One of Obsidian’s most tenured employees, Kelli Brignac, is a public relations rockstar and one of our most trusted practitioners. She operates out of her hometown in Lake Charles, Louisiana, visiting Memphis at least twice a year to spend time with the team and meet clients.

If you haven’t worked with Kelli, then you have a lot of learning to do! We asked her a few questions so you could get to know her better.

1. If you had to live in a country other than the United States, what country would you choose? Singapore
2. What advice can you give to moms who want to keep a healthy work-life balance? Turn it off sometimes. I intentionally leave my phone on the counter in the evenings between picking up my daughter and putting her to bed. I know I occasionally fail at it, but I’m trying really hard to not let her think being glued to a screen all the time is normal!
3. You’re a fan of healthy, tasty meals. Have any good recipes to share? I LOVE this shrimp and “grits” recipe. The grits are made from riced cauliflower cooked down with chicken broth and a little almond flour. Everyone who has ever eaten it doesn’t believe it’s cauliflower. (My husband actually likes it better than regular grits.) http://www.paleocupboard.com/cajun-shrimp-and-grits.html
4. My perfect work day looks like…. Knocking out at least a few things on my to-do list and actually being finished (not just stopping because the day ended).
5. What is the biggest challenge of working remotely? What’s the best thing about it? The biggest challenge is definitely missing out on interaction within the office. G-chat goes a long way, but sometimes I’m not privy to the chatter and I miss life events! The best thing is the ability to live near family but keep a job I like. When I was in the office we were six hours from the closest family…now we’re 10 minutes!
6. Honest thoughts on Ed Orgeron? Not my first choice initially, but I’m not demanding he be fired right now either. I can get behind the idea of putting resources into strong coordinators if O will let them lead in their roles. Just don’t ask me about our AD. :trying to think happy thoughts:
7. Give us a brief rundown of what Mardi Gras is like (for those of us who’ve never experienced it). Mardi Gras is for everyone! When I was a kid it was all about a few days off school, catching the “good stuff” (as in stuffed animals or toys!) in the parade or going snow-skiing when only Louisianans had vacation time. In college it was a blur of my turn to join the pageantry of the krewe court, bunking up in friends’ houses near parade routes, walking miles to avoid paying cabs or sitting in traffic. Now I focus on family Mardi Gras – my daughter loves the children’s parade and my husband has joined a krewe (and I’m already counting the years until it’s our daughter’s turn to be on court!). I didn’t know until around middle school that no one else celebrated Mardi Gras, but I can’t imagine missing out!