Meet the Crew: James Phillips

What do you do at Beyond?

I work with the Omni team as the Lead eCommerce Developer and also head up email marketing. It’s a pretty dynamic role, and I wear some other hats as well since we’re a small team. My start day was around the time that the COVID stay-at-home orders were coming into place, so I’ve only been to the office a handful of times when necessary. Other than that, I’m able to perform most of my duties from home. It’s actually pretty nice being able to work from there and stay with the family. I met most of the team via video calls, which have become the new normal. I do enjoy being at the office and interacting with the team in person; it’s a great creative space to work in. So it’ll be nice to spend more time there when things get back to normal.

It's your first Father's Day. Congratulations! How would you compare your thoughts, concerns, and anticipations leading up to fatherhood with the actual lived experience you now have of being father?

Yes, my first Father’s Day! Thanks. I guess there are a lot of things an individual thinks about leading up to fatherhood; I mean, you’re bringing a new life into this world, and you want the best for them. I wanted to be sure I was able to provide a comfortable life for my family, and that was why we waited a couple years after getting married to try for a baby. My wife and I had decided she’d be a stay-at-home mom until we could get our son in preschool. We lived 45 minutes away from our nearest family at the time, so we couldn’t really lean on them to watch our baby if my wife went back to work. Also, the high cost of childcare per month was not a viable option. I’m glad we went in this direction. My wife is really able to spend time being the mom she wants to be for our son.

Now that I’ve had the pleasure of being a father for roughly 7 months, I can truly say being a dad is one of my greatest joys. Coming home from a long day and just hanging out with my little man is so much fun. I never would have expected to be so excited to watch our little guy learn to crawl. When I’m working out in the morning, I take him with me to our yoga room and set up a little obstacle course; he practices crawling while I get my daily workout in. It’s so rad. But just seeing him smile brings the most joy by far.

I’m looking forward to so much more of the beauty that this world has to offer. With all the craziness today, I hope I’ll be successful in making a real gentleman out of our young son so he can carry on the Phillips name with pride.

What’s your favorite Beyond gear?

I’ve really come to love the K4 Ventum Hoodie. I’m a cyclist, and when it’s chilly or wet outside a good lightweight, breathable, and weather-repellent layer is a must. The K4 Ventum Hoodie hits all those marks; it’s super lightweight, and can pack into itself to fit in the smallest of situations. Also, it’s really breathable when you need it to be, which is great when you work up a sweat or wear it as a shell on top of an insulation piece. It has some great wet-weather protective properties too, making it a must-have piece you can take with you anywhere and keep in your vehicle.