In the day-to-day, our lives are busy and our schedules are full. But because 2024 is a leap year, the Lenz team decided to take advantage of the extra day by using Leap Day to “take a leap” and try something out that we wouldn’t normally make time for. From taking a class (be it fitness or educational) to journaling, below are the Lenz Leaps from this year!
Rachel Cushing, Scott Sanders, and Mike Killeen
Rachel, Scott, and Mike visited the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) to stretch their creative muscles for Leap Day!
Originally formed as the Atlanta International Museum of Art & Design in 1989, MODA has grown and evolved over the years to become the only museum in the Southeast dedicated exclusively to the study and celebration of all things design.
The current exhibit, Please Be Seated, dives into the history of chair design and invites visitors to rethink the role this everyday piece of furniture plays in their lives. The group had a blast learning about historic chair designers from Eileen Gray to Paola Lenti, and finished off the visit in the “interactive lab” where they made their own 3-D chair models.
Rae Steinberg
I’ve always been interested in learning how payroll works, but I never had a good reason or the time to follow this curiosity! The Lenz Leap allowed me to follow this interest by taking a class on Human Resources to learn everything I could ever want to know about payroll. Payroll is so much more complex than I could have imagined, and I loved challenging myself to learn about a different field than my own.
Frank Robertson
This Lenz Leap Day was two-fold for me. I’ve been curious about the possibility of going back to school for my MBA, so I went to an MBA fair where I learned about the different opportunities and programs offered by Emory, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, and UGA. Additional schooling is a big commitment and one that I don’t take lightly. Especially in this season!
The other half of my Lenz Leap Day was going on an adventure with my wife and 13-week-old daughter. With a newborn, it’s easy to get nervous at the idea of being “out and about”, but we challenged ourselves to do just that. We walked from the East Lake neighborhood to Kirkwood where we stopped to get a baguette from a local bakery. We finished the outing with a little lap around a local antique store.
Thank you, Lenz, for the opportunity to learn more about the MBA and to make new memories with my family!
Lizzi Skipper
For my Lenz Leap Day, I went to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. I was surprised at how huge the museum was and all the exhibits they had. They had a large variety of art from many different generations of time. Some art I saw was from the 1300s! They had modern art, as well. This experience was inspiring and sparked my creativity!
Marianne Danneman
For my Lenz Leap Day, I took the opportunity to learn more about one subject that I have only grown more interested in as time has gone on– graphic design! I took several smaller courses on both HubSpot and Canva to learn more about basics of graphic design, brand design guides and how to build them, tips for using Canva, and more. I really enjoyed learning about design principles I knew more in practice than in theory, spatial arrangement, color theory, and more!
Stephen Lacienski
For my Leap Day activities, I wanted to focus on introspection. I chose two activities that focused on inner reflection. I started my day by attending a meditative yoga class. I’ve done yoga as an exercise in the past — but this class was focused on positive energies, slowing one’s thoughts, and relaxing the mind and body while still being present and aware.
Second, I did something that I’ve long wanted to do but have never actually experienced. I booked a 90-minute session for a sensory deprivation float tank. This was a truly unique experience that allowed me to apply some of the meditation practices from the morning yoga class while experiencing the sensations of weightlessness and complete introspection.
I can definitely see myself continuing to explore these activities!
Ricky Pattillo
For the last few years, I’ve wanted to learn Spanish but never felt like I had the extra time or an ear for languages to make it happen. Lenz’s Leap Day initiative gave me a good opportunity to get a jump start on what I hope to be a new habit and language skill. I signed up for a 12-month Babbel subscription and spent the day doing over a week’s worth of Spanish lessons.
¡Aprendo español!
Anna Laura McGranahan
For my Lenz Leap Day, I headed to the Decatur Library to take some LinkedIn Learning courses! The library has been one of my favorite places since I was a kid, and I love that the Lenz office is within walking distance of such a historic library. I’m a huge fan of the free Libby app to check out e-books and audiobooks from my library, and I recently learned you can use your library card to access LinkedIn Learning courses for free!
I thoroughly enjoyed the management courses I took, and I love that I could support my local library in the process. Every library has a different library ID, so ask your local librarian! (P.S., the LinkedIn Learning Library ID for Dekalb County is “Dekalb”).
Emily Giordano
I spent the Lenz Leap Day exploring Atlanta’s High Museum of Art! It was the perfect time to explore the creativity and history behind installations, and it inspired me to seek out more exhibits from local independent artists here in the city. I loved experiencing the wide range of art and artists that the High features, especially Mary Proctor’s work. It was a great way to spend the day!
Casey Meyer
After getting a puppy in December, it’s been hard to take time for myself. I struggle with leaving Finn to himself when I know each week is a different “learning window” for him. It feels like the clock is ticking! Still, my fiancé has been encouraging me to take more time for myself now that Finnegan is getting bigger (and we don’t have to worry about accidents — woo!).
So, for Leap Day, I decided I’d do some exercising — without Finn — and try my hand at journaling. This felt like a great “leap” for me, as I hadn’t journaled in years. It’s hard confronting your thoughts — written down and literally staring you in the face — but I think that kind of self-reflection is necessary, especially when you find yourself on the other side of a lifestyle change like me.
I’m eager to continue giving myself this space to discover myself and I appreciate Lenz providing us with this opportunity.
Christine Mahin
I take fitness seriously, but I’ve always been nervous about trying yoga. Working out to me always meant cardio and high-energy movement. Being still and quiet felt intimidating. So, for Leap Day, I signed up for Core Power’s Hot Fusion class. The theme of the class was about honoring your strength, so along with the physical challenge, mentally I focused on times I was stronger than I thought I could be–at the instructor’s prompting. I’m grateful for the opportunity to “leap” in this way, and look forward to making this new workout a habit.
P.S. Do you know when you don’t want to take a selfie?! After a hot yoga class!
Kierra Amerson
For Lenz Leap Day, I took a HubSpot course on Video Marketing. With videos becoming so popular over the past few years with TikTok and Instagram Reels, I wanted to expand my knowledge on how videos can be effective in marketing and for our clients.
I learned so much about how videos can increase the visibility of a practice, person, company, etc. From components like the lighting to the script to the length of the video, producing a quality video that will connect with your audience and leave a lasting impression makes a huge difference in how consumers look at your business.
Jon Waterhouse
Lenz Leap Day found me hunkering down at my laptop and digging into some long-overdue creative writing. I chose this in an effort to boost creativity, exercise my writing muscles, and cathartically release ideas and emotions. I feel like the momentum from the process is challenging me to push myself further when undertaking work-related writing projects.
Meagan Maron
For my “Leap Day” activity, I visited the Balloon Museum exhibit at Pullman Yards. My interest was initially piqued by its appearance in the Netflix series “Emily in Paris.” When I heard the “Let’s Fly” exhibit was in Atlanta, I had to go. It showcases works from 18 international artists, inviting visitors to engage through touch and movement. However, the highlight was undoubtedly the ball pit and the mesmerizing light show within. I was truly blown away by the creativity and attention to detail evident in every aspect of the exhibit. It’s a beautiful concept executed with remarkable thought and effort.
Annice Wyatt
Do you find yourself only relaxing on vacation? With the demands of everyday life, it’s hard to not reserve relaxation away from our normal routines. On my vacations, you can often find me reading books and hardly getting up from my seat. Then, returning home and not picking up another book.
After watching “Wild” starring Reese Witherspoon a few months ago and feeling moved by the story, I bought the book on Amazon and it was conveniently delivered the next day. That book, like many, sat on my shelf ever since.
For Leap Day, I finally picked up Cheryl Strayed’s memoir “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail”, detailing her 1,000+ mile solo hike in the wake of personal turmoil, and felt encouraged that this new relaxing habit would become an integral part of my daily life.