1. Tell us a little about yourself and some of your career highlights. Did you go to school for Marketing specifically?
I fell into marketing with a move to NYC. I moved to NYC after college because I had a cousin who happened to move to the Upper East Side and talked me into coming out. I bought a one-way ticket and I lived with her in a teeny tiny studio apartment while I looked for a job and an apartment. I ended up finding a job at a small digital advertising agency as an account executive. I had no clue what I was doing and I am shocked to this day that they did not fire me. I also found a great apartment in Greenwich Village but easily spent over half my salary on a place that totaled 700 square feet with 2 roommates and 1 bathroom (!). I think I learned the most life lessons solely from the NYC apartment and roommate experience.
Thankfully I was able to pick up the marketing thing fairly quickly and soon found that I was captivated by the idea of developing creative solutions to people's problems. I fully understand that marketing can be viewed as manipulative and is not always thought of in a positive light but, in my experience, the very best forms of marketing are the ones that are genuine to the product or service and show value in the purest way possible.
In my career, I've been very fortunate to have worked on some amazing brands. I helped create American Express' campaign for Small Business Saturday when Obama declared it a national holiday. I also helped build the Netflix brand as I was on the ground floor from the very first Netflix Original in 2013 to when they were launching well over 1000 Netflix Originals per year (!). I also spent some time at Amazon and now I'm at what I'd call a marketer's dream job working at Apple (I'm super close to my tech company EGOT, only missing Facebook and Google). At Apple, I manage an extremely talented team who are responsible for a spectrum of Apple services.
2. What do you love doing in your free time when you're not in boss lady work mode?
I developed a serious bike obsession over the pandemic. It was already pretty bad pre-pandemic but I definitely had some healthy room to blossom when I was trapped with my two small children at home (love them and love them more AFTER a bike ride!). I try to ride in Malibu or Calabasas every weekend and when the summer rolls around, I take things to a whole new level when I start triathlon training. I've done the Malibu Triathlon the past 4 years and I've been lucky enough to place in my age class each year. I get butterflies about the race just thinking about it!
3. If you could live anywhere in the world besides LA where would it be?
I lived in France for two years for my studies - one year in Aix-en-Provence and one year in Lyon. I adore France and I really love speaking French. I think the French have it right with their approach to work/life balance and the focus is on family (and let's be honest - drinking wine during a 2-hour lunch!). I could certainly see myself and my family living in Paris. My husband Peter and I just spent time there in June and we love the energy.
Alternatively, Japan would be number two on my list. I had a team in Japan when I worked at Netflix and was traveling to Japan frequently. I love the culture and their appreciation for so many of my favorite things - amazing pastry, well curated jazz, and incredible art and architecture.
4. Would you rather listen to a vinyl album in its entirety or listen to a well curated playlist?
My husband Pete is very much a music snob, having played in bands most of his life so I've been made extremely aware of the artistry behind an album in its entirety. What used to be completely obnoxious and tedious to me when we started dating (that is, making me listen to ONLY albums in their entirety) is now something I really enjoy and we go analog almost every evening listening to all kinds of music but mostly 50s and 60s jazz.
5. If you could wake up tomorrow and be any past legend, hero or artist for one day who would you be and why?
It would have to be Gertrude Stein. She was living in Paris and hosted those incredible get-togethers with folks like Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway... all the legends. I love to host and although I'm not technically a creative, I love being surrounded by creatives so I feel like she and I would jive together. Even for one day, I can't imagine the amazingness she was able to witness.
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