Get to Know Us

27 Sep

Posted at 19:17h in Content, Get to Know Us, Kids, Qualitative Research, Research Camp

When I was younger, I used to read a lot! Books were my gateway to exploring the world. Due to my family’s financial constraints, vacations and other summer activities were not available to me. Instead, books became my window to new cultures, places, and experiences.

Along with the movie The Parent Trap, the book Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita sparked my interest in going to summer camp and the possibility of forming lifelong friendships while experiencing all that nature had to offer. Inspired by this book and the movie, I immediately began researching different summer camps in my area hoping to recreate the adventures I had read about. Having been to summer camp, my neighbor recommended YMCA Camp Woodstock located in Woodstock, CT, describing it as a magical place and an experience he never forgot. Hoping to have that same experience, I reached out to the camp director directly and asked how I could go to summer camp too. While there were some scholarships left to partially cover the cost of attendance, I would have to pay the rest myself. Undaunted, I made it my mission to advocate for myself to attend. I begged my parents to let me go, got straight As that quarter to show my parents my commitment, and put together a potential payment plan if I were to attend.

After tirelessly advocating for myself, I was accepted into YMCA Camp Woodstock’s Leaders-In-Training (LIT) program – a six-week experience for teens that changed my life. I made some amazing friends from all over the world including Spain, France, and Italy. I participated in fun activities like kayaking, camping, learning camp songs, and competing in dining hall chant battles. I loved it so much that I returned to camp the next summer, eager to relive the magic of summer camp.

This summer, when Fluent announced plans for a research camp, I found myself in a position to pay forward the life-changing experience I had gained all those years ago. In partnership with New England Base Camp, Fluent arranged for a group of mostly Latinx tweens to attend day camp for two weeks where they could take part in all the camp activities, as well as research-related activities, including activity sessions and focus groups. To alleviate some of the cost, Fluent offered summer camp scholarships to the research participants, which deeply resonated with me. I was so excited for the opportunity to help others have that same amazing summer experience I had when I was growing up.

Unfortunately, I quickly realized that Latinx families have major reservations about the idea of summer camp because they immediately think that their child will be sleeping there, which raises major concerns for them. Most don’t realize that there are also day camps where kids just go for a few hours a day. I had to work very hard to reassure them they would be safe and would not be sleeping there since it was a day camp. I served as the main point of contact for them and their children. Knowing that I also come from a Latinx background and speak Spanish fluently, they felt much more comfortable opening up to me. I met with them individually before they enrolled to answer any questions and for them to get to know me as well. Once the camp started, they knew they could call or text me at any time, easing their concerns and solidifying mutual trust.

The stories of three tween girls who had recently arrived from El Salvador especially resonated with me. To attend this camp each day, they needed to travel roundtrip from East Boston to Milton, MA, yet their mothers worked 10-hour days and had no way of picking up or dropping them off at camp. Because the mothers had wanted to provide opportunities for their girls to practice their English, assimilate into their new home, and make new friends, they found a friend for the girls to stay with so they could be closer to the camp. I appreciated that the moms were trying so hard to have their daughters attend summer camp. Their experience touched me and reminded me of all the advocating I had to do for myself to attend camp all those years ago.

As camp ended, it was clear that these three girls had been positively impacted by their camp experience and left a lasting impression on the lives of their fellow campers. Yes, they had formed new friendships, but they had also become a source of support for each other and an inspiration to the camp as a whole. The oldest girl, an 8th grader, took on the role of translating for the other two. Together they helped other campers and staff practice their Spanish-speaking skills, and educated everyone about Salvadoran culture.

From the outside looking in, Research Camp had such a tremendous impact on the lives of these girls and I think that was very special. Reflecting on the summer and watching the campers navigate the program reinforced the idea that camp has the potential to serve as a catalyst for growth, resilience, and cross-cultural understanding.

By User Experience Researcher, Evelin Garcia.

24 Aug

Posted at 23:18h in Employee News, Get to Know Us

At Fluent, our four-legged friends are not just pets, but cherished members of our extended family. This National Dog Day, we’re thrilled to share the canine companions that bring joy, laughter, and love to Fluent’s employees. From a Jack Russell-beagle mix that loves lounging to an adopted Shih Tzu who is devoted to her owner, prepare to fall in love with the dogs of Fluent Research!    

 

Max, Age 13 – Owned by Lia Abrams, User Experience Researcher

Max is a little bundle of fun! He is a bichon poodle and weighs about 15 pounds, but don’t be fooled by his small stature. Max was an epic hiker in his prime, frequently going on 10+ mile hikes and leading his family along the path. Max scratches each family member’s door every morning to wake them up and greet them before moving on to the next. If you want to cuddle up with him, I recommend doing so in the morning when he is extra affectionate. By the evening time he can usually be found under his owners’ bed.

 

 

 

Izzy, Age 13 – Owned by Natalia Belchikov, User Experience Researcher

Izzy is a sweet dog who loves lounging at home and luring people to give her food with her puppy eyes. She is a Jackabee (50% Jack Russell/50% beagle). Izzy’s relaxation time is very precious to her, she does not like to be moved or bothered when she gets comfortable. In fact, she is a notorious seat nabber; if you need to get up from your spot, don’t be surprised to see Izzy getting comfortable in it by the time you get back. One of her favorite activities is chasing after squirrels during a walk. She loves to make a scene, barking loudly and pulling on the leash so we can keep up! Be warned that she loves to show her affection with licks and by staring at you with adoring eyes. She has grown up with cats all her life, and though the cats can be a pain, she loves them too.

 

 

Milo, Age 4 & Lily, Age 9 – Owned by Allison Caplovitz, Director, Content Research and Evaluation

Milo is active and friendly. He is my walking buddy and will happily walk 5 miles with me every day! He loves to get into food that he is not supposed to – and is often caught rummaging through the trash to find a tasty morsel.

Lily is my lap buddy and will cuddle any time she has the chance. You will often find her on my lap during long work days. Even though she only weighs 12 pounds, she will put her much larger brother, Milo, in his place if he makes a wrong move!

 

 

Lily, Age 7 – Owned by Stefanie Cousins, Vice President of Marketing and Communications

Meet Lily, a 9-pound Shih Tzu we adopted 18 months ago from my best friend’s mother who became too frail to care for her. Lily is 95% love and affection and 5% “don’t mess with me.” Lily’s full-time job is to keep her people company and make sure they feel her devotion, and she is a pro. She spends her days sleeping on my lap while I work, or curled up somewhere warm and soft waiting for the next recipient of her cuddles and licks. But don’t let our tiny, Ewok look-alike fool you. Lily has short bursts of energy when she fetches her toys like a retriever and plays sock tug-of-war like a bulldog. When Lily’s younger brother Mochi (a 1-year-old Russian Blue cat weighing in at 14 pounds) wants to play, Lily engages in fun-loving games until she’s had enough and charges at him with a growl that would force any kitty to slink away.

 

 

Elle, Age 5 – Owned by Paige Frankovich, Producer

Meet Elle, the ultimate mix of husky, pitbull, and German Shepherd craziness! She was adopted about a year ago after being surrendered by her previous owner at 2 1/2 years old. In the 6-8 months she was bouncing around in shelters, she had some sort of head trauma. She’s all healed now and her only side effect is having the cutest mismatched ears. Elle loves to play with her spiky ball, run around with her doggy friends, and eat any food that lands in her vicinity. She is loving her carefree new life!

 

 

Luna, Age 3 – Owned by Amber Gonzalez, Quantitative Researcher

Meet Luna, the ultimate lap dog with an adorable persuasion technique — puppy eyes! She knows just how to win you over and claim her spot on your lap. Luna loves making new friends- at just 6 pounds, she fearlessly befriends dogs over ten times her size. Her favorite hobbies include exploring dog-friendly spots in the city and snacking on yak chews and peanut butter.

 

 

Skylar, Age 5 – Babysat by Nellie Gregorian, Founder and President

I don’t have a dog (a childhood dream that still hasn’t been realized) but I babysit my friend’s dog, Skylar. Skylar is a pomsky and the coolest dog ever. She is very poised and carries herself with dignity. When other dogs approach her, she looks at them calmly but with an unmistakably superior attitude, like a grown-up looking at an impetuous kid. She is also stunningly beautiful, with eyes of different colors – one light brown and one cool blue. She loves me, and is always happy to come for a visit — my treating her with Russian cutlets might have something to do with it! 🙂

 

 

Lola, Age 5 – Owned by Kelly Sheehan, Senior User Experience Researcher

Meet Lola, a 5-year-old German Shepard mix. My husband and I adopted Lola in 2020 the day before the world shut from COVID. She does not like other dogs or people, but she gives us all her love every day. When she’s not barking at Amazon drivers, she loves tearing apart stuffies, chewing bones, and cuddling in bed with us. She’s taught me a lot about patience, loyalty, and empathy. We love her!

 

13 Jun

Posted at 05:21h in Get to Know Us, Interns, Research

At Fluent, we have a deep commitment to uncovering and fostering emerging talent. This summer, we are thrilled to welcome three exceptional interns to our team. Learn more below about Emma Clarke, Halley Robbins, and Marko Stroumbakis – their backgrounds and plans for the future…

 

Emma Clarke

Emma Clarke is returning to Fluent Research as an intern for the second consecutive summer. Emma will continue assisting research teams with both qualitative and quantitative projects. In the past, Emma has found research concerning education and family relations to be the most rewarding. Her interest in this type of work stems from her previous experience as a volunteer and tutor for young children in high school.

Emma will be entering her final year of college as a psychology and cognitive studies major at Tulane University in the fall. Over the last three years she has helped conduct undergraduate academic research in social psychology and will continue to do so during her final year. After graduation, Emma hopes to pursue a graduate degree in social psychology.

 

Halley Robbins

Halley Robbins is a summer intern at Fluent Research. In her internship search, Halley was looking for a company where she could do quantitative data analysis for an organization whose mission strives to better the lives of others. Halley is excited to apply her experiences as a teacher’s assistant, president of a 60-person tutoring program, camp counselor, and more to add her unique voice to Fluent Research.

Halley grew up in New York City and is a rising senior at Washington University in St. Louis. She is majoring in economics and math with minors in psychology and computer science. After college, Halley is interested in going to graduate school for business or computer science. She is excited about working in her hometown and joining Fluent Research to put her data analytics skills into practice.

 

Marko Stroumbakis

Marko Stroumbakis, who has been an invaluable intern at Fluent Research since June 2022, will be continuing his work at Fluent this summer. As an intern who has worked with everyone on the Fluent staff over the past year, Marko has gained a breadth of knowledge and experience in market research. Verifying both qualitative and quantitative data, working on survey testing, and translating subject responses from Spanish to English have all been valuable for his understanding of how data is used to inform insights.

Marko would like to gain more experience and knowledge in the field of marketing, with a particular emphasis on brand management. He will be a junior at Baruch College in New York City this fall.

 

23 May

Posted at 15:00h in Get to Know Us, Kids

May is National Teen Self-Esteem Month. Self-esteem issues affect people of all ages. However, we are particularly at risk of experiencing a low sense of self-worth during our teenage years. At Fluent, we understand the importance of lifting up our young people and helping them to foster a positive view of who they are and what they can achieve. With that in mind, we asked some of our team members to reflect on the advice they would offer their teenage selves. Their answers warmed our hearts and provided us with some valuable self-esteem tools.

 

Charlotte Beatty, User Experience Researcher

Alone time in nature is essential! Alone time (read: no parents, no authority figures, no outside noise or opinions!) affords teens a moment to rest and reset and listen to their own voice without any distractions, but doing something active, like going outside, can really help teens consciously reflect about themselves and their interests. Taking a walk or going for a hike outdoors can significantly help with processing difficult emotions, finding a sense of flow or balance, and sparking creativity. If you’re not a nature person, any solo, meditative activity can have the same benefits. When I was a teen, I connected to my sense of self-esteem best when I was hiking bluffs, walking along beaches, painting, performing ballet, or swimming.

 

Stefanie Cousins, Vice President of Marketing and Communications

It’s okay to make mistakes. Be kind to yourself. Every other teen is figuring it out too.

 

Heath Cozens, Director of Productions

This is my confidence hack for public speaking, but it can apply in lots of socially stressful situations. Focus on the message, not yourself. Think of how you ride a bike: if you only look at your front wheel, you’ll wipe out. But if you look at where you’re going, you’re golden. It’s a lot more fun to focus on communicating your passion, and 99% of the time, people are actually rooting for you. Their attention is on the substance of your message, your actions, and what you bring to the table, rather than superficial aspects like your appearance or how polished you seem. And if you’re bringing positivity/utility/good vibes and they’re still attacking you…? Well, in that rare case, you can probably guess why, and the real reason has nothing to do with you. So when you’re feeling stressed, take a moment to note that feeling, and then put it aside. Shift focus to what you want people to take away from the interaction. This will not only make you more confident but also make your interactions more meaningful.

 

Tom Fuller, Vice President of Business Development 

Take off that silly hat and wear sunglasses instead of those coke bottle horn rims! No, you’re okay — remember you’re smarter than some and faster than most.

 

Nellie Gregorian, Founder and President

Don’t be so hard on yourself, Nellie. Keep that critical inner voice in check! And don’t be shy about acknowledging your strengths and talents. It’s OK to pat yourself on the back from time to time.

 

Mary Meyn, Director of Research 

It’s ok to not have all the answers — keep asking questions and challenge the status quo. I’m proud of you.

 

Anonymous

Every loving thing you do for yourself is practice for loving someone else well. Meditate on your strengths, and focus less on your weaknesses. Not getting everything right on the first try makes you human, leaving plenty of room for growth and discovery. Expect failure, and allow it to serve as transformational instruction; maybe you can even help others learn from your mistakes one day. Get good at identifying your feelings by building a vocabulary for the range of emotions you feel — “amused,” “anxious”, “astonished”! Don’t be scared of your feelings, feel them all, and let them inform you of what is important or valuable to you. Remember that you are deeply loved as an immutable fact and that no one, not even you, can undo that.

 

 

23 Apr

Posted at 08:00h in Get to Know Us

World Book Day is a time to celebrate the joy of reading. At Fluent Research, we are a team of enthusiastic readers who believe that a good book can transform us, transport us, and expand our outlooks. With that in mind, we’re sharing some of our team’s personal favorites. These literary works have made a huge impact on our hearts and minds.

 

Lia Abrams, User Experience Researcher

Favorite Book: Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb

This book brought me through the full scope of emotions! I laughed, I cried, I took notes, and I talked to anyone who would listen to me about it. Maybe You Should Talk To Someone is a memoir written by a therapist as she brings readers through her journey of finding and building a relationship with her own therapist. Each character allowed me to reflect and see myself in a new way and Lori herself felt like a best friend by the end. It’s a must-read.

 

Charlotte Beatty, User Experience Researcher 

Favorite Books: Beloved by Toni Morrison, To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, and The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

I love these books and authors because they all explore what it means to be an individual within various structures — be that a family, a country, or a social group — and how belonging, love, and sacrifice all touch one another.

 

Natalia Belchikov, User Experience Researcher

Favorite Book: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

I viscerally remember what I felt like after reading this book and no other book has had that impact on me. I was deeply moved and inspired by this engrossing family saga. The characters lingered in my thoughts for days after. With this novel, Lee unlocked a newfound appreciation within me (the best type of reading experience) for this sub-genre of historical fiction: the multi-generational family epic.

 

Allison Caplovitz, Director of Content Research and Evaluation

Favorite Book: American Dirt by Jeanine Cummings

This book was an eye-opening depiction of what it is like to make the harrowing trek from Mexico to the US  in search of a better life. The author transported me to migrants’ journey and provided me with a small glimpse into the desperation they feel. While over 400 pages, I couldn’t put it down and I had a new appreciation for all it takes to come to the US.

 

Heath Cozens, Director of Productions

Favorite Books: The Human Evasion by Celia Green, Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman, and The Case Against Reality by Donald Hoffman.

I choose three books that might not be my all-time favorites, but they’ve all helped me explore a favorite theme: the nature of reality. They challenge our hidden preconceptions and biases, offering tantalizing glimpses beyond the veil. Each book came to me at a different epoch in my life.

Let me start with The Human Evasion, a peculiar and musty tome I stumbled upon in my flatmate’s book pile, back in Wellington in the early ’90s. It’s a cheeky diatribe about escaping from the mental prisons of dogma. It spoke to me. Growing up in Wellington — the party capital of New Zealand, yet still an undeniably small town — it hinted at our untapped potential if only we’d remove our blinkers and question everything. I moved to Japan soon thereafter, a total paradigm shift.

The second book is Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman, which I read around age 30, nearly halfway through my time in Japan. A poetic collection of short stories, it envisions the fever dreams Einstein may have had while formulating his groundbreaking theories in Berne, Switzerland, in 1905. It’s surreal, and unexpectedly moving to witness early 19th-century Swiss life transmuted through the wild concepts that might have colored his dreams.

For my third pick, I’m opting for the mind-blowing, ontologically challenging treatise The Case Against Reality by Donald Hoffman, whose work I discovered after moving to the US. Hoffman brings advanced mathematics, evolutionary game theory, cognitive science, and scientific rigor to argue that the physical world is an illusion: a headset of sorts for interacting with a deeper substrate of reality — unmitigated pure consciousness interacting with itself.

These books echo what I cherish about working for Fluent Research: forgoing assumptions in pursuit of deeper truths.

 

Tom Fuller, Vice President of Business Development 

Favorite Book: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre is the earliest book I have read that holds up as a story. It has a moral, character development, and a plot. It speaks to the social issues of its time with a point of view but without preaching.

 

Evelin Garcia, User Experience Researcher

Favorite Books: I Will Teach You to be Rich by Ramit Sethi and The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

Financial literacy is SO important! However, these valuable skills aren’t always taught to us by our schools or our families. As someone who grew up first-generation and low-income, I Will Teach You to be Rich has taught me so much about building a healthy and strong financial base. I love that it breaks down some really overwhelming topics and guides you step-by-step through your journey toward building generational wealth. I think everyone should read this book, especially young people!

The Undocumented Americans challenges stereotypes and sheds light on the complexities of the undocumented immigrant experience in a deeply personal and humanizing way. Through the author’s own experiences and those of the people she interviews, the book conveys the emotional impact of living without legal status in a country that is often hostile to immigrants. I think anyone interested in understanding the human cost of America’s broken immigration system should read this book.

 

Nellie Gregorian, Founder and President

Favorite Books: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White, and Pippy Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Reading War and Peace as a teenager was a formative experience for me. My worldview was profoundly influenced by the philosophical questions posed by Tolstoy and by the main characters of the book who search for purpose and meaning during turbulent times. I love everything and anything written by E.B. White, but I find The Trumpet of the Swan to be the most whimsical and delightful. And Pippy Longstocking is simply my hero — here is a strong girl who is not easily fooled and who is always ready for an adventure!

 

Mary Meyn, Director of Research 

Favorite Books: The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak, The Immortalists by Chole Benjamin, and Daisy Joes and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I love books and reading and I always have, so I had to rein myself in with just three books. I choose three favorite books for three different purposes: my favorite book to read to my kids, my favorite novel, and my favorite audiobook.

I love reading The Book With No Pictures out loud to my kids. I read to them every night before they go to bed and it’s a nice time to relax and connect. But when my kids choose this book I know we’re in for a gleeful fit of giggles. It never fails to make them belly laugh and it’s a great reminder to not take myself too seriously as I sing “glug, glug, glug, my face is a bug…I eat ants for breakfast right off the ruuuuuuug!” IYKYK.

There are some books that just stick with you — that you find yourself thinking about over the years again and again — and The Immortalists by Chole Benjamin is one of those books. The book begins with four young siblings who visit a fortune teller who tells them the exact date that each of them will die. This premise opens the door to the moving and powerful stories of how each sibling lived their life and how they were impacted by this supposed knowledge.

I have read a few of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books and I think she is a master storyteller. I listened to Daisy Jones and the Six on audiobook and it was phenomenal. The characters that Reid created were so believable that I needed to keep confirming again and again that they were fictional. The book was deeply engrossing and entertaining — I highly recommend listening to it or reading it.

 

Tiffany Salone, Senior Researcher

Favorite Books: East of Eden by John Steinbeck, In the Heart of the Sea by Nathanial Philbrick, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I really enjoy books that do a lot of world-building and are a slow burn in terms of characters and emotion — you start with the details and find yourself moved by the smallest decisions 100 pages in. All of my favorite books pull off these feats masterfully. The three books I picked are also representations of topics I love to read about; historical fiction, historical non-fiction, and fantasy.

 

Dan Warren, Director of Youth Development & Education

Favorite Books: Momo by Michael Ende and A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Momo is a deeply moving tale about a girl, her friends, and how we value and understand time and love. Even though this book is written for children, I find that it is actually a better book for adults to remind them of what is really important in life and how we can remain aware of those important things. A Walk in the Woods is a brilliant combination of hilarious storytelling and fascinating education about nature. I love how Bryson merges the two seamlessly, like a chorus and verse in music to create entertainment and growth for the reader.