Uncommon Personalities

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Victoria Golann

December 5, 2013

Victoria Golann, UncommonGoods Senior Manager–Data AnalyticsMy home town is…
Middletown, NJ

The word that best describes me is…
Curious.

I’m inspired by…
People who create things.

If I could know anything without having to study it, it would be…
Hmm, I think half the fun of knowing something is learning it, but it wouldn’t hurt if I could master the languages of whichever countries I plan on visiting next.

My favorite place to hang out in New York City is…
Definitely the running path along the Hudson River. It goes all the way from Battery Park to Inwood, and I always get a running high as I pass by all its sites, sculptures, and views.

An uncommon fact about me…
I was an engineering major in college, but I took printmaking classes whenever I could. Intaglio and woodcut are my favorite techniques, and I love making mixed media collages with my prints.

Working at UncommonGoods, I’ve learned…
How important it is to find a work culture that fits your personality and views. We have an amazing team here, and a company that really cares about its customers and employees. I look forward to coming into work every day.

With a pile of stuff in front of me I would make…
You’re given a Potholder Loom with bottomless Lotta Loops refills, a box of thumb tacks, 6 salvaged window frames missing the glass, and a megaphone.

I’d sell it all for some ice cream at Ample Hills in Brooklyn!

The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Peter Zabor

December 1, 2013

Peter Zabor, UncommonGoods Customer Service Team Lead

My hometown is…
I’ve lived so many places, I’m not even sure anymore!

I’m inspired by…
The life and times of Teddy Roosevelt (The original Knickerbocker). I really admire and am inspired by his industriousness, his drive and his strength of character. His life was one giant adventure and I try to emulate it as much as I can.

Something that always makes me laugh…
Anything that is so absurd, you’re not sure if it is even real.

My favorite UncommonGoods customer interaction so far was…
We have some amazingly intelligent and knowledgeable customers. I love learning new facts and new things from customers. From learning the “true” pronunciation of Missouri (“Mizzura”) to the explanation of weather patterns in Washington State. We even have history buff customers who keep us in check with our items and make sure that our facts are straight!

An uncommon fact about me…
I’ve climbed in a lot of high elevation mountain ranges. From Alaska, Colorado, Kilimanjaro, to Tibet. Highest I’ve climbed is 21,000 ft.

The word that best describes me is…
Intuitive.

Working at UncommonGoods I’ve learned…
The best way to improve yourself is to be surrounded with people better than you.

Would you rather be able to go anywhere in the entire real universe, or travel to all fictional ones?
I’ll stick to the real universe and head off to Ulan Bator.

The Uncommon Life

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.

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