A few nights ago, a friend asked me if I woke up excited to go to work. My answer was automatic:
“Heck yes.”
Call me biased, but I feel like the ability to respond this eagerly and happily speaks volumes about the company we’re building, the team we’ve assembled thus far, and the industry we’re going to tackle together. Not everyone gets to love their work as much as we do. For this, I’m incredibly grateful.
About three months ago, I was fortunate enough to be hired by Carly, Matt, and Henrik as BarkBox’s first employee. I started digging into business development and strategic partnerships while my Miniature Schnauzer, Scout, dug into our many boxes of samples. By default, Scout became our Head of Research and Development — first, as a joke, and over time, in (relative) seriousness.
Here are some of the things I think about when I get ready for work every morning:
- Product discovery for our best friends should be an absolute joy
- Geography and the limitations of a local store should not prevent pet parents from giving their pups the products they deserve
- We can build a sustainable, flourishing business while supporting causes that are near and dear to our heart
- …I can’t wait to spend ten minutes deliberating about what to eat for lunch!
(Translation: the food in our neighborhood rocks, especially if you’re an adventurous eater.)
It’s also worth noting that I’m writing this on the office couch while Scout sleeps on my stomach. This is an obvious perk, but my love of working here extends far beyond bringing my best friend to BarkBox HQ everyday — and that’s tough to beat.
At BarkBox, we’re just as passionate about meaningful products, delighted customers, and innovating even the most mundane aspects of pet parenting as we are about our own dogs. I can vouch for the fact that my coworkers approach work in a similar fashion; we’re excited to have likeminded folks join our growing, talented team.
If this sort of work speaks to you, shoot us an email at [email protected]! And as always, if you have suggestions about how we can make this service better for dogs everywhere, please let us know. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Cheers,
Erin
