At The Fearey Group we believe everyone has a story to tell. As a firm that has been around for more than 36 years, we understand where we came from has strong bearing on where we are. So, what stories currently make The Fearey Group a leading independent public relations and public affairs firms in the Pacific Northwest?
Each Friday we shine the spotlight on one person at The Fearey Group. We will ask them the questions to help them share their stories and give insight into what makes our firm truly “fearless.”
For this week’s installment of Fearless Friday, we shine the spotlight on Executive Assistant Carlye Skinner.
If you had to describe yourself using three words, they would be…
Carlye Skinner: Sarcastic, upbeat and compassionate.
Name a few of your favorite things about people in your family.
CS: My parents are by far my biggest role models, cheerleaders and inspirations. I inherited my father’s sense of humor (terrible puns and dad jokes). But along with being super funny, he is also full of wisdom and great advice. I actually have a tattoo on my wrist that reads “Balance” in his handwriting, which is there to remind me each and every day that balance is key in every aspect of our lives.
My mother is one of the strongest people I know. She is intelligent, fierce and the best female role model I could have asked for as a young girl—and into adulthood. She worked full time as a CPA while I was growing up, and I watched her work 10 hour days, 7 days a week during tax season, and still come home with enough energy to make us dinner, help us with our homework and spend quality time with our family. Whenever I ask her how she did it, she simply responds, “I just did. I didn’t see any other option but to make it work.”
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? And why?
CS: When I was a kid I wanted to be a teacher. I vividly remember when I was in kindergarten asking my teacher to write down math problems in a small paper book I had made. I would then take the book home and teach my beanie babies math. I would have them complete the “homework” and bring it back to my kindergarten teacher for her to grade the next day. I wanted to make a difference—that was my biggest thing.
What is one goal you’d like to accomplish during your lifetime?
CS: I want to build a family similar to the family I currently have. And I don’t just mean that in the general sense of family unit (spouse, kids, etc.), but more in the sense of having people in my life whom I consider family. I want to build a network of people who just feel at home when they are all together.
If you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be?
CS:
- First one is easy – I would wish for an endless supply of coffee, on demand.
- I would wish for a house by the water. It could just be a tiny, little bungalow shack. I don’t care, I would love to be on a sandy beach.
- I would wish for a moment in everybody’s life, around the world, of pure joy and laughter. Ideally, all at the same time—just for everybody to feel that sense of peace and happiness at once.
If you could invite three famous people to dinner, who would you choose and why?
CS: I would invite Leslie Knope. I know she’s fictional, but seriously, who wouldn’t want to meet her? I would also invite Joe Biden. Not only just to see his interaction with Leslie Knope, but also because he has been through so many trials in his life and has continued to persevere and set such a fantastic example for the American people. I would also invite Rosa Parks as my third guest because she is known as “the first lady of civil rights” and I find her so inspiring. I believe everyone can learn so much from her, especially with the political climate as it is right now.
Would you rather attend school at Hogwarts or live in Narnia?
CS: HOGWARTS! I would love to live in Hogwarts. I waited in line at Barnes and Noble to get the fifth, sixth and seventh books at midnight and I read them each in one day. It is such a cool fantasy world. It would be awesome. I took the online test a while back and it told me I would be in Hufflepuff—I am still a little upset by that.
If you found out you only had two weeks to live, what would you want to do? (Or cross off your bucket list?)
CS: I would go back to Santorini, Greece with my whole family and watch the sunset. I went with my family when I was 17 and it was by far one of the most breathtaking experiences of my life.
Santorini is this tiny crescent island and we watched the sunset over the Aegean Sea. Everyone on the island gathered on the cliffside to witness the event. The closer the sun got to the horizon, the quieter the crowd became as they watched. Eventually, everyone fell silent—so much anticipation. We watched the last sliver of the orb disappeared below the horizon, and suddenly, everyone broke out into applause. It was incredible. Seeing the extraordinary beauty of such a simple thing that happens every single day, and for it to receive a standing ovation, was truly life changing.