A Word From The Team

When I first started Our Heiday, I knew that finding and investing in the right people was going to be the most rewarding, challenging, and necessary part of making this thing sail. Growing up with my mom running a vibrant wholesale business in downtown LA shaped so much of how I wanted this company to grow. She has had some employees with her for almost 30 years (for me, an absolute yes), but the company is so dependent on her presence to run (for me, an absolute no). The gift of watching your immigrant mother who learned to speak English when she first came to the US (and Spanish as she continued to work with her team) run a successful business that allows her to be creative and savvy is something I don't take lightly. There are many things I've taken away from this internalization of a strong, warm, and incredibly giving boss lady of a mama that has very much informed how we run things here.

We've received so many questions and thoughts about hiring - how to start, how to find the right people, how to grow your team - and it is an art that we're still learning how to make right. It hasn't been easy and often times incredibly time consuming, but we are now a team of 7 fully-committed, vibrant members with one more fulfillment assistant hire in process. I asked our team to share a bit about why they decided to leave former positions to start their careers with us because their personal voice offers a different, on-the-ground perspective on what it means to work for a company you love. This was not a pat-ourselves-on-the-back exercise. We asked them these questions because countless iterations and 500+ hours spent on hiring, decision making, contract sending, contract making later, we've landed on a group of women I'm so proud to call our core team. 

From founder to founder (creative business owners, I'm looking at you!), I know this decision is tough. The limited cash flow you have at the start seems impossible to hand off to another person. But in order for your company to grow, your team will have to grow. Every hire we've invested in has only helped our revenue to multiply and the ones who haven't worked out have taught me invaluable lessons about how I can be better, what I need to look for, and why a solid company cultural fit matters more than anything. A few set takeaways about hiring in general from me, then I'd love to introduce you to the wonderfully talented women on our team. It's going to be a long one, but so worthwhile. Enjoy! 

(missing Donna, who's currently away on maternity leave)

A Note From Pat About Hiring, Finding The Right Ones.

1. Start small.

If you're a product-based company, hire one person, a set of hands to help get those orders out the door. The faster you fulfill, the more your customers can rely on you to get their orders to them efficiently and accurately. This will free up your time to focus on what you do best, and the growth will inevitably swell. We made the mistake of hoping that every fulfillment assistant would want to stay with us forever and ever, but this is a mismatch of expectations all around. In the beginning, you only need hands and someone you trust.

2. Pay yourself last and offer your version of benefits.

This may seem obvious, but it's a deceivingly simple statement. At the start of any startup, you feel like you're in a casino-like box (when does the sun rise and set??) of an endless hustle and and if you're not making any money, what's the point? I'd encourage you to keep a long-term perspective and figure out how you can make the financials work. Live with your parents, or if you're married, talk to your spouse about how long a low-income or no-income lifestyle is sustainable. Full disclosure, we have never taken any capital or loans from anybody, but if you're running the type of creative company where huge investments from the beginning are necessary, then yes, speaking to the bank may be a good idea. Whatever position you're in, you take what's left over, if there's anything at all. I have always made the least amount of money in our company and while we're still in our infancy, it's been such a necessary decision.

We also take rest seriously and write that into our contracts. In this culture of go go go, it's so easy to delude ourselves into thinking this is the life we want. Our goal is to be able to offer healthcare to our team at some point, but currently, we extend to our salaried employees 7 paid holidays throughout the year, a week of paid time off before Christmas and into the new year, one week of paid vacation, 3 sick days, and 2 personal days. This is something we commit to, no matter how busy the days seem, because it's a cultural position we're taking. And when a potential hire understands that we value their personal life outside their work life, we've found it makes all the difference.

3. Don't rely on resumes, look at the heart.

I mean, look at the resumes. Require them. There are some things that only experience would ever be able to teach. But don't rely on them to make your decisions. Our shipping manager, Angie, has had no experience in a shipping department and has learned on the job, but she has a heart of gold and an innate humility that is rare to come across. Our investment in her growth has been worth everything. Only you know the kind of company culture you want to cultivate. Find the ones who have the heart to fit that.

A Note From Angie - Shipping Manager.

Why did you decide to leave whatever you were doing previously to work with us?

I left both of my jobs for the same reason, I wanted more challenges and to work more so behind a company, focusing on how it runs, rather than its front-facing customer service department. I was not moving up at my main job at a large corporation, where I left after 7 years, although I would constantly be told I would. I spent very little time in what I actually wanted to do, such as price management or other behind-the-scenes projects. Yes, customer service was a great experience and it helped me grow tough skin, but after a while I felt that parts of my day were dealing with irate customers with issues that were beyond my control. I had no issue going above and beyond for a customer, but the appreciation and acknowledgement from management was not always there. Our Heiday was a complete 360 and it was a new environment for me. Stationery was also new to me, but I fell in love in with it and the fast pace of the company. 

What advice would you give to someone looking for a position in a company like ours?

Be alert, efficient, and go in with confidence. Be open to learning new systems (like how the back end of a company runs) and if it matters to you, voice your desires to grow. I came in as a packaging assistant and had open communication with Donna and Pat about how I wanted to grow beyond my role. 

What advice would you give to owners to help them find invested people like you?

Look out for the eagerness of the person, how they take criticism (because I feel like you can never stop improving), and how they work with others.

A Note From Carol - Fulfillment Assistant.

A Note from Hyeyoon - Graphic Designer.

Why did you decide to leave whatever you were doing previously to work with us?

Our Heiday was a company I always admired. I used to work at a stationery store and on our slower days, we researched the stationery companies that were carried in the shop. Even though I didn't know Pat and Donna personally, I felt like I could connect to them, being an Asian American woman myself. I always ended up on Our Heiday's blog because it was so raw and heartfelt. I worked at a few design companies before starting here, but this is one of the main reasons why I kept coming back. Our Heiday seemed like it was run by such honest and warm ladies. After working here and now looking back, I can confidently say the company is exactly how it seems on the outside. Warm, driven, and very much filled with love. 

What advice would you give to someone looking for a position in a company like ours?

Don't settle! I know a handful of designers/creatives that are itching to work for a company that they admire, but are worried to leave their job because it may pay more or they are comfortable at a current job even though it may not be satisfying. If you can financially (often times small businesses don't offer the same benefits and healthcare options as you would find elsewhere), I would encourage you to take the risk. In the long run, it will be so worth it when you are in a work environment where you can enjoy going to work every day. You will be happier and you will be a better employee because you're doing what you love.

What advice would you give to owners to help them find invested people like you?