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Job Title
Co-Founder of College Transitions, a team of college planning experts committed to helping students and families transition to and through higher education.
Office location
Home office in South End, Historic Dilworth community and walking distance to Atherton Mill
Commute
Since I live in my office, I rarely leave. If commuting to meet with a student/family, I usually drive to nearby coffee shops around town.
What do you do during your commute?
I listen to music if driving. I pedal like crazy if I’m riding a Charlotte B-cycle to a meeting location in Uptown.
Phone
iPhone 6
Desk
Computer
MacBook Pro and Lenovo PC
Gadgets you can’t live without
iPhone and Garmin Edge 800 (for the road bike)
Do you listen to music while you work?
Definitely. Sources include Spotify, Pandora or Songza. I’ve been listening to a lot of N.C.-based bands lately, like Rob Nance, Sylvan Esso, River Whyless and a few others. I listen to a lot of folk/americana, classic rock, hip hop and more.
What software are you a power user of?
We use our own in-house software to manage student information.
What’s your favorite spot for a business lunch? Your order?
Dish in Plaza Midwood. I’d say 90% of the time I order the cajun meatloaf with mashed potatoes and honey-glazed carrots. I almost always order an extra biscuit.
Social media habits
Twitter is my go-to for news and information related to my work in higher education and college access, and I also use it to keep up with world news, entertainment, cycling, sports, etc.
To-do list manager
We use the Google business suite so we mainly rely on Google calendar. In addition, my two business partners and I meet frequently to discuss students and outstanding tasks.
What everyday thing are you really good at?
Hopefully making people laugh and enjoying life to the fullest. I was a class clown in K-12 and that more or less carried over into college except class time was all business, so I had to resort to having fun in campus clubs and organizations.
I am a firm believer that laughter is important for long-term health and so I try to go out of my way to make other people smile and let loose. My business partners are essentially like family and we’re always joking around and generally just having a good time.
What’s your one favorite thing about your job?
Our students are extremely diverse and they each have different backgrounds, credentials and interests, so how we provide guidance on the college admissions and financial aid process varies considerably. In other words, our work is not monotonous and always changing from day to day.
Best time-saving shortcut or Charlotte life hack
Check out Charlotte’s B-cycle. It’s super easy to use and it can get you from place to place in a short amount of time. It’s much better than sitting in traffic.
Sleep routine
Midnight (or later) to 7-8 a.m.
Where do you go around Charlotte to get away from the office?
Long rides on my bike, Dowd YMCA, Total Cyclist, Not Just Coffee in Atherton Mill, Craft Growler Shop and Tasting Room, Bulldog Beer & Wine
What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
Oatmeal, 1000 Faces coffee, waffles, and a smoothie mixed with banana, apple, blueberries, carrots, kale, and vanilla yogurt
If you weren’t doing your current job, what would you be doing?
Most likely some sort of administrative job in enrollment management at a college or university.
Best job advice you’ve received
If you wake up every morning and you enjoy what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
Last book you read (grade it on a A-F scale)
Murderers, Madmen & Lunatics by David Crowe, a lawyer and somewhat of a local legend in a town where I lived for five years, Athens, Georgia. The book consists of three short stories that each involve a personal injury lawyer named Johnny Mercury. While Mercury doesn’t play a starring role in all of the stories, they provide a comical look at characters who pass through Mercury’s world in some form or fashion, many of whom, as the title suggests, are murderers, madmen and lunatics.
If you like comedy, suspense, crime and mysteries, this is right up your alley. Do yourself a favor and read this book. Grade: A.
Last movie you watched (grade it on a A-F scale)
The Butler, on Netflix. Incredible story. Grade: A
What’s one thing people don’t know about Charlotte that they should?
This place has a lot going on and it has grown leaps and bounds in the time that I was away from North Carolina. It’s a progressive city with good people. I also like how the city is investing in the proper infrastructure to help move people around and this is important if we don’t want to have the same transportation problems as Atlanta.
Is there anything else that we didn’t ask that you’d like to tell our readers?
We’re the only college admissions consulting company in Charlotte with an extensive background in higher education. As doctoral-level researchers, we use our knowledge and skillsets to help families navigate the world of college admissions. Charlotte is an exciting place to be and we’re thrilled to be able to work with students and families in this part of North Carolina.
What other Charlottean would you like to answer these questions?
Alex Hannah. He’s a good friend of mine and a fellow entrepreneur who is making plans to open a homemade ice cream shop, Golden Cow Creamery, in South End in early 2016.
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