I worry because others don’t.

Some call it worry. I call it being prepared. I practice it in most aspects of my life - foreseeing problems and planning for them. Now that my daily commute on I-35 feels like an obstacle course, I practice defensive driving. I inconspicuously scan the room for emergency exits when I’m in crowded places, just in case. Even before the devastation of this severe weather spring, I was always the one who had an emergency kit packed, ready to spring into action when the sirens start blaring.

I do this with my work, too. Being in account service requires us to be one step ahead - hopefully ahead of our boss, our creative team, and especially our clients. To stay there, it takes a certain type of drive that comes from never getting complacent, which, I would argue good account people are born with. The goal is to make it look seamless, as if a problem never happened in the first place.

People might assume I’m paranoid and what a terrible way that must be to live. I don’t feel that way at all.  Granted, this can be a slippery slope for some, where preparedness can turn into anxiety. However I have found that I worry less knowing I have a back-up plan. And I’ve found in the heat of the moment, it takes less time to put a plan in action than it does to create a plan from scratch when the fuzziness of adrenaline clouds your mind.

For me, and the peers I respect the most, this drive keeps us sharp and makes us leaders that others turn to for answers. And I plan to keep it that way.

Stephanie Parker is a brand navigator at Blacktop Creative and ad2 council member. When this newlywed is not assessing her personal safety or helping clients, she enjoys cooking and volunteering for several local organizations.