Let’s start by getting to know you a little better. Tell us about yourself.
Hi! I’m Siera. I graduated from Georgia Tech, but I am not an engineer. I wanted to be a biology major, but I was terrible at chemistry, despite the fact that my dad is a chemist. We had a guest speaker in one of my college courses, Lisa Galanti a leader of a local Atlanta ad agency, and her presentation convinced me that advertising was the career path for me. She helped me get my first internship, and I have been on the agency side of things ever since.
What’s something you love to do?
I love to read and travel to really scenic destinations. My husband and I went to Tuscany and it’s definitely one of the most beautiful places that we’ve visited. We stayed at a winery where I was able to sit and read overlooking a valley with a glass of wine, incredible.
What’s your favorite place?
My favorite place is the library – I really love the library – the smell, the quiet and of course the books. I love books – not audiobooks, or e-books, but physical books.
What do you love about the job?
I like solving problems for brands – I like solving people’s problems, generally speaking. I’ve been fascinated with branding since I was young and love being able to find creative solutions to brand’s biggest (or smallest) challenges.
If you could do anything besides what you are doing now, what would you do professionally?
I’d be a photographer so that I could travel and photograph. I went to a performing arts high school, and was a ballet dancer for 17 years. Creativity is a part of me. Growing up, I took photography classes and I just loved it. I find the dark room and developing film very therapeutic.
What is the last thing you binge-watched?
I am ashamed to admit I watch a lot of TV. My biggest binge watch was Law & Order: SVU – all 490 episodes. On this trip, I’ve been binge-watching “Girlboss,” and I’m re-binging “the Handmaid’s Tale” right now.
What’s your favorite book?
“Pride & Prejudice.”
If you could live in any sitcom, which would it be?
“Parks and Rec.” I see a lot of myself in Leslie Knope and I find it really funny. I’m not nearly as enthusiastic as Leslie, but I think I have as much drive as she does.
Are you a listener or a talker?
Listener. I’m very introverted. As a kid, I was really quiet in social settings and wouldn’t talk a lot, but it was because I was observing and taking everything in. Afterwards, I would tell my parents about all of the things I had heard and seen, and they would be surprised about the number of things that I saw that they didn’t notice.
If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Tacos – because you put anything in a taco.
What’s the scariest thing you’ve done for fun?
We went whale-watching in Vancouver right before the pandemic. It doesn’t sound scary, but I’m terrified of whales. We were in more of a little motorized raft than a large boat, so it was pretty scary for me.
What’s your favorite children’s story?
“Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse,”because she wears red boots, and I had red cowboy boots growing up, so I thought that we were the same.
If you had an extra hour of free time every day, what would you spend it doing?
Sitting in the sun with my Labradors, probably reading or drinking a glass of wine.
Why Schaefer?
I chose Schaefer because of the people. Everyone that I spoke with seemed like good humans, which you think would be the norm in most organizations, but it’s not. Throughout the interview process, every interaction I had was positive. The people here are fantastic.
