Our last Employee Spotlight of the summer is Lynn Hildebrandt, our Retail and Library Sales Manager! She answered a few questions so that everyone can get to know her a little better.

Lynn HildebrandtTell us about your history with Peachtree.

I don’t remember how long I’ve been at Peachtree, maybe 4 years? It happened that I was looking for a new gig at the same time Peachtree was looking for someone to manage the retail market for them. It was a lucky coincidence. I started with managing the field reps and working with a couple of our major wholesalers. Since then I’ve taken on more responsibility with accounts that work in the education channel.

I’ve been working in publishing, in one form or another, since college. I started part-time at a B. Dalton while in college, went on to manage that store, then became a buyer for a university store, and then made the leap to work on the publishing side.  I’ve been at Simon & Schuster, Houghton Mifflin, and then Barefoot before coming to Peachtree.

What are your top three favorite books, any genre?

I know others before me have said this is an unfair question—and it is. The first book I can remember reading in any detail was Winnie the Pooh. When I reread it later as an adult I understood why my father loved it so much. It works on levels that resonate for both a child and an adult. That should be the goal of every book published for children, in my humble opinion, so it would likely be one of my choices. Then just about anything written by Philip Roth or Donald Hall would make the list. They are fresh on my mind because of their recent deaths and and I’ve been re-reading them. One of the books that had a big impact on me in college was Erich Fromm’s Beyond the Chains of Illusion.

If you could be a literary character for a day, who would you be?

I would be Euell Gibbons, which probably comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me. Foraging is one of my many passions.

Who is your hero or role model and why?

This will sound trite, but my father is my hero and role model. He was a man of intense curiosity who read widely and had a mind-spinning array of interests. He was good at almost anything he touched, so his diversity did not detract from his ability to focus. We should all strive to be better rounded individuals and bring an open mind to experiencing new things.

What is your favorite thing about working at Peachtree?

The size of the House allows me to dip my hand in many more bits of the business than I was able to experience in larger Houses. It has given me a more whole view of the industry, which I appreciate.

In your position, what do you consider to be your secret weapon?

Sales are always tricky in that people think you’re trying to sell them something. My trick, and thanks for letting everyone know this, is sincerity. I can’t imagine having to sell pharmaceuticals. You have to believe in what you’ve got in your bag in order to convince anyone else it’s worth having. (Small disclaimer—I have nothing against pharmaceuticals.)

Do you have any big interests or hobbies that you focus on outside of work?

I have a number which include pet rescue, gardening, spending time in nature, bicycling, and even shoveling snow in the winter. Mostly I love being outside under any pretext.

If, in an alternate reality, you were to have gone a completely different career route, what would you have done?

I would be a mycologist.  Or a pet therapist.

 

Feel free to write any questions or comments for Lynn below!