Team Member Profile: Mike Poorman
Meet our Director of Operations here at Aberdeen Studio, Mike Poorman. A self-proclaimed “man of the people” who has the unique ability to strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere; Mike handles a wide array of functional business operations including growth strategy and internal ops.
Read more to learn more about Mike and see how he’s helping us to grow as a best-in-class, bespoke design + fabrication studio.
ON WORK//
Q: Tell us more about what your role encompasses and how you work with the rest of the team here at Aberdeen?
A: I am the Director of Operations here at Aberdeen. At a high level, I strategize with the team on organizational structure, procedural improvements across the business, marketing strategy, work with Production to determine our staffing needs and recruit and hire accordingly, handle onboarding all new hires, oversee and advise the managerial level employees, payroll tracking and reporting, and work with Patrick (owner) on high level strategy to grow the business. There is a lot of things in between these pillars that fall to me as well.
Q: How does your previous work experience inform your work at Aberdeen?
A: Over the years I have owned and operated my own business, as well as working as a freelance Account Director for Keurig and Green Mountain Coffee. My experiences have taught me how to handle leadership of small teams, as well as handling client expectations, clear and transparent communication and patience and understanding in tough situations.
Q: What part of the job do you find the most interesting in practice?
A: I believe my brain is best used in strategic situations like organizational growth, resource planning and marketing. I like to envision what something can be and work toward the goals established to get it there.
Q: What have you learned about design on the job?
A: I’ve learned the technical feats that go into creating beautiful pieces of furniture. There is more to it than a beautiful design. Anyone can dream up an amazing piece of furniture, but the art of actually putting it together, and how it has to come together to function and at its simplest, stay together, if a whole craft and understanding in itself. I am very lucky to work with people that understand both.
ON MENTAL HEALTH//
Q: Work-life balance is something we frequently talk about here in the studio. Do you believe this is something attainable and do you have any strategies you employ to keep your work and personal life in a healthy balance?
A: I wholeheartedly believe that this is attainable. As an unhealthy workaholic, I am always challenging myself to create new boundaries in my life in an effort to stop the insanity of the day-to-day, and focusing on self care, which could be as simple as a walk in the woods at the end of the day. Creating balance is SO important in our very busy lives, and in a culture that promotes this lifestyle of working ourselves into the ground in an attempt to get ahead.
Q: Looming deadlines and constantly shifting project details are the norm in our industry. How do you allow yourself space to move throughout this constantly in-flux process in a way that is healthy for you?
A: I just take each day as an individual thing. I remain present and ready to serve the needs of our clients and our fabricators in the shop. I just know that everything changes daily, and I prepare myself for that.
Q: Do you have any self-care practices that you can share in regards to keeping the work-life balance in check?
A: I like a good walk every day when I have the availability to do it. This time of year especially, there’s nothing better than getting out in the crisp morning air and clearing my head. I try to detach myself from my phone as often as possible as well. That always draws me back into work when I am looking at that thing. When I am out with friends, my practice has been to be as present as possible in all social situations, so I barely look at it. I try to keep it outside the bedroom too, but I am still struggling with that one.
Q: What’s your enneagram and how does it resonate with you?
A: I am an enneagram 4. It resonates with me because I like to think I am “quirky and endearing” hahaha. No, the truth is, 4’s are known to have a strong sense of identity, and I have always fancied myself as very self-aware. Always digging deep to understand the things I am thinking and feeling, and always trying to process those things as healthily as I possibly can. My strong sense of identity comes with a strong sense of loyalty, which may be my biggest green flag and red flag, alike. Green in the sense that I am loyal til the end, red in the sense that I am loyal til the end haha. I need better boundaries, and I am getting there in my old age.
ON THE LITTLE DETAILS//
Q: Most frequented Nashville restaurant?
A: Folk
Q: Favorite local music venue?
A: The Basement (OG)
Q: Most binge-watched show?
A: Hmmm…either the Wire or West Wing
Q: Your go-to comfort nostalgia movie?
A: The Big Lebowski
Q: Something surprising about you?
A: There is nothing surprising about me. That speaks directly to my enneagram 4-ness haha.
Q: What could we find you doing on any given Saturday afternoon?
A: Walking on the Greenway or enjoying a beer and bangin’ pizza at Smith & Lentz.
Q: And lastly, tell us something about yourself that you like, and why it’s an important part of who you are and how you exist in the world.
A: I am a man of the people. I like to meet and know people. My dad grew up in the Midwest and I have always had him as an example of, you know your neighbors, you talk to people because that’s what you do. No agenda other than to know different people and who they are and why they are who they are. I’ve carried that with me through the years. I am always the guy in the room that can talk to anyone, any type of person.