Molly enjoying the start of spring in the West Village
Molly Dwyer is an Assistant Account Executive for the General Mills at SaatchiNY. Photos were taken by Brian Davidson.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?
My two older siblings and I used to sell lemonade outside my grandmother’s beach house. Jake and Cate “hired” my artist uncle to make bright, decorative signs for us, and I was the 2-year-old PR girl, who would draw people in on their way to the beach. Despite my successful marketing efforts, our professional visual strategy, and ideal location on the beach path . . . I somehow never managed to walk away with more than a quarter once my siblings divvied up our earnings. Back then, being the youngest was tough.
WHAT LED YOU ON THE PATH YOU’RE ON TODAY?
I’ve always been a visual, curious, social, and creative person. When it came time to choose a career that would suit those traits, advertising seemed like the right fit. My visit to Saatchi last February reinforced that, and I started working here three weeks after I graduated.
IF YOU WEREN’T IN ADVERTISING, WHAT CAREER WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO TRY?
Photojournalism or journalism.
TELL US SOMETHING SURPRISING ABOUT YOURSELF:
During my senior year of high school, I biked 80 miles per day for three weeks to cover the distance of Vietnam’s Highway One, which spans from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. My teacher, who was a photographer during the war, led the trip.
WHAT ARE YOUR LOVEMARKS?
Truly Yogurt in Wellesley, MA; Shake Shack; the New York Times; My iPhone; Vermont; Central Park.
WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE STORY?
My uncle, Marty, was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer about a year ago. He and my aunt refused to believe the prognosis, visited another doctor, then another, until finally, they found a one who could offer a potential solution—for Marty’s son to donate part of his liver to his father. They performed the surgery last spring and both Marty and his son Alex are healthy and alive today. I love this story because it shows the power of optimism and persistence and also reveals the unexpected fact that the gift of life can be reciprocated.
FAVORITE CHILDHOOD TELEVISION PROGRAM?
Full House, minus the “Dad Talks”—even back then, I knew they were lame.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CREATIVE PURSUIT?
I love exploring places, new and old, with my camera (click examples below for the larger image).
Weybridge, Vermont
East Middlebury, Vermont
Da Nang, Vietnam
Florence, Italy
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN?
Eat! I love reading restaurant reviews and I always make sure to have a reservation to look forward to.
WHAT WAS THE LAST SONG YOU PLAYED ON YOUR IPOD?
“40 Day Dream” by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
WHAT BLOGS/MAGAZINES/BOOKS/PAPERS/WEBSITES CAN YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT?
For restaurant reviews, I love nymag.com and immaculateinfatuation.com. For clothing, I love to visit ShopBop, J. Crew, and Calypso. And, I’m constantly checking Gilt, Gilt City, and weather.com.
A GUILTY PLEASURE FOR ME IS:
Chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting from Alice’s Teacup in New York or the Off Center Café in my hometown. And champagne. But to be honest, I don’t actually feel guilty about either of those.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE GREATEST INVENTION IS IN YOUR LIFETIME AND WHY?
Google’s mission is “To organize the world‘s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” I think that is pretty great.
HAVE YOU EVER WON A TROPHY?
No…well…. I had a bingo-themed birthday party one year and I kept winning so I asked my mom to have a trophy made for me. I remember searching for a bingo-player among the ice skaters, swimmers, and soccer players on display in the trophy store. We ended up settling on something generic and created a plaque that said, “Molly, Bingo Winner.”
I’m not sure which is cooler, the fact that I had a bingo-themed birthday party or that I had my mom give me a trophy.
WHAT’S THE LAST GREAT TRIP YOU WENT ON?
Right after I graduated last spring, my boyfriend, Nick, and I jumped on a plane to Argentina, where my friend, Anabel, was living. Buenos Aires is brimming with fantastic wine, food, energy, and history, and we spent every day exploring from noon to dawn. We also spent a few days in Patagonia where we walked on the Perrito Moreno glacier, ate $10 filet mignon at a parilla, and went zip-lining.
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST/MUSICIAN/DESIGNER?
I love Matisse for his whimsical, decorative, style. When he went to Tahiti, he missed his wife so much that he couldn’t paint so he returned home to her and painted what he had seen from memory. I think his personal happiness must have contributed to his brilliant, lighthearted, bright expressions. To be a creative genius, in love, and French…what could be better?
WHEN’S THE LAST TIME YOU GAVE A STANDING OVATION?
At the final performance of South Pacific at Lincoln Center last August.