When it comes to creativity, whether it be in the office problem solving or at home shooting a camera, it's easy to identify Vice President of Operations Matt Gargo as the virtuoso of Salelytics.
Though the balance of work, art, and play takes practice, Matt strikes the perfect chord each day.
6:02 am
An extra two minutes of sleep makes all the difference some days. Having a seven-year-old daughter (Saoirse) and a nine-year-old son (Hugh) means that one or both children are already up, probably playing Minecraft, or watching someone play Minecraft on YouTube.
Breakfast consists of black coffee, vegetarian breakfast sausage, and some hot sauce (extra spicy).
Hugh and Saoirse, Camp Five Logging Camp, Laona, WI
Mornings at the Gargo household consist of getting the kids fed and dressed for school or day camp. Then, they go out the door with their mom, Angela.
Matt's home office setup
I usually log on between 7 and 7:30 am.
My office is decorated with multiple pictures of Appleton’s cityscape, which is also home to Salelytics' headquarters. One image is a hand-drawn bird's eye view from 1874, another a digital print by Artist Emily Reetz, and the third I took of the 222 Building. As someone who worked from our City Center location from July 2004 through March 2020, I like to keep a little piece of downtown in my home office.
7:30 am – 5 pm
No day is the same. I can expect lots of standing meetings, one-on-ones with my team, and client calls. Otherwise, I might have updates and QBRs with clients, project calls for new clients, and new technology touchpoints as well. Depending on breaks in the schedule, or when a meeting gets done early, I’ll grab a bite to eat: smoked almonds, Greek yogurt, or string cheese.
We recently adopted a pair of cat brothers from the Fox Valley Humane Association. At some point during the day, my little friends will stop by for a visit or to sleep on my lap for a moment.
Mittens and Em watching birds out the window
Sometimes, a day can seem like you’re crossing the world’s largest suspension bridge on a windy day. The best advice I can give is to keep moving forward and don’t look down! You’ll eventually make it across.
5 - 6:30 pm
I try to log off at 5 pm to get the kids from school, day camp, or the grandparents. After work, we scramble to put something healthy on the table for dinner. As my wife and I are vegetarians and the kids are not, that usually means preparing two meals.
As we spend most of our weekends out of town at our cabin in Marinette County, weeknights usually involve all of the chores… cleaning, laundry, and grocery shopping. It can be a lot, but we think it’s worth it to get out to the Northwoods as much as possible.
Angela and Saoirse Kayaking on Waubee Lake
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
We like to get the kids outside to tire them out before bed. As we live near Downtown Appleton and many parks, we try to sneak away to enjoy them (Although we have a lot of fun in the yard too).
Time to check email for the last correspondences of the day.
Angela, Saoirse, and Hugh taking an after dinner walk up north
8:30 pm – 9:00 pm
The kids are finally in bed, iPads wrenched from their grips.
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Weather permitting, I enjoy night walks immensely and as photography is one of my hobbies, I try to capture what I can of the city at dusk and after dark. No two sunsets are ever the same. After the walk, it’s home for a movie or the latest Netflix release.
Sunset over the flats, Appleton, WI
10:00 pm
Saoirse’s a bit of a sleepwalker. By 10 pm, we usually catch her wandering upstairs talking to people and animals who aren’t there.
11:30 pm
Lights out.
Sunset over Lutz Park and the Appleton Yacht Club
Matt's day may have come to a close, but his commitment to work, his craft, and his family will carry on. We're grateful to have his innovative and sincere leadership to represent our mission and team!
Matt's Links
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