Q&A with Mariam...

Q: What can you do today that you could not do a year ago?

A: I've learned to separate from my emotions when evaluating big picture situations. Because of this, I've had a lot of goodbyes in the past year, both personally and professionally.

Q: When was the last time you traveled somewhere new?

A: I try to travel to new places at least annually. In February of 2017, my husband and I were visiting friends in Paris and had to drive to Germany to visit his family. We decided to stop in Amsterdam overnight on our way. It was a last minute decision. We had never been there and didn't really research sections of the city. All hotels were booked so the only thing we found was a small Airbnb in the middle of town. We arrived late evening and checked in. We walked around the center, had dinner and went back to sleep. It turns out, our apartment was literally in the center of the Red Light District. The entrance was between two Red Light Windows. Let's just say it was an interesting surprise. 

Q: If you could ask one person, dead or alive, one question, who would you ask and what would you ask?

A: Given the political climate, I would ask George Washington or Ben Franklin to interpret the Second Amendment based on current events and technology. 

Q: How would you describe yourself in 5 words?

A: Passionate, friendly, fun, empathetic, workaholic.

Q: What does success mean to you?

A: Results. Period.

I used to define success financially, which is a big part still. After my daughter was born, I began incorporating family success in the definition. This life change taught me to be more efficient since I no longer had all day and all night to spend at the office. I learned the importance between busy and effective, perfect and done. I became result driven.

Q: How have you grown professionally working at TT?

A: My most important lessons from TT were about human nature. Anyone can master a technical skill but business instincts develop over countless good and bad experiences. I've learned to manage various personal dynamics in the office, a large group of people that I rarely see in the field, and hundreds of clients with varying demands. 10 years in, I can smell a problem and feel out an appropriate response while sipping my morning coffee. I think anyone managing a business for a decade can do this.