Dream Job Available: Entrepreneurial Bad-Ass Who Believes Work/Life Balance is a Crock

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:43:00 -0700

Everyone talks about Work/Life balance.
But they’ve got it all wrong. Work and life aren’t rivals.
They’re best buds, inseparable partners, and both inherently good.

We love Mondays, and we think everyone deserves a job where they do, too.

We believe that doing good work is an essential part of living a good life.

We’re working on something new. We want you to be part of it.

Where it started

For five years we kids behind Photojojo have crusaded to make photography fun.

We scour the Earth to create the most fun photography store ever, published a book with Random House, amassed legions of adoring fans, and appeared on the CBS Early Show, in the New York Times, Wired, Wall Street Journal, and lots more.

Now, we’d like to do for the workplace what we did for photography.

Why we’re doing it

Centuries ago, we wore uniforms and worked in factories. We clocked in, clocked out, and did what we were told.

Our work once fed our families, but not our souls. Not anymore.

You don’t work in a factory, and heck, sometimes you don’t even go to the office. You decide what to work on, when to work, and how. You spend more of your life at work than ever before, form closer bonds with those you work with, and it’s no longer rare for work to be a place you want to be.

But we still speak of work as a necessary evil. It’s time we changed that.

We work because we love it.

So what is it?

Ever flipped through a business magazine and thought “who are these people?!” Or walked into an office megastore only to encounter fluorescent lights, particleboard, cheap chairs, and the faint scent of disappointment? We can do better.

Material will inspire and equip you to do your life’s work.

We’ll inspire with stories of our work heroes — from people who changed whole organizations from the inside, to companies experimenting with new ways to get things done and make life better, to one-man/woman shops traveling the globe and fashioning the life- and work-style of their dreams.

We’ll sell the best tools from all over the world. Japanese staplers that bring you joy with each use (who ever thought a stapler could do that?!), European planters that turn your office wall into a vertical greenhouse, and simple tools that banish clutter.

About the job

We’re seeking an entrepreneurial go-getter to manage Material’s online store. Experience is unnecessary. Age doesn’t matter.

What matters to us: Living and breathing our mission, passion for learning and doing, and strong internal drive.

Your responsibilities:

Find astonishing tools from around the world. Requires serious sleuthing skills, Herculean coordination, and travel from the ends of the Earth to the ends of the Internet.
Sweat the details. You’ll do a little bit of everything… including writing, managing product photographers, negotiating with vendors, and analyzing data. Be ready to learn constantly.
Spread the word far and wide. The world needs to know there are better ways to work. Your online marketing campaigns and cross-promotions will ensure they do.

About you

You know the joy of hard work. You crave responsibility, have an entrepreneurial bent, and want to learn how to create a new company from the beginning.

You’re kick-ass, creative, and productive. (Also obsessive, decisive, and scrappy.) You finish what you start.
You’re crazy organized. You’ve never seen: 1) a color-coded spreadsheet you didn’t love, 2) a project you couldn’t manage the hell out of, 3) a to-do you couldn’t do.
You’re business-minded, social-media savvy, and have a knack for marketing.
You want a challenge. You may be young or old, experienced or green. But if you’re ready to do, we’re ready to teach, train, and help you grow.
Your work means the world to you. You couldn’t have it any other way.

How to Apply

This is a full-time job in San Francisco, CA. It starts as soon as we find you.

Write us a note and tell us why you’re the one. The more you tell us about yourself, the better. We want to know what makes you awesome.
Tell us about relevant experience. Link us to your Facebook profile, your blog, whatever. Show us things. (Best formats: PDF, JPG, TXT, RTF, WTF, OMG, JK)
Come up with 3-4 ideas for how you’d spread the word about Material.
Imagine you walk into the office supply store of your dreams. What does it look like? What does it sell? Why? (Be specific, give us links.)

Attach a resume, and send it all here: work@mtrl.co

If you sound like a good fit, we’ll be in touch lickety-split!

p.s. Apply soon. We’re eager to meet you! :)