Where are you right now?
Rochester Hills, MI

Tell me about your job.
I am a sales account manager for Falken Tire.  I sell passenger, light truck and commercial (semi) tires to wholesalers and retail stores in Eastern Canada (Ontario to the Eastern Seaboard) and in the US (OH, KY, WV, PA & western NY).  My job is mobile so when I am not traveling to meet with clients, I can typically be found working from my home office or occasionally from Common Grounds!

What do you enjoy most about it?
I absolutely enjoy the people I meet and working with my cohorts at Falken. We have a unique and amazing culture within Falken. 
I also love the opportunity to travel and have been fortunate to see many areas of the country and world.

You know a lot about tires and cars. How did you get into the field of selling tires? What is your region now?
Thank you – I am always learning something new.  I was working in the food industry and came into work one day and was one of about four people remaining in the sales department (we had about 12 people in the department).  At that point I sent a cover letter and resume to Hercules Tire in Findlay, looking for a job.  I heard they were a progressive company and good to work for.  Three weeks later I was hired in inside sales, eventually working my way into marketing and then became a territory sales manager for the Western US.

How many days/month do you travel? How much of that is out of the state/country?   
I manage my own schedule and each month it varies.  This past quarter I have been working in my Canadian territory as much as possible to prepare for the spring selling season.  Canada basically has two selling seasons (spring & winter) so most of the consumer tires are sold in about seven months.  I schedule one full week out of the month to work from my home office to help balance my work/personal life.

Is your husband in the tire business? How did you meet?
David is in the tire business and we met at the Mid-Ohio race track.  He is a quality manager / account manager and works with OEMs.  He was rather relentless with calling and texting me for two years and then we finally went to dinner! 

So...how did you get from Bluffton to the Detroit area?
David – he is from this area.  I moved to Rochester Hills when we got married in June 2012.

How often do you get back to Bluffton? What brings you back?
As often as possible – several times a month.  I love spending time with my family and they keep me coming back.  I also enjoy seeing friends in town and there is nothing better than a peaceful run around Bluffton and in the country.

When did you graduate from BHS? Bluffton University?
BHS – a long time ago!  1986
Bluffton University – BA in 2006; MAOM 2009

What drew you back to college? Why did you go on for a master's degree?
Being a single mom, I knew I had to advance my career to support my daughter and me.  I had an associate degree but needed a BA for an employer to even consider me.  I will never forget my first meeting with Mary Steiner. She encouraged me to enroll and made me believe in myself.
I chose Bluffton for my masters because of my experience with the Cohort-based Organizational Management program (BCOMP) for adults.  I knew I could do it and wanted to continue to grow professionally.  My daughter was my support person and I could not have completed the program without her support and help with dinner, chores, etc.  Managing her activities/school, full time work, being a full time student made me learn how to manage my time and prioritize. I can honestly say I miss having classes – they stretched my brain!

You're one of the few persons I know who has loved this cold, snowy winter. Why?
Winter is my favorite time of the year (my daughter is named Wynter) because to me it is the most beautiful.  I think my parents had a lot to do with it.  They always ice skated and had me skating with them when I was around 4 years old (I still have the skates). I remember my parents and sisters skating one evening with a lantern on a nearby pond.  Dad, Mom and my sisters (Tammy & Jill) would go ice fishing too.  Dad always had an old snowmobile for us to drive and pull each other in a sled. 
I have wonderful memories of winter with my family and think of those times when I am downhill skiing, XC skiing, ice climbing, snowmobiling, skating, running, etc.

I also believe that getting fresh air, especially in the winter, helps to keep me from getting sick.  I haven’t been sick with a cold or flu all winter.

Tell us about your love for outdoor activities. When did you discover your love for skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, running, and climbing?
With parents who are taxidermists and both hunt, fish, archery, etc., my sisters and I were probably destined to love the outdoors.  From age 5 through college my parents would take us to northern Ontario to fish for northern pike, walleye, musky and the elusive sturgeon.  Not only did we fish (we made our own fishing movies!  Babe Winkelman was our hero!), but my sisters and I got to explore. 

I took up skiing the same year I started skydiving (age 19) – both were with college friends.  I instantly fell in love with skiing.  I only made 14 skydives but enjoyed it.

Running is an activity that is easy and doesn’t require a gym, expensive gear and got me outside. My sister, Jill, inspired me and we ran our first marathon together (Chicago 1999).  I have since completed 12 marathons (including Boston as a bandit in 2005!)  Running is the basis for the other activities I do. It also helps me clear my head and focus.

Rock climbing is my absolute favorite sport!  I climb a couple times a year at Smith Rock near Bend/Redmond, Oregon.  It is known around the world for sport and trad climbing.  Before rock climbing, I would rappel at Vertical Reality (Gilboa) where my cousins Ron Koontz and Jeremy Mummert were instructors.  In 2009 I was on their rappelling team for Bridge Day – New River Gorge in West Virginia.  While rappelling I thought, wouldn’t it be a challenge to actually climb?  I decided I was going to learn to rock climb and Smith Rock was the place (I used to hike in the area and would always see people rock climbing).  I do some indoor climbing at Planet Rock in Pontiac, MI.

Rock climbing has recently led to an interest in mountaineering.  Last August I attempted Mt. Rainier (with IMG).  I spent the night at Camp Muir and in the early morning hours was sick to my stomach, nausea, headache (acute mountain sickness).  I am going to attempt the summit again this September, in addition to some peaks in Oregon. 

I also fell in love with ice climbing!  We have had fantastic ice conditions in the UP and I would encourage anyone interested in learning to ice climb to join us at the Michigan Ice Fest in Munising next year!

I was recently invited to join a group to the base camp of Everest next year… 

What is the most challenging rock climbing activity you've participated in? What did that involve? Were you scared?
Probably my first time climbing Monkey Face at Smith Rock.  It was on my bucket list.  It was May 2012 and during the last third of the climb it started to rain making the rock and holds slippery.  Monkey Face does have the shape of a monkey face with an open mouth (cave).  This is very exposed (aka Panic Point) and is a wild step out the east side of the cave which yields instant exposure.  It wasn’t so much the exposure as the slippery wet rock that made it such a challenge.  With my guide’s encouragement, I made it!  I climbed it again in October 2012 and it is one of my favorite routes. 

Does your husband enjoy the same sports? Do your daughters?
When we were dating we did a lot of hiking, camping and fishing and hope to do more of that this summer.  One of my criteria for marrying him was that he had to be “ski compatible”.  He is a strong skier and we ski well together (we almost died on a double black “Headwaters” at Moonlight Basin, MT but that’s another story!).  He took up running too.

We snowmobile every year in West Yellowstone, MT and ID.  Our girls are crazy on snowmobiles – they love it too!

Wynter has been downhill skiing since age 3 and Jessica enjoys skiing too.  Wynter and Jessica both have done some rock climbing and rappelling. 

How many snakes do you have by now?
We have a red amel corm snake named “Zeek”.  He is 2 ½ years old and over 48 inches long.  He is very tame and beautiful.  We had a ghost corn, “Xenia”, that has been missing for over a year…

What is on your "bucket list" of activities to tackle next?
1. The summit of Mt Rainier!  I was devastated coming off the mountain last year.  I got an early flight home, went to the airport and then called my Dad in tears.  Somehow a good talk with your Dad does a girl good.  I got myself together, assessed my mistakes and what I learned from the experience and signed up for a 2014 climb the following week.

2. Ice climbing at Hyalite Canyon (Montana) next year.

3. Iceland has always been on my bucket list.  In April my husband and I are going to Iceland with Falken Tire!  We will be doing a glacier trek and caving, along with sightseeing.  I am already packed and ready to go! 

4. Run the Great Wall China marathon (I ran on the Great Wall in 2008 with my Bluffton Univ cohort).

5. Run the Midnight Sun Marathon

6. Learn to scuba dive and go back to Beqa, Fiji

7. Get my Mom on a plane to California (she does not like to fly!) to see her sister.

8. Visit Switzerland since my family is Swiss. 

The list goes on and on…

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

There are two places that I love.  Bend, Oregon, because you can rock climb, hike, climb lots of peaks, ski Mt. Hood year-round, explore lava caves, fly fish on the Metolius and Deschutes Rivers and you are only a few hours away from the ocean!  You have the high desert, Cascades with various sub-climates and the ocean all within a hours of each other!

David and I enjoy Montana and are looking at land south of Ennis and near the famous Madison River! It feels like home when we are there.

I also love Chengdu, China and always thought an expat assignment there would be an incredible experience!