Interview

• How do you go that ‘extra mile' in your life?
  I go the extra mile when it comes to anything dealing with numbers. I’ve always had a fascination with numbers and math since I was a kid; so while most of my friends are breaking out their phone calculators to figure out tips for bartenders/servers/etc., I typically just do the math in my head in the same amount of time.
• What makes you stand out from the crowd?
  I tend to go with the flow on a lot, but I stand out in this field because of my level of personability. I get along with people of all types, from hundreds of backgrounds and upbringings—I spend time getting to know what makes people tick, and I know very few others who are willing to spend that time with someone on that level.
• If you have to pick one thing that everyone else should absolutely know about you, what would it be?
  I’m a trivia nerd. My brain is very spongelike, and while I don’t know everything, I definitely know a little bit about a lot of stuff.
• Tell us what you consider to be your greatest life experience.
  I think the best experience I’ve had in my life was taking home a national championship title for an informative speech I wrote in college. I put so much thought and time and work into that speech, and it was almost shocking to get rewarded in that capacity. I wasn’t allowed to fail growing up, so getting A’s and B’s all throughout my academic career was commonplace—never rewarded because it was expected. Having my peers and professors from across the country tell me that my words had a real impact on how they perceive such a minor piece of technology like a body camera (I believe the product was called Memoto) really validated all the sweat and tears I put into crafting that 10-minute speech. I still can’t believe I actually won that competition...I’m smiling just thinking about it.
• What’s your lifestyle? What makes you who you are?
  I go with the flow as best as I can. There's very little in the world that can upset me to a breaking point, so I tend to take the bad parts of life in stride rather easily. I've been through a good bit, dealt with a lot of inner demons, and I'd like to think that it's a testament to who I am to be as laid back as I am even with all that's happened.
• How often do you travel? Do you prefer to travel or you are more of a homebody?
  Nowhere near enough! The career I've chosen (outside this, of course) affords me a good chunk of time to travel, but definitely doesn't allow me to budget for travel. Because of this, I've become a sort of homebody. I enjoy being home, but I also really wish I could get out of my city a bit more.
• What are your hobbies? What do you like to do in your spare time?
  I love to perform, whether it's singing karaoke at a bar or staging "Carrie: the Musical" at a theater (yes, it's a real musical; no, I haven't been a part of a production of it; yes, I picked it because it's the only thing I could think of that sounded remotely like Karaoke). The thought of performing for an audience is so daunting to most people, but to me, it's a thrill ride. I also really love to write. Though I'm not published yet, I do hope to start putting some of my poetry and plays out there for the world to see very soon.
• What is your ‘niche’?
  I'm a trivia nerd. The sole benefit of being a jack of all trades and a master(bator) of none, is that I know tidbits of information from across the spectrum of knowledge. To the point where I may have made an appearance on a trivia-based game show once in my life in my younger years. :)
• What would you like your followers to know about you that is unique and even a bit personal?
  My followers should know that I don't necessarily like to brag about myself, let alone talk about myself all that much, mainly because my upbringing led me to believe that anything that wasn't perfect wasn't worth bragging about. A lot of clients, friends, run-of-the-mill hookups, etc., have complimented me on the way I look or told me that my pictures don't do me justice; without fail, I clam up and get really awkward afterward. I don't know where the disconnect is, and I don't know how to fix it, but I've never really known how to take a compliment well. I guess it's a good thing because I know how to stay humble. But I definitely wish I could do a better job at upselling myself.
• What do you do for fun?
  You name it, I write it: opinion column ideas/drafts, poems, memoirs, stories, potential pieces of legislation, plays, instructional guides, speeches, etc. I also love to learn, so I've been caught once or twice thumbing through DuoLingo, DataCamp, Khan Academy, etc., just trying to keep my mind sharp in a variety of fields. I've also been known to ask Alexa to play Jeopardy. And I've been known to audition for a play or a musical or two here and there.
• What are your greatest personal traits?
  I'm pretty easy to get along with, I adapt well to different environments and situations, and I like to keep things light. My sense of humor may or may not be bottled and passed off as Chardonnay (it tends to be a bit dry), but it's definitely a good trait to have in the event that tensions start to rise. Also, I'm just really comfortable with myself. I feel like people who are comfortable with themselves tend to make others comfortable, and in a field of work such as this, making people comfortable is kind of in the job description, right?
• What kind of diet and fitness regiment do you follow?
  I'm sorry, I'm from New Orleans, what is this "diet" you're talking about? But really, I don't hit the gym as hard as I should, and I eat a lot more than you'd likely think I can eat. I guess I attribute my figure to cardio. Take that how you will. I certainly did! ;)
• If you and I were on the beach having some wine and great food, what would you tell me about yourself.
  I haven't had the opportunities that many have had: I'm nowhere near as well-traveled as I'd like to be, the victories I've had and the things I've done worth celebrating may come across as boring to some people, and I'm not sure how to talk about my childhood without it feeling like a cross between a therapy session and a stand-up routine. But a hearty filet paired with a crisp Malbec on the beach at sunset (which I could totally go for, by the way. Hint, hint) would probably take me out of the past--I'd talk about the dreams I have, the ideas that I want to see come to life, and the changes I want to make in the world.
• What should others absolutely know about you?
  I have a brain that is wired for trivia, numbers, and languages. I love learning new things, but with my brain wanting to try and do 20 million things at once, I tend to maintain interests in short bursts. So, I know a little bit about everything and a lot about a few things. And I plan to keep learning new things as long as I'm alive.
• What do you enjoy most about yourself?
  I enjoy being adaptable. I've always preferred to go with the flow and to be the thing that's going to fill in that missing gap for a client. Just letting go and taking each situation as it comes has gotten me into some...interesting situations, to say the least. But it has also allowed me to figure out more about who I am and what I'm capable of.
• Name 5 things that you can’t live without.
  Sex (That might be a little too obvious...), something to write with, something to write on/in, peanut butter, and either a phone or a computer...preferably a phone...definitely a phone.