A couple of weeks after I was hired as HDI’s search marketing manager, Sophie Klossner told me, “I’m going to call you Dream Boy.”
That was the exact moment I realized this woman could do anything.
Here I am, just beginning at my first corporate job after strictly agency work, nervous about stepping on toes, and this delightful woman has a nickname for me out of absolutely nowhere.
The way she said it with her little smirk and side-hug made me think that she could’ve said anything. She could have said, “I’m going to call you Shaggy Doo,” and I still would have been smitten.
Sophie helped me get HDI. She made me see how it worked. She helped me really understand the culture, the environment, and our community. Most importantly, she made me comfortable. I knew I could walk by her and Michelle’s office and sit down with her for absolutely no reason.
That feeling, I imagine, is a big reason why people are such diehard HDI fans. Is it the whole reason? Of course not. But the easy familiarity and instant comfort you get with Sophie certainly doesn’t hurt.
Neither does her exuberant personality. Even waiting for her morning “coffee” (and you know I use that term lightly), she’ll say, “Oh, I’m so exhausted. I need a pick-me-up!” And, at 8 a.m., she says that with more enthusiasm than I’ve ever mustered for anything. Ever. In my entire life.
And the woman won’t get mad. I’m serious. Won’t. At her absolute most furious, with a rage swelling inside of her like that of hell itself, Sophie Klossner will always have that smirk. The hint of a smile. That raised brow that makes you wonder if she’s really serious. And maybe she is serious. Dead serious. But she knows how to keep you guessing.
Whenever I hear the name “Sophie,” these are the memories that will stampede through my brain like a herd of spooked cattle. And I couldn’t be more thrilled about it.
It’s your turn now.
You’re the community she’s spent 20+ years building and helping thrive. You’re the community she’s poured her professional life into. You’re the community she’s influenced the most, and has, in return, influenced her on a daily basis.
We have about a month before she retires. Let’s all share our stories and memories to remind her how absolutely special she’ll always be to us. Let’s get it all out there on digital paper before this new era begins. A new era for the community, for HDI, and most importantly, for Sophie Klossner.
Please feel free to share your favorite Sophie story with the community in the comments section below.