Meet Maria Pastore (Special Remote Onboarding Edition)

Get to know Maria, a Steelers fan with a background in fashion who gives us a glimpse into what it’s like to join CB4 from home.

What’s your role at CB4 and what does your day-to-day look like?

I’m on CB4’s Customer Success team and am responsible for ramping up and project managing the client onboarding process. One of my favorite aspects of my job is that every day is different, but typically I’m engaging with customers alongside the CS and Sales teams and helping establish new processes to guide customers through their onboarding journey. I feel very fortunate that I have the opportunity to work with so many different teams across the company and brainstorm how we can collaborate more effectively.

Can you talk a little bit about the path that led you to CB4?

I worked as a project manager in the apparel industry for 6 years before coming across CB4. Having worked for a number of large retail brands, I started to see incredible potential in ways that new software could improve internal operations within design teams. This led me to start implementing new operational initiatives that improved our production processes, which ultimately enabled us to deliver products to the customer more efficiently. My background caught the eye of our HR guru Hannah Liberman and the rest was history! CB4 was the perfect opportunity to lean on my retail and operations skills and grow alongside a true industry disruptor.

What are you into doing outside of work?

Now that we’re turning a corner with COVID-19 (finally!) I’m really enjoying spending time with my friends and planning fun activities around NYC. Much like the rest of the world this past year, I learned that I actually really enjoy cooking and have been working on my culinary skills more than ever!

Do you think of shopping differently since joining CB4? How?

Grocery shopping for me is forever changed! I never realized quite how much my shopping experience (and subsequent loyalty) was affected by seemingly insignificant issues like shelf presentation, product display, etc. Now every time I’m in a grocery store, I’m hyper-aware of these missed opportunities and obsessing over ways CB4 can help. This adds some extra time to my weekly Trader Joe’s trip, but I certainly don’t mind!

One good jam to work to and one good jam to work out to. Go!

Lately, I’ve been playing Big Wild’s album “Superdream” on repeat during the workday. As for my go-to workout jam, nothing makes me want to lace up the running shoes like early 2000s Kanye West.

What makes CB4 a special place to work?

Definitely the culture! This year was probably one of the most challenging times to join a new company. But CB4 has done such an incredible job at keeping everyone connected, both professionally and personally. Not only are my coworkers extremely talented and hard-working, but they also love to have fun and lift each other up! It’s a really rare and special culture that I feel lucky to be a part of!

Speaking of joining a new company during the pandemic, what was your experience like starting at CB4 completely remotely?

Navigating a new job at any point in your career is both exciting and overwhelming. Starting a new career via Zoom during a global pandemic is next-level intimidating! As excited as I was to join the CB4 team, I was definitely a little apprehensive about the remote onboarding process. What could I expect? How would I get up to speed without the office setting? Will I ever feel like a real member of the team? All of these questions were racing through my mind when I “logged on” my first day. Much to my surprise, I was greeted with one of the most comprehensive and welcoming onboarding experiences I’ve ever had with a new job.

What were the most important things CB4 did to make virtual onboarding manageable and effective?

1. Onboarding began before day one! Knowing what to expect took a lot of the pressure off those first couple of weeks and granted me the opportunity to get my feet wet and get started learning about the product. Not to mention, I was sent everything I needed (with personalized notes) right to my door: laptop, log-in credentials, HR contacts, and resources, etc and I had a pre-planned 4-week onboarding agenda with 1:1 introductions throughout the organization. It was such a relief not going in blind.
2. Feeling Like a Team. Being able to connect on a personal level through slack channels, Kumo happy hours, and virtual games helped me feel connected even though we are scattered across the world. Celebrating wins has also been huge! Camaraderie, motivation, celebrating each other’s successes all add to a shared enthusiasm for what we do at CB4.
3. CB4 Values Leading the Way. Joining a company and being able to immediately see that they don’t just talk the talk is an incredible feeling. The examples below are just a few of the reasons I quickly felt at home at CB4.

• Commit to Quality: the onboarding process was meticulously planned and well-executed, which aligns well with one of our key values “Commit to Quality”. I heard time and time again throughout my first few weeks: “The more successful you are, the more successful we all are!” Each team member was committed to getting me where I needed to be so we could all work together towards our common goals.
• Speak your Mind: From day one, I was encouraged to ask questions and share my voice at CB4. Each team member I interacted with focused on making me feel that my point of view was valuable and having that kind of support from day one makes all of the difference.
• Be Human: Working from home has created a “new normal” for us all. CB4 veterans showed compassion and empathy for new hires having to onboard remotely. Everyone from senior executives to other new hires like myself expressed a genuine desire to make me feel welcome in this “new normal”.

I’m about 7 months into my new gig and I cannot express enough how thankful I am to have had such a welcoming and seamless onboarding. Things can get a little hectic at a startup, but because of the resources and support I received, I feel equipped to tackle whatever comes our way this year and beyond!