In the latest edition of All Things Upside, we chat with Alex Gomez-Rey, our Accounting Manager! Alex dives in on what he loves most about our culture, which of our values resonates the most, and how he spends his time outside of work. 

Upside: What brought you to Upside?

Alex: I was looking to advance my career and my job and found that at Upside. Upside has provided a place for me to grow professionally, and work alongside folks who believe in our mission to advance the economic power of people living and working in the real world.

Upside: What do you love most about our culture? 

Alex: I love the people at Upside. Everyone is very smart and driven towards a common goal to provide the best product we absolutely can.  It is very much an all-hands-on-deck culture, where everyone is willing to help out in whatever capacity necessary.  Work-life balance is also great. Management understands that folks have a life outside of work and are very accommodating to allow employees to best juggle their personal lives with their work lives.

Upside: Which of our values do you connect with the most? 

Alex: Make the Impact Worth the Effort: We’re responsible for leaving things better than we found them, and our actions today must have an outsized positive impact on the future of our consumers, retailers, and our planet.

This value resonates with me because I try to live my life in a way that provides a positive impact on everything and everyone that I interact with, directly and indirectly. 

Upside: What was your first job?

Alex: My first job was walking dogs while in high school. My love for animals found me fostering dogs during the pandemic. I ended up adopting one of my fosters, a white pitbull named Breezy, who now lives with her two cat brothers, Tiger and Roary.

Upside: What are your hobbies outside of work? 

Alex: I enjoy working out about 5-7 times per week. Before age took a toll on my knees, I enjoyed playing soccer. Traveling is a must in my life; each year, I try to go on a few vacations that are longer than a weekend as well as about 5-10 weekend getaways. I also really enjoy finding new restaurants and coffee shops, both locally in the DC area as well as while on vacation.

Upside: Do you follow any sports teams? 

Alex: ALL THINGS JMU!

Upside: What is the most powerful lesson you’ve learned personally? 

Alex: To not take life too seriously and to live life to the fullest with the limited time we have.  I especially love this quote by George Bernard Shaw: “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing”

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