Meet Louie
Let’s hear it for Louie Christensen, Magneti’s Senior Content Strategist!
Louie is a seasoned leader, an expert marketer, and a specialist in creating immersive content that’s rooted in impactful storytelling.
He’s a great addition to our team, and – as a former sommelier – he’s also a great addition to any dinner party.
We hope you have a blast getting to know him!
What drew you to Magneti?
The unique spread of clients. My previous agency really only dealt with one type of client, and at some point, as a creative, you start to feel this sense of deja vu or that trying something new completely goes against a well-established practice. With Magneti, I’m bouncing from one industry to the next, from true B2B to more complex purchasing funnels. Not only is that going to keep me sharp, but it allows me to draw from one industry’s success and try it in another industry that may never have thought about a certain strategy before.
Tell us a little about your family.
Family is everything to me. My wife Maggie and I have been married for over 10 years, and we have two beautiful daughters that bring so much enthusiasm to our lives. I am very blessed to live in the same city — Tucson, Arizona — as my parents, younger sister and her family, and my younger brother. We have family dinner every Sunday night, and we all have a passion for cooking, thanks to my mom. We’re a loud bunch, but there is so much love there. Couldn’t imagine doing life without them.
Arizona Wildcat Basketball. How much do you love it?
I don’t remember my first Arizona basketball game… I genuinely came into consciousness attending the games with my dad and grandpa. It’s ingrained in my psyche. I remember my dad tossing me up in the air, and the whole family shouting, hugging and running around the house when we took home the National Championship in 1997, and the years and years of close calls and March heartbreaks since. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You really aren’t a true Tucsonan until the Cardiac Cats have broken your heart. McKale Center, where we play, is a very special place, and I will show anyone around town who wants to come down for a game.
We’ve heard it’s dangerous to ask someone where to eat in Tucson. Why is that, and should we be worried?
The only thing Tucson loves more than Wildcat Basketball is our food scene. There are too many places to grab amazing dishes of every style, but of course our mesquite-grilled, Sonoran-style Mexican food is our specialty. Asking someone where to eat in Tucson is dangerous because you’re going to get a very long list of “can’t miss” options that you won’t be able to fit into your itinerary. And, god forbid anyone overhears the conversation, because they’re going to start giving their recommendations as well.
A little bird told us you spent some time living in Italy?
I did! I was an Agricultural Resource Economics Major and Italian Minor in college, and decided to run away to Italy to find a job at a winery. So I bought a one-way ticket, and signed up for a study abroad program in Orvieto to have a safety net while looking around. I got a job at Poliziano in Montepulciano, Tuscany, found a place to rent for super cheap, and was ready to settle in…when I started talking to my now-wife over Facebook. I decided I needed to head back home if I wanted a shot at pursuing her. It worked out, and we went back to visit Poliziano for our honeymoon.
Name one unnecessary skill you believe you’ve mastered.
I have far from mastered it, but during my time in the wine industry I learned how to blind taste wine. I got fairly good at it – guessing where a wine comes from, which grape it’s made from and when it was produced — and try my best to stay up-to-date. It takes a lot more reading and memorizing than you’d think.
You’ve written about dozens of cities. Did you stumble on any weird or fun facts?
I’ve been very fortunate to have visited dozens of cities across the United States from top-tier destinations to amazing cities you might not think to visit. While I never did any work in this state, I’ll give it in the form of a trivia question:
Q: Can you guess the most southern, northern, western and eastern states in the United States are?
A: Hawaii is the most southern, Alaska is obviously the most northern and western…but it’s also the most eastern. How, you ask? Alaska’s Aleutian Island chain stretches across the 180th Meridian line, meaning it technically sits further east than Japan.
If you had a podcast or talk show, who would your first guest be?
It’s hard not to say Malcom Gladwell. Not only would his appearance skyrocket my show’s early popularity, but I love how he looks at the world so differently. We all get stuck in the status quo, and his brain is just built to circumvent those easy pitfalls. It’d be fascinating to pick his brain and see what little thoughts and projects he’s working on.
What’s your comfort food?
Fine cheeses. It’s weird, I know. But I’m not the biggest sweets or snacks person. But you give me a plate of nice cheese, and I quickly find myself stuck in inner turmoil like Golem and Smeagol to not steal it all for myself and ruin the whole party. Gorgonzola, Brie, Comte dipped in a little raw honey…see it’s happening.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
“Mind Your Bubble”. We all live in our own bubble, some thicker than others, and it’s all too easy to become obsessed with what you are dealing with, thinking it’s the most important thing happening in the world. It really helps me widen my perspective, calm my anxieties, and focus on meeting people where they are – not where I am.
Your future biography will be titled…
Out of The Dust
There’s no escaping my connection with the desert. I find so much beauty and enthusiasm watching things grow out of places where they shouldn’t find root.
