Our internal team here at Mustard Lane is VERY excited to be welcoming some new all stars!! As business amps back up we are preparing ourselves to handle all the fun ahead! We are thrilled to be adding a few familiar and fresh faces to tackle all that 2021 has in store!
Let's get to know them! Next up, Susie Gannon!
Tell us a little about yourself!
What brought you to NYC and working with ML?
I went to college in NYC for Musical Theater. After I graduated in 2013, I went back to the Broadway flyering job I'd done for a few years between semesters. A few coworkers from that job also worked for Mustard Lane. That fall, a big activation with Yahoo! for Social Media Week came up and ML needed BA's, so one of those aforementioned coworkers (shoutout to Mychal Philips!) referred me to Kristal. Before I knew it, I was handing out Yahoo! branded jelly beans directly outside of my mother's office building for a week straight. No joke. People were coming in and out all day asking which one of us was Amy's daughter (*facepalm*). The pay was far better than I was earning working in Times Square, the work was fun, and the people were magical. I was obsessed with this company right off the bat.
What has your journey been like with ML?
I've been with Mustard Lane for almost 8 years. When I started on the lane, I'm fairly sure there was a relatively small roster of BA's located only in NYC. Over the years, I've had the privilege of watching this company blossom into a nationally regarded titan in the industry with ~5k BA's on their roster. It was the perfect side job for me when I was pursuing a career as a musical theater performer and as I began to carve out a career path for myself in the events industry. There were stretches of time when I was too busy with other jobs to work any ML gigs, but I was always somehow warmly welcomed back. Over time, ML began to trust me to manage gigs. I found that to be super empowering and fulfilling. I started to find that my experience with ML was lining up with my professional experience working in the events industry off the lane (pun 100% intended). Apparently, I've been unknowingly preparing to join the ML internal team for years by gaining an assortment of applicable professional experience. I've loved this company so much for so long and I'm beyond thrilled to be doing work for ML on the other side of Dijon Express!
What has been your fave gig on the field?
There have been so many, so it's hard to choose just one. A gig that sticks out prominently in my memory was in 2014, when we were staffed to create flowers made of ribbon for the Macy's Flower Show. Every day for a week, we would board a bus in the morning that brought us to a building in NJ where Macy's would construct things like floats for the Thanksgiving Parade. We were given patterns, small bits of ribbon, and large metal grates. We were tasked with snipping the pieces of ribbon and inserting them into into the metal grates based on patterns provided to us by the artist. We basically sat and did arts and crafts group projects while gabbing away about what was going on in each of our lives. It was bizarre, but so much fun.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
I love managing logistics and people. It's such a satisfying experience when an event goes smoothly and staff, clients, and guests/patrons are all happy. Also, getting to provide work for awesome people is such a great feeling. As someone who's been a part of the gig economy for the last 10 years, I know firsthand how that "You're Booked!" e-mail can be your saving grace that means you can pay your rent on time.
If you could live anywhere besides NYC, where would it be?
I've always had a really difficult time answering this question. Every time I leave NYC even for a short stretch of time, I miss it. If I moved anywhere else, I think it would need to be close to NYC. Maybe back to my homeland of Long Island? Or upstate NY, Connecticut, New Jersey? It would have to be close by.
If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
Goofy!
Describe your perfect NYC day from beginning to end.
I want to preface this by saying that I LOVE a lazy day or a cozy night in, but this last year and change has given me limitless lazy days and cozy nights in. I'm ready for some long, exhausting, spontaneous NYC days!
Before Covid, I would pack a backpack for the day and set out on my way to take a class or two at the gym. On my way, I'd grab a cold brew. There's something magical to me about drinking an iced beverage while walking down an NYC street in the sunshine.
Before Covid, my mom commuted to and worked in midtown 5 days a week (how lucky am I?!), so after my workout on this dream perfect day, I'd get some lunch with her in Bryant Park.
After lunch, I might wander the city a bit, meandering through Central Park, perhaps stopping to sit and read or write in my journal or maybe just walk a casual 100 blocks, listening to music or true crime podcasts. After an hour or two of zen NYC solo meandering, I'd meet up with a friend or 5 for a quick bite and maybe a happy hour drink before heading to see a Broadway show that I'd likely gotten a free ticket for.
By the time the show is over, I'm probably exhausted, but if someone proposes a nightcap to discuss the performance we've just seen, it's hard for me to say no. We have a drink or two and I head home to crash. I do love getting a sufficient amount of sleep.
If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?
I would consult a financial advisor to start for sure. I'd invest a pretty large chunk of the money. I'd buy my parents whatever they could ever want. I'd travel the world, buy a home, and set up regular donations to organizations that help marginalized people.