This post is part of a weekly series in which we get to know Sifties.
Emily Chin is a Senior Event Marketing Manager who has been with Sift Science for three and a half years. If she could be any animal, she would be a bottlenose dolphin because they are smart, can surf, are social, and are generally awesome.
If you could pick only 5 words to describe your life, what would they be?
“And she tripped merrily onward.” I think that I’m generally pretty flexible, and I’d rather move towards something than wait. I’m like a shark – I just keep moving (sharks can’t hover). At the same time, I’m not graceful about it. Nothing is planned or deliberate – it’s just a forward falling motion.
What three traits define you?
- Endearingly awkward. I have leveraged that character trait in my professional and personal life.
- Casually obsessive. I have an obsessive personality but I’m casual about it — I tend to overthink things and that’s when I obsess. Once I know I like something, I aggressively pursue it and/or research it. For example, when I watch a movie I will start simultaneously researching, and then I’ll rewatch to pick up on as many things as I can.
- Unsure. I’m not a particular person, and I don’t have super strong opinions on things. There’s not a direct path for me, so I’d rather trip toward a conclusion.
How did you get interested in marketing and events?
I got involved as a pace leader in a running group at my college campus that was a part of Nike Running Club LA. I was excited by Nike and their message about creating your story with a brand rather than using buzzwords, flyers, or traditional adverts. You wear your shoes and create your own narrative.
I did pace leading for six months until I realized I wasn’t the best at running, and then switched to the office side at an agency that worked with Nike (the two brands I worked on were Nike Women’s Training and Nike Running), doing experiential marketing, and helping to put on Nike’s events.
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
Pediatrician by day, voice actor by night. Pediatrician because I liked the idea of spreading health and wellness, and using a stethoscope. Then I realized that I wasn’t science smart. Voice actor because I liked doing voices and it made people laugh.
You recently went on an international adventure. Tell me about it!
I went on a three-week trip — the first 10 days were spent driving by campervan from Auckland to Queenstown in New Zealand. The next 10 days included a wedding in Victoria, as well as a quick tour of the east coast of Australia. The three main highlights of the trip were: 1) getting to see my friends get married, 2) a 6am pristine, quiet 11-mile kayak trip of Milford Sound where we were joined by a family of dolphins (including baby dolphins), and 3) white water rafting in the convergence of two World Heritage Sites (a primordial forest and the Great Barrier Reef).