OK, so maybe work isn’t exactly heaven — even at a great place to work like DDA. As much as I like my job and co-workers, I’d trade a case of the Mondays for my comfy Tempurpedic mattress (best investment ever made) on a lazy Saturday morning. It’s just that the musical reference was unavoidable.

Now that my project coordination duties are beginning to kick into full gear here at DDA, I find myself spending less time at my desk — which is a good thing, at least in my opinion. I find my name next to more of the meetings and conference calls listed on our trusty internal Google calendar, which means a short walk from my desk to the conference room, where I try to avoid sitting in the seats that are in the frame of our stationary video camera (looking at myself on the big screen is too creepy).

Our conference calls with clients are always productive, as we aim to learn what each one is looking for, and which of our vast array of services best fit them. Whether it be a new website, a training video, a snazzy calendar, a CD-ROM, or a trade show graphic, we can do it all. And the recurring theme in the conference calls I’ve been involved in has been the surprised reaction from clients when we say, “Yup, we can do that too.”

Our internal meetings are always interesting, as well, and often morph into unexpected areas. Just this morning, we had a lively and productive discussion about an exciting new in-house project (stay tuned!). Over the course of half an hour or 45 minutes, all opinions were heard (even those outside our areas of expertise), and opinions were changed. The project took a small turn from its previous path, but that was the point of the meeting, and it proved how fluid a company like this one can be when everyone is open to suggestions and new ideas.

Once the meeting was over, I found myself bounding up and down the flight of stairs that separates us copywriters (and Elizabeth) from the programmers, graphic designers, video artists and SEO specialists on the ground floor. First it was a few questions for Crystal, then a Monday bagel break, followed by a few questions for Melissa. And another trip will follow soon for lunch (pre-packed today for the first time in 2 weeks!).

As I find myself juggling a few things at once, I enjoy my trips downstairs, and even the short walk to the men’s room (made more frequent by my daily 44 oz. Wawa soda — my biggest weakness). They give me a chance to stretch my legs, maybe run into Indie, and occasionally poke my head into the video production studio to see what exciting project they’re working on today. Could I pick up the phone, punch in a four-digit extension, and get the same information? Probably. But as is often the case, our projects are very visual, and looking at one computer screen can help.

And besides, it’s not like I couldn’t use the exercise. After one ambitious (and ill-advised) run last week with my dog, I’m still struggling with a seriously strained calf muscle. So maybe a few extra trips up the stairs each day will improve my recovery time and make me look like less pathetic and out-of-shape.

Today, David and I are going to visit a client.

Road trip. Well, maybe not exactly.

This visit is to work toward a preparing a new proposal for a video project they would like to complete. We’ve already submitted one proposal, but it was on a project they decided not to pursue at this time. This particular  method is not typical. Traditionally, we have a concept hammered out and a project already decided before moving toward some sort of working relationship with a client.

But on occasion, we have companies who are so confident in the services we provide, that they are ready to sign on when it’s still a loose concept.

It’s also not often that we go on in-person client visits. For the most part, it’s preferred that the client come to us. This makes the most sense really, as it allows them the chance to see our audio recording studio, video production studio, meet all of the staff from writers to animators to graphic designers, to see the current programming work on large monitors in our main area, and just to get a general feel for DDA.

With no sales people, or other point people common in other marketing and advertising agencies, in-person meetings at other people’s facilities are also difficult for us to accommodate. At DDA, everyone has a job to do at all times, and taking time away means taking time away from a current project.

I just lost my blog from this morning because the Internet failed me at the (far to common) critical moment. Angry and not wanting to recap what I had previously written as it just wouldn’t be the same, I’m switching focus to the good and bad qualities of technology, specifically the World Wide Web. As a society we have become so reliant on this medium to communicate with others, to learn about a plethora of information, and to entertain ourselves in idle moments. When the Internet stops working, or in my case, fails for a brief period (enough to disrupt things), chaos - to varying degrees - ensures.

At the office, the IT person is called almost immediately and he/she scrambles to get everyone back online to continue productivity at the normal fast pace. At home, we call up our Internet provider and complain only to hear that everyone is out in the area and they are doing what they can to fix it. We don’t know what to do with ourselves. It’s almost like we feel that we’re cut off from the world. BUT… we’re not and we have plenty to do. It should not be that the Internet dictates our productivity at home or at work. It’s just one medium, one piece of technology.

As angry as I get with the Internet and with people succumbing to its “power”, I have to admit it does help our advertising agency to function at full capacity and me to present my work and that of my colleagues to clients around the nation and across the world. In no other “age” of our collective history have we been this connected as a human race. Online, the ugly guy can chat with a beautiful woman just as the small business owner can compete with the big wigs.

At DDA, with or without Internet, productivity, and more so creativity, goes on. From our custom programming department and video production studio to our copywriting department and graphic design area, work gets done to the highest quality at all times. The only problem we encounter if the Internet does go down is that an email to a client may not get out as promptly as one would hope.