Meet Angie Hollanda | Marketing Manager for Peachtree Orthopedics

We had the good fortune of connecting with Angie Hollanda and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angie, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk is an inherent aspect of life and career, presenting both challenges and opportunities. Taking risks leads to growth, innovation, and personal development. Had I not taken risks in my personal and professional life I would never be where I am today. However, it’s also crucial to assess risks carefully, considering potential consequences and probabilities. My family has always been my biggest support system. When I was younger, I always consulted with my parents. Today, I find support in my partner and my kids. The risks I was able to take when I was single are very different than today. The risks that I take now are more business-related and less personal.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am currently the Marketing Manager for Peachtree Orthopedics and even though my career has always been in Sales and Marketing, my story is not a typical one of how I got here.

I am originally from a small town in Poland, Kalish Pomorski, surrounded by four lakes and magnificent forests. I am the oldest of 3 daughters raised in a loving home where life was about hard work and education.

In 2001 in my 4th year of college, I was introduced to an AuPair America program, awakening my huge curiosity about the United States. After many long conversations with my parents, who were not very thrilled about the idea, I have decided to take a year sabbatical and accept an invitation from a family in Buckhead Atlanta, to stay with them for a year as a living nanny. I still remember the overwhelming feeling when I landed in Atlanta, not speaking English, my whole existence packed in only 2 suitcases, a naive, small-town, 23-year-old girl, who left behind everything she knew and everyone she loved.
It took me only a few months to decide that I wanted to go to college in the U.S. I was very quickly sold on the idea of the “American Dream”. I signed up for ESL (English as a Second Language) and started taking all the necessary steps to transfer my college credits and go to school here. After finishing up with the Au Pair Program, I became a full-time nanny for another family while going to school in the evenings. Fast forward, I graduated from Brenau University in 2009 receiving a B.S. in Human Resources Management, when my first daughter was 2 years old, which still is one of my biggest accomplishments.

I took my first “grown-up” job in 2004 as a Sales Consultant for a Staffing Company. Didn’t know much about sales, but I was hungry for the opportunity and willing to work hard. Giving up or complaining was never an option. I always felt incredibly lucky and humbled that I was making it happen for myself and my young family. My then-husband was also an immigrant and we both had to work extra hard to make things work for us. Getting citizenship in 2012 was extremely emotional and rewarding. My 2-year-old daughter at that time, Liliana, said after the ceremony “Are you an American Girl now, mommy?”. Her comment, although sweet and funny, was so profound and significant. This year in August I will celebrate the 23rd anniversary of coming to America. This year I will live in the States for as long as I lived in Poland. It’s a profound feeling that is hard to describe because no matter how many years I will live here, I will always be Polish in heart. My values, beliefs, and work ethics were shaped there, by my family and my culture, but the resilience, confidence, and knowledge I gained here, in the U.S. I am grateful to be able to have that.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Atlanta has so many things to offer and I can’t wait to share it with my sister and two nieces who are coming to visit me in July. We already purchased City Passes to see Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Atlanta Zoo, and Heritage Center. My family loves Beltline Atlanta! We typically start at Piedmont Park and walk around just soaking in the city life, observing people trying different restaurants. Personally, I love Persian or Mediterranean food. My favorite restaurant is Rumis or Zafron in Sandy Springs or Zakia Moder Lebanese Restaurant in Buckhead. When we want to challenge ourselves physically, we climb Stone Mountain or take our bikes on one of many Georgia biking trails. During summer, we spent our weekends boating on Lake Lanier. It’s one of our all-time favorite things to do as a family.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First, I would like to thank my three daughters who are the reason for my “WHY”. I wouldn’t be who I am today without them. Motherhood shaped me to be a patient, resilient, and more grounded person. Second, to my partner, Sanel, who is a stable voice of reason, a great business advisor, and an amazing life companion.

“Home is where one starts from” T.S. Eliot

Instagram: angie-pi-marketing

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agnieszka.hollanda?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Image Credits
The first picture is by Diego’s Photography and the second and third are by Mike Dunn