DailyDOOH

Blake Anderson is a technology specialist for Connected Technology Solutions, Mequon, Wisconsin. He is the lead technical trainer and head service support technician for CTS.

1. Describe your personal workspace.

   My workspace is a monument to our business technology. All our equipment passes by my desk at some point, and I get hands-on experience with it. I get to source, implement, test and deploy some of our greatest resources. My work space is filled with the technology that drives my company.

2. How do you get to work?

   I commute in style from my townhouse in the quiet town of Port Washington in southeastern Wisconsin via my red 2001 Dodge Dakota. The weather can make getting to and from work hard during the winter. My V8 Magnum and 4×4 really help when it snows.

3. What is an average day like?

   An average day is making a difference in my work. I am constantly challenged to make my job more efficient and resilient. I have complete control over how I manage my work, so I am always trying to figure out ways to evolve what I do. If I get home and have not made some sort of kaizen, it has been an unusual day.

   I am a big movie buff, so I love to take Amanda, my wife of four years, out to the movies, and to play paintball in my free time. We also have a teacup Chihuahua named Coco.

4. What is essential to you being able to work happily?

   The energy and flow at CTS fosters a positive learning and working environment. I enjoy the fact that I get to see the outcome of my work. When you walk into our front door, you get to see exactly what we do. Our products are out on display and you can really get a feel for the company’s history. Our delicious coffee also makes me happy.

5. How flexible are your working conditions?

   Our infrastructure allows me to command almost every aspect of my work from anywhere in the world. Because I have so many resources at my disposal, my ability to work ‘out of the office’ is the same as being in it.

6. What do you think your employer looks for in its staff?

   A person who is passionate about what they do and is hungry for excellence is what we are all about: not just people who think outside the box, but people who can create a box and then think outside it. Someone who is not afraid to take on anything and everything, new and comfortable, is a mindset that CTS looks for.

7. What suggestions do you have for your company?

   I wish for our company to always be different. What I love most about CTS is that we set the bar without even thinking about it. I love that we can produce a product without having to conform to any particular ‘industry standard’, and having it become just that.

8. Do you have any frustrations you would like to share with us?

   I really don’t see why a Segway can’t be in our budget!

9. What do you like best about your job?

   I get to do everything! It’s energizing that I get to participate in so many aspect of our business. I have so much control over how I do my job that I can change the things I don’t like and enhance the things I do. If I want to see what exactly what happens in a particular process of our business, I can walk out of my office and observe it. If I need inspiration, I can walk into our gallery and touch it.

10. How open is your company to new ideas and suggestions?

    I revere the fact that I have a voice in my company. Communicating ideas and information is one of the things the makes my company great.

11. How much responsibility have you been given?

    I thrive on responsibility and CTS make sure that I am constantly growing and evolving. I am always given tasks that challenge me and given the tools to constantly seek self-improvement.

12. How green are you and your company?

    Green is not just doing things like saving electricity; it’s doing more with what you have. We have an effective recycling and disposal program that covers everything from batteries to aluminum cans. We even use our old coffee grounds for compost.