Preferably by appointment?
Anna Pops exists and evolves because of a lot of people. One is a bit more visible than the other... But they all have a big heart for their Anna Pops.
Judith is our first permanent employee and will enthusiastically help you in the store and via the webshop. She also provides structure in this creative group and is an administratively clever person!
But how does she experience Anna Pops? An illuminating interview....
Anna Pops summarized in three words for you?
- Inspiring working environment
- Aalst: my hometown!
- Tina and I, together each with our own expertise and our own character, we stand strong and achieve so much more.
What inspired you to start working with the Anna Pops family?
Your work is something you spend many hours a day in, for a large part of your life. That's why it was important to me that this is not only something that requires energy, but also something that gives energy. I missed that last bit a bit during my previous work experience.
A job that you no longer enjoy doing, where passion is lacking, will ultimately be at the expense of your personal happiness.
I have always had a love for sales. I have gained 10 years of experience as a manager at a Belgian wholesaler. Here I was mainly concerned with figures and personnel and I had less 'feeling' with the customer and with the product. I had fun and educational experiences there, yes, but I didn't see myself doing this job all my life. I had lost my pride in my work. Tina was already a friend and I knew she was having a hard time managing Anna Pops' growth alone lately. We have chatted about this regularly. I who no longer got satisfaction from my job and she who was looking for someone extra but didn't know how to start. I took the plunge, said goodbye to my trusted job and security. When we were traveling together and with a good glass of wine in hand somewhere under the olive trees in Italy, all the pieces of the puzzle fell together.
I never wanted to say goodbye to retail itself. I especially wanted to go back to the source, away from that "chain" mentality and get closer to the customer and the product again.
So it was time for a career change,... and there was Anna Pops!
You have been a member of the Anna Pops team for two years now, how were the first two years for you?
In my previous job I often had to train newcomers, I knew perfectly how a certain task was done and what it actually entailed. Now, however, it was starting from scratch. I received a lot of new information from Tina, all of which I had to process in a relatively short time. I repeated everything over and over again in my head, worried about mistakes (which I may or may not have made) and often felt insecure about them.... But after a few weeks my autopilot started working on some tasks and everything became clear. increasingly easier.
Tina dared to believe in me, in my passion and my desire to go for it together. It took courage and courage from both of us, but it is worth it. I have evolved with the growth of the Anna Pops brand. As in any good marriage, there are many 'ups' and sometimes down moments. Fortunately, we can always iron out the wrinkles and I personally come out of this stronger.
To this day, I still haven't regretted my decision to change jobs, to take the plunge. I am proud of what I do and what we achieve together. It is now 2 years later and I feel that the foundation has been laid. This base is sturdy and rock solid. It leaves you wanting more! I look forward to the future!
