| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | My family and I once took a long-weekend ski trip that began with being picked up from school early. We stopped for dinner at a burger place in town and drove up to the mountains as a convoy, me with my cousins in my aunt’s passenger van. We watched movies and played Nintendo on the drive, and then spent the entire weekend hitting the slopes. It was an incredibly fun time, and a standout family memory. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I identify most with my dad. In my younger life before his passing, he was without a doubt my best friend in the world. In the few years we had together, he shared a lifetime of wisdom, morality, and values that I am proud to call a part of my persona to this day. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I value industrious people, people who work hard to achieve their goals. The investment of the self is also an admirable trait to me. If you are going to be a part of something, I believe in giving it your best effort. I really enjoy the company of people who are creative with humor, and I can ad-lib/improv with. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | New employees at a company I worked for meet with the director of HR as part of onboarding. I had friends who worked there, who prior to this meeting let me know that the director of HR had an unusually deep voice, and not to be thrown off by it in the meeting. When the meeting came around, I learned the hard way that he actually did not have an especially deep voice, but a very high-pitched one instead. He was a very nice fellow and it was a fine meeting, but I basically spent the entire time white knuckling it like a kid who is not supposed to laugh in class! I always thought that was a really solid prank, I appreciated the ‘subversion of expectations' aspect of it. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I'm a big fan of days on the beach. In addition to the gorgeous beaches of northern Florida, I want to check out the Cays and the Caribbean as well. Anywhere where the sun is shining and the water is clear is a fine spot for relaxation and adventure all in one. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I would encourage them to dedicate themselves to something meaningful to them, professionally or creatively. Take the time to sit with yourself and really know yourself. Don’t live an unexamined life and never let anyone make the decisions for you. The freedom of choice is a powerful thing, for the mindful and the present. |
