They say that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. And when faced with an unexpected tragedy, that’s exactly what Sierrah Gaines did.
“During my first semester at Mizzou, I got in a terrible car accident and suffered a bad concussion,” she says. “After I recovered, I decided to go to work instead of going back to school, and I found I liked that better.”
Sierrah worked at a tax office for three years, juggling a mix of responsibilities as a receptionist. Yet after realizing she didn’t have many opportunities left for learning and advancement, she opted to look elsewhere for employment—and that’s when a referral came in handy.
“My mom does some work with
Haley [Haar, owner of AlphaGraphics KC], and Haley mentioned to my mom they were hiring,” Sierrah says. “My mom told me I should send Haley an email. So I did, and here we are!”
As a customer service representative, Sierrah thrives in a working environment that changes daily. When you call AlphaGraphics KC, there’s a good chance that Sierrah’s cheerful voice will greet you. She also helps customers with quote requests for their various projects, or help make recommendations on a specific project. And when the office is especially busy, you might find Sierrah assisting with her favorite task.
“I’ll help in bindery if we’re short-staffed or super busy,” she says. “That’s my favorite part.”
For someone with a love of learning, working at AlphaGraphics KC is a great fit. Sierrah says she didn’t “realize how much went into the printing industry,” so learning the ins and outs of commercial printing was, initially, overwhelming. Now that she’s accumulated experience with a variety of customers and projects, she has a better understanding of the industry—and can draw on that expertise when working with customers.
Like
other AlphaGraphics KC employees, Sierrah has a creative streak—and that’s likely one of the reasons she’s connected so quickly with her work. Outside of the office, Sierrah spends her free time as a freelance photographer. And inside AlphaGraphics KC, Sierrah’s discovered one of the things she loves most about her job.
“I love getting to see all of the client artwork and what they create,” she says. “And I like that there’s always new things to learn.”
Her job may change on a day-to-day basis, but there’s always one constant in Sierrah’s work day: coffee. Just skip the syrups and fancy mix-ins.
We’ll raise a mug to that!