Welcome back to another awesome installment of Gettin’ The Skinny 2.0. Today’s guest is none other than Jess Hanebury.
GTS: Welcome, Jess! How are you?
Jess: I’m great! I’m having margaritas and tacos later, so there is a big smile on my face.
GTS: Color me jealous. Why don’t you tell the GTS readers a little bit about yourself and what you do at Threadless?
Jess: I am the Brand and Community Producer here at Threadless. I help Craig lead the Brand Team which consists of 7 people (the two of us included) in creative and marketing roles. I do a lot of social media, organize design challenges, project manage new programs/needs, and concept new ideas for gettin’ the Threadless word out! Also, in the past few years my biggest (and most fun job) is organizing the Family Reunion!
GTS: The Family Reunion seems like an incredible event. How much work goes into planning that?
Jess: A lot! Everyone pitches to help from start to finish. It’s super, super fun and rewarding to see the final product, but I do have nightmares for weeks leading up to the event! It usually turns out pretty great, though. (BTW, this year’s date is a little later than usual: Oct. 17.)
GTS: Is it safe to assume that tacos and margaritas will be served at the Reunion?
Jess: Maybe not officially, but I guarantee we will find a way to consume them at some point that weekend.
GTS: AWESOME. What do you do for fun outside of Threadless?
Jess: Simply put: bikes, cheese, & TV. I bike all over this dang city. It’s my #1 way to get from point A to B. Cheese is the best thing that’s ever happened to wine. And TV, well just check my twitter account and you’ll see that I’m pretty obsessed with all things boob tube.
GTS: What’s your must-watch show of the moment?
Jess: We’ve got some surprisingly good shows this summer: UnREAL is the surprise hit from Lifetime. Also new and great: Wayward Pines (Fox), Mr. Robot (USA), and Sense8 (Netflix).
GTS: You’ve got some great creative projects on your website. What’s the story behind your Jess Makes Amends series?
Jess: Ha ha, oh man. Well, that all started as a hand-made thank you card for a friend for putting out my hair when it caught on fire at a bar. I had actually taken the time to do my hair one night which is rare, and not five minutes into arriving to hang out with my friends, I leaned my head too far when laughing and my hair-sprayed hair ignited. I posted that one on my cubicle door at my old job, then decided to make an apology one for someone else and they just kept coming to me. Soon enough, people started SUGGESTING things I should apologize to them for so they could get a poster. That is a strange feeling because I always respond, “Wait, are you actually mad I did that?” They rarely are, they just want me to make them something. But each one is based on something that actually happened. It’s oddly therapeutic. Especially the one to my dad. I backed into this antique table he had spent maybe 10 hours of THAT DAY refinishing and bringing back to life. I have the chills remembering that. I felt so bad.
GTS: I’ve solicited the Threadless community for questions for you to ponder. Christina.A.art asked: “If you could go anywhere in the world and do anything, what would it be?”
Jess: Right now, I’d love to bike across the country or at least from Chicago to Philly. Or go to space. Or bike in space.
GTS: NDtank wants to know: What’s your favorite song this week?
Jess: This might make Tazpie angry bc it’s so happy but: WALK THE MOON – Shut Up and Dance
GTS: KyleGeib asked: “What’s your least favorite Bill Murray movie?”
Jess: Obviously Garfield. THE REST OF THEM ARE ALL FAVORITES.
GTS: And lastly, vanillablue asked: “If you could go back in time and tell your 21-year-old self anything, what would it be?”
Jess: “You were right.”
GTS: Jess, it’s time to play the world’s greatest interview game… PICK ONE. Are you familiar with the rules?
Jess: Yes, I believe they are “pick one”, correct?
GTS: You’re a smart one. Rocket Man or Tiny Dancer?
Jess: Rocket Man
GTS: Pinterest or Instagram?
Jess: Pinterest
GTS: Gherkin or bread and butter?
Jess: Gherkin. But I will also take any pickle available at any time.
GTS: James Brown or George Clinton?
Jess: James Brown
GTS: Ice cream sandwich or snow cone?
Jess: Ice cream sandwich
GTS: Angela Lansbury or Betty White?
Jess: Ohhhhhhhhhhh. So difficult. Gotta go Betty. She’s still kickin’ it and I feel like she could solve a murder if she needed to.
GTS: Moonwalk or Running Man?
Jess: Moonwalk!
GTS: Goonies or Gremlins?
Jess: Goonies. THIS IS OUR TIME.
GTS: Awesome or Rad?
Jess: Awesome. I cannot pull off saying “rad.” I feel very inauthentic.
GTS: Thunder or Lightning?
Jess: Thunder – such a cool sound.
GTS: That’s our time for today. Thanks again for chatting with GTS, Jess. Do you have any words of wisdom for the Threadless community?
Jess: You’re all amazing, inspiring, weird, and creative. Keep bein’ awesome. Thanks for having me!
