Someone who deserves to be made a fuss of…

I’m not into waxing lyrical much but sometimes it just needs to be said and when you have your own blog, you have no excuse really. So let me clear about this, and let the record show that Jodie Gould (nee de Joux!) is one of the most awesome human beings I know. Plain and simple. No contest will be entered into, and the judges decision is final.

You might not know Jodie but if you did I can guarantee your life would be richer for it. I’m not the only who knows this. Many of my friends at work know it, and have known it for a long time. A certain Richard Gould of Level 3 band fame (now known as Shaken not Stirred I think?) noticed who awesomeness some time ago. Now they’re married – I love it how awesome people find each other in this world.

I’ve known Jodie for about two years now and from the moment she greeted me when I walked in for my interview I just knew there was some different about her. When you’ve worked in an office as long as I have it’s easy to spot ‘fake office pleasantries’. Receptionists paid to smile and be nice when there are a million other places they’d rather be, and by walking in you’re only interrupting their current FarmVille session. Jodie was incredibly different, an amazing genuineness that made you feel like she was totally focused on making sure you were looked after. You weren’t an interruption to her day at all. She was genuinely happy to see you and made you feel seriously welcome. It might not sound like much but it’s actually incredibly rare, which made it all the more special.

What makes this amazing is that wasn’t just a one-off. From working there as a contractor (where she made me feel like I was ‘one of the fold’) to today, where I work there as a permanent employee, she just keeps rolling out her special brand of awesomeness. Without a doubt she is one of the reasons I love working there, and with no hint of exaggeration why this place has a unique buzz and ‘family-friendliness’ that attracts and retains great staff year after year. Simply put, she is the glue that holds this office together (and why we missed her so much when she was away for her recent honeymoon!).

Her warm outgoing personality is complemented by her sharp business mind and office management skills, her keen HR abilities boosted a hundred fold by amazing people skills, including remembering a hundred different names, even of interns only a few days old. I have no idea how she manages it all, maintaining a wicked sense of humour and a great outlook on life, and keeping us all happy. Someone give that woman a red cape!

I recently had the privilege of driving one of the cars on her big day. I would never have imagined that day when I showed up for my interview that two years later I would be part of her wedding, and I’m sure neither did Jodie but life is beautiful like that sometimes. It was one of the most touching weddings I have been to and, for someone who sucks at feeling emotion, I was suprised how many goosebumps I had. It was an incredible day and one that I’m sure will be cherished for a long time to come.

I could go on but I think you get the idea. If you know Jodie, take extra special care of her because we don’t want anything to happen to this amazing woman. The world needs as much of her special brand of awesomeness it can get! Thank you Jodie – you are a blessing to us all.