“Which Wildling shoe fits best on which foot? Which one is the most breathable and how do you rid your much-loved minimal shoes of sandbox sand or soggy slush? Kathrin knows the answers to all these questions and many others, and is happy to share them when she advises customers. Find out in this interview how she became one of the very first Wildling Shoes team members and what it’s like to grow together with the company.
Your early days at Wildling Shoes: When did you join, and what was different at Wildling Shoes back then compared with now?
Kathrin: I started in June of 2017. At that time, pretty much EVERYTHING was different. Wildling Shoes was still small, and everyone knew each other. It was like a little Wildling Shoes family and our interaction with each other was very different. Since then, a lot has changed. Back then, we were still using a single email inbox and keeping ourselves organized with files that contained long lists. We now work much more professionally. The company has grown tremendously and I don’t even know most of the newer colleagues, which I think is unfortunate. Of course, the pandemic put an end to our face-to-face get-togethers.
How would you explain what you do at Wildling Shoes to a ten-year-old kid?
Kathrin: I help customers find the Wilding models that are right for them and answer any questions they may have about the shoes.
Why did you apply to Wildling Shoes?
Kathrin: That came about rather spontaneously. I was nearing the end of my parental leave and I knew I would not be returning to my old job. I was in contact with a very dear colleague, who at that time was still in charge of the Wildling Community on Facebook, and rather jokingly asked if they were still looking for new employees, since I was looking for a new job. And the response was: “Yes! We really do need somebody.” After that, Anna (editor’s note: refers to Wildling founder Anna Yona) got in touch with me by email, we met for an interview in a nice café, and shortly after that I started working for Wildling Shoes.
What surprised you the most about Wildling Shoes?
Kathrin: The openness and the enormous trust that was placed in me from the very beginning. Those were things I had never experienced before in my professional life. And the fact that the working atmosphere could be so terrific, even though we almost only ever see each other through our screens and don’t have any real face-to-face contact.
Will you show us a picture of the place where you like to work the most?
What are the things about work that you wouldn’t want to do without?
Kathrin: Pretty much everything. I wouldn’t ever want to trade this job for any other. But what I especially appreciate is the flexibility. For the most part, I can schedule my own work based on how it will best fit in with childcare needs and the needs of my family. And those of my fellow team members, of course.What’s your favorite wallpaper?
Wildling Shoes team members from the very beginning
Wildling Shoes wouldn’t be Wildling Shoes without the people who bring values like environmental responsibility, fairness, and the pioneering spirit to life. Today there are around 280 employees – but who were among the first to lay the groundwork in a brand new, tiny start-up team? What was it like to help invent a new way of working back then, what has changed, and how do you manage to retain your own enthusiasm and sense of newness after all these years? In a series of interviews, Wildling Shoes’ earliest employees share their experiences and talk about how they’ve managed to keep their goals and values top of mind over the years as they’ve made their way at Wildling Shoes.
Images: Privat
