the samples that needed to be taken care of, and we made some more finish boards. My favorite things I did this week consisted of photo shopping a project for one of the designers; I’ve come to love Photoshop more as I’ve learned new tricks. (Like holding shift makes a STRAIGHT LINE!! Would’ve been so helpful to know that). I also ordered a bunch of samples for two of the designers that work on most of the hospitality projects and got to ordered new fabrics because some were discontinued. I loved getting to be apart of a project and help make decisions. 

Finish Boards for Mckenzie-Williamette Project

Does the company market their services? Is there a particular market or particular markets the company targets? 

For ESa there is a marketing director named Sandy who is in charge of marketing for the company. She markets the company in a lot of different ways such as: healthcare design magazine ads, write ups in the local newspapers, TV interviews, and different conferences. Sandy is also in charge of photo shoots for the company and working with the designers. However, a lot of the way ESa gets business is by word of mouth from other companies that have received their work and passed on the reference. Or if a company visits the space and wants something similar designed at their facility. Leslie also said that 80% of the design work is repeat clients.

The target market is mainly healthcare.  However, when ESa started out Earl Swensson was known for condominiums in the 60s and 70s. Earl caught the vision for what designing for Healthcare could be and was one of the very first firms to start working with Healthcare. A lot of the standards and codes for Nashville today with healthcare were first worked through with ESa. ESa also works with higher/lower education, cultural arts, and hospitality.

http://www.esarch.com/places/portfolio/ 

What type of strategic planning happens?

Who ESa is as a company is a business and community minded company. The higher up leadership such as David Miller and Earl Swensson are the visionaries of the company. However, ESa employees have all gone a specific way of being hired. They are looking for a specific person that is hard working and works well with all kinds of people. They said it from the beginning that they are looking for people with good work ethic because they can teach people skills and build on that but they need someone with the drive. So there are a lot of ways that ESa has a vision for different parts of the company. 

Abbey Stepanek

This week I want to introduce you to your friend and mine, Abbey Stepanek. While I begin I need to start with thanking Abbey for telling me before career day to go speak with ESa, and because of that I have an internship with this company. Abbey Stepanek is a recent UT grad and the newest member of the ESa interior design department now making 25 interior designers at ESa. Abbey’s current role is to work with designers Ken Bowman and Christie McCullough on the St. Anthony’s healthcare project. Abbey was an intern last year and as an intern her favorite thing was learning about finishes and meeting with all the reps. As Abbey begins she is excited about being apart of the Nashville Design Community and getting to work with big companies. 

Comments

[MBR]

You are definitely keeping pace! The experience of working with other interns as a team is very much what it will be like when working post-graduation with a firm. Consider the distinction between group and team work: group work is when everyone is doing the same tasks but on different projects, and team work is a group assigned to the same project, but assigned different tasks. Would be good to know if you are experiencing both or just one.

Great to see Abbey's shining face and big smile! She looks happy. Glad to hear what she is currently doing. Very exciting! Let her know that every time I hear Little Big Planet 2 theme music I think of her! In future interviews and intros, add details like where the person is from originally, their hobbies/interests, human interest details. I feel like I know Abbey pretty well, but I am sure there are many things I still don't know about her. For example, ask what her favorite part is working at ESa? Think about what you would like others to know about you, and find these things out about them. What do think would be interesting to know?

Thank you for the tip when working in Photoshop. The possibilities of that program are endless! Glad you have the opportunity to deepen your knowledge and skill with this program -- very useful!

The bit of history you included about ESa is great. And the link to their website is a nice addition to the post - glad you added it. The focus of their strategic planning on their employees is one part. Successful companies are typically successful because of their ability to attract and retain talent. I am not sure this is exactly a strategic plan as much as good ongoing company policy. Do you understand what a strategic plan is? If not, please ask your supervisor, or make an appointment to talk with one of the partners, or associates. Talk with your supervisor first about overall strategic planning on how business will either grow or be maintained at its current size. What is the vision for the business? What do they consider in terms of a sustainable model? What will the business look like in 5, 10, 50 years? What are the important issues they consider when developing a strategic plan? The other issue you need to report on is the accounting department. Interview the accountant and find out what their job is and how they support the firm. The business side is a critical piece you need to understand well and appreciate. Add these additional details in your next post.

Overall, the format is good -- don't forget to "justify full" and keep up the editing. You are almost half way through! Congrats and keep up the good work!