It’s good to be et al.
Most of the details of this organization’s beginning are better off left to history, except for one very important detail – the name. The individuals who comprise et al. – clients, friends, employees, business associates, vendors – should be listed in our company name. They are not “a group,” they are not “associates,” they are not “and company,” they are et al. and they are the very reason this company came to be.
What’s most important are the beliefs upon which this organization was established and how those beliefs can enrich the lives of others. We can do it our way. We can be honorable, memorable, and impactful. We can be distinctive, unique, and great. We can be ourselves. We can be whatever we choose.
We will be the best agency we can be. Our company history will be an excellent adventure. Et al. will make certain of that.
Kevin O’Brien
#lovemore. It adds substance. Love your family more, your work more, your world more. #lovemore for me happens every day. I get to provide for my family in a profession that I love more every day, with co-workers and clients that inspire me to love more, in a place that could not possibly love more. Open a door for someone, say please and thank you, be kind and generous. Feel emotionally stronger that it’s never wrong to do the right thing. #love more…it’s kinda easy.
Brian Woolard
I can’t think of a better example of #lovemore than the feelings I have for my alma mater, Virginia Tech. I often think about my trip there to start my freshman year. My father, who wanted to take me, was in the hospital and unfortunately couldn’t make the trip. So my brother (also a proud Hokie) and his wife offered to drive me to school. Once a Hokie, always a Hokie, my brother was so excited to be back at school. He showed me around campus and helped pick out and assemble a loft for my room. So that first night, I spent the night at an older friend’s apartment. The next morning, when my brother and his wife show up to find my empty dorm room, of course they were worried. We caught up with each other in the hall and had a good laugh about my eventful first night at Tech. The next 4 years went by so fast and I made great friends that I think of fondly. I always say my time at Virginia Tech was one of the best times of my life. Even though the school has changed so much over the years, it still has the #lovemore vibe that we have here at OEA.
Billy Foglia
There’s nothing I #lovemore than working with energetic and aspiring young creatives, namely the two prodigies who share our DNA, my 7-year-old daughter London and 5-year-old son Lucca.
Price Harmon
I am blessed to have my son Rashaad, two beautiful daughters in college, Sydney and Symone, and the light of my life Camille, my lovely wife. My home is always full of life and youthful energy. I realized a long time ago that taking care of myself is something that I can do to #lovemore, for myself and my family. So, an apple (or two) a day is a ritual, along with my bowl of oatmeal. Plus with two in college, apples and oatmeal fit nicely in the budget.
Cathee Berry
I love my family, being a mom, my dogs, cars, art and ice cream. When my sister and I were kids we loved it when my dad got home from work and took us to the ice cream stand. I also love inspirational quotes:
“… ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? … The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’…”
~ Matthew 25:37
Danielle Parks
I was raised amongst the cheeses of Wisconsin. With a passion for the beach, I migrated to coastal Virginia in 2008, where I picked up a few skills at the Art Institute earning my BFA. I love cruising on any type of board. I can often be found petting the nearest dog or holding the closest baby. My #lovemore moments are those surrounded by family and friends. One for the books will always be slip ’n sliding at our wedding in the storm with all of our friends and family.
Michele Jerome
My grandfather’s Super 8 reels and an old Bell and Howell projector sit alongside his old Brownie camera and volume after volume of photo albums. I didn’t realize that, by taking pictures with my first Instamatic camera, I was beginning to tell stories. Even though I’m a borderline hoarder of memorabilia, family photos and more, I now realize that capturing these moments, whether on camera or on paper, is a way to reconnect and #lovemore.
Sarah Whisman
My children and my family show me every day what #lovemore truly means. Not only do I love them far beyond what I thought possible, but I’m always learning from them. They make me a better person with something positive to contribute to the world each and every day.
Erin Mack
Almost 10 years ago, I finally overcame my fear of flying. With the help of my boyfriend Chris and my mom, they opened up a whole new world for me. Now there’s nothing I #lovemore than traveling to new places, trying new things and staring out of the window of an airplane!
Kari Kemp
I come from a VERY large family. Both my mother and my father have several siblings of their own with their own children, so I grew up surrounded by family. I never realized how much it impacted my life until I left the nest. By far, the biggest impacts on my life have been my two older brothers. Bonding over video games, the competition that it created, and the desire to beat them mercilessly at any game, was our way to #lovemore. It’s still the biggest way that we interact as adults. They kept me grounded, and still do.
Ken Gortz
Besides my beautiful wife and two amazing children, there is nothing that I #LoveMore than: listening to a client’s vision for a commercial or video, then collaborating to create the perfect script, finding stunning locations, auditioning talented actors, and assembling a skilled production team with the precise tools to create dynamic visuals and telling a great story – and ultimately exceeding expectations. Putting together the perfect plan – and watching as it all comes together is as good a watching a Buckeye victory!
Aleks Abad
My #lovemore is being an honest and great person to all, doing good, spending as much quality time as possible with my wife and 3 kids, as well as capturing shore break images. There’s just something about treading in 35-degree water mid-winter, inside the impact zone in search of a perfect hollow section, fighting currents to stay in position – all while keeping focus on lighting, camera settings, composition, air in my lungs and timing a wave just right to capture its beauty.
Katie King
Hang out at OEA long enough and you’ll find that I love my bike more than just about anything (#lovemoreBIKES…umm, I have five). Cycling has been my physical and mental therapy, my stress relief, and my way of exploring the world around me, one mile at a time. I’m always plotting long bike adventures that I may or may not go on someday. I also ride in charity events on occasion, raising money for various causes. My husband and I have two young children who beg me to take them for a bike ride after work every day, rain or shine, and our son and I go on weekend bikecamping trips together, combining our love of bikes with our newfound love of camping. I often joke that the bike in this photo is my third child. Meet my beautiful orange son, Francisco.
Naomi Vargas
To #lovemore creates balance – mental, emotional, spiritual and physical. Playing ball is one way for me to balance my home life. My husband is my teammate, at home and on the court. My children are our cheerleaders, and future teammates. We get family time in, sportsmanship, encouragement, physical activity, strategic thinking, camaraderie. It’s one way I get to #lovemore!
Laura Bolt
I am fortunate enough to be reminded every day what #lovemore means to me. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and a wide-open handful of an all-boy 6-year-old and his “had to have” mini wiener dog he named Star. I am also fortunate enough to have a job where they are more than my coworkers, they’re family.
Brandi Jackson
With working full time in a deadline-oriented business and raising 3 rambunctious boys, life can often be more than a little hectic “My 3 (teenaged) Sons” are the joy of my life (some days more so than others (ha-ha)). Some of my favorite #lovemore moments have been sharing with them my love for all sorts of music, which started for me at the roller skating rink making friends and skating competitively nearly every weekend in the 80’s (#datingmyself). And once my boys were old enough, I dusted off my old skates and took them skating all the time as well. So much fun! Today they are all teenagers who want to hang out with Mom less and less, but I still have my skates and still go skating once in a while. But will always treasure the wonderful #lovemore memories I made with my boys.
Alicia Cacace
Living life to the fullest and connecting with nature and people is my #lovemore story. I love being out and about, riding my bike, surrounded by nature and experiencing new things with people, creating memories and bonds that last forever and make life worth living. My hope is to leave this world a little brighter by making others smile and encouraging them to step out of their comfort zone and experience new things. To me, there is no better feeling than seeing someone’s eyes light up and a huge smile on their face, and getting to share that moment with them.
Marni Burk
I am from Rhode Island and every Rhode Islander knows that the best time of year in the state is summer, and the best place to be during that time is Newport. My #lovemore story is meeting my husband during the summer in Newport and all the memories we have in the city. One of our favorite ways to spend our time was going to the beach and enjoying a Del’s Frozen Lemonade (a state staple). Now when I think of Del’s, I think of that summer in Newport, and why I fell in love with him. Whenever we return, we get a Del’s, sit on the beach, and share the memories we have of that first summer together as well as everything we’re looking forward to in our future ones!
Kevin Gaydosh
You wouldn’t know it to look at me, but I’m a little blood platelet factory. A Red Cross whole blood donor since the 1980s, I began donating platelets more than 16 years ago in memory of my wife’s mother who passed away of leukemia. I really don’t mind the 3 hours it takes to donate a “triple bag” (that’s a lot) – I just consider it “me time”: uninterrupted TV watching of movies, TV or sports with headphones laying back on a recliner. What’s not to like? Besides, no technology can (yet) replace what we donors provide; until then, I’ll #lovemore at the Red Cross donor center 24 times every year. 500+ units for mother-in-law Carrie … or maybe someone you #lovemore?
Dave Paulus
Nothing is more important to me in my life than being a great father. My #lovemore story was getting to walk my beautiful 28-year-old daughter down the aisle, at the water table at Rudee Inlet in October 2018. I’ll never forget looking at her, her future husband and the entire crowd and thinking how incredibly blessed and lucky my life is. I think I’ve helped a lot of people professionally to grow, make money and win…, but I hope my REAL legacy as a person is being a great dad!
Britt Swan
Reading has always been both my escape and my inspiration. When I discovered my mother’s old Nancy Drew books as a kid, it set the tone for much of my life to follow. Nancy Drew was the ultimate icon for a little girl: beautiful, intelligent, kind, brave. She rescued herself (and others!) through ingenuity and perseverance – plus, she drove a sweet blue convertible. I set out to escape, and instead discovered adventure and a sense of self. I learned how to #lovemore, of myself and others, of life, that I could do or be anything. Lessons learned as a girl reading Nancy Drew books have become treasured tenets now that I’m grown.
Stacy Bundy
What’s not to #lovemore about flowers? They’re beautiful, they smell good and will brighten anyone’s day. My love for gardening came from my mom, who was always planting bulbs and then brightening our house with the flowers that bloomed. In my garden you’ll find lots of lilies, peonies and hydrangeas and a few weeds…
Nikki Thomas
As a Virginia Beach native, some of my earliest memories are of the ocean, spending the day building sandcastles with my mom and swimming out to the sandbar with my dad. As an adult, I am lucky enough to live and work within walking distance of the beach. The beach is my #lovemore story because some of my happiest memories were spent there, and I am fortunate enough to continue to make memories there today.
Jeff Doy
What do I #lovemore? Surprising my wife, a great steak, double-aged bourbon, having cash in my wallet, slow soft kisses that last for 3 days (Bull Durham), Game 7’s, Union Springs, Final-Final, making a difference in kids’ lives, Leinenkugel Summer Shandy by the pool, Christopher Allen Coskey, the long ball, sitting on my perch watching my former players get after it, 80’s hair bands and my neighbor’s dog…that’s what I #lovemore.
Kristy Gibson
Bookstores are one of my favorite places. New or old, I love bookstores. And not only because I’m a big reader – I loved The Great Gatsby, Twilight (all), The Giving Tree, The Girl on the Train, Harry Potter (again, all), Alice in Wonderland. I love bookstores because of how they make you feel…calm, giddy, almost an escape. And I’ve passed this love onto my three girls. I read to them before they could even understand words. Bookstores are the one place we can all go and no one is in a hurry to leave, no one argues, and we all leave with a little something to #lovemore. “Reading stays with you until the very end – after the Narnia is gone, Lord Voldemort is dead and Alice is awake.” -Anonymous
Rachel Hughes
My #lovemore story takes place every day when I wake up to the beautiful face of my cat, Tango. (I couldn’t bring her in so pictured is her stuffed animal twin). Tango’s my sun and stars, my… ok I’m exaggerating. But, I love animals –all animals (not just my cat). They love you unconditionally and don’t judge you on the days when you feel like hiding under the covers. Chances are, if someone brings their dog to OEA, I’ll be the first to greet it.
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