Name: Heather D.
Lives in: I’m an American living in the scenic New Jersey countryside, about an hour outside of New York City.
From: Born and raised in Upstate New York, in a very small town.
Occupation: I work in the healthcare industry. I help pharmaceutical marketers educate healthcare professionals and people with cancer, HIV, and rare diseases on how to navigate the arduous process of learning about new treatment options. I also train healthcare professionals on how to better create rapport and effective dialogues with their patients.
Other things I help pharmaceutical clients and marketing agencies with include marketing across all lifecycle stages from pre-commercial to loss of exclusivity, market research design, facilitation, and analysis, digital marketing (social media, CRM, UX, .coms, apps and digital support tools),content development (copywriting, program architecture, editorial calendars), setting up centers of excellence for patient support, HCP education, staff development, and marketing innovation.
Tell us your first three jobs (ever!): 1. Waitress at Friendly’s: I would come home from work covered with ice cream from reaching into the freezer cases to scoop out sundaes.
2. Waitress at a steakhouse in a college town: Every rush season, some college fraternity would try (and sometimes succeed) in relocating the restaurant’s life-sized, Black Angus bull statue to another local business’s rooftop or parking lot.
3. Maître d’ at a seasonal, fine dining restaurant: NY State Senators, the Governor of New York, the NYC mayor, horse racing jockeys and training legends, author Frank McCourt , designer Calvin Klein, socialite/philanthropist Mary Lou Whitney, members of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, and various members of rather large family of little brown bats made regular appearances in our dining room.
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
Enneagram type: Type 4, the Individualist
What do you love about Greece? For me, being in the city of Athena felt like coming to visit the home of a dear old friend. She met me with arms wide, ready for an embrace, as old friends do.
I learned this word on my first visit, and for me, it sums up everything about the country and the culture that speaks to me.
Φιλοξενία (filoksenia)
The first part of this word comes from the word φιλώ, or love, while the second part comes from ξένος, foreigner. It literally means “love of/for the foreigner,” and is most often roughly translated as “hospitality.” But the significance of hospitality in Greece is beyond translation. The importance of hospitality toward a guest in one’s home is a pervasive part of Greek culture. One of the ways to ensure you’re a good host is to have a hefty stash of κεράσματα…
Tell us something most people don’t know about you: I am the queen of giving out nicknames.
Where we are most likely to find you in this community: You will most likely find me watching her videos and practicing in my living room.
First time you tried Kundalini Yoga? On the floor of my little studio apartment rental in Koukaki while peering at my tiny iphone screen.
Tell us your top tip to combat climate change: No more liquid fabric softener or detergent.
Anything else you’d like us to know? Very excited to be part this group!