Meet Sara, Our New Account Coordinator!

The team asked, Sara answered.

When you’re not at work, what’s your favorite way to spend your time?

When I’m not at work, I enjoy snuggling my two beagle-dachshunds, hanging out with my kiddo, gardening, or sitting around a fire with good friends.

What’s your favorite movie? What do you like so much about it?

I think it’s hard to pick just one. My favorite movies oscillate depending on my mood. Currently, I’ve been watching Shawshank Redemption on repeat. Some of my steady favorites are Amelie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Elf, Hayao Miyazaki’s catalogue, and I have a weak spot for superhero movies.

If you could have an unlimited supply of one thing, what would it be and why?

Dogs. Because they are wonderful and deserve more of our love and respect.  I aspire to have a ranch that rehabilitates dogs (namely beagles) used in animal testing facilities. These poor babies undergo such horrible treatment in labs and require a lot of love and attention to become untraumatized enough to be a part of families.

Who influenced you as a child, other than your parents?

My grandfather took me on rockhounding adventures, taught me how to fix my car, build random things, taught me how to catch and gut a fish, and gave me some invaluable skills on how to problem solve and fix stuff around the house. As an adult, his lessons have been the most valuable.

How do you proceed when there’s no right answer?

I find that trusting your instincts is important. When presented with two possible options that have entirely different outcomes, the first impulse is usually the right one. Also, one could argue for faking it to you make it; thrusting  yourself blindly into the unknown and hope that your intuition will lead you to the otherside; or surrounding yourself with talented and capable people– rising tides raise all ships and other such tropes and isms.

Tell us about your most recent obsession.

I have recently taken up Pyrography, the art of wood-burning, and I’m obsessed. It requires slow and articulated movement and creates both beautiful art and is relaxing and meditative.

Describe your “perfect meal.”

A boat of sushi with a good friend.

If you could teleport anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

I visited my sister in Thailand a few years ago and am obsessed with the culture, the people, the food, and the climate.

How long would you survive in a zombie apocalypse?

I feel like I’d have a good chance at surviving a few weeks. I’m a good shot, proficient with an ax, have sound foraging capabilities, have been assembling my bug out bag for a few years, and watch youtube survival videos in my spare time. I feel like all of these things would keep me alive for at least a little while.

Tell us two truths and a lie:

I’m an Army brat and my father taught Military Science at Princeton; I have sung back up vocals for a few different bands; I’ve snorkeled with sea turtles

Okay, now tell us which one of those was a lie and how you came up with it:

I’ve snorkeled with sea turtles. It is something that I would like to do but have yet to do.

Name something super overrated. Why?

Social Media Influencers. It really grinds my gears the people that make a bunch of money on social media purely based on their looks, their ability to be in the right place at the right time, and their access to wealth.  I feel like the fixation on money and influence has really sent parts of our society down the toilet. I have had customers make outlandish requests based on their perception of the weight of their followers, (ex. I have 10k followers on instagram and I’ll promote you  if you give me free things.) It’s horrendously obnoxious. This does not apply to people who do some really rad stuff like Marc Rebillet.

Now- What do you think is under-rated?

Lambrusco. There’s nothing better than a bottle of deliciously jammy and dry sparkling red wine and people generally balk at the idea. But if you know, you know.

Fire, 3 interesting facts about you?

I love to collect weird salt and pepper shakers (I have amassed an impressive collection.)
I am a Certified Herbalist from the Elderberry School of Botanical Medicine
I love distilling essential oils and weird liqueurs (I have an air still and a still spirits still)

What’s on your bucket list?

I have always wanted to hike the Appalachian trail from Georgia to Maine; I would like to own a beach villa in South America; and tour all the countries and islands in the Mediterranean

If you could replace your arms with other objects for a week, what would you pick?

They’re still arms in a manner of speaking, but I’ve always wished for Inspector Gadget arms. Go-go-gadget arms! Then nothing would ever be out of reach.

What’s the most useless talent you have?

The ability to make cocktails. It pleases people but doesn’t do much for its contribution to society. Although some great artists have been inspired over one too many bottles of wine, it generally degrades a person’s quality of life rather than bolsters it.

Now what about your most useful talent you have?

Also, the ability to make cocktails. I can make delicious cocktails out of seemingly nothing. It’s a great party trick.

What do you do differently than most?

My sense of humor is not for everyone and I tend to find myself funnier than other people find me funny.

What is your favorite part about your role at Gravitate?

I’m excited to learn more about the world of web design and what it’s like to work for a design company.

Any parting quotes, thoughts, or lines of poetry?

“If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery–isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you’ll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you’re going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It’s the only good fight there is.”

-Charles Bukowski