entry level analyst

graphic designer

e-commerce specialist

photographer

customer service representative

Forever Collectibles

I worked at FOCO, or Forever Collectibles for about 7 months during the coronavirus pandemic. The team wanted to bring on a video editor to add something new to the site, and I was ready to do what I could to help and provide for what they needed. This was a position I was ecstatic to start, but now knowing what I do and learning about how the company operates, I should have waited for another job opportunity.

The level of commitment they expect of you to have, and for this company to be 100% your life. One example of this was the weekend of Valentine’s Day. I was expected to work during a long weekend. They do not take into account that people have lives outside of the office. It was a 3-day weekend, and I was leaving town to spend time with my significant other, but I was bombarded with messages saying that work needed to be completed. This was the turning point for me, as right after that weekend, I started to apply to different jobs. 

Weekday hours would range from around 8AM-6:30PM but I would always make sure I was logged in at 9AM, and off of my computer by 5PM. I was not being paid all these extra hours, so why dedicate my time to something I was not getting paid overtime to complete. I was told in my interview that the hours would be from 9-5, not 8-6:30. Early on I would find myself at home working until 8PM at times. I was extremely unhappy, and it did take a toll on me physically and mentally. I would wake up in the morning dreading the start of work. 

The work itself is very repetitive, and not fulfilling at all. You mockup a certain cheap looking product for a certain sports team and keep doing this all day every day. As I mentioned earlier, I was brought on to edit videos, and did not get to edit any form of video literally until 2 weeks before leaving FOCO. I was constantly doing photoshop work, and I absolutely hated it. I was constantly told how fun it was to work for this company by my manager, but I did not see any fun. It was literally always dread. During meetings people would yell at each other, the leaders of the company would always scream at people doing their best, and curse each other out. 

The people and social life at FOCO in general felt very stale. You would constantly hear people getting berated in meetings as said before, and I should have known when I first found out that it was a turn off. Companies I have worked with before having never had people like this scream at employees to get something done or do it right. It was incredibly unprofessional, and I am glad to be out of this toxic environment. I was told multiple times of bonuses and raises, and things like this never came about as well.

When I was brought on to work at FOCO, I thought that my work could actually mean something. I was excited to know that I could be part of the growing dynamic of my team, and actually bring something to the table. Looking back now, I regret even applying. I feel like I have just wasted my time with them, and that they were not even worth the experience. I am SO glad I never have to be in contact with anyone from the company again. It is a literal weight off of my shoulders. There are other places to work that would actually treat people with respect and not constantly irritate them. If you are reading this review, take into consideration everything I said before applying for any position. Know that pay is very small for the amount of work you do, and sometimes waiting it out for another job may be best in the long run. I hope one day FOCO changes the way in which they operate so employees can actually like working for them, but honestly, I doubt they will.

A typical day at work included--touching base with all major existing accounts to make sure orders, shipments, and designs were executed properly. I would travel to new and existing customers and have sales meetings, when I was not in the office. Additionally, I would attend a number of trade shows around the country--to try and generate new business. Other duties while in the office included cold-calling, opening new customers through e-mail and other forms of communicating, etc.

I learned how to be efficient in time management, and learned the basics of sales--cold calling, holding sales meetings, learned the importance of staying in communication with customers despite travel, or other hinderances that might keep you from your desk. Not to mention, you learn about each league's official licensing information, production timelines using Chinese factories, the logistics of getting product from China to the US, and so on.

Management was decent. I loved the owner, he's a no-nonsense yeller. He'll tell you like it is, and if you screw up--you could be gone that day. He's very sarcastic, but some people take it personal. It kept me on my toes. The sales managers are broken up into groups, and some of them are very good at what they do. However, if you can't handle yelling or cursing--sales isn't the job for you. They can be very intense, mainly only in a time of 'business' crisis.

The co-workers are great. If you're young, or fresh out of college, give it a shot. You'll end up hanging out with employees outside of work, and enjoying them. Average age of employees is about 25-26.

The hardest part of the job is the committment. It's difficult to work here if you have children, and a family to maintain. You're expected to work Saturdays (you might be told on Friday at 4PM that you need to work the next day, despite having plans that next day). That stuff gets old after a few years, especially when you have plans with your signficant other.

The most enjoyable part of the job--is you'll see about half the USA by age 25 if you start right out of college, and join sales. You'll be working with major accounts if you have the talent. There is no doubt you can move up quickly. Your co-workers are all basically peers, so you'll make friends--which is nice.

I've now been with FOCO for about a year and a half. Times have been challenging as I've only worked for the company during the pandemic, but overall it's been a positive experience. Being a sports enthusiast, I enjoy the atmosphere of the company and the business we're in. We have a very strong group of leaders from the CEO, to the Executives/Directors to the Managers. Most of them are long term people with the company, which gives me incentive to work hard and achieve success with the company. We are in the midst of making necessary changes in terms of the office environment and team structure that should help us grow and evolve to the next level. We have opportunities to become better, and I see positive strides being taken in the right direction every day. I'm excited for what the future holds and having a bright future with FOCO. 

My time at Foco was extremely dull. I felt like I did nothing productive, and spent so much time twiddling my thumbs waiting for work to be assigned. It’s not that there wasn’t work to do, in fact there was SO much work to do, but management is so poor that there isn’t enough organization and communication to actually get things done. I was simultaneously always busy while doing nothing. 

Additionally, the work/life balance is horrible. They expect your personal time to be theirs, and there are a ridiculous amount of rules in regard to when you can and can’t take off if needed. During the first month I was there the ceo held a meeting with new hires and shouted at us that he didn’t care what was going on in our free time if he needed us. The pay is absolutely not even close to being worth selling your soul to this company. 

However I did meet some genuinely good people there and I hope they are doing well.

Overall, this company is beyond baffling. It doesn't make sense how this company is still functioning. Constant verbal abuse from managers and the CEO is the norm, even in meetings. Raises are insulting if you are lucky enough to get one. A normal day at work starts with reading emails from upper management cursing at each other through almost every thread. After getting through the emails, you have to grind, grind, grind until the end of the work day, if you're lucky or a favorite that means 5:00pm.

What is the best part of working at the company?
I got to meet new people every day as well as pack up and ship out sports memorabilia all over the US 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
There wasn't anything super stressful about the job at all 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Easy going keeping busy fast and or slow depending on the day

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Opening dock doors loading and unloading trucks getting shipments ready for FedEx and UPS

I worked there for almost 2 years the experience at first was good till after a year when i reached out multiple times to meet with the manger and to talk about a salary increase which i was never given and ignored when asked. They made you work from 8 to 7 almost all days give very little vacation days and there is no room for growth in the company because they do not offer any pay increase. STAY AWAY.  

Small company with limited mobility. Good place to start out of college learn several aspects of the business and get to know how the business operates over several departments.  Upper management is disorganized, and interferes with day to day activities often which causes loss of efficiency and confusion.  Get in get your experience and move on, do not plan to stay long term.

The company is what it is, a cash grab for the owner, most of those with negative experience at the company have not made their peace with that reality.

You can still advance yourself into some pretty meaningful experience and solid pay if you are willing.

The experience you get as an under 30 year old is likely second to none for a company of its size.

A typical work day would be to come in and check messages, get back to clients and then take a look at what tasks need to be done that day. I didn't have many co-workers but I didn't mind. I learned the importance of organization and speedy hands! The hardest part of the job was the beginning, trying to learn specific ways to do things.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
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