A part of Bond Collective since 2017, Iris has been instrumental in building and maintaining the highest brand standards in the industry. This month we take a moment to sit down with her, congratulate her on her promotion to Porter Manager, and get to know the girl from Bushwick.
-Ashley Riggs, Head of Community & Culture
BC: Where did you grow up?
IR: I actually grew up in the Bushwick area. My grandfather had a TV shop there for about 30 years which is where we spent a lot of our time. My grandmother raised us with a love of animals, we even had pig in our backyard and two chickens! We grew up playing in the streets, very Brooklyn, although you don’t see too much of that now.
AR: A farm in the backyard?! That’s hilarious but also I’m weirdly not surprised!
IR: I know right, I’ve always loved animals!
AR: What did you do before Bond?
IR: Before Bond, I worked at Equinox in the Maintenance for about 3 years. I worked in several of their locations in the Midtown area.
AR: Oh wow I did not know that! That’s an interesting fact. How did you get to Bond?
IR: I ended up leaving because I knew I wanted to do more and learn more. That is what led me to Bond. I wanted a challenge so this made sense
AR: So the pandemic….
IR: I worked the entire pandemic. It was hard but it taught me a lot. I had the opportunity to learn new things, like having patience and not taking life for granted. It was really odd to see the streets quiet which was scary, but it was also nice to be quiet.
BC: I know. It was really odd to see how quiet the streets were. It was almost apocalyptic.
IR: Yes! In Fidi especially. Everyday around 8am it was always very busy and congested and during the pandemic, it was scary quiet. It felt like another world.
BC: Favorite aspect of working at Bond?
IR: I love our locations. Each one has their own personality. 60 Broad will always be my baby though as I opened it when I first started but seeing where we started and where we are now is just incredible. There is a nice homey feeling in our spaces and sometimes throughout the day it will get quiet and you can really appreciate it. Bond gave me the opportunity to learn that I can go above and beyond and it has inspired me to do better and to learn new things. The people here are really great too.
BC: 60 Broad is my baby too! We opened that location together. It feels like a lifetime ago now!
IR: I know, it feels like we were babies back then!
BC: What is your favorite spot/nook in our locations?
IR: I love 60 Broad’s kitchen area. It feels like you can see the entire floor from there and it just feels very warm. The view from 60 Broad also cannot be beat. I also really love the Bushwick rooftop, summertime is really special there.
BC: Where would you like to see yourself in the future?
IR: I’d like to see our locations out of state and be a part of that. I liked opening spaces and I’d love to be part of the team as we move outside of NY. I want to be a better manager and continue learning and pushing myself more and I think that would be a fun way to do it.
BC: Can you share an inspiring moment you’ve shared with a member?
Whenever I have a member appreciate my work, it just makes my day. Sometimes, a simple ‘Thank You’ really just does it for me. I appreciate that.
BC: Biggest takeaway so far working from Bond?
IR: just want to say thank you to Bond for giving me the opportunity to go beyond what I thought I could do. Receiving the supervisor position showed me that people see more in me. It made me realize that Bond has faith in me and knows that I can do great things. Bond has always had faith in me and has always treated me like family which I love.
BC: You feel this way, because it’s true! You are family and we appreciate you so much!
