It's simple, we love our jobs! We love talking about what we do, our clients and the planning details that go into media and marketing campaigns and successful events. But, when we aren't in the office or out networking, we have some favorite activities that often take us outdoors.
EAT!
We are not ashamed to admit that eating might be one of our favorite things to do. We are fortunate to be based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which is known for having an incredible culinary scene. So, it goes without saying that when we have the opportunity to enjoy a working lunch at a new restaurant in the city, we take it.
The food scene in our city is always changing... and in a fantastic way. Savor Pittsburgh, an event we have been planning since its inception in 2005, is a culinary competition that brings about 25 of Pittsburgh's best restaurants to one place. Although we may take only one bite throughout the event (unfortunately), we try to visit the participating restaurants every chance we can!
Explore the Outdoors
If you know Christina or I, you know that we love and adore all animals (except for things that slither). Being outside with our dogs is something that we do on a daily basis to keep our sanity and connect with the outdoors. We love to explore Raccoon State Park with Hope, Christina's German Shepherd. It's always a peaceful way for us to get some exercise and chat about life outside of work.
Get Fit!
Staying in shape keeps our minds and bodies healthy. Being able to move quickly and carry heavy things comes in handy on event day when we are moving all sorts of items throughout the venue. (Note to self: event planning isn't always as glamorous as it appears on our Instagram page!) Personally, I have become obsessed with taking Pure Barre classes, I average about 5 classes per week. I started dancing at a young age and through college, so these classes are a perfect fit for me.
Christina has always been an avid cyclist. She and her husband, Kurt, participate in numerous cycling events (often raising awareness and funds for charity), including the MS 150. Last year, they purchased a Peloton bike which they absolutely love, especially during the winter months in Pennsylvania! Last summer they dedicated a great amount of time building a pergola, pavilion area and koi pond where they were just married on May 5. That gave them a lot of extra muscles and a few farmer's tans.
Events
We have a fabulous team of event planners and love the events we plan, but we also enjoy going to events as guests. We always say that Pittsburgh has so much to offer and there's at least one exceptional event taking place in our city each night! Naturally, we enjoy a way to interact and network with people in our community. Plus, exploring fun events in our city helps us brainstorm new concepts for our own events.
Recently, our team had the honor of assisting with an event in Boston with a fabulous organization called Project Chimps. That's what we love so much about our jobs, the ability to partner with clients all over the country with new and exciting adventures.
Volunteer
In our next blog post, we will be talking about our passion for working with charitable organizations. You will learn more about what we do with non-profit organizations, but it's also important to us to give back to our community in our own personal time. Christina has spent many years volunteering for various animal welfare organizations, including hosting events for the Humane Society of the United States at her home. She has also donated her time and expertise on various non-profit boards, including Lending Hearts and The Audubon Society.
For the past three years, I have had the joy of volunteering at Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation's NICU Reunion - it is amazing to see these families all celebrating the fabulous work of that organization!
Together, three of us spent a morning picking up trash and debris along a busy roadway in an effort to clean-up our city in partnership with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful for Earth Day 2018. Continuing our volunteer efforts personally and through DCC is important to us.
We hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about us! We look forward to hearing from you, please comment below with your favorite things to do outside of work!