Yoel Clark
Sep 7, 2018 · 3 min read

What you can learn from the furniture business

Starting in June 2012, I worked at Modway Furniture under the glorious title of Assistant Data Administrator. For a little over a year, I maintained the company database of hundreds of different furniture pieces sold on the website. Every new item had to have its specs meticulously recorded, from color to measurements down to the half inch(yawn).

A fine specimen of a wholesaler!

Things thankfully did not stay boring for long. Being a small company, Modway employees often had to wear more than one hat, and I was no exception. Since we had no in-house web designer, uploading the info to the website and making sure it was presentable was my responsibility. Soon after, I was doing to same with product photos. Eventually, I was writing ad copy for some of the more popular items, in addition to my other responsibilities. Writing beats data entry in my book any day!

My biggest pivot happened when Modway increased participation in “flash deals” with sites like Zulily and HauteLook. These other companies needed spreadsheets of what was available at any given time, and guess who was most familiar with the relevant info? Another task, another deadline, and my job kept getting more interesting. By the end of my time at Modway, I was running the whole flash deal operation myself.

It was the regular exposure to new challenges that worked well with my personality. I am a voracious learner in all areas of my life: I read a lot, love educational podcasts and videos, and nothing excites me more than acquiring a new skill. My professional life is no exception. I would have lost my marbles doing nothing but what I was originally hired for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnP6coXzbLY

My favorite skill that I practiced at Modway was writing copy for marketing products. It required a tremendous amount of creativity, which appealed to my artistic side. Well, it’s probably more than a side, more like 70%. I even wanted to be a professional artist(musician) at one point. Also, being a big reader, writing comes rather naturally to me. This is a skill I would love to continue to sharpen.

My most valuable take away from my time at Modway was to regularly push past my limits(just a little). Even though I am addicted to learning, I fear failure and can shrink from opportunities when there is a risk of looking bad or upsetting someone.

Take this vinette: One day, customer service calls were backed up. My supervisor knew I spoke Hebrew, so he had me jump in to help an Israeli client. Feeling like a fish out of water, I nervously mumbled some broken Hebrew about how sorry we were blah blah please stay on the blah blah someone will blah blah, and cut the call as short as I could.

My response was adequate and my reaction was understandable, but I missed an opportunity to hone a language I love, break into a new skill set, and create a new relationship with someone. Since then, I don’t take my own comfort zone too seriously. Like a weightlifter, I use pressure to push my abilities just over the limit so my strength and skills grow.

My favorite intellectual weightlifter.
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade