With great excitement we’d like to introduce you to our newest Monk, Lizzie Oliver! Lizzie will be serving as our Customer Advocate and Lead Qualifier.

Lizzie is a Lodi, California native but wanted to venture out of the grapevines to sunny San Diego to attend UCSD. She recently graduated with a Political Science degree. During college she was involved with internships and leadership roles with her church that helped develop her passion for working with people. In her free time she enjoys surfing, reading and drinking coffee with friends.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Lizzie and get to know her a little better. She is friendly, bubbly, and enthusiastic with an undeniable love for Jesus and life! I hope you enjoy getting to know Lizzie as much as I did! Here we go!

A Lodi native huh...what was it like growing up there?

Growing up in Lodi was kind of like a mix between growing up in Whoville and growing up in Mayberry. I know that sounds silly but its true. Lodi is agricultural and in the heart of the Central Valley which means we love country music, wine, and floating on the river. Lodians also have a tendency to stick around, so there are many families in Lodi that have 4 Generations in a 5 mile radius. My dad grew up in Lodi and Morada (boondocks) so he basically knows everyone. We also have a ton of churches in Lodi so it’s a very faithful community. We joke that you can’t talk negatively about anyone, because chances are, you’re talking to their brother-in-law or cousin. One of our small town gems is a place called House of Coffees that has amazing coffee, tea, and breakfast. It’s the kind of shop where everyone knows you, but they also know your mom and your best friend’s brother. They use a tab system so I know I can always go in, grab some coffee and put it on my tab. It just makes you feel all gushy, warm and loved. If you grew up in Lodi you would have at some point done the following: Watched the Light Parade at Christmas, gone to the farmer’s market every Thursday downtown in the summer, walked around the nature trail at Lodi Lake with a crush, eaten at Snow White’s burgers, watched a rivalry football game between Lodi High and Tokay at the Grape Bowl, and last but not least, ridden the ferris wheel at the Grape Festival in September.

What do you miss most about home?

I miss my family and my two dogs, Spot and Puppy. I also miss my best friends Maddie, Chloe, and Kercia. Lastly, I miss mochas from House of Coffees!

What’s your favorite thing about your new home, sunny san Diego?

My favorite thing about San Diego is the proximity to the ocean because I am a water child at heart, but I also LOVE the exposure to different cultures (aka new food!)

So I hear you recently got engaged, congratulations! How did he pop the question?

Well, My fiance Nat is quite the planner, so it was pretty involved and I was totally surprised. We were in Maui, Hawaii on a vacation with my family. It was our one and a half year anniversary so I knew he was planning fun activities. The day started with a 5 hour boat tour of the lava caves, then snorkeling in the Molokini Crater and seeing all sorts of wildlife… turtles, dolphins, you name it! After that we headed out to an awesome dinner at Ruth Chris Steakhouse. At that point we went to the beach to watch the sunset, and he walked me to a giant heart in the sand made of flowers. That’s where he got down on one knee and popped the question. After that we walked to a different part of the beach and my whole entire extended family plus my best friend and her family were waiting with a party!

Alright, let’s switch gears a bit and move from serious to silly. 

If you had to eat just one thing for every meal of every day for the rest of your life and would receive no health ramifications, what would it be?

It would, without a doubt, be pizza. I love pizza with all my heart. My ideal pizza is one I had, funny, at a place in Santa Cruz called “Pizza My Heart.” It was all slathered in garlic, pesto and cheese, with clams on it. I know it sounds weird but that clam pizza was the best pizza I have ever eaten!

We all have them...what’s your most embarrassing moment?

My most embarrassing moment would probably be in college, sitting down in a class my junior year, listening to the professor for like 15 minutes before I got the syllabus and realized it was the wrong class. I was sitting in the middle and had to get up and tell the people around me I was in the wrong class and then go to the next room over and sit down after the correct professor had already been lecturing for a while. Yikes!

It’s Saturday you have no plans, no obligations...paint me a picture of your perfect day.

My perfect Saturday morning would be coffee on the beach, followed by a couple hours of surfing or kayaking with my fiance. Then lunch at a fun cafe and the afternoon spent with our friends, probably hanging at a park playing games and relaxing. Then I would want to see a new movie at night and eat dinner at a Greek restaurant. The perfect Saturday would end cuddling with my dogs, Spot and Puppy and watching Bones.

You graduated with a degree in Political Science...tell me how you came to be interested in a Customer Advocate/Lead Qualifier position?

Well, I am fascinated by political science and loved studying it. My freshman and part of sophomore year in college, I interned for Scripps Institution of Oceanography and was support for their lobbying team. It was an incredible experience but I realized I didn’t love actually working in that field. Then senior year I was an intern for my church, Flood. There I realized how much I loved discovering where people are coming from, what they need, and then helping them achieve their full potential. I am excited because this is what Monk strives to do.

What excites you most about your new position at Monk?

I am most excited about being one of the first stepping stones for clients. If we can help churches create an amazing web presence, the amount of individual people impacted across North America can be endless. I love thinking about my job as the first conversation that launches an incredible Kingdom win.

You’re going to be talking on the phone with a lot of churches in your new position, what are three random Lizzie facts they should know about you?

1. I absolutely love Christmas. It is unsurpassed by any other holiday.

2. I am terrified of Seaweed. That’s why I’m in love with the Hawaiian Islands, only coral there!

3. About 60% of the people in my life call me “Lizzie Lou Hoo” or Louhoo for short.

You said you absolutely love Christmas, would you say you are obsessed with Christmas? Can you elaborate on this a little bit more for me?

Yes, I think it’s fair to say I am obsessed. There are many reasons why I love Christmas, so I’ll walk you through why it’s the most amazing season of the year. First off, as Christians we celebrate a time when our Savior decided to come chill with us on earth and provide a way to have eternal rad relationship with Him. Next, Christmas is a season when people are just kinder to each other. There is a culturally recognized reason to be nice, to pay for someone’s coffee, and to remember as humans we are all in this thing together. Plus, I love decorating for Christmas and I love that everything is colorful and glowing and twinkling. I have singlehandedly decorated every college residence I have ever lived in, complete with lights, trees and stockings.

In addition, Christmas is a time for family and friends and celebrating. I know this is influenced by the way I grew up. Remember, I said Lodi was like Whoville? At Christmastime my best friends and I have something called an Extravaganza where we buy matching pajamas and bake cookies and just relax. Sometime during the season we have friends that throw a “Mocha Party” where about 50 people drink espresso beverages and just have a grand time with each other. Last year we had some high school kids come and carol the house during the party, so we invited them in, and someone started playing the piano for them, so we could all sing the next couple songs together.

Also my extended family is very close plus we invite some close friends, and we have a huge party Christmas Eve. This entails a big dinner, reading the Christmas story in Luke, sometimes a craft, a white elephant gift game, and a Christmas trivia quiz ( I am the “Christmas Queen” two years running). Then myself, my sisters and all my cousins change into our matching pajamas and spend time with our family. There are a lot of matching pajamas in my life. Christmas morning we wake up early, take a sleepy family picture and open gifts. Then a big breakfast and a lazy lounging day ensues. Sometimes we even see a movie...still in our matching pajamas. 

Welcome Lizzie! We are thrilled to have you on the MonkDev team! Help us welcome Lizzie in the comments below! 

Contact us today and you might just get to talk with Lizzie yourself!

Contact us Today!