Time manager: this "unsinkable" professional focuses on strength and efficiency.

In this issue we hear from Dawn Anderson, marketing manager at Greenberg Traurig LLP in Phoenix, Arizona.

What historical figure do you most identify with and why?

I most identify with Molly Brown. A survivor of the Titanic, she is known as the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown because of her strength and ability to aid her fellow passengers as the ship sank. I've been on a few "sinking ships," both in my professional and personal life, and I've realized I had the strength and ability to help myself and others persevere and overcome the crisis.

Which word or phrase do you think is overused right now?

Definitely bling-bling, the hip-hop slang for expensive jewelry and other accessories. It is also used to describe an entire lifestyle built around excess spending and flamboyance: flashy clothes, cars, homes and even platinum false teeth.

How would you explain your profession to a child?

I recently explained my profession to my sons by asking them to think of their favorite toy. Then I asked how they learned about it. Of course, they both said television. I explained to them that marketing is telling people about items (such as their toy) or services (such as a haircut). So, the ads they see in magazines or a commercial on television are all forms of marketing.

I recently saw the following explanation, which is actually a great way to describe the profession to children, and to most adults for that matter: If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying, "Circus Is Coming to Fairgrounds Sunday," that's advertising. If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk him through town, that's a promotion. If the elephant walks through the mayor's flower bed, that's publicity. If you can get the mayor to laugh about it, that's public relations. And if you planned the whole thing, that's marketing.

What did you have to learn the hard way?

Don't tell someone something that you wouldn't want others to know.

What do you sing or hum when you're alone?

I love to sing, much to my family's dismay, so I take every opportunity I get to belt out my favorite show tunes when I'm alone, usually those from the 1978 movie Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.

What talent would you most like to have?

I'm not sure this is a talent as much as an art, but I'd like to design and craft furniture.

If you could choose another profession, what would it be? Since "lifelong student" is not a legitimate profession, I'll go with teacher. I've always had a passion for learning, and I enjoy sharing that passion with others.

What movie character would you like to portray and why?

Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. Sometimes I just feel like kicking a little butt.

Is there a book that changed your perspective on life?

Cheaper by the Dozen. The book was written by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, two of 12 children born to Frank and Lillian Gilbreth. The Gilbreths, who were industrial engineers, were employed as "efficiency experts" by major industrial plants in the early 1900s. Wasting time was considered a sin by Frank Sr., and as a prolific researcher, he often used his marry children as guinea pigs in his experiments on efficient time management. I first read this book in 1981, and from that point forward, I found myself making plans for how to do tasks and projects efficiently. Twenty-six years later, I'm quite the organizational and efficiency freak.

What's the best reward for a job well done?

The best reward for me is being proud of myself, just knowing I did a great job and that my clients are happy. I never expect to be rewarded by others for a job well done. My view on the matter is that I was hired to do a job and to do it well. Of course, money and gifts are always welcome.

What is your personal motto?

"God give me patience--and give it to me now!"

what's your personality?

Download and complete our questionnaire at www.iabc.com /cw/personality, and you could be featured in a future issue of CW.