WILDLY DIFFERENT - Key Persons
Growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, "playing" for a living just wasn't an option… which is why Austin set out to do exactly that. He moved to Florida to attend Full Sail University and currently works remotely from Los Angeles where his passion for music, entertainment, and entrepreneurship continue to grow!
Austin began his journey with Wildly Different while at school in FL working as staff for our team building events. But after getting to know all the WD ladies (and Jane's dogs), he felt like family! A short year later, he joined the team as the Marketing Manager and Special Ops Agent for Wildly Different. Working remotely from LA, Austin's role includes all things "wild" including graphic design, social media management, videography, and assisting with virtual and in-person travel events.
His loves include:
All things music! As a music major throughout college, member of 6 choir and jazz ensembles, and actor/dancer in various musicals, music is instilled in him!
DOGS! What started as a few dog-sitting gigs for friends and family has turned into a prolific side business for Austin with constant bookings. What's better than being surrounded by loving pups while you work!?
Food and restaurants. The list of new places to eat and drink never ends!
Exercising. Daily workouts have given him enough motivation and energy to never need coffee! (He also has to compensate for all the food consumed… right?)
Making people smile. He believes positivity and love are two of the most important parts of life and it's his friends and loved ones that make his life so great. He loves that his job is literally to make people smile!
Job Titles:
- Director of F & G ( Fun & Games )
When Lisa told her parents that she was going after a BS Degree in Leisure Services (a fancy term for Recreation), they were horrified. "Are you going to weave baskets for a living?" they asked. Many, many years later (she's not saying how many), she's one of very few people she knows that is still doing what they went to college for - and loving it!
She's married to Gary, who also worked in recreation right out of college (it was kismet). Lisa and Gary were at Florida State University together (go Noles!), but didn't know each other at the time, despite evidence from pictures that Gary used to hang out in the bar Lisa worked in!
Lisa is our resident health nut. She's a blast to go to restaurants with, so long as they have a gluten-free, dairy-free, no beef, low-sugar option (one bowl of ice coming up)! She's also a self-confessed workout-aholic. While most people like to relax on vacation, she can be found traversing mountains for 8 hours a day and has a bucket list of places she'd like to see while wearing her hiking boots. And when she's not outdoors, she's indoors listening to The Beatles (one of her go-to accessories is a Beatles record album purse) while putting together a jigsaw puzzle (she averages 2-3 1000-piece puzzles a week.
What she enjoys most about working at Wildly Different is that she never knows what the day will hold until her phone rings. She loves coming up with new ideas, creating proposals with crazy plays on words and traveling to new destinations.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Making It Happen
Job Titles:
- Extraordinary Experience Expert
Born in New York, Stephanie lived in Colombia, Alaska, and Oregon all before the age of 10. Although she is a mountain and cold weather lover through and through, Stephanie is proud to call the sunshine state her home. A graduate from the University of Central Florida (Go Knights!) with a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration and a minor in Nonprofit Management, Stephanie is passionate about volunteering and donating her time. In fact, it was while working at Give Kids the World where Stephanie discovered her love for the events world.
Stephanie was first introduced to the Wildly Different team in 2016 by her two BFFs, and began working events right away. When our team expanded in 2020, she hopped on the opportunity to work with us full-time. Stephanie connected with our Play Outside the Cubicle mantra right away and quickly gravitated to the variety that each day brings. As an Operations Manager, Stephanie enjoys working with different people, at different locations, and the excitement of executing unique events that challenge her creatively. Not to mention the fact that she gets to work with lifelong friends AND a team of AMAZING, FUN, and WONDERFUL people!
Stephanie loves:
Her Colombian heritage. She believes that words simply do not cut it for how yummy Colombian food is. She's also 100% confident her mother makes the BEST empanadas.
Coffee… it is her source for life.
Traveling! Nothing makes Stephanie feel more alive than traveling and discovering the best new spots to grab a bite - and the adventure can only be made better when it's combined with a concert or festival!
Dogs! Though she doesn't have any pets of her own, she describes herself as that person you see in a meme who greets and plays with the dog first!