Written by Carissa Abazia
I hope this post is not the literary equivalent of sleeping pill, but I wanted to share eight fun facts about my personal life so you can get to know me better.
How did your childhood prepare you for your job today?
At the age of 6, my father told me his job was to “put families into homes.” At the age of 12, I knew what it meant to have an above average credit score. At the age of 15, I asked my father for a job. His response: “Sweetie, you’re going to have to apply for the job just like everyone else. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you, I just don’t give out free rides.” I applied and two interviews later, I was hired. In my twenties, I would sit in my father’s home office and listen to him talk to clients. And so it goes.
I began working in finance and real estate from a very early age. I was never forced into this career, but it makes sense why I gravitate towards it (and love what I do).
What’s your dream occupation – the one job you’d love to have if you weren’t doing what you’re doing now?
A travel blogger – all travel paid for and sponsored by National Geographic Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, and Travel + Leisure.
Do you have hidden talents most people don’t know about?
I wanted to be a fashion designer growing up, and am still fairly good at fashion illustration. I can play a rock version of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star on my guitar. I have “deep voice privilege.” I know all the words to “Baby Got Back.”
What one accomplishment are you most proud of?
Securing a job as a Spinal Sales Rep without any medical or sales experience.
What embarrassing mistake have you made that has taught you a lesson?
My first foray into Media & Communications was working as a PR Coordinator for a boutique firm in Sonoma County. I was asked to send out a pitch to 250 of the most important wine writers in the world. I wrote “Dear John” in the letter and accidentally did not replace “John” with “Media Contact First Name” before I hit “send.” The worst part: it wasn’t my name at the bottom of the letter, it was my colleague’s. Ooops!
The kindest and most empathetic response I received was: “Thanks for the pitch. My name is not John, it’s Robert. Technical glitches are bitches.”
I realized then how important it is to proofread your work. Mistakes and imperfections in any kind of work convey carelessness, and in the workplace, the stakes can be even higher.
What’s the most unusual item in your desk drawer?
An emergency survival blanket.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Reading Harvard Business Review while I break a sweat on the Stairmaster.
What’s on your Bucket List?
Travel the world.
Thanks for reading!
Carissa Abazia
@CarissaMortgage