I have known Tessa for several years. I originally met Tessa when I was a training manager for DataJoe, a software company. I was conducting software training for the Colorado Springs Business Journal, which had licensed DataJoe software, and Tessa was one of several trainees. Since then I have interacted with Tessa at several points across the years, and she stands out as an enthusiastic, creative, and loyal individual.
Enthusiasm is “expressing joy in each task as I give it my best effort.” In my current position as a sales manager, I have the opportunity to talk with people all the time. You might say the majority of my job is talking with people. In doing so, I have a wide sense of the variety of personalities and dispositions out there in the world. Some people are terse, some are bubbly, most are busy, and a few are downright ornery. By way of comparison, there is simply something different about Tessa. As a trainee, Tessa was focused, professional, and perceptive. Her interaction with me was energetic; the tone was lively and fun. Tessa brings enthusiasm and a simple willingness to work hard which is valuable for the group and for those who need help from her.
Creativity is “approaching a need, a task, or an idea from a new perspective.” Creativity keenly describes one of Tessa’s most valuable character qualities. A good example of creativity is one of the stories that Tessa shared with me from her work experience. One of her responsibilities is monitoring revenue for data sales from the Colorado Springs Business Journal Web site, and she has a specific quota she is expected to meet each month. One month, she noticed that sales had slowed, and she was considerably below quota. They say that “necessity is the mother of invention;” and faced with this situation, Tessa brainstormed a new deal structure for her customers. This deal resulted in increased sales, and ultimately in Tessa not only reaching her quota, but substantially surpassing it. It was the birth of an idea that will continue to be useful to her business. Creativity is such a precious gift in the workplace; creative ideas help to pioneer progress.
Loyalty is “using difficult times to demonstrate my commitment to others.” I have found Tessa to be a very loyal person. This is a rare and precious quality in the professional world. I think we come to appreciate loyalty most in others when we are experiencing difficulties or challenges. Infrequently over the years, I have called upon Tessa for her perspective or assistance. She has been noticeably quick to help – not just providing token assistance to check me off of the list, but really giving the time and attention to provide real help. Recently, I was giving a presentation at an online conference. Coming up to the deadline, I was lacking a guest speaker. Colorado Springs Business Journal had demonstrated some rare expertise in the area of generating data e-commerce revenues – the main topic of the conference session I was leading, so I gave Tessa a call and asked if she could be a guest speaker. In asking, I was painfully aware that I was giving her only a few days notice, and felt she would be totally justified in refusing to participate on such short notice. Contrary to this, Tessa accepted the invitation with gusto and enthusiasm. This was incredibly refreshing, and actually helped to brighten my mood about things in general. Real loyalty is a character quality that really impacts the people around you when they need it the most. What a gift to others!
In my experience and observation, Tessa is a shining spot in the publishing industry. My interactions have been not only positive, but encouraging as well. Her unique gifts work together to practically benefit others. For this reason, I would highly recommend Tessa for any job for which she is qualified.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Sincerely;
Johnny Adam Levy
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My definitions for character traits come from the Character First curriculum of the “49 Character Qualities.”
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