My silly, dear friend James started a Q&A series via e-mail among a group of former coworkers-turned friends. Each week featured a different member of The Group, aka TG, answering James’ bizarre, quizzical and intimate questions. The week of September 28 was my week…
James introducing the Q&A to follow: Good news, you animals! This week is Lindsay Holloway week! Lindsay Holloway is a writer, editor, snowboarder, lover of hunks and studs AAAAAND a figure of great importance and power in the go-go market research industry. Continue reading below to find out what Holloway shared about her bra size, gay marriage in Colorado, automobile maintenance and her taste in men. Also, just so you know, Holloway used a lot of emojis in her answers but they didn’t copy/paste very well into Gmail, so I had to use Google’s crappy yellow face emojis here. Stupid, crappy yellow faces. I hate them.
Q1: Hello Holloway. Let’s start with the obvious. You have too many e-mail addresses. Do you know this? When I try to e-mail you, I have to choose between your gmail, your professional e-mail, and TWO aol accounts! What in the world is going on here and why do you live like this? Explain the aol e-mail addresses because it’s 2015 and I need to know if I can delete them from my phone. Do you still use all of them? Why did you create so many? WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?
A: Let’s look at my e-mail addresses as a timeline, or even, as an evolution. First, it was babealicious01@hotmail.com. That was before my family had a computer, when I would check my e-mail (I have no idea who was sending me e-mail back then) at school or the library. Then, when my family got a Gateway computer as I entered high school, I upgraded to coboarderchic@aol.com because we got the hip, innovative AOL program free with our computer! I had just picked up snowboarding at the time, so of course I needed an e-mail address advertising that. I have Entrepreneur and stupid Amy Cosper to thank for leholloway34c@aol.com because in my newfound unemployment, I decided coboarderchic wasn’t an appropriate e-mail address for a resume – unless I was applying to work for Transworld Snowboarding Magazine, which is actually what I would have preferred. No, it wasn’t my bra size as some thought; it’s my student ID from Mizzou. It wasn’t until 2008 that I actually truly upgraded to Gmail. For some reason I had been resistant to it up until then. My techie then-boyfriend set it up for me and took it upon himself to change it to leholloway34b because he thought that was a more accurate bra size for me. Right around that same time, my friend bought me lindsayholloway.com for my birthday, and with it came lindsay@lindsayholloway.com (which is hosted through my Gmail account). Because I think the more important question is “Which e-mail should friends contact me at?” I would like to go on the record saying that this very last e-mail is THE one. You may receive e-mails from Gmail, but that’s just how the lindsay@lindsayholloway.com responses come back. We all good? Apologies for any confusion over the years. I think we can all look back and agree that I’ve grown quite a bit.
Q2: You live in Santa Monica, which is a city that I believe would be better off just sliding right into the ocean. But your westside LA lifestyle is probably pretty sweet: things within walking distance, the beach, the using of bicycles instead of cars. Paint a picture for us of what your hippie lifestyle is like over there in doucheland.
A: Yes, I loooove Santa Monica and all the things about it that you mention – mostly walking and biking everywhere. And that will get even better when they finish the metro line that goes all the way from Downtown to the Santa Monica Pier. You know what that means James? You’ll have even less of an excuse not to hang out. So much to do here, new great restaurants and bars all the time, hiking and beach volleyball and more within reach, lots within a short drive. I have truly enjoyed my time here and am grateful for Amy Cosper’s pink slip (delivered via telephone while I was on vacation), which is what pushed me out of Orange County and up to the greatness that is Santa Monica. That said, Los Angeles, California and this united nation all have other great neighborhoods and cities – Santa Monica is just one of many.
Q3: You’re a free spirit, with a penchant for moving where the wind takes you. You’re also a transplant, having come from Colorado via Missouri. Do you think California is worth it? Not just LA but the state. Take into consideration that California’s weed is more restricted than Colorado’s. Are you thinking of moving to another state? Why? Just relax and enjoy it here.
A: This is an interesting question, mostly because I’ve been thinking a lot about Colorado and how I may have missed my chance to move back home because now all the transplants going there for the weed and gay marriage have made housing prices skyrocket and the job market insanely competitive. I’ve always said I’ll move back home, but now if I do, not only will I look like one of the bandwagon-riders, but I’ll also be forced to pay the high rent because now it’s a trendy thing to live there. WTF?!
That said, I don’t think I’m ready to move back anyway. Despite how great Colorado is, I’m not ready to settle down (which is what I’d do in CO because it’s a great place to establish and raise kids). And despite how amazing Santa Monica is and how much I love my life here, I’m ready for a change. It’s been brewing for a good six months now; I’m ready for some new scenery – city, job, everything. 2016 is going to be a big/hectic/interesting/new year for me I think.
Q4: We used to be journalists but we sold out because dreams are for suckers. Tell us about your job and what it’s like leading a team of people. Do you think leadership is a natural talent or a learned skill?
A: Did we really sell out? Aren’t a lot of us still working in journalism or editorial to some degree? Interesting how this, too, stems from damn Amy Cosper. I don’t feel like I sold out, but instead just had to adjust in the changing journalism environment based on the crazy things happening in the digital world. You and I are older than most of the others, and when we went to college ages ago (via horse-drawn carriage), the digital age wasn’t happening yet. We didn’t know we were going to find ourselves jobless because magazines worldwide were going to go the way of the horse-drawn carriage.
Anywho, to actually answer your question… I was very reluctant to take on a management role because it meant I wouldn’t be working with words as a full-time job. I just never imagined myself not editing or writing for work. Buuut, seeing the opportunity to grow and having acquired a significant bossiness character trait, I accepted. I’m glad I did, because I really enjoy being a manager and I’ve had other great opportunities and experiences growing with this company (IBISWorld, market research firm). I think I’m lucky in that editors are pretty mild tempered with softer personalities. They don’t butt heads, they follow the rules and they don’t cause any problems. They make my job really easy. Ask me to manage a team of sales people (which could be a potential lateral move here) and that’d be an entirely different animal – one that I am not interested in managing. I absolutely love my team – six editors of varying tenure and skill level – and have really enjoyed seeing them grow. I’ve also learned a lot by being a manager: about learning styles, personality profiles, ways of teaching and communicating. I’m not the best manager by any means, and I have a lot to learn and improve on, but I’m happy to be able to put this on my resume.
Q5: I enjoy critiquing your taste in men. Do you think guys these days are lacking something in general, such as an awareness of how to actually interact with women as equals? I guess what I’m asking is: what do you think is wrong with dudes today?
A: Ugh, I don’t know, and I’m probably not the best person to ask because I only attract one type of guy: the insecure, needy, dependent, pussy. That’s NOT the type I prefer because I’m constantly left annoyed and suffocated and it never ends well, but that’s the type that is drawn to me. That is why I am STILL single. Waaa! But again, to answer your question… There is definitely something wrong with guys out here, and probably all over. I wasn’t in the dating scene back in Missouri or Colorado because of a 2.5-year relationship, so I can only comment on the knuckleheads out here. First of all, there’s something in the water because most are too short for me (I need 6’ or taller). But yes, you touch on one of the key issues: their inability to interact with women. I might blame the digital era again (and let’s just keep blaming Amy Cosper, too); it’s facilitating and condoning hookups and depreciating communication skills because now people only have to text or Gchat. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like talking on the phone – we’re all victims and enablers at the same time. It’s just unfortunate that a guy can’t properly approach a girl, have a nice conversation and then go on a date where sex doesn’t have to be the end (read: main) goal… Sigh… It is funny to think about my guys and your nicknames for them from back in Entrepreneur years: Go-Go, Hummer, Tito, Bball. I still talk to Bball to this day!
Q6: Do you still own your trusty Nissan? If so, good for you. That car is a workhorse and deserves an award. Do you think more people should learn to drive stick? I see all these losers riding around on little mini Segway machines that roll them around so they don’t have to walk. If you were ever given one as a gift, would you use it to get around your precious Santa Monica or would you sell it to me at a deep discount? (Full disclosure: I want one.)
A: Nissi is clunking along just fine. She had a rough couple months earlier this summer: new alternator and new idler pulley. Days after getting the new alternator, she clunked out 52 miles from home. After much deliberation, I decided to revive her; my friend and I spent $43 and 4.5 hours replacing the idler pulley ourselves so I could avoid the $400 it would cost at the shop and buy me at least another year. I’m happy that I know how to drive a stick and 10 years ago I would say that everyone should learn how to drive one. But now that they aren’t really manufacturing manual transmissions for standard vehicles anymore, I don’t think learning is necessary. It’s just fun – except when you’re in LA traffic. I secretly want to try a Segway too, but I wouldn’t be caught anywhere on it accept the boardwalk, where it’s completely acceptable.
Q7: Please explain your (wrong) love of Dave Matthews. Just…explain it please.
A: I don’t have a good answer here. I just think you either like DMB or you don’t. I like the style of music and the lyrics. I love dancing and singing along. I think every single artist in the band is super talented, and Stephan is especially dreamy ❤ ❤
Q8: In one word, please describe your personal “style.”
A: Fluid – I think this word works well in many facets of my “style”: personality, nature, clothing, in relationships.
Q9: You have the great privilege of having shared a sleeping space with me in what I think was a shoe closet when we went to Palm Springs. You also watched me hyperventilate over the amount of free food we got when we went to Vegas. So it’s safe to say we know each other intimately. During a zombie apocalypse, do you think we could survive as a team? Would you lead us to safety or would you ditch me and head off on your own? Have you ever shot a gun? I haven’t. Help me.
A: If that was a shoe closet, that person has a shit-ton of shoes! The closet fit a half-inflated mattress and two grown-ass adults. Let me start by reminiscing about those great times. It’s been so long that I’ve forgotten about some of the ridiculousness we took part in…. And the good times only continued as TG formed and expanded. I think we could survive as a team: we shared that shoe closet together, as well as a small broken pullout couch. You opened your home when my drunk-ass roommate Andrew was puking all over the house and I needed a couch to sleep on. And we have some legit brains and brawn between us – you’re Asian and I work out. [Ed. note: I am Asian and I work out.]
Q10: Out of three kids, you’re the oldest sibling. Do you ever see your sister or brother do something and think, “I taught that loser how to do that; they would be dead in a gutter without me.” For example, my sister thinks she taught me how to pronounce “yellow” because when I was a child, I would say, “jyello” kinda like with an Antonio Banderas accent if he was a pudgy little Asian boy. I’m sure I would have learned the correct pronunciation eventually on my own or from a much nicer person. Older siblings are laaaaame, younger siblings rule.
A: Wow, if that’s what she’s trying to claim, then let her have it. That’s pretty lame. I taught my siblings tons of cool stuff. First off, I was the child who received the brunt of all the rules and punishment, so they had it much easier later on. You’re welcome Jodie and Marshall! I taught my sister how to be cool at school by not being like me. I was kinda lame in high school and feel like I missed out; if I could do it over again, I’d definitely do things differently. I taught my brother how to snowboard; he is a rockstar on a snowboard now and I actually look up to him. And following this last family trip we went on – to the UK a month ago – I’m hoping I’ve helped expose them to all the greatness out there and helped spread the traveling bug. Ok, so otherwise, I can’t really think of anything else… Soooo, maybe I’m only slightly better than your sister. She’s hot, though, so that’s a plus.
lindsayholloway 