Team Retreat 2024 Agenda and Info

We had such a great time last year in Mexico that we decided if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, so get ready for Cancún segunda ronda (i.e. round 2)!  Although we’re heading back to Cancún again, we’re mixing things up a little by heading to a new resort. Scroll below for the Who, What, Where, and When of this year’s tropical team rendezvous.

Team Resort

This year, everyone will be staying at the Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya. Let’s take a walk through the resort description to give us all a preview of what’s to come.

Escape into luxury at Secrets Akumal. Ideally located in the heart of the Riviera Maya along the famed white-sand Akumal beach, this all-inclusive resort fuses elegant décor and original design with elements of nature. With a Mayan name meaning “place of the turtle,” this AAA Five Diamond resort is renowned for its beautiful beach, calm Caribbean waters, and green sea turtle population. Enjoy a picturesque hideaway with winding walkways, secluded pools, and world-class spa with our signature Unlimited-Luxury experience.

Well that all sounds pretty fantastic! Secrets Akumal is an all-inclusive resort. So, with only a few exceptions, we can eat and drink to our hearts’ content. A couple of things to note though, the ‘experiences’ such as the spa, bike tours, and snorkeling are not part of the all-inclusive package. You are on your own to set up reservations for any of the experiences, massages, or other spa pamperings they offer, at your expense.

Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya
Carretera Federal 307 Km 254 + 600, 77760
Akumal, Q.R., Mexico

Travel Details

Everyone is scheduled to fly into the Cancun International Airport during the day on Friday, September 6th. We have organized the flights to bring people into Cancun in groups, to make travel to the hotel easier.

All arrivals are in local time in Cancun, which is ET (Wild, right?)
Austin Crew – arrive 10:50am
Denver – arrive 2:50pm
SC Crew – arrive 3:20pm 

Travel time from the airport to the resort is about an hour. We will have shuttles arranged to take each group to the hotel upon arrival at the airport. Stay tuned for more info on the shuttles as we get closer to the retreat!

Itinerary – What, Where, and When?

Friday, September 6th

• Everyone arrives at the hotel throughout the day & gets settled.
• Team dinner – time TBD, depending on group arrival times.

Saturday, September 7th

• Pool/Beach Day! The crew will hang out at the pool and/or beach throughout the day. We will set up a home base area with cabanas or a few swim-out rooms. 
• Lunch – Lunch will be on the fly depending on options near the pool/beach.
• Team Dinner – time and restaurant TBD (7:00 PMish)

Sunday, September 8th

• Free Day. Sleep in, go to the ocean, have a spa day, float in the pool, bake in the sun, or anything else you want to do. You can pair up if you’d like to do activities together or zen out solo… It’s all up to you. 
• NFL Opening Day! We’ll likely see if we can post up somewhere and catch some football.
• Team Dinner – time and restaurant TBD (7:00 PMish)

Monday, September 9th

• Travel Day – a tired, tanned, and happy crew shuttles back to the airport throughout the day.

Items to Bring

Average temperatures in Cancun should be a toasty 90 during the day and 75 at night. We will be spending a lot of time at the pool, on the beach, and generally catching rays. So, pack accordingly!

• Sunscreen – Is it possible to pack too much sunscreen? No. It’s not. 
  
• Umbrellas – This time of year tends to bring in a daily thunderstorm or two, so it might be useful, but definitely not required. 
• Sandals, flops, or water shoes – you want your feet tanned, not your soles scorched.
• Swimsuits and other pool wear – guys who wear speedos get extra points… if laughter counts as points. 
  
• Shorts, t-shirts, and anything else hot weather casual – sandals with white socks, maybe half shirts (they were big in the 1980s).
• Team dinner attire – we will generally plan on eating at casual restaurants, however, a few dinner options have a dress code of ‘casual elegance’ which require guys where long pants.
• Sunglasses – don’t be the one who has to buy sunglasses at the resort for triple their normal cost!
• Hats – especially ones that can get wet. Don’t mistakenly pack your ‘board meeting’ smartwool beanie.
• Pool floaties, goggles, snorkels, full scuba gear… whatever floats your boat that you want to bring from home. 
• Yeti tumblers – This is an all-inclusive resort pro tip to bring, as your drinks will melt a lot slower than in the plastic cups from the pool bar. However, Yetis are so effective that a frozen drink may just freeze solid (happened last year), so be prepared. 

Bios, Pics, and Icebreaker Questions!

Just like every year, we have a few new folks attending the Summit this time around, so we updated this section of pics and bios for everyone. If you’re looking for a topic to start a convo with someone new or you just want to hear a story you may not have heard before, check out everyone’s icebreaker question. 

Please note – these haven’t all been updated for 2024 yet, but we figure they are still a good starting point. Stay tuned for updated bios ahead of the trip!

Khris & Mary Anne

Khris Thayer – CEO

I co-founded OPTIZMO with Grant in late 2008/early 2009.  Before OPTIZMO, I had a diverse range of entrepreneurial and corporate endeavors, from Pawn Shops and Brokerage Firms in both Insurance and Finance to Venture Capital for Patent Research, Telecom Sales, and M&A.  Some of these endeavors were quite successful, others…not so much.  OPTIZMO, thankfully, continues to do well through our 15th year so far and we have no reason to believe that will change anytime soon!

I have 3 kids (Ethan – 24, Rivers – 4, Kai – 3) and 2 grandkids (Asher – 2 & Kinsley – 1).  I am very passionate about music, watersports, boats, and cars (..and snowboarding! Don’t forget snowboarding Khris!).  A bit of a gypsy soul and hedonist at heart, although the wanderlust has been kept at bay since living on Lake Travis (Austin, TX), where May May, Rivers, Kai, and I spend most of our free-time.

Fun Facts:

• My drink of choice is an Old Fashioned and I love a good bourbon, but on lake days, Deep Eddy Ruby Red Vodka or Dripping Springs Vodka are my “go-to”.
  
• I met both Grant and Dave in California circa 2006, where shortly after (circa 2008) Grant relocated back to Australia (with his wife, Jessica) and I relocated back to Texas.  We started a think-tank, called Esoteric Banter (of which I credit much of the foundational elements, relationship building, and motivation needed to launch OPTIZMO with Grant.)
  
• During my time in CA, I also befriended a telecom customer of mine, named Becky (who later returned to living in Charleston, SC.  Becky had also become friends with Grant, Jessica, and Dave at that time).  Her wedding in Charleston is where I first met Jake and Brian’s wife (then girlfriend), Laura and her family.  Brian would later become part of the OPTIZMO family through Jake.
  
• For much longer than most people realize or can fathom, OPTIZMO was operated by only 4 team members:  Grant, Jake, Dave, and Myself supporting hundreds of clients from SMB to Fortune 500 Brands and Agencies.
  
• I once worked for UnsubCentral (formerly, a large competitor of ours and the “then” leaders in Suppression List Management and Email Compliance) for exactly 72 days, presenting them with the business plan, scope documentation, and re-architectural spec proposal that Grant and I would later use to launch OPTIZMO.
  
• In 2009, 1 of my closest Industry Friends and Strategic Partners, Matt Frary (Founder of ROI Rocket & Smarter Chaos) sat in his Audi TT just outside the Red Room in Denver, CO and promised to help each other grow our businesses and always keep our ears to the ground and watch each other’s back while we had a few bigger players in the space gunning for us.  We always lived up to that promise and 8 years later (2017), Matt recommended I reach out to a friend of his, named Tom Wozniak, and that is how Tom ended up joining the fam.
  
• Jonathan Salas and I have known each other since childhood and grew up in the same town that Jon currently resides in, today, with his family.  Jon has helped me over the past 12+ years with music, videography, and photography (helping me fulfill some dream/passion projects as well as capturing many monumental moments outside of OPTIZMO – He has produced every bit of music that I’ve worked on since 2012, was our wedding videographer and photographer, and as recently as April, Jon helped me create a tribute video for my Mom’s funeral).  To our benefit as a team, Jon agreed to join OPTIZMO, heading up all visual marketing aspects and creative direction within that same context.

I strongly believe that personal relationships play an integral role in strengthening business relationships and OPTIZMO’s culture has, by design, embraced that philosophy (both, internally with team members and externally with customers/end-users).

Icebreaker – Ask Khris about the time he was kidnapped with Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) during a SXSW after-party. DO NOT ask Dave or Jake about anything to do with Khris, as it would all be lies and Khris will “deny deny deny” all but the good stuff.  (They’ve been friends too long and you’ll never know what to believe.  They work really hard at trying to maintain each other’s street-cred and sense of mystery.).

Mary Ann Thayer

My name is Mary Ann, but friends call me May or May May.  I am a former Affiliate Marketing Industry veteran (or victim, depending on how you look at it), who’s Uncle (Cort St. Paul) co-founded HitPath with Sam Prokop. Sam and Cort invested in my start-up company (a mobile tailgating app) fresh out of college at the University of Alabama (RMFT!!!) before tricking me into becoming a performance marketing alum, working in sales and support for HitPath’s Affiliate Tracking Software. Fun fact- Alabama has won 18 national championships and Clemson has won…3 (sorry Jake). Being in the industry for several years led me to become friends with the OPTIZMO team, specifically Khris and Jake. If you had told me 6 years ago that Khris and I would be married and have two beautiful girls AND that Jake would be the Best Man at our wedding, I would have laughed and said, “no way!!” Here I am now, often pinching myself to see if all of this is real. But enough with all the mushy gushy stuff.

I spend most of my time with our 2 beautiful baby girls (Rivers and Kai), our 3 dogs (Roux Breeze, Poet, and Lyric), and trying to keep Khris sane (whether or not he was ever sane prior to our relationship is still unconfirmed). I enjoy the outdoors, am an avid runner, and prior to being a full-time momma, I enjoyed pet photography (or pawtography), which I hope to get back to someday soon. I am a lover of music and have a wide, eclectic variety of musical tastes from growing up in New Orleans. I’m also a big foodie, which is also a result of being from New Orleans.

As of last year, snow skiing became my new found obsession!

Icebreaker – Ask May May about auto theft and about Jake chasing Khris chasing May May in a cab, through the French Quarter.

Jake

Jake Dearstyne – CRO

Born and raised New Yorker (upstate!) turned adopted Southerner. Charleston is home and has been for most of the last 23 years, but I do hear the mountains calling and visit the Blue Ridge in Western NC as often as possible.

I spend most of my non-working time with my lady Val and her daughter, June.  We’re a pretty goofy group, and we play a lot of games, listen to music, watch movies and get to the beach or pool pretty often.  Spending time with our families is very important.  Getting used to a step-dad type of role has been a pretty amazing experience for me.

I’m a big big fan of good food (pretty much any Asian flavor including Indian are my faves), beer (a nice crisp lager is my Summertime go-to), going to the gym, skiing, dogs, hummingbirds, blue/purple flowers, NY Giants and Clemson Football, Yankee Baseball, hot dogs, Legos, bowling, The Office, a good crime drama, Sci-Fi books, nice people, and a dark, cold room to sleep in.

Icebreaker – Let’s talk travel!  I’ve visited 28 countries and have 2 more in the plans for this year.  

Brian

Brian Culp – EVP of Sales and Client Services

I was born and raised in Scottsdale, AZ but now call Charleston, SC home.  It was in 2011 I was getting stir-crazy living in the same place and since Laura already had family in Charleston, it was an easy decision to move and test it out.  During our time in Charleston, Laura and I got married and had two kiddos (Lucy: 10, and Wesley: 7) and we don’t see ourselves leaving (Charleston or the kiddos).

I joined the OPTIZMO family in 2016 and it has been, and continues to be, a fun ride. I’m very grateful for the team that we have!  

Lucy, our daughter, loves all things sports currently playing soccer, basketball, volleyball, surfing, and snowboarding (From Lucy – thank you Mr. Khris for letting me go on the work trip with Dad.  I had so much fun!!  I hope we can do it again.  Wes says thank you too 🙂).

Wesley, like his sister, is active in sports as well, where he plays soccer, bodyboards, and snow skis. 

Our fur babies are Sadie the Lady and Sarge is in Charge (though he is not – Sadie is the one in charge…we should probably give him a new nickname).

Icebreaker – Ask Brian how he made Bill Murray feel uncomfortable.

David & Elena

David Prickett – Senior Director – Sales Engineering & Account Management

Having worked with OPTIZMO for the past 12 years, David has enjoyed growing with the company from its start. He has over 27 years of business development experience in the recycling, coaching and real estate industries. He has also owned, operated, and funded several of his own businesses.

David invests his free time managing a 45-acre Nature Preserve / building & teaching off-grid energy production and sustainable water recycling. He is also a passionate cryptocurrency/ blockchain investor and advocate. What David has come to believe is that living the adventure is so much more important than working all the time and just talking about living the adventure.

Fun Fact: David is literally a life saver. On his first day at his first job out of college, it was a company picnic. As he sat at a picnic table with a big group of his new co-workers, the guy across the table started choking. No one else at the table moved. David calmly walked around the table, executed the Heimlich Maneuver and got the guy breathing again. Now that’s how you make a first impression at your new job. Why none of the other co-workers wanted to help is an open question to this day.

Icebreaker: Dave has new teeth. Ask him to show them to you…real close like. He won’t bite.

Elena

Elena Pulido was born in Mérida, Mexico, where she began her academic journey studying business administration. Her adventurous spirit led her to live in Canada for eight years, an experience that enriched her personal and professional life.

With a diverse career path, Elena has worked in sectors such as hospitality and retail, where she has had the opportunity to perform both administrative and customer service roles. Her last position was in an art gallery, where she combined her love of culture with her professional experience, standing out for her ability to communicate in three languages: Spanish, English and French.

After living eight years in Canada, Elena has adapted to a new environment while raising and watching her 8-year-old daughter grow. As a full-time mother, she values every moment with her daughter and seeks to balance her family responsibilities with her personal interests.

Her love of nature is reflected in her appreciation for sunsets, moments that she enjoys contemplating. In addition, she is an enthusiast of dance and music; She loves participating in karaoke sessions and staying active through exercise and walks.

With a life full of enriching experiences and a positive approach to the future, Elena continues to explore new opportunities while cultivating her passion for life and family.

Elena feels deeply grateful to David for inviting her on this adventure and looks forward to meeting his great OPTIZMO team.

Natalie & Chloe

Natalie Fairist – Executive Assistant to the CEO & Administrative Director

I joined OPTIZMO in March of 2022 in a very ‘odd’ & serendipitous way.  I wasn’t looking for a job, Khris wasn’t looking for an assistant, yet through a few social media posts, some off humor jokes, Zoom calls with Jake & my never ending love for music festivals… here I am!  

Tom was amazing enough to write my bio for me last year & I love it so much that I’ve had a hard time changing anything about it! (Editor’s note: Tom is an amazing writer, so this is no surprise.) So this year, we’ll have a mix of both!!

Tom 2022 ”Natalie joined OPTIZMO in 2022 and fairly quickly jumped in with both feet by joining Khris, Jake, Brian, Tom, and Jon in Toronto for Affiliate Grand Slam. Fortunately, she appreciates highbrow humor of the 13-year-old boy variety – which this team has honed to a fine art.”

It’s my favorite kind of humor!! LOL

I was born & raised in Texas, with my older brother.  I was a “Tom-Boy”.  While all of the little girls were running around in pink skirts & big bows in their hair, I was always outside with the guys… tangled hair, ripped up jean shorts & spider-man shirts, playing in the dirt & loving on every bug, lizard, stray puppy & orphaned bird that I came across.  I climbed fruit trees for snacks, drank from the water hose & ran through corn fields.  As I got older, I added go carts, video games, comic books, music & brushing my hair to the mix.  My sense of humor never aged.   

Tom 2022 “A perfect day for Nat at OPTIZMO definitely involves being on the phone with various ADP reps for several hours, while fielding questions about prescription coverage from her favorite OPTIZMO team member (she knows who I’m talking about). When she’s not wrangling benefits and other vendors, she tries to generally keep things organized with the crew (i.e. trying to herd cats).”

No truer words have ever been typed!!  LMAO!!

A good portion of my job with OPTIZMO is spent on the phone or Zoom & Huddles.  Herding Cats is an understatement on some days!!

I came into my position at a time where many admin policies were being created & ideas that had been sitting on shelves for years, collecting dust, were finally starting to see the light of day & a duster.  Some days are grueling & seem never ending.  Tons of brain power & staying on top of the “to do” list… but other days are beautiful & if i’m being honest, even magical.  Those are the days that you don’t want to end.  I’ve witnessed ideas come to life with this team.  I’ve witnessed love & passion with this team – towards each other, our clients & our individual responsibilities that keep this machine successful & moving forward.  I adore our team & get excited every time that we all get to see each other & share our creative energies, amazing food & of course, a few drinks over lots of laughter.  

Tom 2022 “Before becoming a part of the OPTIZMO crew Nat spent many years working in the food & bev industry. She did everything from managing multiple restaurants to bartending and working music festivals.” 

I started working at the age of 12 years old.  Grabbed my first “legal” job at 16 & was promoted to manager by the age of 17.  Most of my life has been in the Service Industry & although I’ve never been labeled as a “server” or “janitor”… when you’re running bars/nightclubs/restaurants, etc, you cannot be successful if you don’t jump in with your team & lead by example.  My philosophy is & has always been – be honest, move with integrity & never ask someone to do something that you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself.  

I’ve run restaurants that had a capacity of 300 – 5,000 people.  I was an E.A for several years… several years ago.  I’ve toured with the Howard Stern crew doing Grand Openings of nightclubs around the US.  I’ve opened & managed retail establishments, consulted with business owners on ‘best practices’ & setting up vendors, payroll & inventory processes, etc.  I’ve also been a bartender/manager at some of the coolest music festivals & private events out there.  Because of my deep roots in the service industry, I still work music events every chance I get.  

Tom 2022 “When it was time for a change, she decided that something quiet, sedate, and utterly routine would make sense. Clearly she couldn’t find that, so she instead found a home with OPTIZMO.”

Hahahaha!!  All of this! 

Tom 2022 “Outside of work, Nat takes care of a variety of household pets. Ask her about, Ozzy, if you want to learn more about one particular avian member of the menagerie.” 

Oh, Baby Ozzy, the emu! I’m sure that everyone has seen pictures of Ozzy by now.  I do have a small zoo at home & Ozzy is the biggest by far. I have 4 dogs (one is a foster puppy that needs a forever home…. Any takers??? 😀), 3 cats (one is a 3 legged foster that needs a forever home….any takers??? 🤗), 2 doves, several chickens & a foster duck that has finally found her forever home!! All of the other creatures live in Terrariums or Aquatic set ups.  Axolotls with their tank mates of bristle nose plecostomus-mystery snails-ghost shrimp & more. We have several Betta, a Koi pond, African Clawed Frogs, several color variations of Ball Python snakes, a Hognose snake, Mexican Fireleg Tarantula, a colony of Hissing Cockroaches, 3 Whites Tree Frogs, a Leopard Gecko, 13 year old Sulcata Tortoise & possibly other things that I’m forgetting about.

Other creatures in my life, include my two kiddos. Most of you have met my daughter, Chloe. She is 20 years old & still lives at home for the time being.  She is a very loving soul & although she can make me crazy sometimes, that girl holds my heart.  My son, Austin, is 23 years old & currently lives in the Dallas area with his fiance. He’s just as hard-headed as his Momma & his fiance is as goofy & mental as my entire side of the family.  Those two need all the prayers they can get! 🙏😂  

Odds & ends: I have about 5,000 plants in & around the house. I love the outdoors & my favorite season is Fall. I love camping. Not “glamping”… but actual camping. ⛺ Music is always playing around me, in one form or another. I cannot sleep in a silent room. I love Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy movies. I have hundreds of comic books & comic encyclopedias. I still own a VCR, original Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Xbox 360 & all of the Playstation Consoles, except the PS5, but it’s on the list. Classic cars & especially old planes hit my soul. I believe in ghosts & love “haunted” places. I’ve been told that I must have some sort of ADD, but I like to refer to things in my life as “Quests”. Each day, I have a quest to complete… I just happen to run into a million side quests on my way to the main quest… therefore, I’m just gaining more experience & knowledge as I go about my day! LOL

My +1 for our trip is Tina Albus. I was living in Round Rock, TX when Tina & her family moved in across the cul-de-sac from me. (roughly 15-17yrs ago)  Our kiddos became best friends & as Halloween/Birthday Parties, Taco Night’s, UFC brawls, Concerts & other milestones in life continued to join us together… our families became inseparable. To this day, Tina is one of my favorite humans on this planet. 🥰

I am an open book, so feel free to ask any questions during our quests in Cancun! There may be a few pages that are missing from my “book” & you’ll know if you come across one of those sections by the blank look on my face after you ask a question…. but we can just adlib with the info from the pages before & after those lost tidbits & keep chuggin along! 😀

Icebreaker – Ask how it feels to have snake teeth removed from your knuckles – or – what kind of scar a Coati can leave on your abdomen. 😬

Chloe Fairist

Coming soon!

Gina & Markus

Gina Spano – Client Services Manager

Tom & Schlena

Tom Wozniak – COO

I joined the OPTIZMO team in 2017 and head up all of the company’s operations, marketing and communications, along with overseeing the content and ad operations for FigJam Publishing. I grew up outside of Chicago and am a lifelong Cubs, Bears, and Bulls fan. If being a fan of losing teams for most of your life builds character then I am clearly overflowing with character. I moved to Denver in 1995, leaving behind the wonderful midwest winters for the sunny skies and thin air of the Rockies. I joined my first digital marketing dot com a few years later (MatchLogic) and got to experience the unique office culture of a pre-bubble dot com (beer on tap at all times, video games, pool, foosball, and company meetings that involved founders throwing stock options in the air like confetti). I have spent the last 25 years in and around digital and affiliate marketing and ad tech, when I wasn’t mountain biking, snowboarding, hiking, and whitewater rafting, among other required Colorado activities (like eating green chili – Coloradans love our green chili). I have a Master’s degree in English but the only diploma hanging on my office wall is the one I earned from Bartending College. I met my much better half, Schlena, in a real estate meeting where we happened to sit next to each other. Despite her better judgment, we got married in 2006 in Golden, CO. We have two grown up (and out of the house!) kids at 27 and 28 years old. I would say we are empty nesters, expect for our two Bernese Mountain Dogs, Oliver and Winston, who I swear take up as much of our time as small children. We also welcomed out first grandchild to the world earlier this year! In my spare time, I love to read, take on whatever new landscaping project Schlena comes up with, and have also been known to work out occasionally (if every morning at 5:00am is occasionally). My signature drink is most definitely the Moscow Mule. But, I’m flexible, and when I’m in Vegas you’ll see me with a Vodka Red Bull, in Austin, the Ruby and Sprite tends to show up (I blame Khris for that one!), and in Mexico, the Rum Runner has been the go-to for a few years now. This year… who knows?

Random Life Highlights – I was a shy, skinny kid growing up and if you told him he would get into weightlifting or enjoy speaking at industry events, he would have probably thought you were smoking crack. I’ve met one U.S. President (Bush Sr.) and multiple presidential candidates (which comes from going to college in IA during a Presidential primary year), worked concert security for legendary bands like Kool & The Gang, John Cougar Mellencamp, Aerosmith, Guns and Roses, Loverboy, Sting, Jimmy Buffet, Barry Manilow (he was such an ass), and Santana, among many others. I did draw the line at Debbie Gibson and Tiffany and made sure to have those nights off. I write left-handed (poorly if you’ve ever seen my handwriting), but throw a baseball right-handed, which makes me either somewhat ambidextrous or just confused.

Icebreaker – Ask Tom for the weirdest/funniest stories from his first dot com (Wholepeople.com), which range from a senior exec who regularly saw imaginary bunnies in the office (no mushrooms involved), to one VP who was known only as ‘Bandana Ponytail Guy.’

Schlena Hollingsworth

Schlena grew up in both Colorado and Iowa, and wisely decided to make her adult home in CO. Nothing wrong with Waterloo IA, but is it really where you want to live? She has been a Realtor since 2004, getting her license in time to experience the real estate crash of 2008 and became one of Colorado’s most successful short-sale agents. Tom and Schlena actually met when they happened to sit next to each other in a real estate class. She is also an interior design expert (she literally has a ‘design room’ in the house) who has helped plenty of real estate clients, friends, and family design and decorate their homes. She and Tom have purchased and renovated 8 homes over the years, turning most of them into rentals or eventual flips. They finally started taking on more of the renovation projects themselves in 2020, learning on the fly how to completely gut and replace a kitchen and then in 2022 renovate an entire condo. She is also very handy with a nail gun and enjoys refinishing furniture when the right piece shows up on Facebook Marketplace. Don’t get her started on the merits of chalk paint vs. stain, unless you really want to know. In her spare time she loves reading urban fantasy novels (Tom calls them vampire romance/porn novels), pilates, kickboxing, Zumba, landscaping, investing, and scuba diving somewhere tropical. Cozumel is her favorite diving location, although Belize and Fiji were also amazing. Her bucket list includes diving with great white sharks at Isla Guadalupe, visiting the Grand Canyon, and the Redwoods.

Random Life Highlights – Schlena wouldn’t describe herself as a thrill-seeker, but she has been skydiving, climbed a 14er, scuba dove (dived?) with sharks, has rafted class V rapids, taken sewing classes, along with handgun and ‘surviving deadly force’ training. She is also naturally a much more accurate shot with a handgun than Tom. At any given time, she might have blonde, brown, or red hair. She isn’t much of a drinker, but when she gets in the mood, it generally involves shots. She loves animals and the only thing keeping her from keeping chickens and goats in the backyard are some pesky HOA rules.

Icebreaker – Ask Schlena about investing and retirement planning. She literally dreams about these things.

Anissa & Liz

Anissa Reyes – Ad Ops/Marketing Coordinator

¡Hola damas y caballeros y bienvenidos a la tierra de mis antepasados!

To answer everyone’s question — yes, I’m Mexican and while in Mexico, I probably won’t shut up about it. With that being said, you can rely on me for any Spanish speaking needs at a classroom-level proficiency. Here’s a key phrase to know for the weekend: ¿Me das una margarita, por favor?

I am so excited to be back for another retreat with this awesome crew. I have had a great first year as a full-time employee with OPTIZMO working on the FigJam side of things and watching our websites grow.

I am a San Antonio native who ended up in Austin to attend The University of Texas at Austin. (Hook ‘Em Horns!!!) During my time in college, I landed a few gigs, my personal favorite being babysitting for Khris and May. The two of them, plus Rivers, Kai, and the pups quickly became family to me and now I take every opportunity to go over and raid their fridge for leftovers.

In all seriousness, while babysitting, Khris, May, and I had many conversations about my ambitions, work ethic, and professional interests. One thing led to another and I met good ole Tom who interviewed me then offered me an internship with OPTIZMO and eventually a full-time role after graduation. Thanks, buddy (you too, Khris)!

This past year — my first year post-grad — has been full of lots of travels, personal growth and cuddles with my 1-year old cat, Toast. My most recent trip was to Mexico City where I got to see the Aztec pyramids. Unfortunately, I did get Montezuma’s revenge and skeeter syndrome (happy to explain this one) but nevertheless I had a blast! In my free time I enjoy going to yoga, making jewlery (check out my Insta page @charmed.you), listening to podcasts and playing with Toast, of course.

I’m so excited for this weekend and looking forward to utilizing my Spanish speaking skills and soaking up the sun in the motherland!

Icebreaker: If you don’t already know… Ask me about my plans for this coming Fall.

Elizabeth (Liz) Garcia

Hi there!

My name is Elizabeth Garcia but you can call me Liz! I am a senior at the University of Texas at Austin studying Advertising and am graduating in December (that being said I don’t know if I’ll ever have the “so what’s next” question figured out). I met Anissa because she and my older sister were roommates in college and we ended up hitting it off…now we can see who her favorite sister is (me). Together, Anissa and I love going to yoga at our favorite studio called Black Awan. Not sure if it’s for the yoga or the fact that it is strictly donation based that keeps us going. Aside from yoga I also enjoy going to boxing classes which I started my junior year of high school after realizing being a full-time bench warmer for the JV volleyball team wasn’t doing me too much good (I will say though I did become one of the best at the chants)!

I also recently came back from living in Madrid, Spain for 6 months where I did an exchange program and got to travel around Europe and went to places like Morocco, Greece, Ireland and more! My GPA most definitely took a hit during this time, and probably so did my liver, but I do have some great stories.

I am genuinely so excited to be attending this awesome retreat and eat some delicious food! See y’all soon!

Icebreaker- As I emerge into adulthood I am trying to expand my cooking ability past a can of tuna and expired Ritz crackers for dinner. I’d love to know what a go-to, easy of course, meal suggestion is.

Annesley & Sam
  

Annesley Pulse – UI/CX Researcher

Hey team! I’m Annesley, and I’m really looking forward to our retreat in Mexico!

A bit about me: I grew up in Houston and moved to Austin when I started at UT studying psychology. I initially planned to go to PhD school for neuropsychology, focusing on TBIs. But during my gap year job search, I discovered UX research and decided to pursue that instead. It’s been a great journey so far.

In my free time, I love going to music festivals and concerts, traveling, and baking and decorating cakes. Reading is one of my favorite pastimes, and lately, I’ve been getting into reality TV, thanks to my friend and roommate (and +1), Sam. I also enjoy trying new oysters with the Thayer’s, which has become a fun little tradition.

I have a dog named Simba who lives in Houston with my mom, keeping her company. As a fan of swimming and tanning, I can’t wait to soak up some sun on this trip. Let’s have a great time together!

Icebreaker: Ask us about our exhaustive list of oyster reviews.

P.S. Yes Chat GPT wrote this because I can’t write about myself

P.P.S. Here is the original version before I told it to tone down the cheesiness in case anyone wants a laugh
Hey team! I’m Annesley, and I’m super excited for our retreat in Mexico! A little about me: I grew up in the bustling city of Houston but made my way to the vibrant streets of Austin when I started at UT, majoring in psychology. Initially, I was all set to dive into PhD studies in neuropsychology, especially focusing on TBIs. But, as life would have it, during my gap year job hunt, I stumbled upon the world of UX research and decided to follow that path instead. Best decision ever!

Outside of work, you can usually find me at music festivals or concerts, grooving to the beat and soaking in the vibes. Traveling is a big passion of mine—I love exploring new places and cultures. When I’m not on the move, I’m often in my kitchen baking and decorating cakes, which is my sweet escape. I’m also an avid reader and recently got hooked on reality TV, thanks to my friend, roommate, and partner-in-crime, Sam.

Oh, and I can’t forget my furry companion, Simba, who adds a lot of joy and chaos to my life.  

As a huge fan of swimming and tanning, I absolutely can’t wait for this trip. Let’s make some amazing memories together!

Sam

Coming soon!

Antonio Jones (AJ) & Calvin

Antonio Jones (AJ) – Marketing Manager

Alright, let’s take it from the top one more time. I grew up in Los Alamos, New Mexico. (Famous for being the location where Oppenheimer was shot and based on.) Really small town, right on the edge of the Jemez mountains. I spent a lot of time in those mountains growing up (pictured). We would camp on the weekends, ditch class in high school to go snowboarding and Jeeping. 

After high school, I went a little way down south and attended New Mexico State University in very sunny Las Cruces, NM. Famous for absolutely nothing. I spent four years there, earning my BA in Psychology, with a minor in Marketing. After this, I decided I had seen everything that New Mexico had to offer (quite literally) and needed a change. I heard from a friend that Fort Collins, CO was a great place to be. So, on a whim, I found the first job I could, found a roommate in 3 months, and promptly put everything I owned into a car and moved up here. I knew I needed to go back to school to get a higher education if I didn’t want to be stuck working security jobs and call centers, as I had been. I ended up going to DU (University of Denver) here in Denver and earned my Master’s Degree in Marketing while also doing market research in the lab there. Worked for an agency here (Perform[cb]), and an internal team there, until I submitted a job application to a smaller SaaS company, to which I got a response from the company (Tom) in something close to ten minutes, and here I am!

Before the pandemic, I would have without a doubt described myself as an introvert. I wasn’t very social, had a short battery for social events, and generally preferred nights in at home. For one reason or another, something changed (or broke?) and I’d fully consider myself an extrovert now. I’m always down to do anything that’ll get my heart pounding. I still love getting outside, doing typical Colorado things like going to new bars, camping, paddleboarding, and snowboarding, but also still enjoy plenty of nights in. Reading fantasy books, playing video games, and watching movies at home. I go to the gym as often as I can and have been training in MMA for almost seven years now(?), but still consider myself much more of a lover than a fighter.

I still brag to people all the time about my job, and genuinely haven’t had a better one than with OPTIZMO. Can’t wait to see everyone poolside again!

Icebreaker – Ask Calvin and AJ about anything that we used to do in Los. There are too many stories to list.

Calvin

Hello, I’m Calvin! Twon (AJ) has been a dear friend of mine since our early teens. I’ve been lucky enough to go camping, snowboarding, and jeeping with Antonio (not to mention all the video games), and now I’m excited to add ‘flying’! I like to think of my self as outdoorsy, but I spend too much time behind some sort of computer screen to justify it.

Though I’m not applying it professionally, I have a BS in Geology. Formerly, I was a camera operator for an aerial survey company. It was a cool combination of hyper-precise photography paired with powerful geographical applications. It had one of the best office views I can think of, but the office chair’s turbulence became rather uncomfortable after a few years!

For the past ~year, I’ve been working as a video evidence retriever for the Albuquerque Police Department. It’s a civilian team that focuses on collecting footage from crime scenes. It’s much busier than my previous position, for better and worse, but I’ve found satisfaction in the civil service aspect.

Soy de Nuevo Mexico pero… I’ve never been south of the border. I’m excited to see a slice of Central America, thanks for having me along!!