In our Day in the Life series, we introduce you to a member of the Dolly team and give you a peek into what it’s like to work for Dolly. This month, we’re introducing you to Kevin, our Partnership Manager in Chicago. 

Name: Kevin Cullum

Title: Partnership Manager

How long have you been working at Dolly? Three and a half years.

What do you do as a Partnership Manager? I manage the partnership business in Chicago and Denver, while also constantly looking for other areas of growth.

What’s your favorite thing about working at Dolly? I love that I’ve gotten to see the company grow from its very early days when we operated in one market, to now when we operate in four different time zones. I’ve learned an immense amount over the last few years, and I don’t anticipate that slowing down.

Any fun facts about yourself that you’d like to share? I’m a huge UFC fan (ultimate fighting), and have been since high school.

Kevin’s Day in the Life

5:30AM

After I wake up, I check email, Slack, and start thinking about the day.

Next up is some sort of workout (go on a run, do pushups, do sit-ups, etc. – nothing too crazy).

6:30AM

I take out my dog Muppet, shower, eat breakfast – usually cereal and an apple with peanut butter (my fav) – and catch up on the news.

7:30AM

Time to set up at my computer in the home office (AKA kitchen), getting my work day organized and started. On days when I’m out visiting stores (usually three to four days per week), I’ve already organized all of my planned visits (usually done on Sunday night or Monday), so all I do in the morning is review my plan and make sure I have the correct visits order in place to maximize my time on the road and strategically hit every location I need to.

8:30AM

In the car heading out on my partner / store visits. My visits usually include stops into some of our more regular partners (Art Van, Value City Furniture, World Market, Pier 1, West Elm, etc.), while also constantly visiting new potential partners. I don’t drink coffee. I drink Diet Coke instead (which is likely worse), and I often look forward to cracking my Diet Coke open in the car on the way to stores. I also always have my notebook out and with me at all times when I’m driving. While it’s not the safest choice (don’t tell my wife), I often jot down notes while on the road as thoughts, ideas, or to-dos pop up.

11AM

Time for the internal BD strategy call ,where we discussed our Q2 goals, how we’re progressing toward them, learnings we’ve come across, blockers we’re facing, etc. I took this call from a Starbucks (which I often do for more in-depth calls), where it’s much easier to take notes.

2PM

Now onto grabbing lunch. I often eat lunch at odd (and late) times, and in the car, given that I sometimes prioritize my visits schedule over stopping to grab something to eat. I like to stop at a Whole Foods that’s near me to grab a sandwich, piece of fruit, and a cliff bar to take on the road. I’m a pretty basic eater (boring, I know), but it’s quick and easy and allows me to refuel and get back to what I’m working on.

3PM

At 3, our whole company has an internal weekly kick-off call, which I took from the car in between partner visits. Given the nature of my job (on-the-go often, needing to visit locations, etc.), I’m constantly thinking about and working to improve how I best use my time. I try to schedule my visits around my calls, so I can take and make calls from the car on the way to my next visit location.

5PM

Depending on where I am around the city (sometimes an hour or more outside the city), I usually start to head back around this time. If I’m doing visits closer to Chicago (where I live) I have a bit more time to run around and make strategic stops, new business visits, etc.

6PM

I pick my wife up from work and head home for the night. Most nights my wife cooks dinner (she’s a great cook!) and we both hunker down on the couch with our dog beside us and our computers open. While we try to spend as much time together not working, we both find value in getting little things done on the couch while relaxing and catching up.

10PM

I get my dog out for his last bathroom break of the night.

11PM

Usually by about 11 I’m back in bed to get some rest before getting after it again the next day.

Interested in joining the Dolly team? We’re hiring!