Liftoff Employee Spotlight: Jessica Dudley, AdOps Manager
Jessica Dudley will be celebrating her first anniversary with the Liftoff Ad Ops team this coming August. As a remote employee, Jessica finds her balance of productivity working in her home office – which happens to be located in a big, red barn. When Jessica is not diligently improving campaign performances, she is at home spending time with her six chickens, making her family fresh loaves of bread, or teaching her dog some new tricks.
Tell us a little about yourself and how you ended up at Liftoff?
With a long-standing passion for advertising, I have worked with ads since college and in each of my roles prior to Liftoff. My first introduction to Ad Operations was in 2014 while I was working under Karen Hargrove, who is currently Director of Ad Operations at Liftoff. Karen is an excellent mentor who stays on top of all the latest mobile industry trends.
Over the years, we stayed in touch while I worked at SITO Mobile (with another current Ad Ops Liftoffer, Nihal) and Hulu, before I noticed an opening on the Liftoff team. I expressed an interest in the role and spoke to both Karen and Nihal about their experience at Liftoff. These were two of the strongest people I have worked with, both on the same team, and who had shining recommendations of the company. I had to apply. And it was the best decision I have made!
Tell us a little about your experience with working remotely?
I find that an isolated work environment makes me extremely productive. During the days when I am in the office, I absolutely love getting face time with my colleagues – enjoying snacks, massages, and all the other amazing Liftoff perks. But it’s a great feeling to have my home office where I am able to focus without distractions.
What’s the coolest thing about your job?
The Ad Ops Team is unique because we have such a wide scope of responsibilities, which ultimately allows us to specialize in areas that align with our strengths and passions. For me personally, I’m detail-oriented and enjoy troubleshooting processes at work.
Recently, I’ve been able to work across departments with a small group from Product, Business Intelligence, and Ad Ops where we’ve implemented new processes for quickly identifying areas of action to improve campaign performance.
What can new members joining the AdOps team expect?
Prepare to ingest a wealth of knowledge and apply it to a wide variety of scenarios. We don’t just optimize campaigns. My colleagues are constantly improving processes, digging to figure out solutions to tough problems, and continuing to develop their skill set to help grow our business.
What do you like most about the Liftoff culture?
Every tech company website touts their company culture, but Liftoff’s culture truly lives up to the expectations we set online. Every person is treated with respect and I genuinely enjoy working with my colleagues.
What’s been your favorite Liftoff Event since everyone began working remotely?
As a full- time remote employee, I’ve enjoyed taking part in the regular HQ activities that weren’t previously available to me. For example, new hires now introduce themselves virtually and share a few fun facts; previously this was only done in person at HQ. I’m grateful to be able to participate as new Liftoffers begin their journey with the company.
Can you share what self-care habits help you be the best version of yourself?
I try to keep my laptop in my home office. When I leave that space, I disconnect from work. Being able to detach myself from work allows me to come back at the beginning of each day refreshed and excited to contribute.
What’s your life highlight?
I moved from Los Angeles to Northern California and purchased a small ranch. I’m excited to teach my daughter how to care for plants and animals while leveraging the principles of permaculture to lessen our impact on the land.
Are there any books, websites, or resources you would recommend for working professionals?
My favorite resource for continuing my education is Coursera. I’ve taken everything from Entrepreneurship to Leadership to Chicken Behavior. Coursera has a huge catalog of classes from reputable universities; you can pay for a certificate of completion or take it completely free.
What’s your favorite quote?
“Why do you keep saying that?” he asked in response. “Apples and oranges aren’t that different really. I mean they’re both fruit. Their weight is extremely similar. They both contain acidic elements. They’re both roughly spherical. They serve the same social purpose. With the possible exception of a tangerine I can’t think of anything more similar to an orange than an apple. If I was having lunch with a man who was eating an apple and-while I was looking away-he replaced that apple with an orange I doubt I’d even notice. So how is this a metaphor for difference? I could understand if you said ‘That’s like comparing apples and uranium ‘ or ‘That’s like comparing apples with baby wolverines ‘ or ‘That’s like comparing apples with the early work of Raymond Carver ‘ or ‘That’s like comparing apples with hermaphroditic ground sloths.’ Those would all be valid examples of profound disparity.”
– Chuck Klosterman, Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto