Impossible Foods – Apprenticeship Week 7
Every week through (at least) April 2020, I will be outlining my apprenticeship experience as an Inside Sales Rep for Impossible Foods. Each week’s post will recap what I’m learning, what I’ve accomplished, and overall how I am growing and progressing as both a professional, and as an individual. Writing these posts is not only a great way for me to document my experience to look back on in the future, it also allows me to publicly share my successes and failures during my first venture into the professional tech world. Let’s do this.
The days and weeks are beginning to blend together.
I should clarify, because that comes across as incredibly dramatic as though I were off fighting a war somewhere (hint: I’m not). It’s not boring, bleak, or anything of the sort; actually, it’s been quite challenging and energizing! While each day presents new tasks, new obstacles, and new ideas, the framework and/or process within which I operate remains largely the same. My days are almost entirely filled by being in conversation with restaurant operators over email/phone, brainstorming with other insiders about how to navigate certain situations, or just compiling my thoughts and ideas for near-future application.
While I’m learning more than I can write about, there is one thing about the startup world that I am beginning to see more clearly as a key aspect of success: Self-Determination. For so long, whether it be in high school, college, or even other work experiences, I did what I was told (or was supposed to… sorry mom and dad). That just isn’t the case working at Impossible Foods.
Obviously, there are some basic expectations. Show up to work, get through my workload, and demonstrate an eagerness to work hard and learn quickly/fully. Outside of those core standards, what I’ve begun to appreciate about Impossible Foods is the widespread understanding here that people work differently, so let them. I won’t go into too much detail, but having the freedom to schedule my day in a way that is most efficient for both me and the team in place around me is nothing short of fantastic. It may be commonplace, but it’s new to me, and I’m enjoying every moment of trust.
As far as the actual work goes, things are simultaneously crazy and slow. With respect to the holiday season, there’s a lot of uncertainty when it comes to deliveries, deadlines, and scheduling in general. It’s hard to know for sure if steps in our sales process are progressing as normal or taking a backseat for the time being. Also, we still are having some issues with organizations/businesses that we are partnered with (different issues than before, but issues nonetheless). It can be really frustrating when we are supposed to be working in tandem with someone, only to be essentially cut off from contact and completely kept in the dark. This week is (for me personally) being devoted to troubleshooting some of these problems. I’m not a magic fixer of any sort, but I think with some dedicated time set aside for explicit communication and problem solving with these partners, I can improve our current standing as a team – and a company as a whole.
This upcoming week won’t be completely normal, being that I fly home this Thursday. I’m looking forward to the warmth that friends, family, and pets alike will provide amid what is almost certainly a hearty Minnesota winter.
Until next week!