#meetheteam

MEET TEAM MJM

Name: Tricia Patterson

Position: Bench Jeweler/ Prong-setting Queen

Location: Berkeley, CA studio

Why did you decide to work at MJM: Since we hand-fabricate every piece of jewelry at MJM, it's a great place to learn new techniques and get better at my craft.

What did you go to school for: I have a B.A. from NYU and made up my own major, a combination of  Art History, Photography, and Medieval Studies. I worked at a museum for a while running night-time events, and then went back to school for metalsmithing in San Francisco.

What do you like best about your job: I get to make things everyday that will make the wearer feel strong and beautiful. It can't get better than that for me! Having Roots, our studio dog, as my neighbor is a close second. He's got the sweetest nature.

Favorite stone and why: Labradorite. The green and blue flashes are next level, and always different. They make a piece of jewelry so unique.

Best piece of advice: Don't chase what you want to be, follow what you love to do.

First thing you do in the morning: Yikes, scroll instagram.

What do you like about your coworkers?: How talented and lovely they are.

One weird fact about you: I can click my heels

Favorite Pizza Topping: Tomato, basil, mozzarella. Classic NY pizza all the way.

  1) Describe your role at BookBub in one sentence.

I build software features and tools for our subscribers and the other teams at BookBub.

  2) What’s one thing people don’t know about your job?

At a certain point you can't copy and paste millions of email addresses into a mail client and click send. We work really hard to make sure that all of the BookBub emails get delivered in a timely fashion.

  3) What’s something you do every day that’s unique to your position?

It varies everyday, but always involves helping build features that we use to constantly improve BookBub as a service for authors, publishers, and readers.

  4) What’s the most exciting thing about working for a startup?

There is never a dull moment. There are always new things to work on that are both challenging and interesting. And we have a little fun in between.

  5) Why did you join BookBub? What do you love about working here?

It seemed like there were a lot of cool things that I would get to work on with a lot of smart people. Also, everyone seemed really nice and pleasant to work with, and they have made my first job out of college one that I look forward to going to everyday.

  6) What’s your fondest book-related memory?

When the Harry Potter series first came out my parents would read it to me. But by the time the second or third one came out I could read it to myself, and at the time that was really exciting.

  7) What’s your favorite book?

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.

  8) Pick one: flying or teleportation. Why?

Teleportation. It is more feasible that one day humans will be able to fly in some capacity. Then I'll be able to do both. Boom.

  9) Where would you go if you could fly anywhere in the world right now (for free), and why?

First of all, I'd teleport there. I've always wanted to visit Japan. I would just eat my way across the whole country. I probably would be very out of my element, but some culture shock every once in a while is good for you.

  10) Why did you choose the book you’re currently reading?

Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado — it's our book club book!

  1) Describe your role at BookBub in one sentence.

My job is to find readers across the web and make sure they know that BookBub is the absolute best way to discover new books and authors they will love at a fantastic price.

  2) What's one thing people don't know about your job?

It requires a lot of math! Something I wish I had known when I got into online marketing...

  3) What's something you do every day that's unique to your position?

Every day I keep track of the number of potential readers we reached across all forms of advertising and how many of them became subscribers. Then, I use that data to drive various tests to make sure we are always converting a higher number of readers into BookBubbers!

  4) What's the most exciting thing about working for a startup?

The ability to move fast! We can set up tests within a few hours and often get results within a day or two. Moving up the learning curve quickly allows us to learn more about our subscribers and tailor our offering to meet their needs/wants.

  5) Why did you join BookBub? What do you love about working here?

I joined BookBub because it addresses a pain point in the reading world no one else seems to have solved quite yet. I love how the product is innovative yet simple at the same time. Plus, decisions here are made based on data so at the end of the day, the subscribers fuel the decisions behind the product. There are so many directions we can go as a company and it's exciting to see where we will end up!

  6) What's your fondest book-related memory?

In high school I wrote a killer AP essay on Hamlet. I never minded Shakespeare, but he wasn't exactly my favorite. There was something about Hamlet that clicked with me though! I still have that paper somewhere… (Yes, it was a pen and paper essay! Laptops and tablets weren't yet common in the classroom... I'm dating myself here.)

  7) What's your favorite book?

I have a terrible book memory. The first one that comes to mind is Flowers for Algernon. I think it’s the first book that ever tore at my soul! I'm not usually into science fiction but this one really tugged at my heart strings.

  8) Pick one: flying or teleportation. Why?

Teleportation, because I sit in a lot of traffic. Every day. Twice a day.

  9) Where would you go if you could fly anywhere in the world right now (for free), and why?

Hawai'i! Because I grew up there and my family is still there and it's a really expensive plane ticket!

  10) Why did you choose the book you're currently reading?

I'm currently reading Opium Fiend by Steven Martin, which was a book we ran last week. I love the show Locked Up Abroad on NatGeo and this sounded like an episode right out of the show!