We have often talked about the two lenses of how we work and the work that we do as separate things, as though you could be excellent in one without the other. Clickstop Rock Stars, however, remind us that to be excellent in the work, you must also be great at how you work. When you set the bar high for demonstrating these code behaviors daily, we experience great results in the quality of work, the strength of relationships, and the bottom-line dollars generated.  

Eric Youngblood has been with Clickstop for 7 ½ years and in that time has accumulated experiences and skills that he’s putting to use today. He currently serves as the BUF of Fasteners Plus and is responsible for the development and execution of strategies to grow the brand. In 2020, the brand grew by 60%! The story behind the growth is what makes Eric our Q4 Rock Star.  

Driving Growth  

At the beginning of 2020 Eric set the following goal: “In 2020 I am committed to investing in others, teaching and sharing my knowledge, providing clear expectations, and empowering others to own their impact.”  

He also identified that he would like to “Show More Enthusiasm”, and that he would, “Have fun by winning at the work and recognizing contributing team members.”  

Eric has executed his commitments.  

Day after day he avoids distractions and completes the work that moves the brand forward, while also empowering others and spreading the word when he sees them creating impact.  

He can put on a different hat and execute on the most impactful thing in front of him, whether that is negotiating with a vendor, building out massive spreadsheets for new product imports, diving into AdWords to optimize spend, or learning the new Shopify platform and making changes along the way. One nominee said, “Eric is the epitome of employee ownership; owning his work and his impact daily and doing it with a sense of urgency.”  

Eric’s commitment to growing Fasteners Plus and his team members is strong. As a result, others are eagerly supporting the brand with a high level of ownership, enthusiasm, and urgency. The growth of our team is driving the growth of our brands, and Eric catalyzes both.  

Well done, Eric! Keep challenging the status-quo for yourself and others!

The Interview 

What is your role at Clickstop?  

Fasteners Plus BUF™ 

How long have you worked at Clickstop?  

7-½ Years 

What makes this recognition meaningful to you?  

Hearing all the incredibly nice things that others have to say. Peer recognition and constructive feedback are very meaningful and can be powerful tools to help grow.  

How has your commitment and aligned action to the values led to the results you were seeking this past quarter?  

I set out this year to work with more people and help teach others and share my knowledge. Committing to this has really helped bring some more connectedness between shared services and the FP team to help create growth not only for the brand but for everyone working on it. As more opportunities arise and we hire more people to help support the brand, the importance of this will just continue to increase. 

What is one area you are seeking growth? What difference will it make?  

This year I want to continue to grow my relationships with others in the company and work to build others knowledge of fundamental ecommerce marketing. With that, I also want to be more strategic in the growth of Fasteners Plus. This includes scaling up a larger pipeline of products and aligning those goals with all shared services so we can support the brand with enough resources to keep beating our goals. 

What should people know about working at Clickstop?  

That there is so much opportunity to be had throughout our entire company. We are just getting started and the amount of growth we are planning on will bring an abundance of opportunity so don’t be afraid to go out there and take advantage of those opportunities. 

What is one thing you loved as a child that today’s kids would know nothing about? 

Having to remember my friends phone numbers and calling them on weekends to see if they could play. 

Would you rather be able to breathe underwater or have the agility of a cat? 

I’m a big fan of marine animals so I would definitely choose to be able to breathe underwater. 

What is your favorite activity that you like to do with your family?  

Going to the riding parks and tracks with our dirt bikes as a family. 

When you are old, what do you think children will ask you to tell stories about?  

The great TP shortage of 2020. 

If you could ask your pet 3 questions, what would they be?  

Do you ever get tired of getting petted? Why don’t you retrieve your toys? Why do you eat things you aren’t supposed to?