40 Under 40: Emily Sikes, account services coordinator

Emily Sikes

AGE: 24

FAMILY: Parents, Doug and Kelly Sikes; siblings, Elizabeth, Wil and Ellen; boyfriend, Ryan Blattel

EMPLOYER: Saint Francis Medical Center

POSITION: Account services coordinator, marketing and public relations

COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT:

The Church at Morley, Tri-State Advertising and Marketing Professionals, Heart to Heart committee, Chamber Young Professionals, Dig for Life, Missouri Association for Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing

HER TYPICAL DAY:

Wake up, think about going to the gym, hit snooze, finally get out of bed and get ready. Go to work, check the newspaper, answer e-mails and do a million other things, leave work and go exercise. I enjoy cooking so I may fix dinner or make a dessert. I usually spend my evenings (and weekends) with my boyfriend, family or friends.

MOST SATISFYING THING ABOUT HER WORK:

Becoming that person that others can rely on -- gaining trust and respect. It is rewarding to realize that something I may have done, written or said, could help a person make healthy lifestyle changes or choices to improve their quality of life.

I have found that I work better and faster under pressure and enjoy having multiple projects at once -- to a certain extent! I can truly say I am never bored at Saint Francis.

HER WORST HAIRCUT:

I once had a haircut that slightly resembled a mullet, but I went back and had the hairdresser fix it. It only lasted a few hours, fortunately!

HER FAVORITE SONG FROM THE '80s:

As a rule, I'm not an '80s music person. That said, I love "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen, Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," and all of Chicago and Billy Joel's songs. I find 80s music is growing on me as I get older.

HER BIGGEST FIRST-DAY BLOOPER:

It wasn't my first day, but I hadn't been at Saint Francis very long. One Saturday morning I had to stop by my office to pick up something. Being an impatient person, I decided to take the stairs to the second floor instead of waiting for the elevator. Little did I realize that on weekends the exits are locked from inside the stairwell. I didn't have my badge or cell phone, and no one knew where I was. I have to admit, I panicked briefly. I finally decided to try all the floors, hoping one would be unlocked. I went back to the first floor -- it was locked. No luck on the second or third. By the time I got to the fourth floor, I was really worried. I envisioned myself camping out on the stairs for the whole weekend, and my car being towed for sitting in the pharmacy lane longer than the posted 10 minutes!

Anticlimactically, the fourth floor was unlocked and my car was where I left it.

HER MOST EMBARASSING WORK MOMENT:

I don't embarrass easily, and when I do embarrass myself, I tend to block it from my memory and never think of it again.

When I was in college, I worked as a waitress at Cracker Barrel. I was a morning person and worked nearly every Saturday morning. Weekend mornings there are the busiest of the week. The entire restaurant would fill up and usually with large groups. One particular Saturday, I remember carrying a large tray of Uncle Hershel's Favorites, Sunrise Samplers and Momma's Pancakes to a huge party. I was one of probably four or five servers assisting with the food delivery. As I stepped out from the kitchen into the crowded dining room, I felt a plate shift on my tray. A few steps more (to the center of the restaurant) and I realized this was not good. The plates wobbled again, shifting the balance. I adjusted my hold, but with no luck. The entire tray crashed to the floor, sending ham, eggs, grits, gravy and syrup flying all over me, the floor and anyone else unfortunate enough to be standing near. Did I mention the restaurant was full?