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Hometown: Williamsville, New York (outside of Buffalo)
Education:
Syracuse University, BS in Communications/Advertising
Experience:
Market Representative, May Merchandising Company
Assistant Buyer, G. Fox (May Department Stores)
Why @ eBags: When I first got "online," I knew I was on to something big. I'd heard all about the Web, but never really grasped the scope of its possibilities until I'd seen it for myself. After a typical start (you know, a solid month of surfing until 1 a.m.), I decided that I had to be involved. eBags for me was the opportunity of a lifetime. It may sound cliche, but it's true...a chance to take my 11 years of traditional brick-and-mortar retail experience and apply it on the internet (in the Outdoor category, no less!) is more than I'd ever hoped for. The "eBaggers" are a diverse team filled with solid players from a wide variety of backgrounds; their positive energy is contagious, and is the root of our success.
Other Great Trips: Probably to Lake Tahoe, CA, which was the beginnings of my longing to live near the mountains. In July '96, I traveled from St. Louis with a friend for a week of "real" mountain biking at the Tahoe Fat Tire Festival. I hadn't seen the mountains since I was 14, and the memory was so fuzzy that it was as if I was seeing them for the first time. When we crossed from the high desert terrain of Reno into the green & deep blue of the Tahoe basin, I was in awe. We had warily signed up for the 2 day, 1 night "Tour de Tahoe," a guided ride through some of the most scenic (and difficult) trails on the northwest end of the lake. We weren't sure what we were in for but thought we'd regret not going. We were right. What we got was meadows, lake, sky and trees at every turn. Amazing! After 27 miles, 2 peaks and 5,000 feet of climbing on day one (whew!), we collapsed on the top of 8,500 ft. Mt. Watson for the night. When we awoke in the morning, the basin had filled with a hazy blue smoke from the raging forest fires outside of Sacramento (100 miles away). It was an ominous but strangely beautiful sight.
Favorite City: American history is a big thing with me, and for that reason I'd have to say that I've got two favorite cities: Boston & San Francisco. To me, they've got very similar backgrounds - each was the early hub of development on its respective coast. Now, both have a rich history that lives on in present day. In Boston, you'll find skyscrapers next to 17th century homes, with cobblestone streets between. It was the birthplace of the Revolution, and a lot of it still looks the same. And San Francisco? Well, in 1906 practically the whole city fell down and then burned! Talk about a comeback... The steep hills, funny lopsided houses, eclectic people and water everywhere makes S.F. my pick for the most beautiful American city.
Favorite eBags Feature: The simple and logical site navigation that we've set up to help you find your perfect bag among the more than 5,000 we sell!
Favorite Product: What's my bag? Definitely JanSport's Live Wire Euphonic pack, which is super-innovative. With its fully integrated CD/MP3 player carrying system and bud-style headphones that retract into the shoulder straps, this pack will be a must have for music junkies for years to come.
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