The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Jeffrey Mayer

November 14, 2013

UncommonGoods Customer Service Team Lead Jeff Mayer

Jeffery Mayer, UncommonGoods Customer Service Team Lead

My hometown is…
Brooklyn, NY.

My best customer interaction so far was…
Alone one Friday night, a call from a distraught customer: Her Red Sox Baseball Bat bottle opener package was missing. The gift was for a lifelong friend of hers, needed for Sunday night. I knew we had one in our showroom. I polished it up, went to the P.O. on Saturday, and mailed it to her to arrive for Sunday myself. She was so happy, and that made me happy!

I’m inspired by…
Doing the right thing.

My guilty pleasure is…
Swimming in the ocean late into the season; I hate the cold, but push myself to go as far into November as I can take.

An uncommon fact about me…
I can prolifically compose a song in minutes, just give me any one note to start.

My favorite place to hang out in NYC is…
Of course, Coney Island beach and boardwalk.

My style is…
Super casual.

Since working here I have learned…
You can really enjoy coming to work. I’ve worked at many places in my life, and many times simply dreaded getting up to go to work. Knowing that there are such friendly people here, and how everything I do is appreciated is an awesome feeling.

Would you rather… have dinner with Mozart (or any other more contemporary composer), or play the piano solo at Carnegie Hall?
Tough one. While I would love to pick the brain of a legendary composer, I would not pass up the chance to play solo at Carnegie Hall.

The Uncommon Life

Outtakes from Our Winter Accessories Photo Shoot

November 13, 2013

A couple weeks before the temperatures started dropping, we held a photo shoot for our brand new winter accessories. Instead of bringing models in, we kept it in the family photographing our staff members adorned in these new styles. Senior Merchandising Coordinator Heather came out to help style the shoot.

Rocky was a little confused as to how the mittens matched his t-shirt.

Cassie was, well she was just Cassie.

Melissa pulled out some serious poses.

Rachel let her hair down. Literally. We didn’t recognize her without her hair pulled back.

And Zack brought his A-game.

Do you have a hot look in one of our winter accessories? Be sure to tag @UncommonGoods in your Instagram shot so we can see!

The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Casey McCarthy

November 11, 2013

UncommonGoods Chief Technology Officer Casey McCarthy

Casey McCarthy, UncommonGoods Chief Technology Officer

My hometown is…
I was born in Toronto, Canada, raised in rural New England, and I moved to NYC when I was seventeen. I will always love nature, but my goal since my mid-teens was to move to NYC for all the cultures and excitement.

The tech project I’ve most enjoyed working on at UncommonGoods (so far)…
When I got here a little over a decade ago, the tools for other departments to control data and process were severely lacking. I created an internal administration site from scratch to greatly increase company efficiency and automation.

I’m inspired by…
People that make the world a better place.

My favorite place to visit in New York City is…
All the parks, particularly Central Park and Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

An uncommon fact about me…
I love to travel the world. After growing up without much money, I’ve been to 30+ countries since I graduated college. Early on, I used any extra money I had to pay off student loans and visit other cultures. Scandinavia, Switzerland, Spain, Korea, Japan, and Costa Rica have been my favorites and I have been on repeated trips.

When I’m not working, I’m probably…
Playing with my two year old girl and hanging out with the wife, reading history and philosophy; watching great comedy, adventure or documentary films; or listening to music.

The words that best describe me…
“Adventurous Scientist.”

Working at UncommonGoods, I’ve learned…
That people are the most important part of life and business. That I’m not as smart as I thought I was and I can learn from people from all walks of life. Spending time with people from every department made me realize that, and I truly appreciate the experience at UncommonGoods; it’s a great group of people.

Would you rather …travel the world alone or travel the US with your family?
I can’t imagine someone would choose alone if they have a wife and kid : )

The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Belinda Bringas

November 8, 2013

Belinda Bringas, UncommonGoods Inbound Warehouse Team Lead

My home town is…
Brooklyn.

I’m inspired by…
My loving and devoted husband.

My guilty pleasure is…
Cheesecake.

Something I wonder about often is…
Is my daughter ever getting married?

Something I did that I never thought I’d be able to…
Work in a warehouse.

My favorite process in the UncommonGoods warehouse is...
Returning samples back to our artists. When I go to the shelf and see the samples the artists send to our merchants that need to go back to them. I try my best to cut card board pieces, wrap, and pad the items in a box to go back in the same way they came to UncommonGoods.

An uncommon fact about me is…
My color blind uncle taught me how to fix electrical wiring.

Would you rather… Go back to being a desk jockey, or give up ice cream forever?
I would take the desk job back, even if it killed me.

The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Philomena DelGiudice

November 6, 2013

Philomena DelGiudice, UncommonGoods Purchasing Lead

My hometown is…
Brooklyn, NY

The word that best describes me is…
Witty – I love to laugh and live each day to its fullest!!! A smile goes a long way, and if I can put a smile on at least one person’s face each day, that’s an accomplishment in itself.

I’m inspired by…
The good things people do from the heart without even thinking. Gives every reason to still have faith in humanity!

The best gift I’ve ever gotten is…
My nameplate. It was a gift from my brothers and my dad when I was 15 years old. I am one of 6 children, so you can only imagine the amount of laundry that needed to be done every week. I used to get so mad because I wanted to be out playing with my friends but instead spent 2-3 hours in a laundromat washing clothes every Saturday. To show their appreciation, I got a box of Tide for Christmas, and inside was my nameplate!

The best gift I’ve ever given is…
Our Embroidered Paisley Belt to a 15 year old girl I didn’t even know. I remember talking to a coworker here about a letter that fell into my lap from a mom who was ill with cancer and did not have any money to buy it for her daughter, Samantha. She goes on to say how proud she is of her daughter and wondered if UG was willing to send this to her even though she could not pay for it. We surprised her daughter with the belt and a couple of other things. Indeed, it was a merry Christmas for a very happy 15 year old girl from Pennsylvania.

An uncommon fact about me…
I love to listen to Disney songs on Pandora at work! Hakuna Matata!

Working at UncommonGoods, I’ve learned…
That I actually work for a company who really cares about their employees and people in general! UncommonGoods is willing to take risks with their employees and offer solutions to set us up for success! If you fall, they help you back up and if you fail, they are there to guide you. Oh, and I have learned so many different skills – Excel spreadsheets, amazing what they can do!

Would you rather… give up your sock collection OR give up Italian food?
Neither! Are you serious? My sock collection is worth a lot of money, some of them have never even been worn like my Smurf socks!!! I have them over 20 years and they still have the price tags on them! Italian food – perhaps maybe a week or two, but it wouldn’t last more than that. I come from a HUGE Italian family and that is all we know: how to cook!

The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Bradley Allen

November 4, 2013

Bradley Allen, UncommonGoods Software DeveloperMy hometown is…
Fort Worth, TX

My favorite process in the UncommonGoods warehouse is…
Training! I love sharing knowledge.

I’m inspired by…
Creativity, authenticity, and integrity. People who do a lot with a little.

My favorite interaction with a UG team member has been…
Too many to choose from.

An uncommon fact about me…
When I was moving from Fort Worth to New York, I stopped to visit a friend in Nashville on the way, and picked up a day of work on the set of a country music video.

When I’m not working, I’m probably…
Wandering New York City with one of my film cameras. I shoot 35mm black and whites mostly, but my Polaroid cameras get a lot of use as well. [Check out some of the photos here.]

The word that best describes me…
Ambivalent. Again, there are so many good choices, how do I choose just one?

Working at UncommonGoods I’ve learned…
I love code! I’ve picked up SQL and VBA on the job here, and I’m teaching myself Ruby at home.

Would you rather… get front row seats to see your favorite comedian perform all new material OR get to eat for free at your favorite restaurant for a month?
Definitely my favorite comedian. The bigger question is: Am I getting tickets to see Louis CK or Dave Chappelle? See “I’m inspired by…” . They’re both creative, authentic people with integrity.

The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Rocky Taft

November 1, 2013

UncommonGoods Marketing Associate Rocky Taft

Rocky Taft, UncommonGoods SEO Coordinator

My home town is…
The Bronx

The word that best describes me is…
Chill.

If I could meet anyone, living or dead, it would be…
Jay-Z.

The cheesiest thing I’ve ever loved is/was…
Right now I’m borderline obsessed with beating the top score in Bejeweled on my phone. I bet you can guess who holds that top score too… me.

If money were no object, I’d spend a month…
Country hopping. I want to see it all. I would just pick a direction and keep going around the globe until I circle back to where I started… or until my money becomes an object again.

An uncommon fact about me…
I attended a Quaker high school.

When I’m not at work, you’ll find me…
Lately, reading a lot or catching up on studying for my digital marketing classes.

Would you rather… direct a top-grossing movie, or spend 6 months with your favorite musician?
Direct a top-grossing movie. Definitely got some stories that would make great movies.

The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Albert Tingson

October 29, 2013

UncommonGoods Senior Software Engineer | UncommonGoods

Albert Tingson, UncommonGoods Senior Software DeveloperMy hometown is…
Manila PhilippinesThe word that best describes me is…
Funny.

I’m passionate about…
Surfing the net and playing guitar.

What I do to relax is…
Playing computer games, playing guitar or watching movies.

If I could be the world champion of something, it would be…
Nascar driver.

If I won the lottery, I’d…
Still keep my job and invest my money to something that can help many people.

An uncommon fact about me…
I’m a church band member playing as lead guitarist. Every Sunday we play music to our worship service in Queens, NY.

Would you rather…end world hunger, or find a universal cure for all diseases?
I’d prefer to find universal cure for all disease, because if everybody is healthy, they have better chance to find their own way to fight hunger. Everybody can have a chance to find their own job.