Me-Time to Shine: Employee hobbies enrich lives away from work

Our professional focuses provide a lot of benefits to our lives. But no matter how much we like our jobs or how deeply connected we feel to our work, we all need a break—and something secondary to enliven our lives, even for a just a few hours a week. 

That’s where our hobbies come in. According to a 2023 study by Nature Medicine—and promoted by Harvard Medical School—our side pursuits aren’t just something to pass the time. According to more than 93,000 older adults across 16 countries (including the U.S.) surveyed, having a hobby can be beneficial to your health, mood, and general well-being. Depending on the endeavor, each can enhance focus, alleviate loneliness, or support development of social skills.

And in general, hobbies are fun—and having fun is, um, fun.

We at The Martin Group enjoy having fun in our work, but we also stay plenty busy once we close our laptops. With hobbies as diverse as our personalities and backgrounds, we look forward to extending ourselves past our positional identifications and into realms creative, constructive, and even competitive. Depending on the hour, we’re always busy doing something, so here are just a few things some of our team members do once they’re off the clock.  

Hobbyist: Katie Steelman, Copy Editor

Hobby: Crocheting

In September 2023, Katie saw a cute, crocheted pumpkin on Instagram and thought, “I could (maybe) do that.” From there, she looked up tutorials, learned how to read patterns, and suddenly, what was once approached as a one-off endeavor soon became an every-week enjoyment. So far, she’s crocheted plenty of amigurumi (stuffed toys), and has found a lot of fun in creating different animals and taking on more challenging patterns. But this past fall, she decided to take another pass at her first pumpkin–and in doing so, was excited to see how far her skills had improved in a year.

Katie says: “I find crocheting relaxing, and I like that it focuses my attention on something other than a screen.”

Hobbyist: Kristina Robinson, Senior Digital Developer

Hobby: Gaming

Kristina’s love for gaming started decades ago, with days and nights spent navigating Windows 95 games like Chips Challenge, 3D Pinball: Space Cadet, and Jezzball, all on an old laptop that her father gave her. As an only child, each game provided company, as well as entertainment to fill solitary time with excitement. Today, she’s still into it—and has kicked things up a notch. She’s built her own computer to support her engagement in such games as Rocket League and Counter Strike 2; and is currently an undefeated Tricky Towers champion within her friend group. 

Kristina says: “It keeps me entertained. I enjoy diving into a good story or lore, solving puzzles, or coordinating with friends in competitive games.”

Hobbyist: Dave Riley, Creative Director

Hobby: Home renovation

Dave started wading into DIY waters to both pursue a more self-sufficient existence and handle whatever home repair concerns came his way. But when it came to renovation, it was a chance to embrace the same precision and creativity he brings to his day job—all while keeping less capable contractors safely on the bench. According to Dave, he began to harness his considerable renovation skills after the purchase of his first house, all to incorporate his and his wife’s love of modern design. Since then, he’s completed two kitchen remodels, complete bathroom and basement renovations, a beautiful pool deck and custom designed stair banister, and one hardwood floor refinishing. It’s an impressive resume, but he’s always ready for wherever his cherished Ramset HammerShot will take him next.

Dave says: “The greatest satisfaction and appreciation occurs at the completion of a project and in turn empowers me to pursue the next big thing.”

Hobbyist: Jennifer Hunold, Director of Growth and Business Development

Hobby: Foraging for mushrooms

So how does one come to forage for mushrooms—for fun? In the case of Jen, she was led into the practice after her husband started at Ecovative (a mycelium technology company based in Green Island, NY) around 2011. Together, they would spend time walking in the woods every weekend, learning and identifying various fungi, both edible and not. According to Jen, they were careful to be good stewards of the land, and initially chose to be observers over collectors. His work colleagues would also host mushroom forays on their properties, which allowed the two to deepen their interest while foraging for miles. Since those early days, Jen has celebrated such moments as finding black trumpets that were 5-6″ tall and chantarelles 4″ wide at the top—and feeling the unique satisfaction of knowing varietal names like Cantharellus, Craterellus, and Hydnum repandum.

Jen says: “I love doing it still because it gets me out in the woods, exploring with my mycologist husband, and constantly learning something new.”

Hobbyist: John Mackowiak, Vice President of Public Relations

Hobby: Making pierogi

Inspired by family tradition and instructed by YouTube tutors, John has been making his beloved pierogi—part of the global dumpling family—since 2023, soon after developing a love of cooking. Now, he loves making pierogi more than any other item in his evolving stable of culinary creations. His Grandma Mack introduced him to the inventive energy that could invigorate each serving of folded dough and tasty filling. Now, he’s carving his own delicious path with online guidance from the likes of Michał Korkosz, Zuza Zak, and Dariusz The Polish Chef, intent on embedding the same joy he feels throughout preparation into every serving he shares. Case in point: December 2024, when John whipped up 250 pierogi for his family Christmas celebrations.

John says: “Pierogi are such a welcoming food. In my opinion, there are few better ways to show hospitality than sharing a plate of pierogi with a friend.” 

Hobbyist: Jana Eisenberg,Copy Editor

Hobby: Zydeco dancing

Ever since being introduced to music and dance by her mother at a very early age, Jana has loved dancing. She’s went through various phases of participating in different types of social dancing, from Israeli and Eastern European folk dancing in high school and college, to swing and country western two-step throughout her twenties and thirties in New York City. Then, she discovered Cajun music and dance, enabling her short hop to Creole-influenced zydeco—and an ongoing passion that persists today. According to Jana, it’s the music that’s hooked her to the artform—and her skill and authenticity of performance has even led to some well-earned screen time. See her appearance in Louisiana native Miss Mona’s dance demo here. 

Jana says: “Those who know and love it are usually passionate, some might even say obsessive, about it. It is party music, but also deeply felt dancing that, these days, I do not get to do enough of.”

Hobbyist: Ryan Boyle, Digital Development Supervisor

Hobby: Making music

Ryan first started experimenting with musical instruments and making low-quality recordings in 2008. But after years of fiddling with video games like “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band”—and amid a COVID-19 pandemic that devoured more than a year—the hobby reemerged and advanced to fill idle time with inventive creation. Developing each recording has provided a tremendous outlet, allowing him to tackle the specifics of writing a song, composing complementary music, and merging the two to produce wholly new tracks. Now, he’s releasing his music on Bandcamp and Spotify, putting his work out there for all to hear—and to enjoy seeing just how far his little hobby has come.

Ryan says: “The best feeling for me though is to have a finished song that I can listen to and share with friends and family and say, hey I made this. All of it, from start to finish.”

To learn more about the experience, hobbies, and tastes of The Martin Group, click here.