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Let’s get the weird stuff out of the way first. Allison Latsch might be the first person in the history of the “Getting to Know” series who listed cleaning as her guilty pleasure. But when you read how she prepares for meetings and thought about pursuing a career in criminology and her honesty about reading, being fastidious just seems to be a core strength of hers. Read on to learn more about Allison, why work-life balance is important to her, and she likely throws a frisbee a lot better than you do.
Name: Allison Latsch
Job Title:Director of Business Services
Company: Frost-Arnett Company
Length of time at current company: Frost-Arnett Company acquired the company I worked for previously. Altogether, it has been eight years.
Length of time in industry: Eight years
How did you get your start in the industry?
At the time, I was merely looking for a resume builder.
What is your career highlight so far?
Starting as an Operations Clerk and now being the Director of Business Services. I love working for a company that invests in its employees and offers paths of ascension.
When or how are you most productive?
The time of day has never mattered to me, and no day is ever the same as the previous day. I find I am most productive when I am working on projects that require problem-solving or strategic thinking. I like to break tasks into smaller goals and use a checklist to track my progress.
Which industry professional do you admire most?
Dennis Barton
What is one thing you do better than everyone else?
I wouldn’t say better, but one thing I really strive for is the balance between too much communication and too little. I try to predict the questions that might arise from what I am writing, and work to answer said questions before they are even asked.
What do you like most about this industry?
I like that this industry is always pushing for realistic rules and regulations – ones that make sense for both consumers and businesses. At the end of the day, we’re not just here to collect debts, we’re here to help people find solutions, treat them fairly, and still support our clients so they can keep their doors open. I like that balance.
What is one thing you wish you could change about this industry?
I wish I could change how strict and immediate the rules become the moment an account is placed with a collection agency. I’d love to find a middle ground where compliance doesn’t limit our ability to actually help people and recover accounts.
If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing?
If I hadn’t started this job all those years ago, I don’t think I would have found my love for Business Administration. I’d most likely be in the Criminology field.
Describe a typical work day.
My days start out with checking emails, messages, and my calendar. I like to prepare for any meeting as soon as I can, and I typically have a handful of those each day. I then migrate to my running to-do list, which is broken out by “most critical,” “would be nice,” and “not a chance” (and worked in that order). While having a routine is nice, urgent issues do arise and those always take immediate priority.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Cleaning. Sometimes I can’t even enjoy dinner if the kitchen is still dirty.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
We don’t live to work; we work to live. It can be easy to lose track of time at work, and I always try to remain mindful of that work-life balance.
What are you currently reading?
Honestly, I’m terrible when it comes to reading (insert shameful emoji). If there was a book called, “How to Finish a Book,” I’d probably still struggle to read it.
What is one fact you’d like everyone in the industry to know about you?
I really enjoy playing disc golf, both casually and competitively.
Who else would you like to see answer these questions?
Dianne Harrell
