Pros
- To me, the best part about working at Velour is that you get to learn a little about everything that keeps a business running. You have the opportunity to learn what makes a great strategic marketing plan, to what are the best practices with customer service, to how supply chain and logistics works, to what it takes to develop/bring a product to life, to how to budget and forecast for growth within the business and the list goes on and on. You would NEVER get this experience working for a corporate office. In my opinion, this type of experience is invaluable. On top of that, you get to learn alongside the CEO. You get the chance to pick her brain and see how she thinks and works. She teaches us how to negotiate, how to pivot quickly and how to challenge the status quo. She's always willing to share her knowledge with the team. - Some has mentioned there's not HR and although that may be true. Velour supports open communication and we discuss issues on a weekly basis. Personally, I much rather bring up issues directly, instead of having to tell HR and have them be the middle person. Having said that, there are also Level 1 managers you can speak with if you're not comfortable speaking on the issues openly. - Velour is still pretty much a start-up culture, so don't expect all the processes and procedures to be all there for you. The upside of this is that you can work with the management team to build this up and make it whatever is best of the future of the business. - We have an open office, so this is both a pro and con for me. Pro because information can be shared quickly and effectively but also a con because it can be distracting at times, but you're always welcome to plug-in, if you will, and contrate on your task at hand. - Velour's core values are Impact, Communication, Teamwork, Innovation, and Passion. I think that within itself speaks a lot to the culture. Everyone here works hard but plays harder! The team is young, fun, ambitious and always tries to help each other out whenever they can. We have monthly team activities where we all get to do something fun but be forewarned we also make everything into a competition! A friendly competition of course :)
Cons
- I won't lie, Velour isn't made for just anyone. In order to make it here and stay here, you have to work smart and be agile. This isn't a place for someone who's looking to do the bare minimum or "breeze" through work. The management team truly wants you to grow in the role, but you also have to prove that you can be accountable for your work, take ownership of your responsibilities so your team members can rely on you and that you’re able to think thoroughly for solutions proposed. I'll admit at times it may be stressful, but it’s also the most rewarding places I've worked at. At times, you may be asked to complete tasks that are outside of your job description but hey, how else will you learn/develop a new skill? Plus support from the team is always there, jut don't be afraid to ask! - The CEO comes in everyday and she hustles equally, if not, even more than, the rest of her team. She demonstrates great leadership skills by challenging the team to be independent and think outside the box. She's friendly and approachable with an open door policy. She's always there to offer support when needed no matter how busy she gets. However, she's not afraid to be assertive and challenge your ideas. She's not here to "baby" you and in no way do I see her as petty. She just sees passed the BS and isn't scared to call you out on it. Again, not everyone can handle a direct management style, but to me, that's the only way you learn and grow as an individual.