Our Motivation Excellence sales team grew recently with the addition of Laurie Ackles as Account Manager. She brings with her a long history in the incentive industry. In this edition of Get to Know ME, Laurie shares insights on collaboration, what makes her laugh and a couple of pretty cool talents! Thanks, Laurie for letting us get to know you more!
What’s your title and how long have you been in the incentive industry?
Account Manager. I’ve been in the incentive industry for more than 25 years and just recently joined Motivation Excellence.
What does your job entail?
I partner with clients to deliver amazing incentive travel experiences. I also work with our team to develop innovative solutions to help clients grow their businesses and provide high-quality customer service.
What’s something special about the people you work with that you’d like to share?
They are incredibly talented and experienced. They are fully invested in delivering creative solutions and providing a high level of care to our clients. Each team member is truly dedicated to making a difference in the work they do.
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
Does raising triplets count? If so, that’s my talent! My trio just graduated from their universities last spring and are off and running in their career paths.
Possible unknown talent – I was inducted into my high school’s Hall of Fame for our girls’ golf team winning the state championship.
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
My family and my desire to please others are constant drivers for me. That and the fear of being a deadbeat.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Going to concerts and sporting events with friends and family, playing golf, watching movies, traveling, trying out new restaurants, reading, and walking our Golden Retriever, Bailey.
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
My husband, for sure, but also Will Ferrell, Jim Gaffigan, the Smartless podcast, and Seinfeld episodes.
What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?
I was in a weekly Zoom discussion group working through “The Artist’s Way” book by Julia Cameron, with 18 women I had never met before, from all over the country. It was an incredible experience that involved weekly discussion, reading, and journaling. It really kept me energized and focused during that time period. Also going for long walks with my dog, cooking for my family, wine, and Netflix.
What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
Being a travel director and visiting 6 continents before I was 30 years old was the best and most unusual job I’ve ever had. It’s also how I met my husband and some of our best friends.
This month, our theme for social media is teamwork/collaboration. What benefits of working together do you find professionally and/or personally?
I love working as a team and am fueled by connection and collaboration with friends and work colleagues. I learn so much from listening to other people. I’ve worked remotely for about 20 years, so I’m used to it, but it can be isolating, so I truly appreciate face-to-face interaction whenever possible.
