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Denise has been part of the TakeLessons family for 2 years; she started here as a member of our sales team in June 2008, and now works as a Project Manager on some of our super cool business development projects.

Where are you from originally, and what do you like about living in San Diego?
I grew up in Flushing, Michigan, and moved out to San Diego 2 years ago. June 3 is my arrival anniversary – woohoo! So what do I like about living in San Diego? Well, what’s not to like? Beaches, palm trees, 70-75 degree weather and sincere, friendly, welcoming people…there’s always something to do, like a picnic in Balboa Park, a concert at the Cricket Amphitheatre, coffee at Starbucks, or just a bicycle tour around the city. I love living in San Diego!

What are your activities outside of work?
Outside of work, I’m an avid reader, and an absolute game lover. Yay for the Wii Fit, too!  I like to explore new places and try new things, as well as cook and bake.

Do you have any musical experience or play any instruments?
I took weekly piano lessons from 5 years old until I was about 16 or 17. In middle school and high school, I participated in choir, a cappella, and an after school all-girls vocal group, as well as one or two vocal competitions. I took guitar lessons for about a year (with our awesome guitar teacher Nick W. here in San Diego), just long enough to be able to sing and play Wonderwall at our Show What You Know Concert. But piano is truly my first love! I’m in the market for one as we speak….

What is your favorite thing about working at TakeLessons?
My all time favorite thing about working here is definitely our staff. We’re a crew of really smart, genuinely friendly people from different backgrounds with a passion for building and creating stuff we’re proud of. I couldn’t be more lucky than to call these folks my second family!

What accomplishment are you most proud of?
On a personal level, I’m proud of a great many things, but a huge accomplishment is just hopping in my car to head out to the west coast pretty much on a whim. It’s not just the risk that I’m proud of, it’s also that I’ve been able to make myself a home here.

What are one professional goal and one personal goal that you hope to achieve this year?
Professionally, I just want to have as big of an impact as possible!  How vague, I know, but I’m so passionate about what we do here that wherever I can help is where I want to be and what I want to do! Personally, I set two goals: to travel to a state I’ve never been to (hello, Louisiana or Montana), and to finally get up on a surf board after talking about it for the last 2 years.

What is the best place you’ve traveled to (or the place you’d love to go to)?
I’ve traveled all over the country, and a bit in Europe, and each place has something unique about it that makes it the best. So let’s see…the best shopping? New York City, hands down. The best pizza? Chicago! The best scenery? Wyoming or Maine – a tie. The best tourist traps? Orlando, FL – haha. The best version of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” on stage? Seattle. The best waffle-covered-in-chocolate? Belgium. The best cheese, wine, and pastries? France. The best sunsets? My home-sweet-home, Michigan. But the best of all? San Diego, of course!

Check back every Friday for a new profile on one of our TakeLessons Team members!