Rollerblades, Y2K, and TikTok: A Summer Job Then vs. Now

Some memories 

never leave you

Sometimes all it takes is walking

through the warehouse doors

with someone you love to remember

exactly where your own story began.

In this week's blog, Ryan reflects on

growing up around the family business,

the unforgettable jobs that

shaped her,  and how one visit from

his daughter brought everything

full circle..

Summer

at the Warehouse

Where It All Began

"I loved going to work with my dad."

 

In fact, I loved it so much that I pretty much still work

with him every single day. My title and responsibilities

have changed tremendously over the decades,

but a moment this summer brought me right back

to where it all began.

 

My daughter asked if she could come to work with me,

and the second we walked through the doors, a flood

of core memories rushed right back in.

 

For many family businesses, the warehouse isn't just

where orders are packed, it's where lifelong memories

are made.

The Rollerblade Year

Warehouse Rules Were... Flexible

 

Back in my day, a summer day at the warehouse

started with strapping on rollerblades and flying

down the aisles, constantly dodging the warehouse

manager, who would inevitably yell at us for

knocking over towers of boxes.

Our high-performance athlete breakfast

consisted of a classic Coca-Cola and

a fudge brownie.

 

Somehow, we survived.

Looking back now, those summers were filled

with equal parts work, adventure, and

just enough mischief to make the stories

worth telling decades later.

When Y2K

Came Calling

My Biggest Assignment

 

Eventually, the rollerblades were swapped

for a real summer gig after high school

running the front desk and Will Call.

 

But there were strict rules: I was never

allowed to answer the phones.

That high-stakes responsibility was

reserved solely for my younger sister.

Instead, my crowning achievement of

the era was being brought in for

a massive Y2K project.

 

"My task? Manually re-keying every single

phone number in our system to include

an area code. It was the great 602-to-480

split, a true test of teenage endurance."

 

It wasn't glamorous, but at the time

it was an important job, and one that

reminds me how much our industry and

technology have changed over the years.

Fast Forward

to Today

A New Generation at Work

 

Fast forward to this summer.

When my daughter asked to

come to work, the generational

shift hit me hard. She spent the

first half of her day actually 

building boxes (a solid start).

She spent the second

half of her day making TikToks

in the aisles.

 

What a time to be alive.

 

Watching today's generation

experience the warehouse

through an entirely different 

lens was both hilarious and

strangely familiar. 

Every generation finds its

own way to make work

memorable.

First Paycheck

Priorities

Some Things Never Change

 

The moment she got paid, she took her

hard-earned cash and immediately headed

to the nail salon.

 

She hasn't been back since.

I guess I'll need to find someone else

to build boxes.

 

Maybe the warehouse looks different today.

Maybe rollerblades have been replaced by

 smartphones, and Y2K projects have been

 replaced by TikTok videos.

 

But one thing hasn't changed: the memories

you make working alongside family stay

with you forever.

The Best

Part of the Job

It's Always Been the People

 

Warehouses change.

Technology changes.

Summer jobs change.

 

But the relationships, the stories,

and the moments shared with family

are the things that stick with us long

after the work is done.

 

Sometimes, all it takes is one summer day

to remind you exactly where your

journey started.

Whether your first summer job involved

rollerblades or smartphones, one thing is certain:

 

the best stories 

always start at work

with people you

care about.