As part of our 20th-anniversary celebration, we're chatting with some of the employees who have helped build BikeTiresDirect into what it is today. In this interview, we speak with Julie from Finance. Julie brings a load of finance experience to the table — and we love visits to the office from her two Boxers, Schick and Ziggy.
How long have you worked for BikeTiresDirect?
A little over 4 years.
What is your favorite memory working for BTD?
Seeing how our staff was able to push forward during the worst parts of the COVID Lockdown. Our warehouse staff stayed the course and was able to work diligently to get orders out in a timely manner. Many other companies delayed shipping on a regular basis, whereas we held ourselves to a higher standard and shipped products out quicker than most other online retailers. The only problem was getting the product to begin with, but our purchasing department did an excellent job of staying vigilant to get the best available products as soon as they were made available by our vendors. It was great to be able to say that I worked with people focused on the same goal, "continue to provide our customers with the best products, at a great price, in the shortest amount of time possible".
What do you like about working for a bike company?
I like seeing the energy I see in our employees who live, eat, and breathe cycling. Their enthusiasm for the sport is very motivating.
What's your favorite product you've bought from BTD?
My Garmin Watch. Within the app, you can join various "challenges". I join challenges that last a week, a month, or three months or occasionally as a "weekend warrior" and I use it for motivation. When it comes down to the wire at the end of the challenge and I'm in second or third place, I try to up my game to get in a better position before the results cut off at for the week.
Do you have a pet? If so, tell us a bit about them.
I have two dogs (Boxers). They are so much fun. They are similar yet so different. Our youngest dog (Ziggy) is so happy all the time. He is extremely sweet and friendly and most likely to walk away with a stranger if given the chance. His happiness is infectious, and he brings so much joy to our household. We were a single dog household for over a year, so our older dog (Schick), is more of the protector of the house and can be a tad bit anti-social at times. When Ziggy came along, Schick saw the positive attention Ziggy was getting, and his (Shick's) demeanor changed to be a bit more inclusive of his time and he shows his happiness more now. For example, it seems like Ziggy's tail never stops wagging. So when he comes over to get lovin', he's wagging his tail and trying to give kisses and he'll use his paw to get you to pet him more if you stop, etc. Schick sees this behavior and wags his tail too like, "look at me, I like to wag my tail and get lovin' too". Schick wasn't always this way before Ziggy came along, that's why I believe Ziggy brings joy to those that come in contact with him.
What non-bike hobbies do you have?
I love to do various crafts. I make wreaths and various "fake bake" items for display. Recently though, I have been sculpting with polymer clay and have been amazed at the creations I make that I never really thought I could. Oddly enough, this is a really good de-stresser. It seems like it wouldn't be since there is a lot of smashing the clay, trying to get a piece the right shape, smashing it again because you didn't get it right, then trying to re-shape it again. This is the first time in my life I have patience with a craft. I know it's the end result that matters and I try to make every piece as close to perfect as possible so there is definitely a lot of smashing and re-doing going on, which is likely where the de-stressing comes in. I realize it doesn't have to be 100% perfect and I am most likely the only one who realizes it's not. It's the quirky imperfections of the design that make it look uniquely perfect and sometimes I forget that until I set it aside and take a fresh look at it, then I can see how "uniquely perfect" it truly is.
How did you hear about BTD before you started here?
I worked with someone briefly at another job and she was just a very vibrant person with a similar personality as mine. She left that job to come back to work for BTD. When I was informed there was a position I might be interested in, I jumped at the chance to work with her. She is smart and we think a lot alike about how to approach projects, etc and it is always a great fit when you can work with someone like that. She is no longer with the company, but I always think, "she's coming back someday", as several employees have left and come back. I think it says a lot about a company when several employees (about half) have worked here for four years or more and several have left and come back.
To learn more about BikeTiresDirect and meet other members of our team, visit our 20th Anniversary Hub.
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