Chatting about life in Pittsburgh is one of Christopher R. Evans’ favorite topics.
“I’ve lived here my whole life,” said Evans of O’Hara.
Evans, 51, grew up in what he describes as “storybook” Churchill and previously resided in Shadyside and Fox Chapel.
He moved to O’Hara three years ago and said he has no plans of relocating.
“I grew up with a white-picket fence and quaint little homes,” Evans said. “I had many opportunities to move away from Pittsburgh, and I’ve traveled the globe on business — but I love it here.”
Living in O’Hara suits Evans, and he recalls childhood trips visiting relatives who lived in Fox Chapel.
“It was an intentional goal to live here. I’m such a champion of this area,” Evans said. “I like that it’s family-oriented and has an old-school neighborhood feel where you know the neighbors on your street. There’s a good amount of cultural diversity and access to all the shopping and dining.”
Creative career
He works full time as director of business development for PMI Digital. The award-winning creative studio with headquarters in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles provides brand storytelling for national, regional and local clients, including PPG, GNC and EQT.
National clients include Google, Conde Nast and SELF.
Brands under Evans direction have received numerous national awards, including Tech50 New Media Company of the Year and HROA’s Innovative Solution of the Year and Thought Leader of the Year.
“I work with any organization looking to do more with visual communications,” Evans said.
A Central Catholic alumnus and Duquesne University graduate who majored in political science, Evans initially worked in the tech field after college.
“I gained a hunkering to be close to the creative agencies that I would deploy on projects,” Evans said. “We recently opened a brick-and-mortar location in Burbank, (Calif.,) and we have a studio there.”
Evans works with a core full-time team of six people, providing a one-stop shop for their clients.
“Today’s clients are looking to capture you in seven seconds, not two minutes,” Evans said. “Right now, we are working with The Ellis School on a major campaign.”
At-home chef
For Evans, food is a love language, and kitchen time is a family affair.
Evans is a self-taught home chef and shares his passion for cooking with his 9-year-old daughter, Ellie.
“I love to cook. My Italian mother — God rest her soul — I lost both my parents about a year and a half ago, and I was blessed to grow up in a home where they both cooked together,” Evans said.
An only child, Evans said he embraced a foodie lifestyle early on and particularly loved the Christmas holidays spent with relatives and his parents.
“The Italian tradition of the Feast of Seven Fishes was one of her specialties, and she was known for her elaborate Italian desserts,” Evans said.
Girlfriend Lilith McGhee said cooking with Evans is a way they can both slow down and spend time together year round.
“We’ve created so many special moments together as a family,” McGhee said. “What I love most is that cooking is one of Christopher’s love languages.”
McGhee really loves two meals in Evan’s culinary lineup — the pork ragu paparadelle or their most recent obsession, stuffed peppers — both great for cold weather.
“The ragu is one of those winter comfort meals that brings people together,” she said.
Hot and cold
Evans has practiced hot yoga for more than a decade, participating in vinyasa flow, an intense and strenuous form of yoga.
“It’s like pilates. … I was a runner and injured an ankle, and a friend recommended trying yoga,” he said.
A regular at Amazing Yoga in Shadyside, Evans dispels the notion yoga is mostly geared toward women.
“The hot part, you sweat out all the toxins in your body. It’s a gradual heat up, and it’s great for your body and your mind — a total holistic workout,” he said.
Skiing is his go-to winter sport so you won’t catch Evans complaining about the cold weather.
“I just got back from Holiday Valley, and there was 3 feet of snow. I’m active in four seasons,” he said. “While everyone else is crying and hibernating, I’m out there. I love winter. In fact, I fancy it almost more than summer.”
Additionally, Evans volunteers as a coach each year for the 3 Rivers Venture Fair in Pittsburgh.
The two-day event connects entrepreneurs and investors for meetings in finance and idea-sharing.
His busy job and hobby pursuits don’t leave much time for slumber.
“Sleep is overrated. You can sleep when you’re dead,” Evans joked.