So when Paul had the opportunity to join Room & Board five years ago as a Visual Associate he jumped at the chance. "I love working with the great furniture everyday and making it inviting and inspiring for our customers — that is really energizing for me. Working for a retailer where I really believe in the product is extremely important to me."

Paul initially went to business school and thought his career would take him in a different direction, but kept returning to visual merchandising after working part-time at a large department store when he was in school. After deciding to work in the visual field, he spent time at a number of large retailers including Gap and Banana Republic.

One of the things he fully appreciates about his current role is the design autonomy he is given. "Even though I oversaw 10 stores at Banana Republic, I have a lot more accountability as well as freedom at Room & Board. In my previous roles it was all about following corporate standards and presentation guidelines to make sure that every store looked the same. Here I receive guidance, but it is more of a departure point — I can really flex my creativity and have a huge opportunity to take 50,000 square feet and interpret Room & Board's design aesthetic to best meet the needs of our unique showroom and customers."

Paul also fully appreciates many of Room & Board's core philosophies. "This is such a forward thinking company. I really value our take on environmental initiatives and community efforts as well as the diversity of the staffing. I don't know who wouldn't want to work here frankly!"