Uncommon Personalities

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 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.

The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet David Anderson

October 21, 2013

David Anderson, UncommongGoods Inventory Transaction and Control Supervisor
My hometown is…
NYC!

My favorite process in the UncommonGoods warehouse is…
Sample Sale! Samples that our merchandising team decides not to include in our assortment are given very discounted prices and sold to our employees. They are all one of a kind and can not be found anywhere. I handle the storage, organization, and then set up of the actual sale event that we have every few months.

I’m inspired by…
Tastefully designed products, e.g., iPhone 5, Herman Miller, and things I build myself.

The best gift anyone has given me was…
Life. (Thanks Mom & Dad!)

An uncommon fact about me…
I lived in Africa, Europe, and the Bahamas before I turned 12.

When I’m not working, I’m probably…
Building computers, Legos, or models.

The word that best describes me…
Original!

Working at UncommonGoods, I’ve learned…
The Verrazano toll really adds up…

With a pile of stuff in front of me I would build…
(You’re given glitter glue, 3 wood blocks, a yard of fabric, a spool of string, and a cardboard box filled with wire hangers.)

I would unwind all the wire hangers and then use them to make a giant wire ball. Then I would glue the blocks together. I would then use the fabric to create a parachute for the blocks using the string to tie the ends around the blocks. Then I would tie points of the parachute to the top of the ball. Using more string I could suspend the entire wire ball in the air, with blocks suspended from the fabric, which hangs from the top of the ball! Yay!

The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Rebecca Paull Marshall

October 15, 2013

UncommonGoods Associate Art Director Rebecca Paull Marshall

Rebecca Paull Marshall, UncommonGoods Art Director
My hometown is…
Princeton, NJMy favorite project I’ve worked on at UncommonGoods is…
Happening right now! But it’s a secret. Shhhh.

I’m inspired by…
So much! On a daily basis though, I would be remiss not to mention Pinterest. It’s basically design crack.

I’m passionate about…
Kindness // Bicycles. They’re super fun, and environmentally friendly. Win-win. // The use of words in text messaging. No LOLs, please. // Travel. Restaurants, bars, stores, parties, hotels, countries, towns, cities you name it I want to be in it exploring. // The ocean // My family, friends, and relationship. // Mad Men! Breaking Bad! Game of Thrones! In no particular order. I’m a fair weather friend when it comes to TV.

An uncommon fact about me…
Did you know UncommonGoods employs the Dance Dance Revolution world champion? I can’t compete with that.

My favorite place to hang out in New York City is…
Sigh, R.I.P. Lakeside Lounge.

My style is…
Thankfully evolving.

Working at UncommonGoods, I’ve learned…
How fascinatingly beautiful the Brooklyn Army Terminal is.

Would you rather…Get a tattoo of a celebrity’s face OR relive your most embarrassing moment?
I think reliving my most embarrassing moments would remain interesting longer. Let’s just say it’s lucky that I have a sense of humor.

The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Valerie Baloga

October 8, 2013

Valerie Baloga, UncommonGoods Customer Service Team Lead

My hometown is…
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

The best customer interaction I’ve had at UncommonGoods was…
It’s always really fun when a customer calls expecting a fight and hangs up completely blown away by how easily their situation is resolved. One of the great things about working here is having enough freedom to really listen to what each customer needs and then being able to offer a solution that is really specific to the situation.

I’m inspired by…
Right now I find I am most inspired by people who take life into their own hands and live their dreams. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

My guilty pleasure is…
’90s pop music.

An uncommon fact about me…
Before moving to New York in 2010, I spent one summer in Upstate New York, three summers in Maine, and an entire year in Richmond, VA working in theatre. I built and painted scenery and worked on props.

My favorite place to hang out in New York City is…
Prospect Park in good weather – and at the risk of looking like a huge nerd, the library. I frequent the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and the Brooklyn Public Library.

My style is…
Casual. Comfortable. Colorful.

Working at UncommonGoods, I’ve learned…
I’ve learned so much, and I have acquired so many new skills – spreadsheets – they’re amazing! What I also learned, perhaps most importantly, is that some companies actually care about their customers and their employees. I’m so lucky to work for a B Corporation.

Would you rather… Tap dance OR ride your bike, in place of all of your walking?
I was all set to say bike, definitely. But then I thought, I might want to take the train sometimes, and how will I get up and down all those stairs on a bike? So I’m going to say tap dance.

The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Sha’Ron Burden

October 4, 2013

UncommonGoods Outbound Warehouse Team Lead Sha'ron Burden

Sha’Ron Burden, UncommonGoods Operations Supervisor

My hometown is…
Staten Island, New York

My Favorite Process in the UncommonGoods Warehouse is..
The Exporting process. As an exporter you are pretty much running the floor from a perspective of how much work you bring out and the type of work you bring out. I love the feeling that I can control the floor from my exporting room.

I am inspired by…
Knowing I have the ability to improve myself every second I am living life, and how a positive mind can bring about positive results.

My favorite interaction with a UG team member has been…
There are too many to pick out one, but all interactions have been pleasant.

An uncommon fact about me…
I have two. I am the only person in my family to go to and graduate college and I only wear MLB official game baseball hats–my hat collection is pretty large.

When I’m not working, I’m probably…
With my 6-year-old son Sha’Ron Jr letting him eat macaroni and cheese while watching Phineas and Ferb, playing basketball, watching Law & Order SVU, or dining at a restaurant somewhere in my beautiful city.

The word that best describes me…
MOTIVATED

Since working at UncommonGoods I’ve learned…
The ability to be great within a corporate structure, while starting from the bottom, still exists.

Would you rather… Spend a week camping in the forest with no contact with anyone OR a week hosting a 10 visitors you’d never met before in your apartment?
I’d host 10 strangers for a week, and we’d have a Law & Order party that would consist of us playing a sort of games relevant to the show.

The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet Carolyn Topp

September 30, 2013

UncommonGoods Director of New Business and Product Development Carolyn Topp

Carolyn Topp, UncommonGoods Director of New Business and Product Development

My hometown is…
I grew up in Ardsley, NY, also home of the late great ice cream magnate Tom Carvel.

My favorite product we’ve developed at UncommonGoods is…
Always something new or that will soon be in our assortment; this month it’s our Pedigree Poem Collection, which was inspired by my Airedale Terrier, Nelson.

I’m inspired by…
Possibilities.

My guilty pleasure is…
I don’t believe in guilt.

An uncommon fact about me…
I was a cellist in Harry Alshin’s junior string orchestra (Westchester County, NY). We performed a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC (in the early 1970s) and each member of the orchestra was listed in the Congressional Record.

My favorite place to eat in New York City is (was)…
Florent– it represents a time and a place in NYC that no longer exists.

My style is…
My personal style is urban practical and classic.
My decorating style is eclectic – a mix of old and new, colorful, and comfortable for people and pets.

Working at UncommonGoods, I’ve learned…
Something new each day.

Would you rather… Spend a day on the set of Mad Men OR get front row seats and backstage passes at a Bruce Springsteen concert?
“You cannot be serious” (to quote John McEnroe) with this question. Bruce.