Work life of Jennifer Appleby, President & Chief Creative Officer at Wray Ward

I met Jennifer at the Mayobird for a tasty chicken salad sandwich and even tastier conversation. She immediately noticed my Nike sneakers and shorts. I told her, “Yes, I wore the fancy Nikes for our meeting and a collared shirt.” She laughed (thank goodness).

I loved spending 86 minutes talking and eating chicken salad with Jennifer. My immediate takeaways: she’s smart, she’s competitive, she’s self aware, she’s experienced, she’s funny (very funny), she’s creative, she’s got a backbone, she’s candid and she loves creativity. Overall, she’s a leader.

Oh, and she was way intimidated by the Mayobird chicken salad options which I found pretty funny. I think she ended up going with the “Southern.”

I thought about listing Jennifer’s Charlotte involvement (boards, etc), but it’s way too long. So go here if you want to read about all the ways she’s involved in this city.

Below are Jennifer’s responses, paraphrased (I didn’t record our conversation because that’s awkward).

Job title:

President and Chief Creative Officer at Wray Ward. (Note: She owns the agency).

Office location:

900 Baxter Street

Commute:

20 minutes on a good day. I listen to NPR on the way.

Phone:

iPhone 5. Haha, my two teenage daughters have fancier phones than I do.

Coffee habits:

I drink 8-10 cups of coffee a day. And, I’m already a high energy person. I know, it’s intense. (Note: This is so extreme that I thought I heard her wrong, so I got a second confirmation. Wow).

Sleep routine and alarm:

I go to bed around 10pm and wake up at 5:45am. I use my iPhone as an alarm and the ring tone is BOING, set at the absolute loudest level.

Computer:

MacBook Pro.

Software you use the most:

I use the normal stuff – Keynote and Microsoft Office.

Desk:

To-do list manager:

I have a calendar print out each day so that I’m organized for my day. I also have an amazing assistant which really helps!

Social media habits:

I use Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn – but I’m not on them all the time.

Music at work?

Sometimes. I use Spotify.

Everyday thing you’re really good at:

Getting stuff accomplished.

What did you eat for breakfast this morning?

Two hard boiled eggs and coffee. (Note: Of course she said coffee!)

What’s the first thing you do each morning when you get to the office?

I turn on my computer, grab coffee and I walk through out creative department. I love getting inspired by the work and our people.

Go-to lunch spot for business meetings:

I love 131 Main. You need to get the Seared Ahi Tuna Salad.

Outside of the office, where do you go to think creatively?

I walk to the park from our office on Baxter (Note: Baxter Street Park and Pearle Street Park are very close). Additionally, I love spending time Uptown. It’s an easy walk from our office and their is a certain energy in the city. If I really want to think creatively, I’ll go to the McColl Center or the Mint Museum to get inspired. (Note: Jennifer also did an 8 week sabbatical where she took up residence at the McColl Center – love this).

Last book you read:

Girl on a Train by Paula Hawkins.

Last movie you watched:

Jurassic World. If I had to grade it, I would give it a “C” – the original is just so much better.

What’s one thing people don’t know about Charlotte that they should?

The incredibly talented creative community.