Teamwork Makes Dreamwork!

Patrick Hoy here – and I’m so happy to be back with the next installment of my ‘Meet The Quacker Team’ blog series! Angel and I are very lucky that we get to work with an amazing team every single day of our lives! I’ve said it before and I’ll definitely keep saying it – Jeanne Bice really knew what she was doing when she brought us all together.

Our Quacker Factory team is pretty darn Quack-Tabulous – we really are like a family – and when you love your ‘family’, you want to share them with the rest of the world! I’ve already introduced you to Kristy, Susan, John, Leslie, Page, John Furr & Tiago. If you missed any of those blogs, you can find them all at www.quackerfactory.com Today I’m really excited to be introducing you another one of our team members – who REALLY loved playing cards with Jeanne Bice! Ladies, it gives me pleasure for you to….

Meet Colleen Ginsburg!

I recently spent some time with Colleen and asked her a few questions so that you could all get to know her better. Even though Colleen and I have worked together for years, I learned new things that she does for us that I never knew before! I also learned that she had known Jeanne since she was just a young girl!

Patrick: Colleen, I’m really excited to get to spend time with you today – you are always a ray of sunshine when I see you – and the work and support you give to both Angel and myself – and the entire team – is just incredible! It’s obvious that you really love your job! Tell us when you started working for Quacker Factory?

Colleen: Hello Patrick – and everyone! I’m super excited to be spending time with you as well – and yes, I really do love my job – and our entire team! I started working with Quacker Factory in the summer of 2002 – but originally it was just going to be a summer job for me.

Patrick: Oh my gosh – I didn’t know that! What were you doing at the time?

Colleen: I was a teacher and I was teaching kindergarten & English as a second language. I was teaching in Texas at that time, but had moved back to Philadelphia in 2001.

Patrick: So how did you know about Quacker Factory & QVC?

Colleen: I grew up 2 blocks away from QVC in West Chester, PA. My mother’s first job – after my brothers and I were old enough for her to go back to work – was at QVC. Susan Bramley, who as you and our readers know, is the Head of our Design Team – but first Susan worked at QVC before Jeanne hired her. When she worked at QVC, she and my mother were best friends. Because of that, I grew up knowing Susan through my mom – and also because of that, I grew up knowing Jeanne really well – and let me tell you, my mother adored Jeanne so much. In fact, every time Jeanne had a TSV at QVC, my mother would make her some lemon bar treats – which were Jeanne’s – and Tim Bice’s – favorite treats – so my mother ALWAYS had them baked for them when they arrived at QVC for their TSV shows. As a young girl, I would help my mother make them – and then we would deliver them to the studio together. (I also helped eat them….but shhhhhhh…don’t tell anyone!)

Patrick: Ha – your secret is safe with me – but for a price – I want some of those lemon bar treats!!!

Colleen: I’ll get my mother right on that Patrick! Anyway, as you can see, I’ve known Jeanne forever and ever – and Susan too. So when I moved back from Texas, Susan offered me a temporary job in her design office before the school year started up again. It was supposed to be my temporary summer job – and now it’s 16 years later! I was having way too much fun working with Susan – and of course Jeanne – so I stayed – and I’ve never looked back!

Patrick: I love this picture from several years ago of you, Jeanne, Susan and great friends at a fundraiser you all went to – look at how beautiful and handsome you all are!!

Colleen: Thank you. That really was a fun night. Jeanne loved helping raise money for others!

Patrick: So tell us Colleen what you do now for Quacker Factory – because your job description has definitely changed in the last 16 years!

Colleen: Gosh, it really has Patrick! I’m now the Director of Operations for the design part of the business – and here’s what that means – and what I do.

When the QVC Buyer expresses an interest in an item that our incredible design team has presented as a possibility to go on air, I take over. I work closely with Leslie – who all of your readers met recently when you did your blog about her. Once we design a fun new top or pants, Leslie gets a fabulous Sample from one of our Production Partners so that Susan & the Designers can show our QVC Buyers in America and England. Once the Buyers decide that they love the item as well – and that they want to make it available for our customers – that’s when I take over for a while. The first thing I do is handle what we call the ‘Fitting’ & ‘Testing’ processes.

Patrick: Tell us first about the ‘Testing’ process…

Colleen: Every item from Quacker Factory (and every other brand that sells on QVC) goes through a significant QVC mandated fabric and garment testing process. QVC wants to ensure that 100% of what our customers are getting is the best that money can buy. Remember Patrick, QVC’s first name is QUALITY – and my job is to make sure that every one of our Quacker Factory items is top notch quality. Jeanne insisted on it as well – so I take this part of my job really seriously.

Patrick: Tell us about the ‘Fitting’ process that you handle as well. I don’t think a lot of our gals really know what that process is all about.

Colleen: I think you’re right Patrick – and it’s such an important part of what we must do to make sure that our clothes have the right fit when our gals get them home. EVERY item we make/design is fitted on a live person at QVC – these are called Fit Models. They try on every single item the Buyer has decided to buy and that you or Angel show on air. They make sure that it feels good, the drape is perfect, the fabric is comfortable – and that the item fits, feels & looks the way it is supposed to.

Patrick: Aha – and one of our Quack-Ette models is now a Fit Model for QVC – right?!

Colleen: Ding, ding, ding – you win the prize Patrick – that is correct! Our wonderful and fun model, Kerin, who used to be on air, is now a fulltime Fit Model at QVC! This is why we don’t see her on air anymore – but she is still VERY involved – but behind the scenes. And did you know Patrick that our own Angel used to be a Fit Model as well?! She was – how cool is that?

Patrick: That IS very cool! And you know what’s even cooler?! Here I am with the two best looking Fit Models to ever work at QVC – how lucky am I?!

Patrick: You also look at all of the Samples that come in – is that correct?

Colleen: Yes. After Leslie gets the Samples from our Production Partners, I make sure that those are an exact representation of our Artists (John & Diane) before they are sent back to the Production Partners to make a full run of all of the quantity that we need. I also make sure that the color is exactly the right color it’s supposed to be. For example, sometimes we want Lipstick Red – and not just Red – so I have to make sure that it’s the RIGHT shade of red. And then once it’s passed all of ours and QVC’s Tests, and we know how many we want in each style and each color, it’s my job to make sure that all of the administrative processes are followed, and to ensure that all of the items arrive when they are supposed to. Patrick, can you imagine if QVC loved one of John’s or Diane’s Christmas tops – and ordered bunches of them for our gals – and then they didn’t show up until January 1^st – how horrible would that be?! Well, it’s my job to make sure they always arrive at the right time – and that’s for EVERY item we design – AND for all year long!

Patrick: WOW – that’s a lot of responsibility – and you do it all so well! I know if our gals got to meet you in person, they would want to give you the BIGGEST hug for making sure their items arrive on time, fit beautifully – and help them look & feel Quack-Tabulous!

Colleen: Thank you so much Patrick – as I said earlier, I really do love my job! And speaking of Samples, I also make sure that Angel gets a finished Sample of every item as well. It’s really important for our customers that this happens, because Angel will then have a chance to try the item on, wear it around the house, run errands in it, walk her beautiful dog Lucy, etc. Basically she ‘test drives’ each item and wears it like our gals will – so that when it’s shown on air, Angel REALLY can talk about the item with complete knowledge.

Patrick: I love it when I get to help her ‘test drive’ them as well – especially when it involves her gorgeous Lucy!!

Patrick: I just know our Quackers are amazed at how much thought, work & love you – and our entire team – put into each item! I’m so impressed Colleen with all that you do for us! Soooooo, tell us what you wanted to be when you were a little girl???

Colleen: I wanted to be a cowgirl – seriously! I was obsessed with horses Patrick – I even went to horse camps in the summer. I wanted to be Annie Oakley! I wanted to work on farms – and then eventually have my own farm in Utah. That’s still my vacation dream – time working on a dude/dudette range – that’s definitely on my bucket list!

Patrick: Here’s a picture of you with your husband taken years ago at a horse farm.   I can definitely tell how happy you are being on the farm with horses!

Patrick: You said that you had known Jeanne Bice since you were a young girl. In fact, you knew her for over 27 years! What’s one of your favorite memories of Jeanne??

Colleen: I used to LOVE sitting around the table playing cards with Jeanne at her beautiful home in Florida. Susan and I would spend lots of time in Florida meeting with Jeanne about the business. Once we put the kids to bed, Jeanne would open the wine, put a big bowl of her famous shrimp salad on the table – and then she would get out a new deck of cards. Lee Bice would be there as well. Let me tell you Patrick, those card games would sometimes go on until the wee hours of the morning! Jeanne would put us all to bed – she would outlast ALL of us! We were always the first to bed – and she would tuck us all in. And she was always the last to go to bed – I don’t know how she had that much energy – maybe it was the wine – but she outlasted all of us young ones!

Patrick: Okay…come on and tell us the truth…did she ever cheat at cards?!

Colleen: Ha – I’m not sure if she cheated, but that woman ALWAYS seemed to win EVERY game we played!!

Patrick: What kind of card games did you play?

Colleen: I remember playing Rummy a lot – but if I’m really honest with you Patrick, we talked MUCH more than we actually played card games. As you well know, once Jeanne got started on telling a story – it could last for hours and hours and hours! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed, cried and had more fun since those card games in Florida around Jeanne’s table. They are memories that I STILL think about every day.

Patrick: Did Jeanne ever give you any advice – or was there something that she ever said that made an impact on you?

Colleen: Yes – for sure – and this is what she told me – and it will stay with me forever. She said: “Colleen, if you don’t FIRST see YOURSELF as beautiful, then no one else will see you as beautiful – don’t ever forget that. When you wake up and look at yourself in the mirror, you MUST see yourself as beautiful Colleen. You need to learn to love, love, LOVE yourself – and then everyone will love, love, LOVE you as well!!!”

Patrick: That just made me cry a little because I can really hear her saying that – what a beautiful memory. Speaking of beautiful, please tell us about your beautiful family.

 Colleen: I’ve been married to John for 16 years – we’ve known each other – and been friends – for over 42 years! We grew up together – and our parents were friends before we even knew each other. We would spend every day of every summer together in Ocean City, NJ from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Here’s a picture of us way back then:

Patrick: What a great picture! And you have two adorable kids?

Colleen: We do – our 14 years old boy is John, named after his dad – but we call him Jack – and our daughter if named Olivia and she is 12.

Patrick: Here’s a wonderful picture of all of you on the beach on New Year’s Day 2017

Patrick: And who are those other two cuties in the picture?!

Colleen: Those are our two fur-babies – Teddie & Carson – aren’t they adorable?!

Patrick: They definitely are! I met Teddie about a year ago – and I loved him so much and wanted to take him back to London with me – but you wouldn’t let me!

Colleen: Teddie loved you too – but there was NO WAY I was going to let you take my baby back to London!

Patrick: Well, I don’t blame you – and at least I get to hang out with Teddie & Carson when I’m in Pennsylvania! What’s your favorite color – and why?

Colleen: Blue – everyone in my family has blue eyes. And when I think of blue, I think of all of the beautiful and different shades of blue in the eyes of those whom I love so much.

Patrick: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

Colleen: Getting engaged to my husband after only dating for 4 weeks! Maybe because we had known each other for so long – but it was still a BIG leap after such a short dating period!

Patrick: And it wasn’t too long afterwards that you got married. I absolutely LOVE this wedding picture of the two of you! Let me guess, you got married in Ocean City, NJ – where you used to spend all of your summers together as little kids???

Colleen: Yes – you are correct – there’s definitely no pulling the wool over your eyes Patrick!

Patrick: What’s one of your favorite things about working so closely with our Design Team?

Colleen: I think all you have to do is look at this picture and see the love that we all have working with each other. That LOVE, is my favorite thing about my job!

Patrick: The five of you are just too cute for words – and you all make Angel & me happy and full of love – and you make me laugh a lot, because you’re all so darn funny! Speaking of funny, what’s your favorite joke Colleen?

Colleen: Oh my gosh Patrick, I love a good joke – but for the life of me, I can’t ever remember them! I guess I love good jokes because I really love to laugh. And I particularly LOVE funny movies. I could watch ‘Wedding Crashers’ over and over and over – and laugh just as hard at every joke in the movie as though it’s the first time I’ve seen or heard the joke! I just love Vince Vaughn movies!

Patrick: I know what you mean – I find myself giggling over and over again at the same funny jokes I’ve heard since I was a kid! Okay, so if you were to win the Lottery, what would you do with some of the winnings?

Colleen: I would definitely donate money to our local animal shelter. My daughter Olivia and I volunteer at it because we just love helping out our four-legged furry friends. And then, you can bet I’d be on a plane – and headed to my dude ranch – for at least a month!

Patrick: And one last question before I let you get back to work. What is your favorite QVC product – and why?

Colleen: Laura Geller Glam Lash Mascara. When I put it on, I can definitely look in the mirror in the morning – as Jeanne told me to do – and LOVE myself! A336633

Patrick: Well Colleen, with or without Laura’s fantastic mascara, I think everyone will agree with me that you are absolutely beautiful – both on the outside – and on the inside as well. You have a heart of gold – and I can’t thank you enough for all that you do to help our Quackers look THEIR best as well!! Thank you SO much for taking the time to sit down with me today – I’ve had so much fun getting to know you better!

One Team – One Dream!

I hope you all enjoyed getting to know Colleen! The next time your newest Quacker Factory item lands in your closet, I’m sure you’ll immediately think of all of the great work that Colleen has done to make sure the new addition to your wardrobe has Quack-Tastic quality, fits perfectly when you put it on – and has you looking better than anyone else on your block!! Join me again next month when I introduce you to another wonderful member of our Quacky & Wacky team!!

Quacker Hugs & Love From Across the Duck Pond!

Patrick H. Hoy

Xoxoxo

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