Employee Spotlight
Joanna Farrell
Executive Assistant | PHP
Hey there! My name is Joanna, but I’m considering changing my name to “An End” so that all good things must come to me. I’m “can hear teenagers laughing on the back of the train and I’m annoyed by it” years old. PHP has been a home to me since 2010 when I first started in Accounts Receivable before receiving several promotions to become an Executive Assistant. I truly enjoy working here. Outside of work, I am an extremely family oriented person and my family means the world to me.
My son, Matthew Peter.
He taught me more about love and strength in one short week than most people will learn in a lifetime.
Ireland. My favorite trip I ever took. I got a tattoo in Dublin to remember it. In Gaelic my tattoo means “Poor is the man that lives without music”.
This is my spirit animal. Everyone says they have an inner child. I have an inner older lady who says what ever is on her mind and loves to be in bed by 8pm. The Golden Girls cruise is on my bucket list.
More About Me…
Fun Fact: It doesn’t matter how old I get, when buying snacks for a road trip it always look like an unsupervised 9-year-old was given $100.
What is your favorite movie?
Forrest Gump (incidentally also my favorite soundtrack)
What have you gained since starting at PHP?
Confidence and a clear voice. I was very into academics when I was younger, but was pretty lost in college trying to find my place, so I left and was offered a job at PHP until I figured it out. I started in Accounts Receivable chasing money. If you can call people for money and actually get it in the door, I feel like you can pretty much do anything. I liked it so much here that I ended up staying and also rising out of my position. I have zero regrets.
What are you reading right now?
“The Things We Do for Love” by Kristin Hannah. It’s about a woman who loses her child, goes back home to save her family’s restaurant and ends up meeting an underprivileged young girl who changes her life. It hits pretty close to home for me as I recently lost my newborn son.
What is your favorite part about working for PHP?
Plain and simple – the people. It’s the people here that make getting up on a Monday and commuting from New Jersey five days a week worth it.
What are your biggest pet peeves?
People who need to back into parking spots.
Loud cell phone talkers, but most of the time their conversations just make me feel better about my own life.
When companies ask for a confirmation number. No one has their confirmation number. Let’s just do away with that stupid question and how about you look it up.
Bathroom hand dryers. Only useful if you want to kill a few minutes before wiping your hands on your pants.
People who talk over or turn down my music.
The fact that your password must contain that one thing that will ultimately make you forget your password.
When you buy one fanny pack one time on Amazon and suddenly Amazon continues to shame you and acts like you’re the girl who loves buying fanny packs.
"Back in my day we..."
Enjoyed something without documenting it on social media
Also, we didn’t expect or get participation trophies…we turned out fine.
What is the best advice you can give someone?
Unless you’re a UPS guy or a billionaire’s party-animal son who inherited the company in an ’80s comedy, don’t wear shorts to the office.