Each month, we will interview one employee to get their opinions on the publishing industry, hear what it’s like to work at Technica, and learn a little bit about them. This month we are interviewing Tracey Glazener, nicknamed the nerd whisperer at her previous job. An NC native and an avid Tar Heel fan, Tracey came to Technica in May of 2017.
How did you get started in the publishing industry?
I grew up swimming year-round and practically spent more time in the pool than on land. So in high school, I only thought about swimming. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. And then I became the editor of my high school yearbook. It was a good amount of responsibility, and it included writing and putting together page designs, and I think that put me on the path of wanting to go to journalism school. I went to journalism school at UNC. After I graduated, I worked at Lawyers Weekly in downtown Raleigh and literally pasted up the newspaper on boards and everything. So I did that for a while, and since then I’ve been a web designer, I worked in peer review before I came to Technica, I’ve done advertising — so I’ve done all kinds of things. That was my start!
What is your favorite thing about working at Technica?
This is a two-part answer: number one would be the people. I really love the people I work with, especially my suitemates. We have a lot of fun but we still work really hard. That always makes for a better workplace. I also really like the diversity of the projects and the fact that there’s a lot of openness and an ability to express interest in a project and then be able to work on it, even if it requires shuffling. Jack and Arlene are interested in keeping the people doing the work happy, in addition to getting the work done. I really like that. It’s hard to get bored here. There’s always something interesting to work on during the day.
What inspires you?
This is going to sound cheesy, but it’s my dad. He’s 76, worked his entire life, and he has retired three times now, but he still works two days a week as a practicing dentist. He gave us an amazing life: he put my brother and me through undergrad and grad school without question. He did it because he didn’t have a lot growing up, so he wanted to do for us all that he could. There was an article about him in the Winston-Salem Journal (https://www.journalnow.com/news/columnists/scott_sexton/solitary-cause-man-targets-roadside-trash-a-bag-at-a/article_6f7f2884-fa73-502d-8887-459fb20ba9d7.html) several years ago: he walks about 20 miles a day and picks up trash and recycling. He’ll come back with two big bags full of trash. He does all of this because he cares so much about the environment. The planet is greener because of my dad. On top of that, most of the stuff he picks up that he can redeem for money, he’ll donate that money to charity. He wants to make the planet greener and cleaner. He’s a really hardworking guy and he’s probably going to outlive our whole family.
That is a long way to walk! How long does it take him to walk that far?
When he was still working, he would get up around 4 in the morning and walk for about an hour and a half before work. If he had time to take a lunch break, he would take a walk. And then when he got home he would probably walk three hours. Even when we go to the beach, he will walk and pick up trash. And all the cans come back with us! I’ve been told I couldn’t take certain things to the beach because they would take up space in the car reserved for his bags of cans.
What do you like doing when you aren’t at work?
I both work and work out at a little gym in downtown Durham called SYNCSTUDIO that has cycling, yoga, and strength training classes. It’s actually more of a community, I’ve met probably my closest friends there. Not only are the classes fun, they’re challenging. I just went on a retreat to Belize with my friends from SYNC, and it was a lot of fun. That’s probably where I spend most of my spare time.
If you were on a deserted island, what three items would you bring with you and why?
My dog, a never-ending tap of IPA, and an endless supply of books. All three of these things are clearly for entertainment purposes, but Lucas is also a pretty good snuggler.
What is your favorite book?
I used to always say it was White Oleander, but I just read a book that blew my mind. I was reading it at the studio while they were having class, and I got to the middle, started reading the next part, and then I flipped back a few pages, and then back to where I was, because I thought, “I had to have missed something.” It totally flipped me out. It’s called The Wife Between Us. I’ve been leaning toward thrillers lately, and that book…
It’s wild?
Yes. It’s a very good twisty book. It makes Gone Girl looks like the tritest little story ever. And there was another huge twist at the end! That book got me good, twice.
