Hello everyone! My name is Maddy and I started at Fast Horse about a month ago. I was born in Portland, Ore., but moved to St. Paul (Como Park specifically) when I was two years old.

I started college at Winona State University in 2013, where I planned to major in music business, but I changed my mind before classes had even started. I explored a few different options including sociology and business administration before finding my way to public relations. While at Winona State I sang in the concert choir, enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Winona and even played one full season of rugby, during which I learned how to tackle people and withstand ice baths. It was a wild ride.

(I’m somewhere in this pile of people)

During my junior year I added a film studies minor which was pretty much the best thing ever because all we did was watch, talk about and write about movies. I once wrote a 10-page paper comparing Interstellar to Wall-E. A few months ago, I realized that I missed talking about movies so I decided to start my own film podcast called Film Rant with a couple friends. Feel free to take a listen here!

After graduation I knew I wanted to pursue a career at a creative agency, but first, I needed to take a trip that I had been planning for two years. My boyfriend and I hit the road and drove more than 4,000 miles to the West Coast and back. Along the way we camped at Glacier National Park and Olympic National Park, drove down the Oregon Coast, visited Cannon Beach and spent a day in Portland. On our first night in Glacier we saw a grizzly bear and, yes, it was terrifying.

Before landing the Integrate Internship I had a couple music business internships, which, were awesome but ultimately led me to realize I needed something more fast-paced. Enter agency life. I’m so happy to be here at Fast Horse (I cried in the Uptown Kowalski’s when I got the news) and it feels great to have finally found the right place for me. However, it’s been a long and interesting road getting here. Here are some of the most interesting moments in my career history:

• Edible Arrangements: I was often forced to put on a fruit suit and stand on the side of the road with an Edible Arrangements sign.
• Sperm Bank: This was actually the most boring job I’ve ever had.
• Hotel Housekeeper: People leave weird things in hotel rooms.
• Golf Course Beverage Cart Gir:– Honestly the best job ever because you just drive around outside in a golf cart all day.
• Grocery Store Bagger: I got to wear an oversized, bright blue smock. Very chic.

And here are just some other fun facts I’ll leave ya with:

• I love Lord of the Rings and sometimes play Dungeons and Dragons. I’m an Elf Fighter named Ivy, which is also my middle name.
• Gin and tonic is my drink of choice.
• I can fold a dish towel into the shape of a chicken.
• I once guessed the exact weight of a zucchini just by holding it.