Reflections on Joyworks

Today, Saturday, all of us working and fellow employees that stopped by, had reflections on our Celebration last night. Lots of smiles and recollections about the Event and towards our wonderful customers, our fellow coworkers and our beloved boss/friend/counselor, muse-TRULY-although she waves the praise in various directions, Clarice.

Clarice always contributes the sucess of the shop to the whole team, and I suppose that IS and always has been true. But without her creative nature, her business sense/cents, Joyworks would NOT be what it is today. And as I've said before, we are NOT just coworkers-we are a fantastic family of women that love and respect each other. We respect our differences-the efficient and neat and the creative and messy. We support each other in spite of those differences and the bond to one another is strong.

I have to take a moment to recognize Gordy-Clarice's wonderful husband who although, not part of the selling team has been instrumental (out of public view for the most part). Gordy climbs the high ladders and changes our bulbs, hauls stuff to recycling, mows around the shop, drives in on Snowy days to pick Clarice up, helps with our annual inventory and ALWAYS has a joke or a story. And,,,,a quick kiss goodbye for his wife. What a love story! (P.S. Gordy,,,,no coat for the wife THIS Year! just a hint!)

Jana and I were closing the shop up tonight (I was punch drunk from lack of sleep-okay STILL am, but I like to write,talk, so you can tell me, just shut up Shell at any time!) And I suppose Jana punch drunk too, but she's a bit younger and her focus is always on "what's next?") Anyway, She said, something to the effect that she didn't know how to elaborate/pontificate on the Celebration last night, laughed and said, "Shell, I'll just send them to your site and YOU write about it." Well, big job, because I can't say enough about our store, the crew, the WONDERFUL cutomers and again, Clarice, who started it all. But, I will pontificate briefly on HOW I ended up at Joyworks,,,,and lead you to the present. And yes, it has been a "Present."

I've lived in Snohomish about as long as Joyworks has been in existence. Although, as I recall I think I first stumbled into the store some 10 years after they opened here in town. Although living in town, I commuted to various stores and positions while working for Nordstrom. (I started as Employee 2950, in 1974). Eventually I worked into Buying and Management and then left the company in the late 80's and worked in Advertising (While Jana was apparently working just a few blocks away from me in Bellevue.)

Anyway, I stumbled into this DARLING shop one day in my home town. (I had done most of my shopping in Malls or big Cities prior to this) And low and behold, I came across this unique shop AND one of my Classmates from High School worked there. Well, I shopped for a few years, was burning out on the stress of corporate life and my friend, fellow Classmate "Debbie McIntyre" aka Deb Wood said, "we need some help on weekends, why don't you ask Clarice for a job?"

Well, now, again, I worked for some high rollers and Fortune 500 companies and all I thought was,,,,Will she want me? Because I knew that this WAS THE PLACE I REALLY WANTED to work. I wanted the position SO bad and I was So nervous (I used to sign regular orders with the likes of Boeing, Microsoft, etc. in advertising) I was so NERVOUS about getting this position at JOYWORKS and really, really wanted to work there. I presented my resume. And they all kind of laughed. (Did anyone else EVER do that??)

But I got the job. No,,,,I got the family. I got the friends. I got the hometown community involvement that I had never had previously. I got the surrogate families, the counselors, and yep,,,the best friends and coworkers you could ask for!!

And,,,,some 10 years later I still have it! Silly? Lord no. I couldn't be prouder to be involved with a group of women and work in our great little community and have our "regulars" our "semi-regulars" and our "annual" shoppers.

It's not called Joyworks without reason. We gain great Joy from our customers, our coworkers and environment.

So, now you have heard MY Joyworks Story...And I KNOW there are many to be told. I wish all my coworkers would post theirs, I'm sure there is a lot to be shared.

That said, I have to say that all of us missed "our" Jill last night. She SHOULD have been there, but was actually diagnosed and has been extremely ill with the swine flu. She did SO much to help get the shop ready for the event and thanks go out to her sister Chris, who drove up from Oregon to help us last night. "Thanks Chris, you are a trooper!"

And as mentioned, all the former (not oldies but goodies and dear) employees that were in attendence,,,,,Cass, Deb, Cathy, Rita "Sal", Janie dear,, Deborah Nash, Chris M. It was SO AWESOME to have you all there,,we need to all get together more often!!

Special Thanks to: Kelly Rae Roberts for her appearance last night, Wendy Perez for her WONDERFUL appetizers and deserts-you were FLAWLESS GF!!
Elise Marie Photography who will portray the event RIGHT (excuse my novice pics) and I'll humbly shove my camera back into my purse! Peterb>b>, our sign maker extrodinaire, for donating all his cute little signs to our event........

I'm sure ALL of us Joyworks Gals want to thank EACH and every person that stopped by, but the list,,,,thank heavens would be endless. So THANK YOU to all that helped, all that participated, all that were there in spirit and all that will continue to make Joyworks the BEST EVER!

Hugs,
Shell
(Clarice, Jana, Amy, Kay, Jill,Sandi, Luanne, Moi, Rita, Penny, et. al)
Love to you all! Thanks for sharing our Celebration~~