Employee Spotlight: Anne Perry (Director, Solutions Consulting)

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we’re thrilled to shine a spotlight on one of the incredible women leaders here at Process Street – Anne Perry, Director of Solutions Consulting. Anne is a true inspiration to all of us, not only for her remarkable professional achievements but also for the warmth and positivity she brings to our team every day.

As a leader, entrepreneur, business builder, dog-mom, and all-round superstar, Anne embodies everything we stand for here at Process Street. Her commitment to excellence, coupled with her unwavering passion for empowering teams to achieve their full potential, makes her an incredible asset to our organization.

In this blog post, we’ll take the opportunity to get to know Anne a bit better, explore her journey to becoming a leader in her field, and learn from her invaluable insights and experiences. So, without further ado, let’s dive in and celebrate the amazing woman that is Anne Perry!

• Introducing Anne Perry, Director of Solutions Consulting
• Anne’s professional background
• Anne’s role at Process Street
• As a woman in leadership
• Bonus questions!
• Words of love from Anne’s team

Introducing Anne Perry, Director of Solutions Consulting

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

I love designing houses, spaces, and furniture. I’ve designed two houses that my husband and I rented out on Airbnb and just recently sold. I’m gearing up for the next project back in Denver, my home town. I fall asleep re-arranging floor plans and designing rooms in my mind. 

Q: How do you unwind after a long day at work?

As for unwinding, I mostly just kick it with my husband and dog. I love to see friends when I can, and I recently signed up for roller skate fitness classes with my sister which I’m nervous and excited about.

Q: How do you start your morning?

I wake up slowly. My body wakes me up at roughly the same time every day so alarm clocks are no longer part of my life. I snuggle with my dog and my husband, I make some tea and a smoothie, and sometimes I put on regular pants for work.

Q: What is a fun fact that most people don’t know about you?

I’m obsessed with multi-functional anything. Murphy beds! Flip down wall desks! Credenzas that pull out into full-length dining tables! Bangs that can be parted in the middle OR side-swept! Sign me up for two-for-one use things all day every day.

Q: How do you stay motivated and focused when faced with challenging situations, both at work and in your personal life?

Regarding motivation, I always make sure that the larger decisions in my life are aligned with who I am and what lights me up.

The work I do, the person I married, and the projects I commit to are examples of those big decisions. I’m not afraid to say ‘no’ to an opportunity that isn’t aligned, and when I say ‘yes’ to something, I know I’m choosing it intentionally because it’s enriching my life.

That awareness gives me perspective that the challenges that arise are temporary obstacles. We all have up days and down days, so the big question is, ‘Is it worth it? Is this the journey I want to be on?’ If not, new big decisions need to be made.

If yes, then carry on because overcoming challenges is a natural part of the journey.

As far as focus, I have actually let go of the ambition to “stay focused.” I learned this lesson the hard way. I have had several of my own businesses and I drove myself to burnout doing what I thought was necessary to succeed. I would roll out of bed and go straight to the computer, work into the evening, work weekends, and then feel guilty that I “only” worked 6 hours on Saturday so I didn’t get as far ahead as I could have.

I had fallen hook line and sinker for this bizarre unspoken expectation in our society that we need to be productive 24-7. It was difficult to unlearn that impulse but I have learned that forcing focus doesn’t benefit anything and that rest and fun are productivity superpowers.

A wise friend of mine shared with me a metaphor that I think about often. She told me to think of productivity like an analog clock. If the hands are pointing up at 12:00, that is action time, go time, productive time. If the hands are pointing down at 6:00, that is rest time, pause time, reflective time.

We don’t expect it to always be 12:00, we don’t expect it to only be day time, we don’t expect it to always be summer. So why do we expect ourselves to always stay focused and productive?

The more we honor our cycles and rhythms that are inherent in every living thing, the more we can actually be in sync with how and what and why we are creating.

When we do that, we create with passion, the process is fulfilling, and the results are superior.

Regardless of how busy Anne is, she always makes herself available if needed. You can always count on Anne for support – she always ‘has your back’.

Jeff Bruck, Senior Solutions Consultant

Q: What do you consider to be your biggest strengths, and how have they helped you in your career and personal life?

A tangible skill I’ve developed that helps in every professional pursuit is optimizing business operations and streamlining processes. I can distill a mass of complicated, tangled up information and ideas into its simplest form, making it actionable and therefore achievable.

My dirty secret is that this is the flipside of one of my biggest weaknesses which is, without some kind of structure or roadmap, my brain gets overwhelmed and I have trouble taking action on anything. So, what started out as a necessity to just do the tasks in front of me has turned into one of my greatest professional assets.

A strength that is more of a quality than a skill, is that I’m resourceful and I tend to find alternative solutions that others don’t necessarily see. I credit this in part to growing up without a lot of money. There were things I wanted to do, have, and create, and using money to achieve them was off the table.

I’ve learned that when the front door is locked and the back door isn’t open either, there might be a side door and I’m gonna find it. I actually get a lot of joy from finding unconventional solutions hidden in plain sight.

Q: How do you approach personal and professional growth, and what steps do you take to continue learning and developing yourself?

Basically, if I’m not growing and learning, I will be bored. It might sound funny, but I can tolerate stretching myself, I can tolerate taking on challenges, and I can tolerate the mystery of big changes. But I honestly can’t tolerate sustained stagnation.

I’m more scared of being stagnant than I am scared of being scared. I’ve invested a lot of money and time into my personal and professional development with training, seminars, masterminds, and mentors, because I am drawn to continually expanding my overall capacity to bring in rich life experiences. I want to make the most of the time I have here in this lifetime.

Anne’s professional background

As our team has grown and more projects have been assigned, Anne has seen that organization is key in managing workload, so she spent many hours putting together a database in Airtable for better visibility on all team activities.

Beth Juliano, Solutions Consultant

Q: Can you give us a high level of your professional background before Process Street?

I started out in the nonprofit world as an executive assistant. I went on to get my Masters Degree in Nonprofit Management and, in my very last class, I learned about social enterprise – this class blew my mind and I realized I am an entrepreneur in spirit and ended up building several of my own businesses. 

My first full-time business was an energy healing practice. I later closed my practice to move to California with my little-did-I-know-would-become husband and, after a series of jobs, ended up doing business process management for professionals in the real estate, wellness, and nonprofit industries.

I found my way into the entrepreneurial scene and offered article marketing and copywriting for various content creators, course developers and internet marketers.

From there, I launched Business Heroine Magazine “for the entrepreneur who says she will and does.” Later, a membership site with resources for folks who choose to take alternative approaches to life, travel, and income-generation. 

My last business, before finding Process Street, was a vacation rental turnover business for short-term rental property owners.

Q: Important moments, catalysts, or turning points in your career?

When I did my first online launch for a Business Heroine program, it took every ounce of courage, grit and lifeforce I had. I was in a situation in which I needed this launch to succeed. I didn’t have a backup plan. I put together a perfectly planned launch program and funnel as I had been taught, did everything by the playbook and then on launch day I landed exactly… one sale.

Somehow it was worse than zero sales, because how was I going to explain to this lone student that she was the only person in the course?!

I ended up coming up with a Plan B launch, that I scrambled together in 3 days. That generated a few more sales. Still nowhere close to what needed to happen.

Finally, it was time for Plan C. I personally reached out to every single person that had participated in the launch and invited them to jump on a phone call with me. Those calls finally resulted in 25 students plus an unexpected private client. I had surpassed my goal, and this led to more private and group offerings. I ended up doubling my sales the next quarter and tripling those sales the following quarter. 

I can’t even explain how difficult this experience was. During that first launch I was anxiety-ridden to the point where I would actually start weeping the moment I woke up in the morning. It felt almost physically painful, as if my skin had been removed and a harsh wind was blowing directly on my nerve endings. Every self doubt thought that has ever existed ran rampant through my head and every time I clicked ‘send’ on an email I felt like throwing up. 

I don’t wish that torture on anyone. And yet, it was one of my most profound breakthroughs. I had to walk through a wall of fire to get to the other side. I learned how deep my inner resources go, I learned about sales, I learned about putting myself out there and not hiding behind a screen. I’m grateful for that breakthrough and, yes, still glad it’s over!

Anne is a master of managing multiple projects and priorities.

She’s able to shift to changing demands and align resources as priorities change.

Jeff Bruck

Q: How did you get started in customer support, and what motivated you to pursue a leadership position within the company?

I had just sold my vacation rental turnover business and honestly was feeling burnt out from running my own business. When I came across Process Street my first thought was “Where has this been all my life?” There was a software specifically built for streamlining workflow, my favorite aspect of business, and I knew this was the company I wanted to work with.

I was aware that objectively my years of entrepreneurial experience made me overqualified for an entry level position yet, at the same time, I had no experience in the tech industry or SaaS, I knew I would a learn ton, and this was a company I wanted to be involved in. So, I stalked, err I mean applied with Process Street and got the job. 

For the first six months I did nothing but answer support tickets. And, even though support is traditionally seen as an entry level position, don’t let anyone tell you it’s easy. When I started, not only did I not know the answers to most questions, I barely understood the questions! It was a powerful immersive learning experience that I’m still grateful for and has served me well in my current role.

My next step was becoming a Customer Success Manager, and my favorite part of the role was when I had the opportunity to help clients build their workflows in the best way for their needs and then see the streamlined results they were after. 

When I learned that, as a company, we were considering offering a service to build workflows for customers, I raised my hand high. Our Solutions Consulting department started out as a one-woman show in which I was both selling and delivering the services. Our built-for-you services were a hit, so we started hiring and I moved into the director role for the department.

This feels like the role I was meant for all along, it just didn’t exist until it did. If I could have invented my perfect-fit role in a perfect-fit company this would be it, and the road to get there was exactly what it needed to be.

Anne’s role at Process Street

Anne has a genuine desire for the success of our team and for the company.  This translates into genuine enthusiasm across everyone on the team.

Jeff Bruck

Q: How do you think working remotely has impacted your career, and how have you managed to maintain a strong presence and connection with your team while working from anywhere?

I have worked remotely since 2010, about a decade before it became widely accepted. Throughout that time I have maintained close relationships with clients, established friendships with people I didn’t end up meeting in real life for years, and managed teams.

Working remotely is a non-negotiable in my life so I was thrilled when I learned Process Street was a fully distributed team from its inception. 

I will say, I almost got so used to working remotely that I forgot how much of a difference it does make to connect in person. I absolutely have loved the opportunities to meet my fellow Process Street team members at conferences we’ve attended together and at our company-wide retreat.

I also love visiting clients onsite. No matter how awesome technology is, subtle real life nuances can fall flat on Zoom, so I value the opportunity to integrate in-person connection with a flexible remote lifestyle.

Anne makes anyone joining Process Street feel welcome with her genuine and friendly demeanor. She radiates a calmness, good humor, and curiosity that makes people gravitate to her.

Beth Juliano

Q: What do you like most about working at Process Street? 

The work and the people. It’s really the best of both.

I absolutely love working with all sorts of businesses to improve their operations. I love designing our own internal operations so we can deliver the best services possible and keep things running smoothly for our team. I love collaborating with the leadership team on the strategic direction of the company. 

My team in solutions consulting is absolutely incredible. They are all so smart and dedicated, and just all around cool people. The company-wide team is equally amazing. Every single person is someone I respect and enjoy.

Q: What does it take to be successful at a company like Process Street?

One of our core values is “Act Like an Owner.”

I’ve noticed people excel when they take ownership of their role – This means not only being reliable and dedicated, but also willing to share their ideas both internally and with clients, as well as collaborating with others to achieve larger shared goals.

As a woman in leadership

Q: What advice would you give to women who aspire to be in leadership positions in their careers?

Know that you know your stuff. You do.

Get into a movement practice that gets you into your power. I recommend IshtaraBody.com

Bonus questions!

Q: What career advice would you give to your younger self when you were starting out in your career?

Master money management – You can make a lot of money and watch it all drain away if you don’t know how to manage it, and you can make a little money go a long way if you manage it well. This gives you breathing room to pursue what you love vs. pursuing what you think you have to in order to pay the bills. 

Make decisions based on your wise inner “no’s” and your inspired “yes’s” – Life is too short to be lived in obligation, so say no if it doesn’t feel right even if it comes in a shiny package. Trust your inspired yeses will lead to the next inspired yes and the next inspired yes, and now you’re living an inspired life.

Q: If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money? 

Invest in creative real estate opportunities

Q: What’s the last book you read?

The 12 Week Year

Q: Binge-worthy show you’ve watched recently?

Pen15

Q: What is one place in the world you haven’t been to yet, but would love to visit?

Ireland

Words of love from Anne’s team

Anne encourages us through any struggles. She shows confidence in our abilities. And we know she has our back when needed.

Beth Juliano

During the years I’ve worked with Anne, she has consistently impressed me with her unfaltering focus and strong leadership, always going above and beyond to push the boundaries of what we’re capable of as a team while simultaneously supporting and encouraging a culture of interdepartmental communication and recognition.

Oliver Peterson, Head of Content

Anne is very clear on her expectations to be successful. She normalizes knowledge gaps while our team takes risks and learns new things which in turn creates a very supportive and continuous improvement team culture.

Anne’s trust in us allows us to feel independent in our daily tasks while also understanding there is still accountability and timely expectations on getting projects done.

Beth Juliano

Anne is an amazing leader for so many reasons. She listens to her team constantly and is always open to feedback and/or concerns we are having then works proactively to try and make them better. She doesn’t just look at the short term effect, but the long term advantages and disadvantages to figure out what the best thing to do is. She is playful and makes for a fun work atmosphere, but also keeps us on track of our day-to-day tasks. She is understanding and never gets upset or angry about anything. She is hands down, the best manager I have ever had!

Brianna Lutz, Associate Solutions Consultant

Anne excels at utilizing tools and apps to track and manage projects and resources. 

She fosters an environment of sharing ideas and individual discoveries between team members. When everyone shares, the collective knowledge of the team grows. 

Anne is also great at making sure there is opportunity for each team member to grow in areas of their current interest(s), or where they would like to learn/grow in the future.

Jeff Bruck