For our weekly “In It for the Money” feature, we’ll be introducing you to the kick-ass Knock Knockers who make everything go, from creative to sales to logistics to . . . everything! Note—everybody answers the first five questions. After that, they have about fifteen wild-card questions from which to choose.
1. Name and title? Kelly Araujo, customer service manager.
2. Originally from? Boyle Heights—just east of downtown Los Angeles.
3. What the hell do you do all day? I oversee the customer service department to ensure that orders ship on time and that all of our customers are happy to do business with us. I also work closely with our sales department to handle most of our key accounts.
4. Favorite thing about working at KK? I love that everyone is so laid-back but efficient. The Summer Fridays aren’t bad, either.
5. Favorite hobbies outside work? Playing with my little boys, Jacob and Jason (even though I’m usually the villain).
6. Did your professional life exist before Knock Knock? Although it feels like a lifetime ago, I was a customer service representative at Closerie Publishing for a little over six years. It was my first job out of high school, so I learned a lot about responsibility and all that adult stuff! After that, I was in purchasing at Pacific Coast Feather Cushion Co. for about a year before I was scooped up by Knock Knock seven and a half years ago.
7. Interesting factoid no one would know about you from first glance? I have a slight obsession with Angelina Jolie. I have a collection of her movies and magazines with her on the covers, and I also have two autographed photos that are framed in my home office. Once, I even slept out all night to see her at a movie premiere. Oh, and I have a personalized license plate in her honor.
8. If you were granted one wish, what would it be? I would wish for more hours in the day. I always feel like I’m rushing around, so it would be nice to have extra time to slow down.
9. Favorite place to sit back and relax? In my living room with my husband—before the kids wake up.
10. Hero in life you look up to? Without a doubt, my mother. She is the strongest, most generous person I know, and I look to her for guidance on everything in my life.
11. Song you would pick as your theme song? “Just Breathe” by Pearl Jam. It’s an incredibly beautiful song about appreciating your loved ones, which is what I try to do every day.
Note from the blog folks: We’re devastated that Kelly will be leaving us at the end of the year to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an elementary school teacher. In fact, when she started at Knock Knock in February 2004, she was in graduate school. After a break to get married and have one of the most gorgeous children you’ve ever seen, Kelly realized that the dream had never left her system. She’s been in school this year as well as having a baby (the other most gorgeous child you’ve ever seen) as well as working full time. Did we mention that Kelly is the most efficient, hard-working person we’ve ever met? Kelly’s now our longest-standing team member and one of our favorite people in the world. Many tears of sadness will be shed at her departure—though they’ll be followed by tears of happiness that she’s doing something (else!) she loves. May your children be lucky enough to have her as their teacher!