Blog it forward - Kara Lutley

[former_member195257]

My colleague marcusm asked me to join in on this BIF!  It is a fun way to learn not only about blogging on SCN, but also about my fellow colleagues!

Those of you, who are not familiar with the "Blog It Forward Challenge", please read Moshe Naveh’s blog [http://scn.sap.com/community/about/blog/2012/08/20/blog-it-forward-community-challenge]

I am a field solution engineer in the central region for Business Intelligence in Dallas, TX. I focus on communicating the value that our solutions can offer our customers to become best run businesses. I am originally from a small town in northern Connecticut, which is where I developed my love for the fall.  Some other things I am passionate about are: the New England Patriots, Tennis, my family and friends, and my beloved TCU Horned Frogs; I bleed purple through and through!

Here are the questions I was asked to answer:

1. What was your dream job as a kid?
   • My dream job as a kid was to be an architect.  My interest in this was first sparked when my parents began designing our new house when I was
     6.  I loved getting to watch the architect draw out these blueprints and talk about how all the different elements worked together.  Our new house was also the 3^rd on the block, so I grew up around these architects, coming in and designing these homes and loved watching the process of a piece of land turning into a beautiful two story house each with their own unique style and design. When I got to high school I actively started pursuing this dream… until I took geometry and realized that is basically what I would be doing for the rest of my life.  Needless to say after that my dream of becoming an architect and I mutually decided to part ways, and I moved on to my next dream job, becoming an Olympic figure skater… I’ll keep you posted on that turns out.
2. What is your favorite place in the world?
   • My favorite place in the world is Newport, RI.  The first time I went there was about 7^th grade… and I just fell in love. I love how no matter where you are on the island, it feels like you are just steps away from the ocean (because you are).  My favorite attraction in Newport is visiting Rosecliff Mansion which is a part of a group of magnificent mansions built during the gilded age.  I love hearing all the ridiculous stories about families who had rooms built with pure gold ceilings in France, then disassembled, shipped to the U.S. and reassembled in their house.  A few of my other favorite activities to do on the island include: taking walks along the cliff walk, shopping down at the pier, and eating the best clam chowder I have ever tasted at the Black Pearl.  I have been to Newport almost every single year since 2000, and every time I leave I immediately start counting the days until I am back!
   • 
3. What was the most fun project you ever participated in and why?
   • My senior year of college I was enrolled in a digital marketing class.  In this class our main project was running a charity event for the
     United Way called “Taco Week” and using social media to promote it.  We were in charge of creating the Facebook page, twitter account, website, blogs, etc.  We also learned how to use Google adwords to help our SEO, and Google analytics to track the activity of our sites. It was the first time I had used social media for business purposes; it really gave me an ‘AHA! Moment” and made me see the impact that it can have on an event (or brand).  I also love working with nonprofits, so the fact that I was getting trained on a very useful tool, getting college credit all while doing something I love (and getting to eat tacos for a week at the end of it) definitely made this project sky rocket to the top of favorite things I have ever done.  And FYI… we raised $5,000 at the first ever Fort Worth Taco Week!
4. If you could have any job, money and skill are not an issue, what would you wake up everyday and do with your time?
   • If I could have any job, and skills were not an issue- I would be an olympic athlete.  Not just for one sport however, for all of them.  I would compete in figure skating, bobsledding, skiing, gymnastics, swimming, tennis... and many many more!  This would be my dream because I love playing sports/watching sports/reading about sports... basically anything that involves sports, so getting to do that for my job would be the best!

Now its time to blog it forward to with these questions:

1. What was your dream job as a kid?
2. What is your favorite place in the world?
3. What was the most fun project you ever participated in and why?
4. If you could have any job, money and skill are not an issue, what would you wake up everyday and do with your time?

markstearns sarah.lavelle