500 Degrees Burning Questions: Andrea Kavanagh Interview

To attain the level of success we’ve achieved here at 500, we have to know our clients pretty well. On the flip side of that equation, we want all of you to learn about, well, all of us. In our latest teammate profile, we’re sitting down with account supervisor, Andrea Kavanagh.

500: Where are you in birth order (oldest? middle? youngest?) and do you think it affects your personality?

Andrea Kavanagh: I am the oldest, with three younger brothers. I think this made me quite mature for my age and always the responsible one when I was younger. I have a brother who is 14 years younger than me, so it was an interesting dynamic growing up. I was already in university when he was just finishing kindergarten.

500: What kind of pet do you have and how did you choose its name?

AK: Growing up I had a chocolate Lab named Fisher. He was named after the Fisher-Price toy dog I had as a small child, before my parents would allow me to have a real dog.

500: What’s your favorite sports team? Why?

AK: Toronto Raptors—it’s the only NBA team in Canada. The Raptors also have won the most recent championship by a Toronto team, which happened my first year at 500 Degrees. We attended the parade and it was such an amazing experience.

500: What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home?

?AK: The farthest I’ve ever been is Dubrovnik, Croatia. It is about 7,400km from Toronto. I try to go to at least 1–2 new countries each year and I’m grateful for the number I have seen thus far. Up next, I want to tackle Thailand and Vietnam.

500: If you could live in any city, which would it be and why?

AK: Anavyssos, Greece because it was my favorite place to visit. I went there for my cousin’s wedding and it was one of the best places I have been. It was beautiful and had amazing food and very friendly people. They were very accommodating with 50+ Canadians invading this small town for a week.

500: Where was your first job?

?AK: Ardene’s store at the local mall. It was an accessories store and had ear piercing. Yes, there are quite a few people out there who had me as their piercer. If anyone is interested, I can resurrect this skill at our next company party.

?500: How do you wind down after work?

?AK: I try to get out and move. I either go out with friends or do some sort of fitness class. I used to workout six days a week and am trying to get back to that dedication.

?500: Do you like old-fashioned calendars, or do you save all your events digitally? Why?

?AK: I have to save all my events to my phone’s calendar. I’m usually on the move, so it’s the only real way to keep up with my busy schedule. I keep everything from fitness classes to trips, to even just Bachelorette viewing nights at a friend’s house documented there.

?500: What’s the coolest or most interesting thing you’ve ever worked on? Why?

?AK: A takeover of a streetcar in Toronto. It was very cool to see this come to life in the city. I would often see it while walking down the street. We wrapped the whole inside and outside with the artwork for one of my clients, and it was a moving billboard. It was very impactful and eye-catching.

500: Discuss a project or achievement that may not have happened if you weren’t involved.

?AK: Camp Day. This has been my project for the last three years. It’s always challenging due to date changes and doing the best for this sensitive subject matter. I’m really proud of where we have been each year and it has raised a significant amount of money for THFC (Tim Hortons Foundation Camps).