Get to know the people who make Springbox an exceptional agency. What Inspires You? is a series of posts that offer insight into our talented and creative staff.
Elli Pope
QA Specialist/Technical Producer
What did you do before joining Springbox?
I got my start at a company called Neopost Loop One as a QA intern. It took a full-time position there after finishing my degree and stayed for about two and half years, then hit my "quarter-life crisis." I started to question whether I was in the right career or the right city (having spent my entire life in Texas), so I quit my job and traveled for six months. I went all over the US and UK before I ran out of money and had to decide what to do next. I decided that out of all the places I had seen, I loved Austin the most, so I went back to Neopost and asked them if I could come back as a project manager rather than doing QA.
Luckily, Neopost was willing to let me try out the position, so I had a unique opportunity to forge my own path. While I still did some QA during that time, I learned quite a bit about managing technical projects and eventually earned my PMP certification. During that time I also met my husband, who had conveniently been hired by Neopost while I was out traveling the world.
Where do you find inspiration?
Traveling has been an incredible source of inspiration for me. I love the thrill of showing up in a brand new city (or country!) and having no idea what to do next. It forces me to step outside my comfort zone, embrace the strangeness of the new experience and then dive in and see what the area has to offer.
When I was traveling in Boulder, CO, I signed up for the Bolder Boulder 10K run despite having no prior running training and avoiding running in general. It just seemed like a cultural experience I needed to try. It's the only 10K I've ever run (or will ever run), and even though I was miserably sick and sore after I finished, it's an experience I look on now and think, "Wow I am so glad I did that." Moments like that remind me that I can accomplish anything if I put my mind to it.
Which websites have inspired you recently?
Facebook has revolutionized my social interaction — I am amazed at how many people I feel connected to as a result of this website. I skipped my 10 year high school reunion, but didn't feel like I really missed anything thanks to Facebook.
fiverr is a site where people post things they're willing to do for $5. I love browsing through here to see what people are willing to do (and pay!) for such a small price.
CSS Zen Garden is an oldie, but a goodie. This site gave me a tone of inspiration on what can be accomplished with CSS design.
Which trends in interactive are you currently paying attention to?
The group buying power sites (Groupon, Living Social, etc.) are fascinating to me. I love a good deal, so my interest in them is admittedly self-serving. But I'm also interested in the implications of how these paid coupon sites will drive new business to local shops and stimulate a slumping economy.
As a gamer, I'm also very interested in the ways that games are becoming more and more engaging. Platforms like the Wii and Kinect are creating the kind of immersive gaming experience that has never been possible before. And technology like this just blows my mind: Interactive Ecosystem.