This is the fifth in our series of profiles of the team behind Ugly Christmas Party. We hope you enjoy getting to know each of us!
Name
Sarah Turney
Position
Chief Operations & Marketing Officer
Describe your role at Ugly Christmas Party
I work on both the operations/logistics side and the marketing side. For marketing, I develop and implement our marketing and social media strategies. I also manage the website design and our affiliate program (which you should totally sign up for). For operations, I develop the workback schedule, shipping plan, and track deadlines and deliverables. Finally, Tyler and I together develop creative content for the sweaters and oversee the design process.
How long have you worked here?
I've helped out since Christmas 2014, but I've only officially worked at the company since June.
What's your favorite thing about working at Ugly Christmas Party?
I love that I work at a place where I get to be creative on a daily basis. And working with my husband, of course!
What's your favorite Ugly Christmas sweater?
"It's Elfing Christmas" always brings a smile to my face.
How has Ugly Christmas Party changed since you started?
In the time since I met Tyler, the company has gotten more focused and efficient, operationally, and way more creative. Tyler always had big dreams for Ugly Christmas Party, and all of his small efforts over the years are finally starting to snowball into something bigger. Since I started working here full time, we've developed a multi-tiered marketing strategy, which we never had before, and gotten more organized.
Describe Black Friday/Cyber Monday in one word.
Whirlwind
Do you have any particular memories from previous Christmases?
Last Christmas was the first year in our new location, and we were a little nervous about how it was going to go, but the shipping program Bryce had spent a year creating took SO much of the grind out of each day, and we were rolling faster than ever before. It was so simple that Tyler and I could pop in for an hour or two on a Sunday morning and ship 600 sweaters easily - even as I was 6 months pregnant! Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, and Tyler's usually too busy to really enjoy the season, but last year he was the most relaxed he's ever been!
What are you looking forward to about this upcoming Christmas?
I'm most looking forward to seeing the reaction to all the initiatives we've been working on the past year, namely our new designs, the website redesign, and our affiliate program.
What's your favorite holiday song?
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Favorite version of that song is from John Denver and the Muppets, A Christmas Together.
What's your favorite holiday movie?
Muppet Christmas Carol. It's been a tradition to watch it every Christmas Eve since I was a kid. Plus Michael Caine is the ultimate Scrooge.
What's your favorite thing about the holidays?
I love almost everything about Christmas, but my favorite thing is probably buying presents. I love picking out the perfect gift for someone, and I LOVE watching them open it. This is my first year as a mom, and I am so excited to buy Theo presents. I also love the traditions we pull out every year, and even though Theo is too little to really understand them this year (he'll be 8 months in December), I can't wait to see Christmas through his eyes, and to get him to love the holiday as much as I do.
What do you picture for the future of Ugly Christmas Party?
I picture a future where we can sell more sweaters off our website than Amazon. It's not going to happen this year or next year, or maybe even the year after that, but I'm hopeful that we can really make this brand a special one for Christmas shoppers and sweater-wearers.