Hello all, Hayley Johnson here! I’m one of the new kids on the block, fresh out of UCSD to a fully furnished desk (complete with bamboo plant) across from the aromatic kitchen in the gap office. I graduated after playing four years on the soccer team with a degree in Environmental Systems and minor in Marine Sciences (random? Kind of, I guess, okay yes very). I am so happy to have been brought onto the team. I have experienced nothing but kind, helpful, and extremely intelligent people and it is an honor to be associated with this group.
I was lucky enough my first week to get multiple introductions to gap from a variety of sources including the seasoned vet Deron, the boss lady Tash, and even the man with the plan himself, Gary! They each shared introductions to the team, tours of the office and its surroundings, and/or PowerPoint presentations. I was intrigued during my gap101 class to learn how the company was started, how far it has come, and what the future holds.
I also had the chance to be properly initiated into the company during the monthly meeting (the meeting itself was enlightening to see how much responsibility and participation is spread across the employees). I’m not going to lie, the introduction to this part of the meeting caught me off guard and I was a little scared, but all I had to do was stand up and answer a series of questions. All in all, it was fairly harmless… the questions were [mostly] simple consisting of general info like where I am from and what’s my superpower (Sonoma County aka Wine Country and flying… for a second or two off of high rocks into the water).
I am infatuated with gap’s motto “work hard, play harder.” It is so refreshing to be behind the scenes of a successful company and see the genuine concern for quality service and the drive to go above and beyond our clients demand. Yes, a lot of companies can say the customer is the priority, but rarely do they show the same involvement in the community and in employees’ welfare. Shout out to my “buddy” Stacey, teacher Kim, and cross trainer Val who were all assigned to me. gap cares, straight up.
To supplement the gap lifestyle is one of the most intelligent ideas I have heard of: gapU. gapU is a sort of internal university that comes complete with a Dean, a classroom, and even athletics. I was fortunate to be invited for a sneak peek of a typical class last week that was taught by two of our very own gappers. Though only my second day into training and hardly following what was being taught, I found it an extremely valuable system. As I get better acquainted with the ins and outs of the job, I look forward to attending more courses to further my knowledge about what we are capable of accomplishing as we continue to learn from each other in that seminar-like setting.
Last but not least: the extra-curricular activities. Since I’ve been here we’ve already enjoyed the Del Mar races, cleaned our local beach with the Surfrider Foundation, and even took time to appreciate the international kite festival of India (I flew a Star Wars themed kite). Athletics are one of my passions, along with eating (which gap also appeals to when we share snacks once a week), so I am extremely excited to participate on the gapU squad, if I make the cut that is! Right now the game is beach volleyball, but I heard kickball is coming up soon…
And with that this is Hayley, new research assistant, signing out for now.
We are a values led company encompassing all the bases (Kickball, get it?)!
