ally tiedemann is here

TUESDAY 6PM JULY 9, 2024

ALLY TIEDEMANN: Should we start? Do you have an idea of what questions you’re going to ask me?

CATHERINE TIEDEMANN: Yes, I wrote a few down but thought we’d just kind of spitball into conversation.

ALLY: Perfect.

CATHERINE: What was your favorite college course?

ALLY: Oh! Honestly, Statistics. I’ve always been a math nerd. My professor would have us do problems that could take 3+ hours and we’d have to show our work on paper, rather than using an Excel equation. But it was rewarding to work on a problem for an hour, input it to test its accuracy, and get the final answer. I’d have pages and pages of notebook paper filled with numbers and then my answer with 12 decimals circled at the end. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

CATHERINE: That’s where we’re different. I didn’t like math in school. Why did you choose to study marketing?

ALLY: I’ve always been creative, I love art, writing, video editing, taking photos, and curation. I like giving things personality. Pursuing a degree in marketing made sense to me because, at my core, that’s who I am and what I love.

CATHERINE: You’re very creative with fashion, too.

ALLY: Yes, I love fashion. Your appearance is the first thing someone notices about you. A stranger isn’t going to know your values and what you’re about but they will presume based on their impression of you. Your presence, eye contact, posture, body language, and outfit, are your first introduction. It’s all non-verbal expression. I think that fashion is really important for personal marketing and your personal brand and it should resemble the qualities that you want someone to associate with you.

CATHERINE: What qualities would you want someone to associate with you based on your style and overall presence?

ALLY: I set you up for that one. I’d say ‘kind, confident, and tasteful.’

CATHERINE: I think that’s accurate. I also think that people sense your curiosity.

ALLY: For sure, I’m very inquisitive. I love to learn about people.

CATHERINE: What are your 5 favorite things at the moment?

ALLY: Wimbledon is an easy number 1. I’ve been waking up at 5 am to watch. There are a few Americans in the tournament who have been fun to cheer for. Building this website has been a treat. Paddle tennis needs to be on the list. I just played in a tournament and had the best time. Go Greek, my favorite frozen yogurt needs to be noted. Lastly, I’ll say being in LA. I’ve traveled a lot over the past few years. It’s been nice to be home and enjoy the weather and the beach.

CATHERINE: Tell me about paddle tennis. I know you’ve been playing a lot.

ALLY: Yes, I’ve been playing paddle tennis. I played once a few years ago but just picked it up this Spring. One of my tennis girlfriends brought me and since then I’ve played in two tournaments and go down to Venice and play for a few hours every weekend. I won the tournament the other weekend, I don’t know if I told you that. I think I played 5 matches on Sunday, from 9am-6pm. I was extremely sore for a few days after. My back hurt from bending down to pick up the ball. You don’t have to do that in tennis. Your racket is long enough to pick up the ball between your racket and foot in tennis.

CATHERINE: Haha. No, you didn’t tell me that! This is good for you because you’ve been a competitive athlete your whole life. Do you think you still have a competitive side to you?

ALLY: Definitely. I enjoy competitive sports, especially a racket sport. I think it’s fun but it’s also good for your mental, you’re coming up with strategies and patterns to win. Like any sport, it’s a game of athleticism but other skills like concentration, composure, and game IQ are just as beneficial. It’s also a great way to be social.

CATHERINE: I need to try it. It looks fun.

ALLY: Yes, we’ll go soon.

CATHERINE: Last question, what’s one place on your bucket list?

ALLY: Egypt. I’ve been wanting to go for a few years. I actually just met someone who works for a company that runs cruises on the Nile River and that intrigued me.

CATHERINE: Feel free to invite me. I feel like I know everything about you but there’s always more to learn.

ALLY: Always! Thank you for doing this.

CATHERINE: Of course, it was fun.