We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Daniella Wagner, our Administrative Assistant II at the Corporate Office, and her interview was packed with surprises and behind-the-scenes fun. From organizing dog proms (yes, really!) to being “discovered” at a gas station and starring in Spanish-language commercials as a kid, Daniella’s background is a vibrant one! In this interview, we also touched on her proudest SCN moments and the little things—like our beloved coffee machine—that help make the office run smoothly. Whether she’s managing travel for the entire company or lending her event-planning magic to the SWEET Committee, Daniella’s blend of creativity and Excel wizardry makes her a true standout. As she wisely says, “Admin work is not necessarily fast work—it’s correct work.” Daniella Wagner, this is your spotlight!
Hi Daniella! To start, I’d love to hear a bit about your background and how you came to work for Smart City Networks?
D: My first corporate job was as a WorkLife Coordinator for the Walt Disney Company for 10 amazing years. Following this, I was offered an Event Manager position with a local dog daycare where I got to plan monthly events (including the inception of our annual dog prom) and run all customer-facing activities. It was a huge change in career but encompassed more of what I enjoy doing day to day.
In 2023, my husband was offered an incredible job with the city of Henderson, and we made a big move. I discovered Smart City Networks and was so intrigued by the company; I applied right away!
Neat! So at Smart City, what does a typical day look like for you?
D: A typical day mostly includes travel management for the entire company. This includes booking flights, hotels, rental cars, trains, etc., for anyone who needs to travel within Smart City while managing their itineraries and ensuring their travel runs smoothly. The rest of my day revolves around managing small portions of the office, supply orders, weekly schedule,s and making sure our fancy coffee machine is working.
From the outset, it looks as if you handle a lot of external and internal requests, both from the field and within our corporate office. Do you enjoy that challenge? And is that ever hard to balance?
D: I definitely enjoy the challenge. It has been an excellent opportunity for me to meet and chat with employees in the field. You learn a lot about your colleagues when you are booking travel for them, and it has been rewarding to create those relationships.
Speaking of balance, how do you balance your work responsibilities with personal interests or hobbies outside of work?
D: Vegas is the answer! There are so many fun shows, activities, sports events, and restaurants available at our fingertips. The accessibility is unmatched, especially considering how unexpectedly family-friendly the city is.
Do you have a favorite or rewarding part of your job?
D: The office environment has been stellar. I am very lucky to be working closely with so many genuinely nice and hard-working people.
How would you describe the culture of your team within your department? How do you collaborate with other departments or team members within Smart City Networks?
D: Our department is very supportive and genuinely kind. Everyone is so accessible and open to communication; it makes learning and growing so easy.
You are also a huge part of our corporate SWEET Committee, and your ideas and organizational skills have really made the last year fantastic in terms of events. What do you enjoy about being on the Committee?
D: This is very complimentary, but it is truly a group effort. At my core level, I just love planning events and seeing events come to fruition. It combines everything I love: parties, people, and Excel sheets!
Overall, are there any skills you’ve developed here that have surprised you?
D: Any skill related to planning and managing travel has been such a pleasant surprise. Diving deep into travel policy is not something the typical admin position offers, so it has been really fun to add that to my work abilities.
Is there a specific achievement or contribution you’re particularly proud of?
D: This sounds silly, but I am so proud of our new water fountain and fancy coffee machine. I hope it has improved the morale and comfort of our corporate team, and I hope it exemplifies that we care about their happiness, even in a small way.
Are there any lessons you’ve learned here that you think are valuable for others starting in a similar role?
D: Ask questions, consider the details, and slow down. A lot of the time, the admin is the last person to see a piece of mail, email, invoice, gift package, itinerary, etc. It behooves us to check every last detail and ensure it is correct. Admin work is not necessarily fast work; it’s correct work.
And lastly, to wrap things up, I always like to ask, what’s something fun that people might not know about you?
D: From ages 5-6, my sister and I did a group of Spanish-speaking commercials after being “discovered” at a gas station. We filmed for McDonald’s, Hallmark, Pepto-Bismol, and Clorox. After the McDonald’s commercial, they gifted us all the Barbie toys that came in the Happy Meal, which we still have!
Thanks, Daniella Wagner, for a great and insightful interview! (We hope you kept those Spanish-speaking commercials on Video somewhere!) For more Smart City Spotlights, check out our blog!
