ASSOCIATE SPOTLIGHT SERIES: AN INTERVIEW WITH SANDY JEREBIC
April 29, 2022
In our Associate Spotlight series, we are highlighting associates across the company who are shaping our community and who embody our Life at Centric philosophy every day. This National Volunteer Month, we are excited to recognize the associates who have dedicated their time to volunteering with our local charity partners and are committed to making a difference in our communities.
Meet Sandy Jerebic, Receptionist in our Montreal office.
What is your role at Centric Brands and how long have you been with the Company?
I am the Receptionist at the Montreal office and have been with Buffalo Jeans for 33 years – I started in 1989. That’s right, everyone – 33 incredible years and still going! In my role, every day is different. I deal with so many people at the same time and am always solving a new problem or implementing a unique solution. I also collect invoices and prepare shipments, so many! I will share there are always new people and familiar faces, even from 20 years ago, visiting us. Our office is really a community who have been with the Company for a long time – we can share a lot of great memories.
Tell us about some of your favorite projects you have worked on at Centric Brands.
One of my favorite projects, and because it was from a long time ago, is when email was first used in the ’90s. I was the only one in the Montreal office who had access to it. I helped every colleague, no matter their position, manage their emails. I assisted them in writing, sending and receiving every communication. It was fun! People would sit next to me at my desk, and we’d draft messages back and forth. Everyone laughed about it. So many new tools and changes have happened since then!
Tell us about your passion for community building.
Gathering people together and connecting is where community is born. Whenever we can connect, exchange and build support, it helps us work and live better together. It’s been so hard since the start of the pandemic to feel connected. When I’m here, at the office, I have a different energy. And I love that sense of community and contributing to it. When someone is down, I try to lift them or at least lift myself because I have a lot or people depending on my demeanor in my role.
Another way of connecting people and building community is by volunteering. I encourage it not only during National Volunteer Month but throughout the year. I enjoy giving my time to worthy organizations, like the Batshaw Youth and Family Centres, who we partner with annually to provide Christmas gifts, and Héma-Québec, whose blood drives we support. Volunteering has been an excellent opportunity to get together with colleagues while bettering our shared community.
What steps can we take, as individuals and as a Company, to make the fashion industry more sustainable?
I enjoy donating and giving away my clothes to people in need. The feeling I get giving my clothes new life with a new owner is hard to describe. As for the industry, I’ve always believed in using natural dyes when possible. They are good for clothes and better for our skin than the artificial (and sometimes toxic) dyes still used throughout the industry.
Tell us about a hobby you enjoy outside of work and why.
I’ve recently become an avid crystal collector. I like how every crystal has a different meaning; and how all of the stones are so beautiful in color and shape. And there’s something about when you hold the crystals in your hand. I also like sharing them with other people – when people ask me for one; I’ll make them close their eyes and choose whichever stone they’re drawn to the most, instead of allowing them to pick one just because of aesthetics. Rose quartz is one of my favorites – it’s a love crystal. Who doesn’t need love?
