Day 57 - Hello Kitty!

The year was 1996. I was young and looking for income to support the lifestyle of a teenager. Like most teenagers at the time I hit all the destinations that would lead me to part-time work. The MALL! I hit up all my favorite stores asking and filling out employment applications.

Sanrio was my last destination before I headed home. I walked in the store and handed my application to an associate with a Sanrio tag that had the name Joanne written on it. I assumed that was her name. Joanne took my application and said to me, "Hold on, my manager is here and let me see if she'll look at your application right now." I was young and had no idea what she was talking about but I smiled and said, "OK."

A door in the corner of the store opened and in came a small plump red-haired woman with a nice demeanor. She must be the manager, I thought to myself. She approached me, stucked out her right hand and introduced herself as Lauri. I shooked her hand, smiled and introduced myself. We stepped out of the store and took a seat at one of the benches close by. Let the interview begin. She asked questions and I answered. After what felt like an eternity, the interview concluded and she said she would give me a call in the next few days to let me know if I was hired or not. I thanked her and left.

A few hours later - my phone rang. I picked up the phone.

Me, "Hello."

The caller, "Hi, this is Lauri with Sanrio, may I speak to -----."

Immediately hearing the name Lauri and Sanrio, my hands got clampy and my heart beated quickly but I kept my cool. Me, "This is she."

Lauri, "Hi ----- - if you are still interested in the job, I would like to offer you a sales associate position at Sanrio."

I was stoaked and flaggergasted, thinking to myself, what little girl would not jump at the chance to work for THE HELLO KITTY STORE. It was the cool store where all the Asian girls worked at and where all the Asian boys went to flirt with the girls or buy cute little toys for their girlfriends. Hey...I was a teenager and I had the mentality of a teenage girl. Me, "Yes, I would love to work at Sanrio."

Lauri, "Can you stop by Monday to fill out some paperwork and bring your student permit from school? We can talk about your schedule at that time as well."

Me, "Yes, of course."

The conversation went on for another 10 minutes where we exchanged more information. I thanked her, hung up the phone and wanted to shout to the world that I landed my first part-time job! I felt like I won the lottery!

I worked at Sanrio for a number of years through high school and most of my college days. Eventually, I moved on to what I would like to think bigger things in life but I'll always have my precious Sanrio memories. I'd like to think that working at Sanrio helped to develop my career aspirations as well as enlightened me with the dynamics of human behavior. I am a firm believer that success is part luck and part hard work. I'll always remember Joanne and Lauri. Joanne for her thoughtfulness in getting me an interview on the spot and Lauri for hiring me.