Hey what is up,
hello crew. So here we are in my favorite business attire and a fun little
interview with the COO Of GreekU! Lory Passov gives her little inside scoop on what it is like to be an entrepreneur. I'm not going to write too much because the
interview talks for itself, so here we go!
Can you tell me a little about how
you wound up a COO at GreekU? Do you think being a Psychology major helped you
down that path?
Graduating
with a psychology degree, and not quite ready for grad school, I really didn’t
know what I wanted to do next. I liked psychology, but I wasn’t certain I
wanted to pursue it as a career. A couple years before I graduated my
brother had started a business creating unique clothing for sororities and
fraternities, and at this time his business was doing pretty well. I slowly
started to help him out with his customer load. It was a lot of talking
on the phone, and helping customers design a shirt they and their entire
organization would love. Having experience working customer service at
Nordstrom, and with my psychology degree, I quickly got used to and enjoyed
helping customers on the phone. I’ve also always loved clothes, so doing
something in the fashion industry was something I was very happy about :).
What does a typical work day look
like for you?
Each work day is a little different here at Greek U, and it
really matters the time of year since the business is seasonal. I tend to
work on planning meetings, help the team with goal setting, and have my hand in
several projects we are working on at the time. After reading a wonderful
book called Traction, I really mastered how to plan out our business, and help
enable our employees to achieve the goals they set forth, that align with the
company's direction.
What is the coolest experience your
career has given you?
I think my favorite thing about being a business owner is the
constant need to adapt and learn. Being a person who doesn’t always like
change, it really pushes me to keep an open mind and keep learning. In
the digital marketing/ecommerce world, everything changes so quickly! You
really have to not only keep up, but try to keep ahead. Several years ago
our business was completely different from what it is now. We used to
spend much of our days talking on the phone, and emailing, but we eventually found
that our customers no longer wanted to do business like this. So we built
an amazingly comprehensive website, where you can fully customize your order
online and get all the information you need right in front of you. We still
talk on the phone sometime, and email of course, but only when they customer
needs us.
What would you say Greek U's
mission is?
Our team and customers are the most important aspects of Greek
U. We strive to offer the best & easiest online ordering process
while we are here to help assist customers create something they love for
themselves or their Greek family. All our products are made to order
specifically for each customer. We aim to offer a fully customized experience
for the 100+ organizations we hold a license for.
What is next for Greek U?
We have a new website coming late 2017 which we are extremely
excited about. We spent several months getting feedback from our
customers about what they love, and what is missing from our current
site. We have been working this year on implementing all this feedback
for the new site, and we can’t wait for it to launch! We just started working
on a Greek U Sweetheart Influencer program, and are super excited for it to
launch this month. We have so many great customers, and we want to build
better relationships with them & give them some free gifts too, hehe.
We also are working on some adorable new designs for all the sororities we are
licensed for, as well as some brand new items for the holidays
What are the best and worst parts
of your job?
I love managing a team, and accomplishing all of our goals.
We do a lot of fun events around here! We basically earn
points every week when we get all our goals accomplished. Then, we cash
in the points for fun activities. We have done all sorts of things from
baseball and hockey games, getting pampered with massages and manicures, to
getting sweet treats delivered to the office. Also, the free clothing
samples are always a fun perk too. I would have to say the hardest part of the
job is when things are out of our control. Once in awhile something could
be wrong with the website, or a customer's order gets lost by UPS. But
you just learn you have to do everything you can to help the situation. When a
large order got lost in transit, and the event was days away, we re-made the
entire order and shipped it overnight. Although it wasn’t our fault, we want to
make sure the customer has what they need, and are completely happy :).
What is the best advice you can
give to any aspiring young professional?
I would say that work isn’t easy, and you will always be
learning new things if you want to be successful. Try to be patient and
keep an open mind. As time goes on you will get the hang of it all. And
if you keep learning and working on new things you won’t get bored. You
definitely want to be challenged, and to keep growing.
This is amazing! Your advice really motivated me. Isn't it crazy how you go to college thinking of a career goal and by the time you graduate what you are destined for is right before your eyes. Thanks for sharing! xx
ReplyDeleteIt was all Lory from GreekU! (She is the COO)
DeleteLove this interview! Her advice at the end is so spot on and motivating!
ReplyDeleteShe was a rocks star! Lots of great advice!
DeleteWool jackets are the best for winter... stylish and warm!
ReplyDeleteSo great for fall!
DeleteIt's really helpful to see young business owners! I know a lot of the time I struggle with motivation and when I see others achieving goals, it makes me want to achieve them! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteImpressive how much you've accomplished at such a young age. Best of luck to you!
ReplyDelete