Startup Stories: Q&A With Thrive Market Fulfillment Supervisor Greg Kinker

Welcome to Startup Stories, a series that takes you behind the scenes to share what working at a startup is really like. Our mission at Thrive Market is simple: to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone. But fulfilling our big dreams takes a team of dedicated, inspiring, funny, and tenacious people who show up to work every day eager to make a difference.

Today we’re introducing you to our Batesville Fulfillment Supervisor, Greg Kinker. As a former Marine, Greg not only brings military precision to the fast-paced world of boxing and shipping, but inspires his team to bond, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company every day. Read on for our interview!

Let’s start with the basics. Can you describe your role at Thrive Market?

I focus on the fulfillment side of the member experience, which means I’m responsible for making sure members get what they ordered as quickly as possible.

Is there anything people misunderstand about your job, or something that might surprise members to learn about your work?

This is a very rewarding position—engaging with the team is the highlight of my day. We have a great team and there are a lot of quirky personalities that come out when we’re all bonding. Those interactions strengthen us by building honest trust and a deep, unparalleled camaraderie which reflects in our passionate performance on a daily basis.

What do you enjoy most about working on the fulfillment team?

The interaction with my team. As a former Marine, I truly never thought I’d find another bond like that, but this team mirrors my experience in the military. I’m very fortunate to be part of an awesome team; their attitude, dedication, scrappiness, even the little bit of edginess, is above reproach. Everyone brings their best to work and that pushes me to better myself as well. We feed off each other throughout the day and deliver results, which I truly believe has made my shift one of the best in our Batesville fulfillment facility.

What does a typical day look like? Do you have any routines or rituals that help you feel your best? Or a favorite nibble to grab from the kitchen, perhaps?

I start with a walk through the fulfillment center (FC) and communicate with the off-going shift team for any areas of concern. Then I assist leads with staffing, shift goals, and projects while steadily building their enthusiasm so they can encourage their own teams. My mottos are: “Go fast, be safe” and “Quality over quantity.” I always try to eliminate as many constraints as possible throughout the FC to continue building on our brand promise of quality and timely delivery of our products.

What inspires you to live a healthy lifestyle? Is there something in particular that drew you to Thrive Market?

The sheer number of health concerns in my family has been the most significant push to live a healthy lifestyle. Most recently, instilling good practices in my three children has been inspiring, especially when we see them reach for fruit and vegetables instead of chips and sodas. The Thrive Market culture is a big part of what drives me. The attitude, enthusiasm, and tenacity of our teams and members is incredibly rewarding.

When do you feel most successful or proud of your work?

At the end of shift, when the team is feeling the effects of being committed, attentive, and tenacious for 12 hours, I love being there to thank them, fist bump, high five, show genuine care, and wish them well until the next shift. Being excited and eager to come back and do it all again reflects not only themselves, but the team and our members.

Give us a peek at what you eat during the day—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack!

Anything will beat Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MREs) and chow hall food. Breakfast is mostly fruit and nuts with a glass of milk or green tea. Lunch is typically something green, like a salad or vegetables, or a ham or turkey sandwich. Dinner is usually chicken, beef, or pork, plus more vegetables and either sweet tea or water. I snack on nuts, KIND bars, or whole grain cereals. I’m not a picky eater, but I want nothing to do with pickles (including the smell)!

What’s one thing you want others to know about Thrive Market, that they might not learn from ordering, reading the blog, or visiting the website?

The member experience begins long before people are receiving their deliveries and finding all of their items nicely packed in their boxes. It starts with our phenomenal inbound team and continues through outbound as they process every order. Those items belong to our members and we take care of them accordingly from receiving to shipping.

Last but not least, what’s your favorite Thrive Market product and why?

Thrive Market Organic Pecan Halves are delicious!