Amy Harris, Administrative Assistant.

I have over 10 years of experience in Business and Office Management and a B.A. in English. I only recently joined the Pointwise team in June of this year as the Administrative Assistant and I am responsible for creating and revising systems and procedures alongside Carrie, the BAS Manager by analyzing operating practices, record-keeping systems, and personnel requirements. My family consists of a wonderfully talented IT professional you might know, Randy, who also works for Pointwise, our 7 year old daughter Scarlett, and our 3 year old son Elliott. From school, to daycare, to college, to work, and running a home, these three keep me running pretty much all day.

I grew up in a very small town just south of Fort Worth called Keene, Texas. There I enjoyed a childhood rich in culture due to the local university where people from all around the world sought for their education. This is the same university that I would go on to eventually graduate with my degree from, Southwestern Adventist University. I moved to Fort Worth during my final semester of college and decided that teaching high school English was not the role that I wanted to take on after all. I quickly advanced through a career in Property Management for Multi-Family Housing. Then after having our daughter I decided to switch gears and join Childcare Management and had the opportunity to run both a successful Preschool and School Age/Summer Camp program over the last 5 years. I have come to realize that spending time with my family and being more actively “present” with them is the thing I was previously lacking in my life, and so I made a change. I have taken on a less demanding role, although certainly still very important, where I am able to have the best of both worlds and work/life balance. I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to join the Pointwise team and look forward to our growing future.

• Location: Fort Worth, Texas
• Current position: Administrative Assistant
• Current computer: Dell Precision T3500 w/ Intel ® Xeon ® @2.40GHz with Dual Monitors so I am able to open at least 15 different windows at one time. *Possibly more-I haven’t tested the limits just yet, but this will happen, SOON.
• One word that best describes how you work: Energetically

What software or tools do you use every day?

My new BFF- QUICKBOOKS! This is a new system that I have learned to use since I started mid-June of this year. I also use Sage CRM, Outlook, Spark, and the many other software pieces of Microsoft Office.

What does your workspace look like?

Let me see if I can get the greeting down correctly, “Hello, and Welcome to the Pointwise Spa!” (Did I get that right, Claudio?) I enjoy decorating and feeling the comforts of a home-like work environment. So when I moved into my workspace- I REALLY moved in. My work area is on the street level of the Bicocchi Building and is backed by a lovely original brick wall and wonderfully large windows which look out to Jennings Ave. You will likely notice an aroma of either peppermint or spearmint in the air which is from my oil diffuser and ambient music which is most likely the Relaxation Station on Pandora. I have a sitting area for visitors located inside the original store-front windows. I like my workspace to be appealing to the eye while still very functional. I am an “everything has a place and everything in its place” kind of person; and so organization is vitally important for me.

What are you currently working on?

I work on our Accounts Payable and Receivables on a daily basis, and depending on the date will also team up with my manager Carrie Jefferies to reconcile our End of Month/Quarter/Year Reporting. I also take care of Purchase Order processing under Heather McCoy in the Sales & Marketing Department. Another project I am a part of is our company’s Wellness Team and just this last month we were able to certify our company as a Blue Zones Project Approved™ worksite.

What would you say is your specialty at Pointwise?

Taking a project and running with it. I enjoy a task based work environment-being able to check things off of my daily task lists allows me to feel accomplished at the end of the day. Working for a small company requires flexibility within my role- so whatever the day hands me I take and make it work to the best of my knowledge and ability.

Any tips, tricks, or advice for our users?

Become familiar with all of the Pointwise resources that are available to you. Reach out and ask for assistance or guidance if it’s needed. The whole company is full of knowledgeable and happy to assist personalities.

What project are you most proud of and why?

I am most proud of joining and assisting the Pointwise Wellness Team to reach our goal of becoming a Blue Zones Approved Worksite for the City of Fort Worth. Being a part of the Wellness Team allows the more creative side of my mind to stretch and take over for a while.

Have you recently read any books or articles we should know about?

I recently started reading The Power of Meaning: Finding Fulfillment in a World Obsessed with Happiness, by Emily Esfahani Smith as a suggestion from a former colleague. I have found it thus far to have a transparent view of the predicament that most go through when searching for happiness. Smith follows a similar thought process to that of Vicktor Frankl in that we are striving to find meaning in our life and that is our driving force. They both deal with the process of finding what it is that you are passionate about, really sharpening your skills, and then at that point you are able to turn and assist those around you in finding their own fulfillment in life.

Do you plan on attending any conferences or workshops this year?

Most likely not, unless I am able to stow-a-way with Randy down to Austin in October for Spiceworld.

What do you do when you’re not surrounded by engineers making meshes?

You will likely find me at home having family time during the week and running around with them on the weekends for whatever errands need to be completed. Randy and I give each other a night off every week and so Tuesday evenings I can be found enjoying dinner with a friend or out for Nerd Game Night-a small group of friends that get together and play card games (my personal favorites are Batman Fluxx and Munchkin).

What is some of the best advice you’ve received?

If at first you don’t succeed…Just sit down and eat CAKE! Then try again.

If you had to pick a place to have dinner, where would you go?

Pointwise Holiday parties have spoiled me over the last seven years, so it would be a toss-up between Del Frisco’s, because their steak is delicious and they have a wonderful wine selection, and Saint Emilion for their dessert menu.