In our monthly blog segment “What’s Brewing at Bigger Brains,” I am happy to introduce members of the Bigger Brains team of experts (and the coffees that they bring to the Teams meeting table). Today let’s meet Bethany Hacker!
What is your role at Bigger Brains?
Operations Manager (overseeing marketing, creating processes, and working with partners).
What is your favorite thing about your job?
There is a creative side and a process side. When my left brain is tired I can let go with some creative. When I run into a block there, I can veer left again!
What are your biggest professional challenges?
At Bigger Brains? Keeping everything straight! There are so many moving parts and individual situations with partners and marketing that it is sometimes hard to be sure I have the correct information going to the correct place!
What do you like to do outside of work?
I “neb” (a Dundalk term for shopping with no purpose), looking for things to upcycle and give new life. Because of this, my nebbing takes me to secondhand stores. My favorites here are the Habitat Restore and Haven of Rest.
What is your biggest achievement to date – personal or professional?
My children. My husband and I managed to raise two very different people! They are close to each other (even with a 9 year age difference) and both are responsible citizens but one is an entrepreneur with several food-related small businesses (and is conservative). The other (very liberal) is out to save the world as an environmental biologist working with endangered species.
Where is somewhere you would love to travel?
My daughter has lived in China and she’s convinced me it is fascinating – I was supposed to visit her there in March 2020 but we all know what happened! She made it home in February after a bout with COVID there in December.
What is your motto or personal mantra?
You can’t control other people’s actions, only your own.
What is your most memorable facepalm moment?
Way too many, big and small, to choose one. Let’s just say my palm is to my face too often!
What is your favorite line from a film?
“I’ll have what she’s having” from When Harry Met Sally.
