You went to school in Atlanta and now work in New York, what’s the biggest difference between the two?
Atlanta is a great town but I hated having to drive and uber everywhere. Between walking to work and using CitiBike, I am pretty happy to say that I haven’t been in a car/subway in two weeks!
Where is the first place you would take us when visiting Atlanta? Same goes for New York.
There is actually so much cool stuff to see. Atlanta is pretty up and coming. A day in Atlanta should start with a bagel and coffee from the General Muir. Then I’d take you to the beltline (Atlanta’s answer to the highline) where we can go to the rooftop of the Clairmont Hotel, a recently renovated swanky historical hotel. When I was in college, the place was abandoned and had a strip club in the basement (so I’ve heard). Across the street is a place called the drunken unicorn. They have pretty great music and it’s built in what used to be an underground parking garage… pretty Instagramable. For late night fun, check out Edgewood ave. It’s an area with deep history (same block where MLK was born), great restaurants and nightlife options. Noni’s, Mother, the Sound Table, Sister Louisa's Church of the Living Room & Ping Pong Emporium are all great options – seriously make the most of your next training in Atlanta!!!
We also understand you’re a bit of a travel. What has been your most memorable experience? Favorite place you visited?
In 2012, my dad moved to Tokyo for a bit. That’s probably still one of my favorite places to visit. Despite getting to travel and have an extremely unique experience, you don’t have to make many sacrifices by way of comfort and convenience.
At EY you are part of the innovation team, correct? What is something you worked on or are working on that you are really excited about?
Actually no – I am in Digital Experience. I’ve been working on the Process Factory for the past 7 months. The project involves combining process engineering and design thinking in short 4-week engagements. We have worked with groups from Barclays, JPMC, Wells Fargo, Amex, and Fannie Mae. It’s pretty cool because you get to see a ton of different parts of banks, and introduce people to digital tools and design concepts that they might not have a lot of experience with. My background is mostly in digital strategy and I will be doing some service design.
What’s your day-to-day process? Are you a sit at a desk 9 to 5 guy? What’s your ideal work environment? Loud? Quiet? Messy? Organized?
Plants, standing desk, quiet, organized, and natural light describe my ideal work place. Also, did someone say free food? I think I’m a pretty typical millennial on this one
When you first came to EY you had much longer hair (looked great by the way), now you sport a much shorter style. If you could give each hair style a song to play during a commercial, what would it be?
Hah thanks! I cut it because I was training for a 70.3 triathlon and a marathon over the summer. That’s over now so I might be growing it out again. Long hair = California Dreaming (especially the flute solo); short hair = something sportier… idk
You’re bilingual, any favorite non-english songs?
Of course – “Wannsee” by Die Toten Hosen. The song revolves around this double entendre of “Wannsee” which is a place with a beautiful lake near Berlin. It also means “when see” (as in when will I see you again). One of my favorite cities is Berlin and to me this song really exemplifies the grittiness and counterculture that exists in Germany. Other classics worth checking out include “Sonnentanz” by Klangkarussell and “Prayer in C” by Robin Shulz.
