Meet Us – The Goods

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Cale Beckman

November 29, 2013

Cale Beckman, UncommonGoods Outbound Warehouse Senior Manager of Operations

My hometown is…
Staten Island, NY

I chose to go into warehouse operations because…
I enjoy the fast-paced nature of operations and I love to solve problems. Things often can change in a moment’s notice and I love the challenge of thinking on my feet to develop creative solutions to ensure that we continue to provide excellent service to our customers.

The cheesiest thing I’ve ever loved is…
Cheez-its – Yum!

If my 2nd grade teacher could see me now, she would say…
You ask too many questions!

My favorite process in the warehouse is…
Picking. (“Picking” is when a team member selects a customer’s products from storage and gets their order ready for packing.) I love this process because there are so many ways to tweak it for efficiency, with immediate results.

An uncommon fact about me…
I was a professional DJ for many years and continue to DJ as a hobby.

Working at UncommonGoods I’ve learned…
To wear many, many hats.

Would you rather…be rich, famous, or neither?
I would rather be rich. I really wouldn’t like the attention of being famous. I could still do good with my riches without the problems of being famous.

The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Solomon Ademuwagun

November 24, 2013

Solomon Ademuwagun, Quality Assurance AnalystMy hometown is…
New York City

I’m inspired by…
Seeing others persevere even when life seems to tell them to give up.

My guilty pleasure is…
Watching action movies at an extremely high volume. I’m a home theater buff. You would think my neighbor would complain, but he’s an action buff too. He’ll just knock on my door with pizza and a six pack and we’ll just enjoy the show.

The best customer interaction I’ve had at UncommonGoods was…
When I answered the phone and the customer said I sounded so proper and I had a lovely British accent. (I’m from New York!)

My style is…
Low key.

An uncommon fact about me…
I memorized the entire NYC subway map at the age of three.

Working at UncommonGoods I’ve learned…
How to make beer with one of the fabulous beer making kits we sell! I am also more creative and learned that there are usually several ways to successfully solve a problem.

Would you rather… travel in space for a week, or in a submarine (presuming there will be great sightseeing in either mode)?
I’d definitely travel in space!! Knowing that it takes several thousand years for the light of some stars to reach us is fascinating. What if there are civilizations that orbit those stars? Do they still exist?

The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Jonathan Medina

November 18, 2013

Jonathan Medina, UncommonGoods Security EngineerMy home town is…
Brooklyn, NY

I’m passionate about…
Innovative technology advances and the open source community.

I’m inspired by…
The open source and scientific community as well as anyone who has ever made a mistake while trying to succeed.

My guilty pleasure is…
Ordering more food than I can eat at a restaurant so I can take it home and eat it later.

The most amazing thing I’ve ever seen is…
Autonomous drones the size of a small birds. We are a few years away from have fully autonomous robots in our everyday lives.

An uncommon fact about me…
I can juggle.

Since working at UncommonGoods I’ve learned…
How to make more with less waste.

Would you rather… use off-the-shelf computer software and hardware without modifying it for a year, or never again play ping pong with your teammates (or anyone else)?
I would be able to give up ping pong to modify something.

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

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.

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