Desk Tell-All: Erika, Retail Experience Coordinator

Last week, you met Yvonne (and Taylor Swift) through a very personal channel: Yvonne's desk. Today, we're introducing you to Erika - our Retail Experience Coordinator - and yes, today you shall inspect her desk, too! Erika started working at Poppy Barley on an internship and she was so awesome that we decided to hire her full time a few months ago. Born and raised in Red Deer, Alberta, she just completed a BComm at the University of Alberta (spending one semester in Vienna, Austria) and has her convocation this June (in case you forgot, recent grads are our thing). Fun fact: she can understand Tagalog (Filipino) and speaks some German and Spanish. She also speaks sarcasm fluently. But what we might love the most about Erika is her positive and enthusiastic approach to life - and you'll experience this when you talk to her on the phone, in the showroom, or at a popup event. Want to try a new restaurant? Erika's in. Post-work beers? Erika's game. Need someone to have a good laugh with? Erika there! But what likely makes her so loveable is that she values relationships above all else: "I love recharging by taking time to be with the people in my life," she says. "I think time with loved ones is invaluable and will put 150% into all personal relationships." See? Why WOULDN'T we want her to be one of your first touch-points when ordering your Poppy Barley shoes? Hear more from Erika below as she describes a few of her favourite things in our Desk Tell-All...

Desk Tell-All: Erika

1. Picture of my aunt and me: My family is very important to me and I have a VERY large extended family. Just to give you an idea, I have 20 cousins on my father’s side (crazy, I know). Everyone is spread out all over the world, but the family that I have in Alberta I am quite close to. The photo on my desk is of my aunt and I from our family photo shoot back in December.

2. Avenue Magazine: This summer I plan on taking the time to explore more of Edmonton. As a Red Deer native, this is only my second full summer in the city. I’m excited to go to all the festivals, the markets and fully immerse myself in Edmonton in summer mode, starting with Avenue’s Best Restaurants! I love discovering new places to eat and these guys have the definitive list for Edmonton.

3. Journal: I enjoy taking the time to document my experiences. One of my favourite things to do in summer is find a park where I can relax, write and bask in the sunlight. Whether I’m having dinner with friends or traveling somewhere new, I like being able look back at the things that I have done through journals or photos.

4. "The Five People You Meet in Heaven” - this is one of my favourite books. I'm sure most of you have read it by now, but I love the perspective it gives you on life and the impact you can have in the world.

5. Postcards: Travel, travel, travel! I love the amazing things that you can learn from the rest of the world. Here I have three postcards from three of my favourite European cities: Vienna, Ljubljana and Budapest. The postcard in front has one of my favourite French quotes by composer, Richard Wagner. There was some debate as to the exact translation of the quote in the office, so we will leave that you’re your interpretation. ;)

6. “Book of Mormon” Ticket: Have you seen “The Book of Mormon”? It was recently at the Northern Jubilee and I was lucky enough to get tickets. If you happen to be in New York or London, go see it! It was the perfect mix of hilarity and musical theatre. I’m a huge musical theatre fan, so whenever a Broadway Across Canada production comes into town, count me in!