Spring break. South by Southwest. Rodeo Austin. The NASCAR Cup Series.
March is an action-packed month for the Lone Star State’s capital city every year. And while the streets of Austin may have calmed down now that the flocking crowds have dissipated, the local tech market is quickly ramping up to tackle Q2 goals.
Helping to cross those goals off colorfully decorated white boards and virtual calendars? The talented individuals helping their employers reach new heights.
Take leaders at Tecovas, for example. After six years at the American Western footwear and accessories brand, Director of Brand Strategy Ellery Jividen has watched the company grow from a small startup to a nationally recognized name.
“Hospitality and exceptional customer experience have been a part of our culture since day one,” Jividen said. “I started in customer experience and saw this firsthand as we shaped our policies with a customer-first mindset.”
Built In Austin sat down with Jividen to learn about Tecovas’ company culture and all the growth opportunities that have empowered her to stick around for the long haul.
EYE-CATCHING BENEFITS AT TECOVAS
- Health insurance coverage, with 99 percent of health premium coverage and 100 percent of dental & vision insurance coverage for family/dependents
- Flexible PTO policy
- Cross-functional training encouraged
- Generous employee discounts
- Tecovas loves to give back! Whether it’s volunteering at the Healing with Horses Ranch or donating to Central Texas Food Bank, employees proudly support their community
Tecovas is a digitally native e-commerce company inspired by the fashion of the American West.
Think back to your early days on the job. What surprised you or stood out to you most about Tecovas’ culture?
An example I love is from year five or six of the business. Our founder, Paul, was filming a commercial for a big company that was doing a feature on the brand in our original South Congress store. There were probably 20 people in the store with cameras and lights — it felt like a very big and important production. Then a customer who had driven in from out of town to visit the store knocked on the door. Without hesitating, Paul stopped production to invite them in and helped them find the perfect pair of boots.
I don’t think we’ll ever lose that desire to connect with our customers. “Radical Hospitality” is even one of our core values now!
Hospitality and exceptional customer experience have been a part of our culture since day one.”
How long have you been with Tecovas, and what professional growth or development have you seen in that time?
I’ll be celebrating my sixth anniversary with Tecovas in April. It has been an incredible opportunity to grow with a brand I love. In classic startup fashion, there were only a few of us, and as we grew there were always new business needs that we’d inevitably take on until it made sense to develop into a full-time role.
I’ve always been a curious person, so I had a ton of fun learning about different areas of the business and developing my skills. I went from a CX agent to sourcing and managing photographers; developing our campaign strategy; testing retail events and activations at music festivals; and managing organic social — a function I still lead, now with the support of an incredible direct report, Currie Delsol! Things are much more defined in my current role as director of brand strategy, and I benefit daily from the broad experiences I gained during the early years of the business.
