Interview Susan (Export Manager)

Tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m Susan, 37 years old, mom of two kids (teenagers) Aaron (14) and Nora (12), and I live in Zuidlaren. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends. I’m also often found on the soccer field as a volunteer and soccer mom since both my children play soccer. On top of that, I still play soccer myself.

How long have you been working at Jollein?
I have been working at Jollein as an export manager for a year now. Initially, I only handled customers abroad, but for a few months now, I’ve also been visiting Dutch stores in several regions. It’s so nice to see how our items are lovingly presented in physical stores.

How would you describe Jollein?
It’s a wonderful company; we have such beautiful collections. Besides that, we have a great work atmosphere and fun colleagues. It’s really a family business from the past, and you can feel that in the workplace vibe. It’s very approachable and all colleagues collaborate well. We’re all involved in the successes and challenges the company goes through. I would also say that we develop really high-quality collections that are always completely on-trend. I’m super proud of that!

What’s the best thing you’ve experienced at Jollein?
There are plenty of great things, but I really enjoy filming the collection videos. We do this every year. A videographer comes to the office and we record the video in the showroom. The video explains all the new products we are going to launch in the upcoming collection. I do this together with a sales colleague, and what you don’t see in the video is actually the best part — especially in the beginning, we have lots of bloopers. We mess up, forget the name of a product, or completely blank out. Because we record the video in English, switching languages can be tricky sometimes. Maybe it would be fun to release a blooper edition so everyone can enjoy it! Want to see the collection video? Check the image bank.

What do you find most special about the contact with your customers?
For me, it’s very interesting to see the different cultures. I always find it funny how tastes and styles can vary so much around the world. It’s also great to speak with everyone via Teams and show the collections. My customers really share my passion. I proudly tell them about our beautiful items and explain how it works if you want to become a Jollein dealer. We are constantly working to make this process even easier. That’s a nice challenge. I’m also always busy sorting out all the paperwork to make it possible to supply all the countries that sign up as Jollein customers.

How many hours per week do you spend in the car?
Until recently, I worked fully from the office. This was because I was mainly export manager for all customers outside the Benelux and France. For them, I give presentations in the showroom via Zoom meetings to show our collection and answer all questions. It’s funny how, due to the time difference, I sometimes have calls at the strangest hours to provide our customers worldwide with all the info. Recently, I’ve also taken on several regions in the Netherlands. I really like that because it gives me face-to-face contact with my customers. I spend about 8 to 10 hours per week driving, usually one day a week. Of course, I also attend foreign trade fairs for which I happily travel many kilometers. That way, I can really connect with customers!

What do you like to listen to on the road? Radio, music, or podcasts?
To make the time on the road fun, I prefer listening to my own Spotify playlist. Every Sunday evening I update this list with the newest releases. And with two teenagers in the house, I’m always totally up-to-date on music, which is ideal! My favorite music is TOP 40 and dance; Kygo, David Guetta, and Tiësto are my favorite DJs, so I sing along a lot in the car.

What is your favorite item from the new collection?
I really love the Dreamy Mouse collection. You can clearly see so much love and attention went into it. Every time I look at it, I notice new details in the design. Besides the print, the items in the collection are, as I’m used to from Jollein, very soft and cuddly. That’s exactly what you want for your baby, right? I also really like the Puffed Bag. Of course, I immediately got one as soon as it rolled off the container and was available for us to order. I always get a lot of questions about it. It has all the features of a real diaper bag with plenty of pockets and all the accessories a new mom needs, but it looks like a bag you can also just take along when going out with friends or to the city. Even my daughter likes to borrow it.