Where were you born?

Bluffton

What do you remember about your first house - the Emmert house - on Lugabill Road?

It had a pond and we had a playhouse on stilts. Later, the stilts were removed and it became just a playhouse.

Then your parents built a house on Augsburger Road. Did you like living in the country?

I hated being in the country - my sister, Sabrina, and I were just talking about this - when all of our friends were in town. They would ride their bikes everywhere...we still had to get into town first before riding our bikes.

Who sat beside you in first grade?

Well, my teacher was Canda Schmutz. I can't really remember who was in my class.

What did you learn from Dare?

The only thing I remember about Dare was they had a big presentation board with pills taped all over it. I wondered why they had those if you weren't supposed to have them.

What did you do for your science fair project?

(Brightening)....I got a superior and got to go on! It was "The most effective way to kill algae in ponds." I had little containers with pond water and algae all over the floor of my bedroom. To half of them, I added a chemical used to kill algae, and the other half, I covered with blue Saran wrap. You know how some ponds are tinted blue? That is supposed to inhibit the algae from growing. Turned out the Saran-wrapped containers won over those with the chemical. Since I got a superior, I had to keep the containers in my room for a few months and it stunk. My mom was really happy about that smell.

Did you ever get your card taken down?

Probably - forgot my homework. I was a nervous kid in grade school. I forgot about a science test once and forgot to bring home my science book. I had a nightmare about it.

Did you pass?

Yes.

How old were you when your dad started teaching you to play soccer?

Probably at birth. Really, though, probably 2 or 3. Dad started coaching Black Swamp soccer when I was 3. I was on my first team at age 4; I think Dan Garrett was my coach. I really liked soccer, but I actually skipped playing for awhile and switched to gymnastics. Then I switched back to soccer, but I think I really liked track better. Sabrina was the soccer player - she was really good.

Do you have any old soccer injuries?

A little arthritis in my wrist. We were playing Celina and someone knocked me on my face. I twisted my wrist underneath.

What car did you take your driver's test in?

It was a navy blue Honda Accord station wagon. Not good for a driver's test. I failed the maneuverability the first time because I hadn't been able to practice much.

Do you have a tattoo?

Yes - it's a sun on my left shoulder. I was 19. My parents didn't like it (then). I remember you (Mary) thought it was cool.

What did you do after graduating from BHS?

That was 1999. I went to Transylvania in Lexington, KY, and later transferred to BG, where I majored in sociology with a history minor. After living in Bluffton for awhile, I moved to Columbus and was a manager for Babies-R-Us. Then I saw a posting for a manager position with Lush, and ended up managing that store for three years. I recently moved to Lexington, KY, to manage another Lush store.

Describe Lush.

Lush is "fresh, hand-made cosmetics". The company is British, where most body products are called "cosmetics". The products are all vegetarian and about 75% vegan. Lush invents its own products and fragrances. There are only two factories in North America - both in Canada. No animal testing is involved.
Everything is literally made by hand, and there is a sticker on each item identifying the person who made it. Some of them develop followings. There's a guy named Reggie who everyone follows. Another guy named Nick is from Uganda - Lush raised the funds to send him back to Uganda to visit his family.
They have a "Charity Pot" project - it's a pot of lotion that costs $20.95. Lush donates the entire purchase price to a fund that supports small charities. The sticker on top of each pot represents one of the charities.

What do you like about working for Lush?

It's fun - maybe that's the sociology major in me - I enjoy talking to people. I like selling something that's environmentally safe. It's a small company and tightly controlled. There are 150 stores in North America, 700 stores total, and they don't franchise.

What's your favorite Lush product?

Cynthia Sylvia Stout (you know, Shel Silverstein's poem, "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout, Would not take the garbage out")....it's a shampoo made with beer and other ingredients that makes your hair shiny and smooth. They used to use Guiness but in North America, they use a vegan stout.

Are there opportunities to move up within the company?

Yes, they prefer to promote from within. I'd like to be a product trainer - someone who travels to different stores to train employees on new products.

What do you miss now that you no longer live in Bluffton?

You mean other than my niece, Kennedy? It's just a little quieter and doesn't take 20 minutes to get places.

How do you feel coming back to visit?

It's weird to come here now and not recognize people. Not having the third stoplight at the high school is strange.

Living in Lexingon, have you run into any other Blufftonites?

Yes! Tim Thompson is in law school at UK. I was working (her Lush store is inside a Macy's) and I saw his family running through Macy's at Thanksgiving.

What goals do you have for your future?

I'd like to get an MBA and perhaps, move up in Lush.