Anna Groman joined the BrightStores team in January of 2017 as a Front End Web Developer and Designer. Want to get to know Anna and what drives her day after day? Read our full interview below.
How would you describe your day job to a child?
I help make websites look the way they do. I change the colors, images, and layout to look like what the client needs.
Describe working at BrightStores in 3 words.
Community, innovative, solution-centered
What is the coolest thing you’re working on right now?
I’ve been going through some of our more custom sites in an attempt to group together different design aspects we can use for a future theme.
What is on your wishlist for the next few years with BrightStores?
More themes and options! We get a lot of request for custom functionality, especially in relation to check out. Adding these as options to the Theme Designer takes time, but ultimately allows the user to fully customize their store.
Who inspires you?
It may sound cheesy, but my parents inspire me the most. They have by no means led a conventional life and at every step of the way push me to find what makes me happy rather than settling for what others may define as successful.
How do you define success?
Happiness! Finding the solution to problems (even if it means a workaround).
Before working at BrightStores, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
I spent one summer working as a kitchen manager for an outdoor events center called Green & Away. We arrived at an empty field near Worcestershire, England and set everything up from marquees to yurts to an outdoor kitchen complete with storage caravan. It was such an amazing experience!
Describe what you were like at age 8.
I had WAY too much energy. I spent every afternoon in the pool and loved to do little craft projects like stained glass paintings and DIY pompoms.
What is the first concert you attended?
Bombay Bicycle Club at the 930 Club in DC.
Where’s your favorite place in the world (that you’ve been) and what’s the one place you’re dying to visit?
This is a hard one! I’d have to say New Zealand and Chilean Patagonia are tied for this one – both places are so surreal it’s hard to believe they exist on the same planet. As for the one place I’m dying to visit, that changes constantly but right now I’d love to be able to trek Akshayuk Pass in Auyuittug National Park in Canada’s arctic wilderness.
What are you currently watching on Netflix?
Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I can’t stop!
When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried, and why?
The other day I recommended a movie to my parents (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) and they sat down to watch it. After the movie, my dad was texting me about it and a lot of things weren’t adding up. I chalked it up to poor memory, but the plot was sounding increasingly bizarre. Turns out they had watched a different movie (Boy) which so happened to also be about a young boy, set in New Zealand, and directed by THE SAME DIRECTOR. It took us far too long to realize this.
What’s your favorite blog?
A Pair and a Spare of The House That Lars Built, both amazing design blogs with great DIY projects.
What’s the most recent app you’ve downloaded but are yet to use?
All Day Fitness (it’s not time for New Year’s Resolutions yet!)
What is your guilty pleasure?
McDonald’s quarter pounders.
What places have you lived in?
Zimbabwe, Paraguay, Ecuador, Wales, Maryland, and now Colorado!
Where is your hometown?
Growing up moving every 6 years or so, it’s hard to pinpoint a hometown. I consider both Kennebunkport, Maine and Salcombe, England to be my homes as we would try to visit family in each place every year or two. My parents have since retired to Maine, so I now consider that my home-state.
You’re happiest when?
Traveling, reading, crafting, eating good food, discovering new places in town, or exploring the outdoors.