Humans of The House: Michelle Taibi

“I met Michelle two seasons ago when she was hired on part-time as a shop employee. She was a college student studying exercise and sports science, and at the time I couldn’t have thought of anyone who may have been more out of place in an industry that is/was primarily male-dominant and rough-edged as snowboarding. With that being said Michelle caught on fast. Her time spent on snow may not have been bred immediately after daycare days like some of her colleagues, but the passion is there and flourishing. With an already travel-induced vagabond seed planted in her mind, Michelle has the right tools to take flight not just here in our own doors but in the active sports industry as a whole. An intelligent mind is backed by a driven mentality and strong work ethic, that leads our E-Commerce Content Team here at The House, and this seems to be just the beginning for Ms. Taibi. Minnesota nice with a heavy dash of spice pretty much describes Michelle to a T. A great co-worker and phenomenal friend to many, Michelle is carving her path brick by brick, and it’s plated gold.” -Tanner B.

Title:
E-Commerce Content Team Manager
DOB:
5/24/1994
Hometown:
Stillwater, MN

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Classic intro. Tell everyone a little bit about yourself.
I was raised in Stillwater, Minnesota, by a single mother, one of the strongest women I know. I nerd out about a lot of things, traveling, snowboarding, an insanely good cup of coffee, Lord of the Rings, and lots of other things. On a Saturday night, you’ll probably find me at a brewery, eating pizza, dominating at bags [cornhole], and asking to pet someone’s dog. I’m most content with about three trips planned..not a bad addiction to have right? To keep up with that I frequently will add on part-time jobs, whether I’m working as a brand ambassador at fun events or picking up a modeling job. I love being active, and I try to do this in as many fun ways as possible. Generally, I’m longboarding through Minneapolis, biking to and from the cities, paddleboarding on Lake Bde Maka Ska, or snowboarding at Trollhaugen.

When did you start working here at The House?
I started at the House a little over two years ago. I was working in the showroom as a retail employee, just before the start of the busy season. One of the former managers posted about an open position and eager at the chance to enter the world of snowboarding I jumped on the opportunity. I came in with zero on-snow experience, no product knowledge, and little awareness regarding the industry. I entered the interview fully prepared to convince Retail Operations Manager, Shawn Mack, that my enthusiastic attitude and excitement to learn would be enough to turn me into a polished product expert and snowboarding fanatic.

Pondering her next global adventure at Hyland Hills.. PHOTO: Stephan Jende

What is your current position here?
My current position here at the House is as the “E-Commerce Content Team Manager,” also known as a Copywriter Team. Throughout my time here at the House I’ve held a lot of positions, helping out wherever my skills were needed. Starting as a retail employee, transitioning to marketing intern, assisting Matt Guf as a video reviewer or brand ambassador, and finally finding my place in my favorite position yet. I put forth my best effort in regards to content, that being said, very little would be accomplished without my amazing team.

Let’s walk through your day to day duties. Coffee first right?
Coffee first, sometimes donuts, and always saying good morning to my office mates. I review and sometimes create all the product descriptions and blogs that you can find on our website. Much of the work that we do contributes to the success of our company in terms of SEO and organic search. I’m usually eating a salad and healthy snacks or pizza, all the pizza.

Describe what your downtime outside of work has consisted of.
I skip out on the latest brands, shopping trips, and impulse purchases so that I can afford more plane tickets. Some highlights include taking trains through Swiss Mountains, spending the day boating in Lake Como, Italy, eating pastries in France, watching the sunset and the moon rise above the jungle canopy in Costa Rica, getting my butt kicked by the mountain in Big Sky, Montana, and night swimming in hot springs in Hawaii. Some things that could be considered downsides (which end up just being funny stories) may be getting stuck in Iceland with $15 in my bank account, dropping my work phone in a volcanic channel [RIP], and sleeping in a hammock to avoid the tarantulas downstairs, while listening to the chaos that is howler monkeys [google it..].

Exploring the jungle in La Fortuna, Costa Rica.

Seems like you’ve caught the travel bug. Aside from filling pages in your passport what other hobbies do you have?

I have so many hobbies, there’s not a lot of experiences I’m not willing to try, and I’m hoping to pick up more! In the summer, I’m outside. Running, paddling, biking, hiking, boating, I love it all. As much as I love snow sports, I’m definitely a summer lover. In the winter, I’m either snowboarding, or I’m indoors, though I’m going to pick up cross-country skiing this winter. Inside, I’m cooking or baking, having movie marathons, dining out at new restaurants, tucking into one of the many amazing Twin Cities breweries, going to concerts, or reading.

Shopping in Annecy, France. 

You didn’t grow up the traditional snowboarder way. What made you want to get into the industry?
At some point as a child, I saw something on TV and was immediately intrigued. With a single mom, far away slopes, and an admittedly expensive sport, I didn’t put up too much of a fight when I was told it probably wasn’t something I could get into at the time. So we picked up a junky plastic deck for the backyard, and that was that. That didn’t stop me from wanting to do it though. One Christmas, I got an American Girl Doll with a boogie board…first thing I did was bring her outside and make her “ride” the boogie board down a snowy hill, totally the same as snowboarding right? I met Kaitlyn Schlegel in college, she posted that her work [The House] was hiring, I came in for an interview with Shawn Mack insisting that my lack of knowledge would quickly be solved, and at twenty-two, I finally took it upon myself to get into snowboarding!

What is your favorite part about working at The House?
I would have to say I have two favorite things. I absolutely love my coworkers, the environment here, the people I work with, the team I’ve created. I know I’ve made some lifelong friends and it makes coming to work every day that much easier. I also have a huge passion for the products we deal with. The new tech, the joy it brings people to be snowboarding or skiing, the fact that we sell something that creates amazing memories and gets people outside being active in the winter time.

Give me 5 places you want to travel to in your lifetime.
This is the hardest question…can the answer for all 5 be everywhere? If I had to choose…

1. I’ve always wanted to go to Brazil. My parents honeymooned there and I fell in love with their photos from the trip.
2. Greece, the beautiful landscape and history have totally captivated me.
3. Norway, I want to go on a tour of the fjords and see the Northern lights.
4. Japan, the culture is amazingly different from the USA. I’d love to engage in the bustling city life, stroll through one of their more traditional towns, and of course go snowboarding.
5. Sicily, my distant Italian family runs an olive oil farm on the coast, and I can’t imagine anything more beautiful.

What is a better evening? Pizza date or a trip to the Animal Humane Center?
Both?….probably pizza date. If I’m on a date and we go to the animal shelter, if I see a dog that’s too cute I’m either gonna leave with it or be way too sad [might cry..] that all the dogs aren’t getting adopted, which isn’t a great look. So pizza, beer, a show, call it good.

Tree hunting at Big Sky Resort, Montana. PHOTO: Stephan Jende

Anyone you’d like to thank?
Kaitlyn Schlegel, for putting in a great word for me here. For sure Shawn Mack, for seeing that my passion for the industry could outweigh my lack of experience. Really all my coworkers that have spent time educating me, helping me feel at home, and waiting for me at the bottom of the slopes. (Now I’m the one waiting :p)

Tanner B.

(Feature photo by Russell Heeter for Mainstream Boutique.)