Uncommon Personalities

Jamie Hoffman, UncommonGoods Senior Buyer – Home Décor

My hometown is…
Miami Beach, Florida

My favorite product that I’ve brought into the assortment at UncommonGoods is…
Not live yet!

I’m inspired by…
Those who support themselves on their art, our UncommonGoods vendors included.

My guilty pleasure is…
Imagining that I’m Alanis Morissette on stage whenever I sing along to “Jagged Little Pill.”

An uncommon fact about me…
Elephants are my favorite animal. Last year I carved an elephant necklace out of wax and had it cast as a sterling silver pendant. Even more uncommon, jewelry vendor Emilie Shapiro taught me how!

My favorite place to hang out in New York City is…
Any riverfront park with a view of the city, preferably if it’s between 75 and 80 degrees. If I have to choose, I go with Brooklyn Bridge Park.

When I’m not working, I’m probably…
Practicing my Spanish.

Working at UncommonGoods, I’ve learned…
There’s no end to the number of creative, beautiful, problem-solving products being made every day.

If you could go to dinner with any historical figure or modern-day celebrity who would you choose and where would you go? (And why?)
The former art historian in me wanted to pick something decidedly more highbrow, but the fantasy of getting a slice at Paulie Gee’s with Jon Stewart made me too giddy to give it up. It’d include a lot of hearty laughter, intellectual banter, and a few impersonations of our respective New Jersey relatives. Plus, Paulie Gee’s pizza is pretty highbrow.

Louise Geller, UncommonGoods Senior Planner

My hometown is…
New York, NY

My favorite project that I’ve worked on at UncommonGoods is…
I truly love working with our forecasting software, learning how the database is organized so we can harness its power effectively. Forecasting is basically predicting the future, and it’s pretty exciting when you do it right. It’s okay, you can call me a nerd.

I’m inspired by…
Live theater. Humans are becoming increasingly accustomed to being isolated from each other, so when a production can unite an audience in a meaningful shared experience, it is pretty awesome. I still feel inspired thinking about watching the pivotal moments of Peter and the Starcatcher, the best play to ever be on Broadway. (I will not accept rebuttals to this point.)

My favorite place to eat in New York City is…
My apartment? Just kidding (kind of). There are always so many new places to try in NYC, I don’t end up going back to the ones I love as often as I might like. Cookshop in Chelsea has probably been on my favorites list the longest. There’s also an amazing pizza and cocktail spot in my neighborhood called Wheated, and I will eat there at basically any opportunity.

An uncommon fact about me…
I can (and probably will, if you don’t stop me) give you a 90 minute lecture/guided tasting on the various styles of cheese and their history.

My guilty pleasure is…
I try not to feel guilty about anything that gives me pleasure, but I guess I’d say rereading books that I loved when I was a kid. You can get major side eye by being an adult reading Beverly Cleary on the F train.

Since working at UncommonGoods I’ve learned…
To never underestimate the popularity of dishtowels.

If I could travel forward or backward in time, I would…
Blow all my money on a trip around the world, and then come back to now and spend it on something sensible instead. I’m assuming I’d get to keep the memories and experiences.

With the following ingredients in front of me I would make…
You’re given the Make Your Own Hot Sauce Kit, the Wine Jelly Set, and the Craft Beer Cake Mix Set.

I’d add some of the cayenne or hot peppers from the hot sauce kit into the chocolate stout mix, then spread the Cabernet & cracked pepper jelly between two layers once the cake was baked. I’m not sure how well it would work flavor-wise, but I bet I’d find some volunteers to taste it.

Ayanna Jordan, UncommonGoods Operations Administrator

My hometown is…
Brooklyn, N.Y.

An uncommon fact about me is…
I’ve been playing the Viola for 14+ years.

I’m inspired by…
Not wanting to mirror people and my surroundings.

My favorite process in the UncommonGoods warehouse is…
I don’t necessarily have a favorite process. I just like to try new things throughout the operation.

My dream job is…
To be a photographer for National Geographic Magazine and a journalist.

If I had to choose between hiking or biking, I would choose…
Neither. I prefer road trips and camping.

If I lived without restrictions, I would…
Have a couch in every country and backpack across the globe.

Would you rather… take an all-expenses paid trip, OR just take the money the trip is worth?
All expenses paid trip.

 Eric Jackson-Forsberg, UncommonGoods Copywriter

My hometown is…
Boonville, NY. Named for Gerrit Boon of the Holland Land Company. He had plans to establish a huge maple sugar “plantation” in that part of Northern New York (which never panned out). Home of the NY State Woodsman’s Field Days, which involves axe throwing and beard competitions. If you’re looking for REAL lumbersexuals, that’s the place.

My favorite project that I’ve worked on at UncommonGoods is…
Headlines for the home page and catalog covers. Fewer words = more challenge.

I’m inspired by…
Typography, modern design, Wes Anderson, and hops.

My guilty pleasure is…
Space: 1999 and U.F.O., two craptastic Gerry Anderson TV shows from the 70s. Between him and Wes, I guess I like all things Anderson! Let’s see…Gillian Anderson? Check!

An uncommon fact about me…
With a friend from High School, I developed a pilot for a sitcom/movie review show called Zack’s Video Shack, which we pitched to Gary Coleman (for the role of Zack). It never got off the ground, but the meeting with Gary was priceless.

My favorite place to hang out in New York City is…
The High Line.

If I could travel back in time, I would…
Visit Vienna in 1900, and see if I could spot Freud, Klimt, and Mahler. Maybe buy them a round of coffee or absinthe and try to start an argument. And I’d take a lot of photos.

Since working at UncommonGoods I’ve learned…
The brand is difficult to pin down, but that’s the essence of the brand! Also, that Tech has no windows, so they must visit the Creative studio periodically for vitamin D production.

Would you rather…only speak and write in clichés for an entire day, or ride a tricycle to work through the snow?
The tricycle in the snow may not be a cliché, but it does sound like a metaphor for the awkwardness of life, so I’ll go with that one.

 Joanne Zhong, UncommonGoods Senior Financial Accountant

My hometown is…
Guangzhou, China. A warm, humid and crowded city.

My favorite memory in the Accounting Department is…
My first day working here. It [was] a fresh start for me in this country.

My favorite place to eat in New York City is…
Flushing, where I could find my favorite dim sum, hot pot, and bubble tea.

My guilty pleasure is…
A cheeseburger and fries at Five Guys.

An uncommon fact about me is…
I [can] knit sweaters and scarves.

When I’m not working, I’m probably… 
Cooking.

If I won the lottery, I would…
Open a restaurant so that I could let you guys know what authentic Chinese food is.

Working at UncommonGoods I’ve learned…
How to find passion in work.

Would you rather…wear the same costume to work every day for a year, OR be banned from using Excel during the holiday season?
Definitely be banned from using Excel during the holiday season.

Jillian Brendlen, UncommonGoods Site Merchandiser

My hometown is…
Wyckoff, NJ

My favorite product that has entered the assortment at UncommonGoods since I’ve worked here is…
The Tagua Gem Necklace.

I’m inspired by…
My younger sister, MacKenzie, who is always unapologetically herself.

My guilty pleasure is…
Reading Us Weekly. I have the app, and I read it at night before I fall asleep.

An uncommon fact about me is…
A few months before I started at UG, I took a jewelry making class with designer Emilie Shapiro. At the time I had no idea that Emilie was one of UG’s incredibly skilled artists. An even weirder coincidence: sitting next to me in class was future Home Décor & Garden Buyer, Jamie Hoffman! Uncommon connection!

My favorite place to eat in New York City is…
Locanda Vini & Olii in Clinton Hill.

My Style is…
Feminine, classic, and a little bit preppy.

Working at UncommonGoods I’ve learned…
If you have a great idea, go for it! I’m so lucky to be working with such a talented, hardworking, and supportive group of people.

Would You Rather… star in a reality TV show about your life, OR have a movie made about you starring the actress of your choice?
A movie! It would be a semi-biographical rom-com with Kristen Bell as the lead!