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In the Field With…
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WJS: Why did you make the move to your current employer?
SAUCKE: It was an opportunity to create something with my
mother, and being that I have an inherently entrepreneurial spirit, it was a
chance to affect people’s lives on my own terms that I simply couldn’t pass up.
WJS: Have you ever been laid off or fired?
SAUCKE: No.
WJS: Have
you ever (as an adult) been without work?
SAUCKE: Yes
WJS: For how long?
SAUCKE: A few months, right after college.
WJS: What
stresses (if applicable) did you have during that time?
SAUCKE: Tons of stress! The pressure of trying to find that first job was
tremendous – especially as there was an expectation that I would, at that
point, start truly supporting myself fully.
WJS: How
many interviews did you go on before receiving an offer?
SAUCKE: A few; I received offers from all of the places where I interviewed.
WJS: How many offers did you turn down (if applicable)?
SAUCKE: Two
WJS: Why did you agree to work for and/or own your current company?
SAUCKE: My father was an entrepreneur, and he instilled in me
the values and drive it takes to be successful. Interestingly, he
strongly insisted that I move in the corporate direction, which I did for a
time, but I discovered early on in my career that the apple didn’t fall far
from the tree. The challenge, desire to work with a large variety of
people, and dream of fulfilling a vision started by my mother all drove me to
assist her as co-owner.
WJS: What advice do you
have for those considering working - or running a business with –
family, like you do at Brambleberry Barn??
SAUCKE: One of the most difficult challenges one can face is working with
family members. One of the biggest mistakes my mother and I made when we
first started out was not separating out “duties” right from the get-go.
Our personalities are almost exactly opposite, which can lead to many
frustrations. However, once we figured out each person’s best strengths
and weaknesses, were then able to effectively delegate duties. This was
one of the most useful lessons my mother and I ever learned: Give each
other the space to succeed and allow each person to do what they do best.
If you are constantly stepping on each other’s toes, nothing will get
accomplished.
WJS: Have
you worked with headhunters - and if so, what were your experiences?
SAUCKE: Yes, once. It was a good experience, and very insightful.
I’ve heard both good and bad about working with headhunters, and typically
would rather not have to work with one if I could at all help it.
WJS: Did they seek you out or did you seek them out?
SAUCKE: They sought me out.
WJS: What (good or bad) experiences have you had with job websites like
Monster, CareerBuilder, etc.?
SAUCKE: I have only used Monster once in order to respond to
a potential job opportunity. I was offered the job, but I can see how competitive
the market it. I would continue to utilize job websites during any search
I did (or do in the future), but only as a supplement to my own networking.
WJS: Where
did you go to college and what was your major?
SAUCKE:
WJS: Did
you switch your major at any point?
SAUCKE: No, although I considered it late in my college career. At that
point, it was too late.
WJS: What did you almost change your major to?
SAUCKE: I love languages and
business, and almost switched to international Business.
WJS: How did you decide upon your chosen major?
SAUCKE: It was sort of chosen for me. I had applied to
the Liberal Arts school at Cornell, but the Dean of the
WJS: What sports did you compete in while in college?
SAUCKE: Track and field, Olympic-style Weightlifting,
Ballroom Dancing and Golf.
WJS: You competed in quite
a few sports. Which was you favorite and why?
SAUCKE: I truly loved each one for different reasons. During the period
of time in which I was participating in each sport (gymnastics/track &
field/weightlifting), I would have said that one was my favorite, especially as
I was lucky enough to compete nationally in all three sports. Currently,
I am a ballroom dancer and a golfer, and again, I would be very hard pressed to
choose one or the other. However, of all of the sports, gymnastics
has provided me with a strength, presence and grace that I only see in other
former gymnasts or some dancers. My family is very athletic, but I
strongly believe my success in sports would not have come had it not been for
the foundation of gymnastics.
WJS: Has your
athletic involvement translated to the business world? If
so, how?
SAUCKE: Yes, I believe it has, and not just in business. Athletes, I’ve
noticed, are intensely competitive and seek to win in whatever it is that they
do. I’m no different, and have a passion to excel at all that I put my
mind to. As such, I love negotiating, and have found myself good at it.
As in athletics, there are times that we lose, and I treasure my parents
for teaching me not to be a sore loser. Occasionally in the past, being
competitive has affected my relationships, whereby my partner and I would
compete with each other, which is unhealthy. With time, age, and
experience, I’ve come to be able to temper my competitive nature when
appropriate, but it’s difficult….I always want to win!
WJS: What techniques have you used to a) start and b) nurture your network?
SAUCKE: Being that I am such a people person, I started
networking right out of college without even knowing it. One of the best
things I ever did to begin the networking process was to join Business Network
International (BNI), which honed me directly in on other business owners.
That began the process of my move into joining other organizations such as the
Rochester Young Professionals, and the
WJS: When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up and why?
SAUCKE: I wanted to be a gymnast forever when I was 6.
When I was 8, I just wanted to be famous. When I was 10, I wanted to be a
veterinarian. At 12, a neurosurgeon, at 13 a cardiac surgeon…and then
somewhere in high school I just couldn’t figure it out anymore. That
still seems to be the case, but mostly I just don’t ever want to grow up.
WJS: What is your dream job now?
SAUCKE: Again, I’m not sure. However, I do know that it
contains the following: Utilizing my languages, travel, writing, working
with a lot of people, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Most classify me as
the typical candidate for a sales position, and I have come to understand of
myself that should I be in that position, it must be a relationship building
position (i.e. a “farmer” as opposed to a “hunter”), without cold
calling. I am the worst cold caller on the planet.
WJS: What was the worst job you ever had and why?
SAUCKE: I found out that I am the worst cold caller on the
planet (and how much I hate it) in a position that required me to be cold
calling people all the time. Now that I am an entrepreneur with a retail
store, I have come to understand why I don’t like it: Most salespeople
insist that you take the time out of your schedule right then to meet with
them, which is nearly impossible to do. I live with interruptions all
day, and thrive on the diversity, but for a product pusher, I require an
appointment, always. The lack of respect others show me translates into
my not wanting to have to be disrespectful to others. I find cold calling
a terrible invasion, and so the worst job I ever had centered on doing it all
the time.
WJS: What's
the most challenging part of your job and why?
SAUCKE: There are constant challenges being an entrepreneur, and perhaps the
most significant one is time management. In my business (a gift basket
and gift company), there is a certain requirement that we be at the beck and
call of our customers. Often, they might leave a basket need for the last
minute, or have a true sense of urgency about delivering a basket at a certain
time. Although there is a certain amount of predictability in when
customers will call, it is still difficult to manage time when there are so
many other things pulling at me during the day – like writing bills, or selling
our baskets.
WJS: What comes in 2nd place and why?
SAUCKE: Part of excellent time management is balance.
Owning a retail store and a gift basket store (even if they are combined)
requires many long hours, and lends itself to a gross imbalance of family
life. I am fortunate to have a fiancé who is incredibly understanding and
eventually I look forward to creating more balance with our life and the
business.
WJS: What's the best part of your job and why?
SAUCKE: I absolutely love being and working with
people. I enjoy developing the new relationships with customers that have
a need that we can fulfill. Most off all, knowing that we are able to
provide a small slice of happiness for our clients is just an outstanding
feeling to take home at the end of the day.
WJS: What advice do you have for others looking to get into your line of
work?
SAUCKE: For any entrepreneur, the rules stand the same:
Know your market BEFORE you get into it – make sure the need is there.
Develop a business plan that is designed to be flexible – a living document
that is frequently adjusted as your plans, aspirations, goals, and achievements
of those goals change or come to fruition. Analyze every single aspect of
your working capital and know to ask for advice about where your working
capital should truly be spent. And above all, as taught to me in a
better-late-than-never moment, always hire people who are smarter than
you.
WJS: Where do you see your field headed in the next 10 years?
SAUCKE: The gifting industry will continue to thrive
forever. Times are changing in that the web is a critical aspect to the
success of a business, and the gift basket field is not unique in that
sense. There was a major downturn in gifting for several years following
the September 11th attacks, and the last year has shown a tremendous
comeback, a pattern that I anticipate will continue.
WJS: Where will you be and what will you be doing in five years?
SAUCKE: I look forward to seeing the business, Brambleberry
Barn, continue to grow and thrive!