Sarah
Abboud
I’ve always had a quirkiness to me that I like to think makes me approachable and fun to be around.
A childhood spent within a close-knit family gave Sarah many treasured memories and delivered life lessons that influence her to this day.
BOTH FEET ON THE GROUND
I didn’t grow up with a lot of money — back then, you’d be hard-pressed to find any of the Abboud kids in the latest Nike Shox — but I was always taken care of. My parents raised us to attach our identity to who we are instead of material things.
OLD HABITS DIE HARD
Growing up in our two-bedroom, two-bathroom farmhouse, my brothers and I were always on top of each other, and when the time came for my mom to move into the more spacious house of her dreams, she couldn’t figure out why we all continued to pile up on a single couch or chair.
Let’s start at the beginning. Did you have an early hero?
My first hero was my Teta (“grandma” in Arabic). She lived in Beirut, Lebanon her whole life, where she endured through constant war and experienced every loss you could imagine, but she never let that harden her, and chose to lead with patience, love, and empathy everywhere she went.
Describe what it was like to grow up in your family.
Controlled chaos! I grew up in an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere: Belmont County, Ohio. Picture this: two parents, four kids, two dogs, and one snake, in two bedrooms and two bathrooms. When we weren’t outside playing in the creek, fishing at the pond, or building forts in the woods, we were gathered around our tiny kitchen island eating my mom’s incredible cooking.
Sounds fun and delicious. What did you learn from your family?
I learned early on that material things don’t matter when you have your family, your health, and a roof over your head. My parents raised us to attach our identity to who we are instead of material things.
How would your friends describe you?
Weird, goofy, thoughtful. They’d probably list those qualities, in that order, and end with “and did I mention weird?” I’ve always had a quirkiness to me that I like to think makes me approachable and fun to be around. When I was in high school, I’d always be the one making weird noises at sleepovers trying to scare their friends.
I remember that kid!
That was me. I’m also consistently referred to as thoughtful, because I take note of my friends’ life events and reach out to them. Sometimes it’s a food delivery, a handwritten note, or a text…I always want the people around me to know that they’re heard, and that I care for them.
Lastly, are there any traits that you’d say run in your blood?
Resiliency, and the ability to see the positive even in challenging times. I come from a long line of fighters on both my mom’s and dad’s side of the family. When things were difficult, it always came back to being grateful for what we had right in front of us and for each other. I’m so proud that I was raised that way and can bring these life lessons into my adult relationships.
Resilient, positive, and at home in controlled chaos.
Yep. Very helpful traits for someone in marketing and communications.
