What We Do and How You Benefit...

Who the heck is Adams Hudson? 

Favorite Movie:  The Shawshank Redemption, anything on Blu-ray
Favorite Book: Contractor Marketing Secrets
Pets: 3 dogs – Murray, Arthur and Rusty; 1 Cat – Jasmine; 2 birds – Vida and Olive; and a pond full of fish
Hobbies:  gardening, taking care of my critters, traveling, music, avid Patriots, Red Sox and Buckeyes fan.
Favorite music:  all kinds of music, especially jazz, blues and standards
What I like about my job:  It’s rewarding that everything we do here is to help contractors.  It’s much more fulfilling than if we provided pencil sharpeners or any other commodity that didn’t actually profit contractors. 

Audra Edwards
Accountant

Sometimes you just figure you’re going to be able to work with someone right off. Other times, you’d be better off giving them your competition’s business card and calling them a cab. For Audra, it was definitely the former.

Like a lot of businesses, Hudson Ink started with my wife handling the money (or lack of it) and I did everything else. As I began to fail at more and more tasks, we hired to that deficit, and now I basically look out the window until they tell me to write something.

In time, we had to hire to relieve my wife, since the job and its complexity had outgrown us both. However, getting someone you trust, who knows accounting, and who can beat up my wife was tough. Except for the beating up part, Audra “won” this job. (Lucky her!)

She’s got a real accounting degree, is highly qualified, and capable to the point of near robotic accuracy. Audra is true to the accounting call by enjoying disciplined, statistical games like Bunko (dice game that can lead to people dancing with lampshades on) and Phase 10. You have to be smart to play that last one, which is why no one ever asks me to play.

She’s an avid gardener, scrap-booker, and voracious reader. Her book choices include a fondness for Marley and Me (John Grogan) and Night Fall (Nelson DeMille). But she has the complete 432 book collection (my uneducated guess) of the Little House books, plus all 9 seasons on DVD. She is, in her own words, “…currently seeking help for this”.

Though we’re different in the best ways, we have the same choice of the best movie ever made: “It’s a Wonderful Life”. She likes it for the love, joy and ultimate happy ending; I like it for the obnoxious children and Mr. Potter, the frustrated miser, who was just misunderstood.

Audra and her husband Scot have a Labra-Hound named Daisy. “Picture a basset hound’s body with a Labrador’s head, and there you go,” she said. She didn’t mention where you get a Labrador’s head, but there could be a darker side to Audra we don’t know about.

She actually professes to enjoy working here. “I love to watch talented people I work with ‘do their thing’,” she said.  “By nature, accountants don’t get points for creativity. We're too busy putting our dollar bills in serial number order and alphabetizing everything we touch! That’s why it fascinates me to see what comes out of the minds of the people I work with!” She paused, “Yet it’s most rewarding when I hear about a contractor who attributes his success to what we do here...  and knowing I played a small part.”

Well, if we want to get paid for it, you played a much bigger part! Thanks Audra.

Lisa is genuine. Genuinely caring, genuinely interested, genuinely honest and genuinely doesn’t give a whit if your opinion and hers aren’t aligned - - only that you expressed yours honestly and openly. She comes to us from south Louisiana where cooking and character are near equal partners for robust living. Though she may not cook for you, she can nonetheless pepper a light-hearted conversation with lively commentary, or sear to the core of a client in need. Lisa’s follow-up to clients willing to be helped knows no limits. (I underlined that for a reason: her input is in high demand from clients who respond and implement.) You won’t need X-ray vision to ‘see’ Lisa’s motives: She’ll tell you, straight out, with fair-mindedness and genuine concern… rare traits indeed. In her words…

My Favourite Movie:  (Notice her Cajun spelling! AH)   “I actually have 3 of them: ‘Thursday’, ‘Frailty’, & ‘Raising Arizona’ because of the off-kilter plots, humour, and the surprising way they unfold. The characters are so ‘real’ to me. A great study of human behaviour in every scene!”
My Favourite Author:  “Michael Connelly. He’s such a great story-teller, and the way his main character (Harry Bosch) solves crimes is intuitive, ingenious, and at the same time a little creepy. “
My Favourite Music:  Although not a 70’s child, I ‘discovered’ Bad Company a little late in life.  They are my all-time favourite.  I’m also a fan of some light-industrial rock, particularly Audio Slave and anything Chris Cornell brings.  Nickelback is always a plus!”
Pets:  “I have 3 Bullmastiffs: Harry, Isabella, & my personal one, Ruby Charlotte. You know some dogs chew up your shoes; my dogs can eat a sofa. “
Hobbies:   “I actually like digging in the dirt – which some people call ‘gardening’. I like fishing, hanging with the kids, and grilling out. (I can out-grill any guy so step aside and let me show you how it’s done!)”
What I Love About My Job:  “I talk with so many people all over the country; and even a few outside the country as we expand.  I help them with virtually any aspect of their marketing and love the Customer Service aspect of my job. If I call you for newsletters, it’s because YOU contacted us first! (No cold calls allowed!) This ‘partnership’ is what coaching is all about.”
“I know everybody says this, but we’re dedicated to help clients improve their business and their overall service to their customers.  Every person at Hudson, Ink has a significant role; our input, contributions, and ideas are listened to and put into play. It’s amazing to watch our ideas become part of the company, and I love it.”

Sharron (correct spelling, and coming from someone with an ‘s’ stuck on their first name, I checked) is our resident calming influence. I imagine that if Hudson Ink caught on fire, she’d be like your 4^th grade teacher conducting a drill commanding an “Orderly straight line children! I’m giving conduct checks!” And we’d head right out the door, without flinching, with Sharron dutifully behind seeing to our safety. And so it is, another “caring professional” who performs beyond the description alone.

Favorite Movie: “My favorite movie is Steel Magnolias. I don’t exactly know why, other than I feel a connection with the characters. To me, some of the best lines ever in a movie.
Favorite Book: “A Time to Kill” by John Grisham. I had a hard time with this one. Many of Grisham’s books are this way, with the unlikely hero caught up in circumstances beyond their control… ultimately winning through clear-headed commitment to do what’s right. I was as in love with the theme as the way he told it.
Pets: I’ve got two. Moe is a Miniature Dachshund and Queenie is a Gray Tabby who allows us to live with her as long as we pay the mortgage, feed her well, and stroke her when SHE feels like it. If she decides to curl up in my husband’s chair, he’s tempted to ‘strike’ rather than ‘stroke’ (!) but she’s so endearing he just moves her slightly aside.
Hobbies: “I enjoy reading, my grandchildren, and making jewelry. This last one gives me all the excuses I’ll ever need for acquiring more, since I can rightfully call it ‘market research’. (Is Adams’ influence showing?)
What I like about my job:  As a marketing advisor here, I have the opportunity to talk with people all over the country. To best serve you, I MUST ask a lot of questions. It’s amazing what we learn, and even more incredible the connections made with those I’d have otherwise not met. That is very rewarding. It’s even more rewarding to help businesses develop a marketing plan that generates increased revenue. To me, this is our truest value.

Paula Snow
Customer Service 

Favorite movie:   I like all suspense and thriller type (who does not like suspense in their life, right), but my all time favorite HAS to be The Outsiders.  I really enjoy Adam Sandler, though I am still trying to figure out why I like his humor.
Favorite book: whaaa? I don’t read. Honestly, the last time I read a book, I was laying out by the pool, in High School and it was a romance novel. Name of it? Who knows? Actually, I have read the last 2 issues of Reader’s Digest since I do get that delivered to the house.
Pets: 2 dogs (Snoopy and Whitey), 2 cats (Crystal and TomTom), 1 fish (no name). Is a fish really a pet?
Hobbies:  Part time movie buff (#1 Blockbuster fan), card playing, and watching my 2 boys play ball. I also enjoy riding in the car listening to Nickelback blaring on the radio. Does laundry count as a hobby?
What I like about my job:  I like a lot of things about my job…the small company, office setting, etc., but most of all…I believe in the marketing that we do. I believe in what we preach from Yellow Page designs to Customer Retention. In fact, if I ever own an HVAC or plumbing company, I would have to call upon myself for help and advice.

Jessica is our “Can you please do this perfectly in the next 5 minutes” girl. I recommend this trait highly. Even more significant than her 90 mph writing skills is her demeanor in the process. Calm, collected, and nary a trace of elevated heart-rate. Others in her job would likely drape their desks in an Oxygen tent using a glucose drip as accent. She’s also smart as the blazes. Need a word definition? A synonym? How about, the ‘money quote’ from a reckless interview or the ‘nuggets’ within a lengthy research piece or an obscure factoid only I would need? Go to Jessica: Hudson Ink’s own answer desk. I believe some her contemplative nature will be revealed here…

Fav Book: “My favorite book is Portrait of A Lady by Henry James. I know people think James goes on for two weeks to make a point, but to me, every syllable is worth the trip.”
Fav Movie: “I’m a movie fan; both classics and current, but nobody ever did a movie better than An Affair to Remember (Carey Grant & Deborah Kerr). Talk about ‘unsaid’ language, or the nuance of expression, or how truth finds its own course. It’s all there, convincingly told, flawlessly acted out.
Hobbies: “I keep up with lots of friends, if you could call them a hobby. (Some need more work than others!) But I also love baking, painting, and Twinkie wars. If you don’t know, don’t ask.”
Pets: “I’ve got 2 cats, Maximus and Chaucer. (Maximus from Gladiator and Chaucer from, well, Chaucer.) My Maximus doesn’t yank Romans from horseback, but I’m positive he’s considered it. Neither does Chaucer write poetry, but I know some people he could beat in Scrabble.”
Fav Quotation: “The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” ~ Mark Twain I can’t improve upon that, so I won’t!What I Enjoy About My Job:  Finding just the right word to make an ad or newsletter article transform from paper and ink into leads and sales. Adams would be happy I said that… and to be honest, I am too! This is – to me – the ‘magic’ of writing, and writing well.!

Lissa Monroe 
Graphics Designer 

Melissa Monroe is known here as “Lissa”, mostly to confuse me with our CSR expert, “Lisa”. They also enjoy confusing my life with “Paula” and “Pauline” who work in adjacent offices. I believe they secretly hope to hire someone named “Adam” to completely do me in.

Talk about confusing, check this out …

Lissa is a ‘real’ artist, but not temperamental. She’s very creative, but solidly organized. Likewise, she thinks visually, but can actually converse! If you’ve ever hired an artist, usually you get a creative, artistic sort who arrives to work at “10-ish” with their shirt on backwards, speaking to no one in particular about “Colors, balance and texture”. (These colorful people generally leave here with zero balance as they feel the texture of the door on their behind.)

Lissa is a very authentic, delightful person with a range of tastes, made clear by her favorite movies: Grosse Point Blank, The Princess Bride, and The Right Stuff. (We fully believe the Right Stuff to which she is attracted has nothing to do with Naval War Planes.)

Lissa is also widely read, enjoying books by Top Selling author Augusten Burroughs, long-time serial fiction writer Cormac McCarthy (All the Pretty Horses, No Country for Old Men) and humorist/essayist David Sedaris. (Want a laugh? Check this out  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBdymtyXt8Y)

In her words, “I've always loved to create, but I also like solving problems, creating pieces that compel. At Hudson, Ink, I like the thought of helping businesses (in my own small way) succeed, the possibility of creating that one ad, or postcard that inspires in a reader the sense of loyalty or urgency that turns them into paying customers. We do that a lot here, and for that, my job fulfills a much bigger purpose.”

She’s an outdoorsy type as well, preferring to hike, garden, photograph nature. Where she lives, there’s plenty to choose from: Bulldogs, cats, peacocks, ducks, geese, llamas, and some creature known as a “Double dromedary” which as far as I can tell is actually more like a Camel built for two. (There are no rear handlebars on the front hump I’m told.)

But when she comes indoors, she can also find her way around a tool box. For me and her co-workers, we’re also glad she can find every tool a Mac ever offered to make your newsletter, Yellow Page ad, or other custom work nice, neat, organized and effective.