Meet David Hlousek, Bamboolik´s Operations and Supply Chain Manager
Hi, David! So, what brought you to Bamboolik and how long have you been working here?
I like to answer this question this way: Mentally, I have been in Bamboolik since its founding because it was founded by my wife. So naturally, we always discussed Bamboolik together.
Physically, I joined Bamboolik’s team in spring 2017. It’s been 3 years recently! There was an opening for someone in the production department then. There had been a few interviews which didn’t go very well. In the end, Bamboolik’s management hired a young woman but she quit (by herself) after not even three months. At that time, I had been thinking for a while about leaving my old corporate job and after many discussions at home we finally decided to take the plunge, the moment was just right. I like to say that I put on my superhero cape and flew to save the company. Which is of course exaggerated, but only a little. I can’t fly :)
What do you do in Bamboolik?
I make sure we have enough products, that we have enough fabric to sew the products from, I coordinate our sewing facilities and I manage my team of course. It’s my team’s goal to produce our goods in perfect quality and in such quantity that our Sales Department has enough goods to sell and Marketing Department has stuff to promote. This year, we have added our own sewing facility to the list, so I have even more managing to do.
Besides the fact that you taught me to bake homemade sourdough bread and gave me the starter (a few times, sorry about that :) ), I make my own sourdough pizza now! My children love me even more :)
And what part of your job do you like the most?
I’d say I enjoy the most that my job is a combination of analytic work and working with people. One day, I am in the office doing charts, some other day I might have back-to-back meetings from 9 to 5 and spend the whole day talking to people. I like the diversity!
I also enjoy when everything is fulfilled – first my meticulously calculated plans and then the shelves in our storage. I can see the physical results of my job, I can touch it, I know how much work is behind each diaper. That’s what I call job satisfaction.
The most important reason you’re still here?
My wife! :) Jokes aside, it’s the feeling of fulfilment I’ve just talked about.
And it may come as a surprise to some, but I really enjoy working in an almost-all-women team! None of you needs to prove you’re better than your colleagues, none of you tends to put her ego first as it sometimes happens among men. I feel like sometimes you’re more effective and kind of down-to-earth. Maybe it’s because you’re all mothers of pretty small children, so you just don’t waste time much, like talking about work-unrelated stuff in a work meeting. Because you want to be able to get home to your kids on time. I completely agree with that approach, I’m a parent, too! But I’ve met men who don’t have it that way.
Also, I spend my days surrounded by beautiful and intelligent women. What man wouldn’t want that?
As I say, I spend my days surrounded my beautiful and intelligent women. Cannot get better than that.
How many children do you have? And would you say it’s demanding to work and be a mum at the same time?
We have three kids, the boys are 10 and 8 and our daughter is 5. Juggling work and family life has been a part of our life for so many years now that I hardly remember how it used be before. Which is a good thing! It means I don’t consider it such a nuisance. We have equal roles at home with Zuzana, my wife. You obviously need to plan a lot of things in advance, you need to communicate effectively and I can’t imagine our life without shared calendars. We put everything in our calendars, including who picks up which kid and where. Because you don’t want to forget one somewhere :)
Most favourite Bamboolik product?
Since we introduced our washable sanitary pads, my horizons have certainly broadened a lot! I proudly consider myself an expert on a woman’s cycle now :) And the product I personally use the most is definitely our zero-waste bag, for all sorts of things.
And here I have to mention sanitary pads again…. :) Recently (before COVID shut down the borders), our supplier from France came to visit a we tried to discuss the most suitable material for our menstrual pads. It took us a while to realize how absurd a discussion it was and that we needed to invite a woman to the conversation ASAP :) Because without personal experience, you won’t get very far.
Some recent funny episode from work?