Hannah Velloff

Hannah Velloff doesn’t need much supervision to get the job done. Not that she ever did.

“My mom and dad always said that I was just like the easiest child. They just let me do my thing and be kind of self sufficient and independent. As I got older and my brother came along, they gave me a lot of responsibilities with taking care of him and helping around the house. They gave me a really good work ethic and appreciation for thinking outside of myself. I've always gotten satisfaction from doing things that benefit other people.”

Hannah’s approach to her role as a Paradowski account manager is defined by her willingness to help without being helped—to nail the dirty work so the final product is cleaner than a whistle. To her, advertising gives her the opportunity to support bold, brave creative endeavors using the strengths her parents recognized in her from a young age.

"I like creativity, so I just surround myself with people that are good at it. And I think that's why I’ve found that it's a good fit for me to be in that supporting role, to produce the tangible item that I couldn't produce on my own. That's satisfying for me because I can work with a team that produces something great and feel like I was a part of that creative process.”

Hannah was raised in and around Alton, IL.

Growing up, she really enjoyed her schooling. Hannah says she owes that to her mother, an elementary school teacher who always stressed taking school seriously. Hannah particularly enjoyed reading, so much so that she spent much of her childhood summers sitting on the front porch or in a park with a book in hand. In high school, her love of the written word drove her to become an editor of the school paper.

Outside of the classroom, Hannah loved playing soccer, which she attributes to her father, a family law attorney who also happened to be her soccer coach. Hannah played soccer throughout her youth, though she claims she didn’t play competitively as much as she did socially.

For her, soccer was a chance to enjoy being part of a team and help a group reach a... greater goal. It was also a chance to spend more time with her dad, who she considers her closest friend and one of the funniest people she knows.

Outside of her academic and athletic commitments, Hannah worked at Duke Bakery, an Alton institution that she’s proud to have been employed by.

Carbs are a recurring theme in Hannah’s personal life. When she had time to relax in high school, one of her favorite activities was getting together with friends to make meals and watch movies. Some of the most common dishes served were pasta and mashed potatoes.

Yes, Hannah can often be found hanging out on the bottom level of the food pyramid. But she’s rarely there without the friends and family she holds so dear.

When it came time to choose a college, Hannah decided she would head south just a bit to attend the University of Mississippi. She started in the business school but, inspired by the writings of Augusten Burroughs on the advertising industry and the creative process, switched to the journalism school to study integrated marketing communications. With a bit of experience in public relations, marketing and advertising, she graduated from Ole Miss in 2017.

“My degree was pretty broad, which was really cool for getting a little bit of experience in everything. But then you graduate and you're like, ‘Okay, what do I do with all of these things that I learned?’”

Unsure what to do with her newly acquired degree, Hannah initially considered spending an extra year in Oxford, MS. But with her family in mind, she moved home.

Reluctant to leave the Mississippi behind but excited to give ~adulting~ a whirl, Hannah quickly found a job with a local web development agency and worked on a variety of local accounts that led her to see St. Louis in a new light.

Hannah now lives in Dogtown and is still a major proponent of both St. Louis and carbs, which is extremely evident when you ask about her favorite restaurants in the area: Olio, Louie and Pastaria.

She’s managing.

“Part of what I really like about working in advertising is working with creative people to come up with different concepts or approach problems from different angles. I enjoy helping people, so I think a big part of being an account manager is helping your team and clients—just being of service to a greater goal, even if it's not within my role.”

As an account manager, Hannah wears a lot of hats. Most metaphorical, but some literal. Regardless of the hat she’s donning, Hannah approaches every project with her signature desire to be helpful—in this case, to both her creative team and her clients.

“I think that I'm good at reading what people need and helping them to not feel stressed, you know? And I think I'm good at taking that feedback from the client and helping the team to understand why that feedback was given, why it's helpful for the client. It's not just being a yes man.”

Hannah’s seemingly unquenchable desire to go above and beyond behind the scenes makes her a valuable asset to our team. But more importantly, it makes everyone who works with her want to do and be better.

And to them, I say good fucking luck.