#insidehouzz

A member of our Industry Solutions team, Danielle helps companies in the home design industry to connect with homeowners. She hails from our Asia Pacific headquarters in Sydney, Australia, and enjoys traveling, hitting the beach and planning where she’ll find a delicious bowl of pasta!

What brought you to Houzz? I was looking for a new and exciting challenge and a friend who was working for Houzz at the time, spoke very highly of his experience. He made an introduction to another member of the team so that I could learn more about the role, and the rest (as they say) is history!

What do you do at Houzz? I work with companies in the home design industry to identify which audiences they are trying to reach. That way, we can create digital marketing solutions that expand the recognition of their company and connect them with homeowners in a meaningful way.

What do you like most about your role? I’ve always been a people person. I thrive off of good conversations and relationship building and that’s what initially drew me to the Industry Solutions team. Houzz created a great foundation for me to develop fundamental professional skills in that role. Now that I have transitioned from working with home professionals to working with brands, I love that I have the opportunity to strengthen these skills further as I’m exposed to national and international businesses. I’m extremely grateful for the growth opportunities I’ve had.

What is your favorite Houzz feature? The Color Picker Tool where users can identify similar paint colors from any item seen in photos on Houzz. This is an amazing product for both consumers and brands, and just a sample of our innovative technology!

What’s something that has surprised you about working here? You hear everyone say it, but it really is the people that surprise you the most. I’ve worked at other organizations which felt like a tight-knit family at the time, but this is on another level! It’s a really supportive working environment.

What advice do you have for others looking to start their careers? Find your niche, develop your style and be creative in your pitch. If you can find a way to relate, be authentic and work hard, it’ll pay off!

What is your most productive time of day? Mid-morning, once my morning coffee takes full effect!

How have you used Houzz at home? I moved to a new apartment when I first started at Houzz, so the timing was uncanny. I found great inspiration for my home on Houzz!

This summer, our Orange County and Nashville offices welcomed interns to support our Marketplace, Industry Solutions and Trade teams. Here is what a few of them had to say about their experience at Houzz.

Yao Lin: (Marketplace) What I Learned: Over the past few months, I’ve gotten a behind-the-scenes look at the Houzz Shop. There are so many components that go into maintaining the quality of not only the products sold on Houzz, but more importantly, the quality of relationships between Houzz, its vendors and its customers.

Favorite Thing About Houzz: One thing I love about Houzz is that, even though Houzz has definitely grown from its initial stage as a startup company to the established one it is today, it has not lost sight of its startup roots — that is the value of continuously questioning, learning and adapting. At Houzz, everyone is open to new suggestions and recommendations. It is evident that Houzz does not settle with its success and as a company, is always seeking a better way to go about its day-to-day business.

Leah Gilchrist: (Marketplace) What I Learned: I learned time management and communication skills as part of the Houzz team. There were always different tasks that needed to be completed, so it was important to allocate time wisely. Working as part of the Marketplace team requires daily communication with external sellers and effective communication leads to more efficient problem solving.

Favorite Thing About Houzz: My favorite thing about Houzz was the company culture. There was always something going on in the office, and it was refreshing to work with such enthusiastic people. I also really liked getting to look at home decor and furniture daily!

Lauren Gusikoski (Industry Solutions) What I Learned: Through shadowing nearly every department, I saw the importance of each and every team member at Houzz. Each department is truly crucial to the daily operations and widespread success of Houzz.

Favorite Thing About Houzz: My favorite thing about Houzz was how incredibly smart, kind, and well rounded the employees here were. I learned so much just from hearing employees converse with one another on how to more efficiently complete a task or make a customer's experience better. Every Houzzer wanted me to be successful this summer and let me schedule meetings with them to learn about their career or just answer any of the thousands of questions I had! Our leaders at Houzz want us to thrive and are willing to sacrifice their time to make sure we flourish.

Maggie Lakeman: (Trade) What I Learned: Working with the Trade team taught me how important diction is in communicating the value of a service to your customers.

Set to a serene garden backdrop, it was a beautiful day for this year’s offsite retreat. Continuing the annual tradition that began in Houzz’s early years to foster our sense of family, Houzzers from our HQ office in Palo Alto took a break to come together for a day of team building, games, art classes and guided yoga.

The photos below are some of our favorites from the day:

Teams worked together to complete group challenges.

Houzzers expressed their artistic sides during watercolor classes.

Zen moments doing waterfront yoga.

The team dined on a healthy lunch al fresco.

Houzzers broke out in pairs and small groups to get to know more about each other.

A jazz band provided lively background music to kick off and end the day.

Surprise visit from local food trucks.

Houzzers from our Berlin office, which houses our Houzz Germany and Houzz Italy teams, kicked off a new tradition this year with a summer retreat at the beach! The teams have been growing at a rapid pace, so the event helped to foster our sense of family. Activities included beach volleyball, soccer, table tennis and yoga.

Check out a few of our favorite photos from the day:

Houzzers enjoyed activities both in and out of the water.

Guided yoga on the lawn.

Delicious food was served throughout the day, including a salad buffet, a sweets station and this burger bar.

Houzz Berlin is growing! Check out career opportunities at houzz.com/jobs.

Joni is on the Marketplace team helping brands sell their products on the Houzz Shop. Based in our Orange County office, Joni enjoys taking Norm (her Yorkie) on walks and helping him train for puppy school.

What do you do at Houzz? I work closely with our sellers to help them upload products on the Houzz Shop, which includes vetting them for quality assurance, reviewing images and helping them to hone product descriptions to best represent their products for our customers.

What do you like most about your job? I really enjoy building close relationships with our sellers. It’s exciting to work with them to showcase their products on the Houzz Shop. Watching these companies grow and thrive selling on our platform is an amazing part of the job.

What’s something that has surprised you about working at Houzz? I’m surprised at how close I have become with my team. I don’t refer to my colleagues as “coworkers”, I call them “friends”. It’s a very supportive environment and we have fun working (and eating) together. It’s great to be part of a company that truly embodies the team mentality, having each others backs and helping out when needed.

What qualities are important for the role of a product coordinator? Our quality assurance process requires rigorous data review, so it’s important to be detail oriented and have the ability to move seamlessly between tasks in order to review all information and make products available on the Houzz Shop.

What is your most productive time of day? I like to finish the work day strong, so I’m most productive in the afternoons.

What are your favorite types of products on the Houzz Shop? My favorite products on Houzz are the rugs because they add so much personality to a room and are almost like art pieces! This Nourison Contour Rug has always stood out to me because I’m a big fan of turquoise.

What is your favorite decor style? Eclectic. I love spaces that show off your personality, including fun and unique pieces and items that have a personal connection or backstory. You can really see a person shine through their home decor.

France may have taken home the 2018 FIFA World Cup victory, but everyone was a winner at the Houzz World Cup and Soccer event at our London office last month! Our team hails from all over the world, so a global sports tournament seemed like the perfect time to celebrate our family, and have a little friendly competition.

Houzzers enjoyed a BBQ and a variety of games in our London office’s backyard. Here are a few of our favorite photos from the event:

Houzzers got in to the World Cup spirit with exciting foosball matches.

Inflatable human foosball gave everyone a hands on (or “feets on”) experience.

Our co-founder Adi Tatarko with team members from the U.S., Russia, Japan, Spain and Germany.

Taking a break from the athletics, Houzzers connected over delicious kabobs and other tasty snacks.

It was all smiles among Houzzers from our U.S. sales team who were in town.

An ice cream truck made a surprise visit to help everyone cool down after a sporty afternoon.

After working with the Industry Solutions team in London to help home professionals build their brands and connect with homeowners, Giorgia recently returned to our Berlin office, where she’s helping to train the next generation of Industry Solutions team members. When she isn’t traveling the world, you might find her indulging her passion for food or playing sports, especially running, trekking and snowboarding.

You’ve worked at two of our international offices, tell us about how your career has progressed with Houzz. Initially, I was drawn to working at a young, fast-growing, international tech company in Berlin. I had the opportunity to relocate to our London office to assist with the launch of Industry Solutions in Italy. It was an exciting challenge and an amazing opportunity to bring a great product to a new market.

I recently moved back to Berlin, where I will have the opportunity to train new team members. I feel pretty lucky to work with teams across our international offices and support their growth.

What is your favorite Industry Solutions feature? The photo localization is my favorite tool. It’s extremely powerful for professionals to be able to showcase their work to geographically targeted audiences.

What do you like most about your job? I like the fact that we’re helping professionals grow their businesses through our platform. It’s so important. Beyond that, I enjoy the office environment. Working with motivated, smart and ambitious colleagues inspires me to commit to high standards of achievement every day. Being able to speak different languages throughout the day is also a unique and enriching part of the job.

What’s something that has surprised you about working at Houzz? Despite being an international company, distances seem very small. We communicate and share ideas daily with colleagues in offices around the world. I also appreciate the fact that Houzz has a very flat organization and that leadership is very approachable. It makes every process lean and fast.

What advice do you have for others looking to start their career? Be driven, patient and motivated. If you believe in yourself and in what you’re selling, you’ll see the outcome of your work sooner than you expect!

As a member of our Industry Solutions team in Japan, Kyoko helps home professionals to build their brands and reach homeowners. Outside of work, Kyoko enjoys traveling to new places.

How would you describe your role? I think of myself as a bridge between home professionals and their customers by working closely with the pros to help them establish their brands on Houzz and reach homeowners. By learning about their goals and what challenges they face, I’m able to provide them with tailored programs that offer the best solutions. I’m delighted when they tell me that my assistance helped them reach their goals and incredibly proud to make a difference to their business.

What brought you to Houzz? Many of my close friends are home pros, all trying to find a way to grow their businesses and share their passion for home design with others. I decided to join Houzz to help home professionals like them to achieve their goals.

How do you think Houzz best supports home professionals? Many home professionals are so busy serving their current clients that they have limited time available to attract and develop new relationships with future customers. When they upload photos of their work to Houzz, it’s like distributing virtual business cards. The photos visually entice future customers and share information about the pros’ areas of expertise. It is a revolutionary and efficient way to expand their business.

What’s something that has surprised you about working here? Houzz is a global company full of inspirational people. Decision making, the implementation of change, growth and internal communications are much faster at Houzz than in other companies I have worked for in Japan. If I send a request or question to the international team in the evening Japan time, I will receive a response by the next morning. It’s a testament to Houzz’s international teamwork!

What do you do for fun when you’re not working? After work, I enjoy swimming, playing the ukulele and going out for fancy noodles with my partner. Beyond that, I love to experience culture through film, travel and food. Each year, I travel to a country or city that I have never visited, preferably a place where no one speaks Japanese. This kind of travel is stimulating and helps me to appreciate diversity in the world. Countries on my radar include, Cuba, Mexico, Israel, Russia, Croatia, Sri Lanka and India. I cannot wait to visit them!