1) Name
Christine Insabella
2) How did you get to gap intelligence?
After growing up in Columbus, Ohio, I finally decided that I had had enough of the bitter cold and moved to San Diego 4 years ago on a whim. I drove out here with my kitten Otis and posted up in a hotel in PB since I didn’t know anyone and didn’t have a job lined up or a place to live. I found an apartment here in Point Loma (PL) and a job waiting tables at the PL Miguel’s. After getting accepted into the MBA program at UCSD, my dad (a longtime Toastmasters member) highly recommended that I join a local Toastmasters group to improve my public speaking. I came across the Loquacious Nooners, who happen to meet at the gap intellingence headquarters, also in Point Loma, on Fridays. I soon became a regular attendee and participant. After giving my second speech, a parody of funny things not to do at an interview, I was informed by a gapper that they were hiring. I applied and the rest is history.
3) What values lead you and why?
Responsibility – Taking reponsibility means that others can depend on me to carry out my duties to the best of my ability, as well as admit when I'm wrong and apologize when in order.
Inclusion – In business environments, inclusion means including people in an organization who represent a variety of beliefs and ethnic backgrounds. Inclusion to me means accepting everyone who is different from me…different races, different ethnic origins, different political convictions…and respecting those differences.
Integrity – This means doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do, even if no one else is doing it, and even if others criticize you for it.
4) What skills are you bringing to gap intelligence and what skills are you excited to learn?
I am excited to begin working on the data side of my job and be on my way to mastering Excel and its shortcuts. I have a long way to go, but I’m learning something new every day. As far as skills I am bringing in, I can do a great karaoke rendition of “Love Shack” and after the weekend class I took recently, I can do a crowd-pleasing version of Aladdin’s “I Can Show you the World”, with video proof upon request. Another skill I’ve acquired along the way is cooking, especially Italian dishes like Eggplant Parmesan, Pasta Bolognese, and Pasta Carbonara, to name a few, which I would be happy to share with my fellow gappers sometime.
5) If you could have any superpower, what would it be, why, and what would you do with it?
There are so many superpowers that I would like to possess, but I would choose teleportation as my superpower. I could save so much time and money on travel if I could simply teleport to anywhere I wanted around the world, within a few seconds. I dislike traffic with an intense passion, as I’m sure we all do. I love to travel, but ironically find the actual traveling to destinations tedious and time consuming. It would be great to be able to instantly transport myself to concerts, festivals, family holiday get-togethers, events, etc., and be back in time for work on Monday. I would have so much more time and money if I didn’t have to pay for gas, car maintenance, or plane tickets.
6) What’s the quirkiest thing about you that you’re willing to admit?
I despise olives. I hate the way they taste and they ruin dishes for me, even after I pick them all out, their flavor just lingers. “Well,” you might be thinking, “that isn’t quirky. A lot of people hate olives.” The quirk comes in the fact that despite hating olives, I enjoy a dirty gin martini on occasion and will actually eat the olives that have been marinating in the gin. If all olives could first marinate in gin, perhaps I could change my mind about them.
7) What’s your favorite thing to do in San Diego and why?
Anything that involves being outdoors with friends/family, and/or food and drinks is my idea of a perfect day in San Diego. Whether that be a day at the beach, playing volleyball and diving into the water, or just cooking and enjoying great conversation and a meal outdoors. I also enjoy riding my bike along the bay on the sandy trails here, from Point Loma to Kellogg Beach. A good day can also be sitting on the beach with a good book.
8) Where would you go in a time machine?
If I had a time machine, I would go back to the late 1960s and visit San Francisco and Woodstock. I have always been fascinated with that era. My dad was part of the counterculture of that time, but he won’t tell me too many detailed stories! I wish I could have seen some of the best artists from that era while they were still alive, like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, and Jim Morrison, just to name a few. The counterculture revolution was such a pivotal and exciting time in our recent history and I get serious FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) whenever I hear stories or watch movies/clips from that era.
Do you have what it takes to be a gapper? Head over the careers section at gapintelligence.com to learn more about open positions. Find more info the bottom of our about page.
