Twenty-four year old, Christopher Souza, has accomplished a lot in his professional journey so far. He graduated from Westfield State University, successfully tackled the business world throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and is moving his way up the promotion ladder here at Boston Direct. Since joining us this past June, he has proven his dedication to his goals and exemplified the qualities we saw in him throughout his interview process – great with people, hardworking, and integrity-driven.
We love spotlighting our people and are excited for you to learn more about Christopher. He’s someone who we encourage our entry-level team members to spend time with, and we think you’ll benefit from diving into his headspace!
We pride ourselves at Boston Direct on being a place where extroverts and introverts alike can thrive. While most would think that only naturally outgoing people would do well, all personality types can excel here as long as they are constantly searching for ways to connect with their customers and fellow team members. Regarding Christopher, we’ll let him speak for himself.
“I would consider myself an introvert at heart. However, I am 100% capable of defying that nature and can come across as the exact opposite. I personally feel that everyone has a social battery, and sometimes mine comes to an end where I don’t want to talk to anyone and just exist in peace.”
2022 is the year of self-care and self-awareness, and knowing that Christopher is this knowledgeable of himself lets us know that he’s spending time developing his skills and a success-focused mindset – precisely what we want to see from our leaders!
Growing up, Christopher was a dreamer. He wanted to be an astronaut and even a firefighter. We take from this that he has always had a passion for exploring the unknown and helping others. Our childhood aspirations don’t always last into adulthood. However, they are great indicators of the qualities one will look for in their long-term career.
While naturally shy, Christopher has never stayed complacent in his comfort zone. Take college as an example. When first attending Westfield State University, he initially didn’t plan on staying but transferring to Umass Amherst. However, he embraced his new environment, broke out of his shell, and made friends that will always be a part of his life. In his short time with us at Boston Direct, he’s embraced his role, skillfully incorporated our systems, and built strong relationships with his colleagues.
We’ve shared our views on Christopher. Now, we’re happy for you to hear directly from him!
Christopher, to start, where are you from?
I am from Franklin, Massachusetts, and grew up there as well.
A Massachusetts native. We love it!
What do you believe your greatest asset is?
My greatest asset is my people skills. I work well with others, and my ability to quickly become friendly with those around me is unrivaled.
We’ve seen you in action and have to agree! Does this mean you’re more team-oriented than independently-oriented?
I am 100% more team-oriented. I thoroughly enjoy the company of others. This industry proves that to me every day as it makes the day to day significantly more enjoyable when you can have fun with the people around you.
How would you describe your leadership style?
The goal is for all of us to be successful, so as a leader, I’m looking to push people to be the best version of themselves every day. That all stems from constructive feedback, positive reinforcement, and recognition of their hard work and effort.
On that same note, what values do you look for in a teammate?
The most important thing to me in this business is to be personable. When I work with a teammate or a new hire, my main focus is to have a great time with them. In my eyes, the easiest way to do that is being able to communicate and enjoy each other’s company. Also, something massively important is being coachable/having a student mentality. Everyone in this business is there to help one another, and taking advice from others and implementing it is the easiest way to see success.
You’re such a great leader, and we love knowing that you seek out relationship-building with your colleagues, new and old! Let’s chat about your time with us. What has been your favorite thing about our business?
My favorite thing is the people. Every coworker in this industry is much more than that, and I would consider all of those people close friends. Other positions I’ve held over the years don’t even compare when it comes to the relationships I’ve built within this company. We like to say it’s a “people helping people business,” and that is reinforced every day with the positive influences around us.
Do you plan on working in our industry long-term?
I definitely intend on being in the business industry for the long haul. I worked many labor-intensive jobs growing up, and I had every intention of leaving that behind once I graduated.
How has your career grown since your first day?
When I first started in the business, I really had small amounts of sales experience and low confidence when it came to sales. With the amazing people around me, I have escalated that confidence level greatly and my skillset overall. That’s all representative of the progress I’ve made in my journey, achieving different personal and professional goals throughout the short time I’ve been with the company.
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected businesses and individuals throughout the world over the past few years. How did it affect your career?
I was fortunate enough to know great people who were able to offer me some type of career during a dark time. In the business world, it still has impacts to this day. However, looking towards the future, I’m excited to see normality return for not only me but customers as we move out of this pandemic. I’m excited to see the success a fear-free world will bring to my future with Boston Direct.
Agreed! There’s still a long journey ahead until normality is back, but the future’s looking brighter by the day.
What was it about our company that sparked your interest?
When I first learned about the position, my first thought was I had done something like this before, and I had fun in the time I spent there. So in my head, it was a pretty simple choice. I was met with pleasant individuals throughout the interview process and could see myself thriving in the type of environment they described to me. Which turned out to be even more than I expected.
With a short-term goal of having three more people join your team by March and a long-term goal of being promoted to Assistant Manager by June, we know that you’re on the lookout for driven individuals. What advice do you have for someone just kickstarting their professional journey?
Just be a sponge. The more information you can take in when starting a new position, the more growth will come. Rather than stressing the idea of a new career, take that opportunity to learn more and further yourself/your position. Only good things can come when you meet a new career path with a student mentality.
“One of my mentors in this company taught me a valuable lesson which I’m sure most people have heard before. It was simply that failure and mistakes are natural. There’s no avoiding that; it all comes down to how you handle those failures. We choose to let failure break us down or let it teach us something and get up stronger than before. That comes into play everywhere, not just in business. So it’s massively important to recognize which decision you make every time.”
Do you recommend Boston Direct for young leaders?
I believe our particular career path caters towards those with ambitious goals as it rewards hard work and perseverance. I would say younger leaders definitely exemplify these skills, and it shows constantly in our business.
Christopher, you are a great example of someone who has consistently thrived within their career. What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment in life so far?
My greatest accomplishment was graduating from college, as I’m the oldest child in my family. It felt great setting the stage for my younger brother. It was very important for my parents, as my dad was the only one in his family to graduate, and my mom didn’t finish school because of family issues.
How do you measure your success?
I’m a fairly simple person, so for me, measuring my success comes down to how I feel. I know I’m doing well when I can leave with a smile on my face feeling good, and it goes for the opposite as well. I know if I didn’t leave it all on the field and put in my best effort, I won’t feel so great about myself after. That being said, there are improvements that I can make every day to make sure the balance is right for me.
Talk about knowledge sharing! Christopher is a magnetic leader and an outstanding asset to our Boston Direct team. We are so thankful for him and are confident that this year will be record-breaking because of him and the like-minded individuals who will gravitate to him. When asked about who inspires him, Christopher said his father. He talked about how his dad is hardworking and fought for everything he has in life. That he works long hours but always has a smile on his face and encourages him and his brother to succeed every day. The same qualities that Christopher admires about his father, we admire about him. He’s going places in this world, and we’re privileged that he chose us as a springboard. Promotions to Assistant Management and Management are inevitable. So, stay tuned because we’ll be sharing every milestone he celebrates!
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