Matthew Witt
Associate Media Director - Digital Investment
I'm thankful that I work for a company that encourages growth and new experiences.
Maxus Global Exchanger Matt shares what his hosting experience meant to him. "Each day spent with Lesly, learning about his culture, his family, and his expectations of New York reminded me why I signed up for this program."
First and foremost, I want to give a shout-out to Mike Thomas (whom I have never met) from the London office. He wrote a great blog entry about his preparation as a host for the Global Exchange program detailing his brief moments of doubt and insecurity. I too felt similar hosting nerves, but after recently proposing to my girlfriend I learned a few things to help prepare me for my hosting experience.
On October 7th of this year I proposed to my girlfriend in the wine country of North Fork, Long Island. Google it ‘ beautiful wineries roughly 1.5 hour away from New York City…who would’ve thought? Buying an engagement ring and proposing is a lot like putting a media recommendation together. Months of planning (ideally), RFP’ing partners (jewelers), and analyzing submissions (stones and bands). When these aspects are handled with diligence and care, it will make the presentation (proposal) that much easier.
Three weeks after my proposal (she said yes by the way), my guest Lesly Liew from Singapore was due to arrive in New York. To stay organized, I put together a google sheet outlining key landmarks, events, and neighborhoods that Lesly wanted to visit. I also incorporated a bit of my own personality and ensured that my favorite restaurants were a part of our itinerary.
During my search for a ring I learned 3 important aspects of being prepared. Listen. Do your research. Be willing to adapt. Since these steps led to a successful proposal, I was confident that they could be useful as a host.
Lesly arrived to JFK airport at around 3 pm on October 22nd, and despite traveling for roughly 24 plus hours, he was all smiles the moment he set foot on American soil. I brought him to my apartment to introduce him to my fiancé and we immediately felt his energy and excitement drawing us outside to explore.
After two weeks of gorging on delicious food, and witnessing stunning views from the top of Rockefeller center, Empire State building, and the Brooklyn Bridge I cannot say enough about how great it was having Lesly in my hometown. Despite the large crowds of people, I even mustered the courage to take Lesly to the New York Halloween parade, which was a first time experience for me. Each day spent with Lesly, learning about his culture, his family, and his expectations of New York reminded me why I signed up for this program. We even had the chance to spend some time with another exchanger Lauren Allmond from the UK who was a great addition to our office!
I am extremely grateful that Lesly gave me the opportunity to relive my favorite aspects of growing up and living in New York City. Late night food. Long walks through busy neighborhoods mixed with modern residential buildings and historical landmarks. People, food, languages, and music from around the world. Parks, museums, restaurants and bars seemingly intertwined into the beautiful, loud, and dirty mess that is Manhattan.
I love that I live in a place that cannot adequately be described by the likes of Trip Advisor or Yelp. I’m thankful that I work for a company that encourages growth and new experiences. But more importantly, I’m proud to call Lesly my friend.
