Arshad has been working for GTI for 4 years, first occupying a Logistics Specialist role and recently moving into sales.
Arshad worked at a restaurant since the age of 15 where he became friends with a waitress named Maria that would constantly ask him about his education (Bachelor of commerce – Supply Chain and Operations Management). ”The reason she kept asking is because she said she had a friend that worked at a really good company that I could reach out to, VP of operations GTI, Laura Watson, after graduating. I wasn’t satisfied with the corporate culture and decided to reach out to Laura. I was hired in about a week due to the reference from Maria and the rest is history!”
Arshad’s interest in logistics is mainly the hectic nature of the business. “It is the furthest thing from a cookie cutter job, and I love dealing with people – can’t ask for a better job than logistics/sales in that regard.”
Arshad usually starts his day with a coffee 2-3 hours after waking up. “I check e-mails immediately upon waking to see if there are any emergencies, otherwise I’ll check them when I get to the office. I’d say I’ve been becoming more of a morning person with every passing year.”
On his way to the office depending on his mood, Arshad will listen to different things. “I will typically listen to some of my favorite podcasts: Andrew Huberman/JRE if I’m feeling like listening to something informative / knowledge oriented or Flagrant if I want to get a few laughs in before I start my day.”
Working at GTI is truly an experience like no other. The people, the culture, the industry all mesh together to create a truly fun work experience. I typically look forward to making my calls as there is something super exciting about not knowing what new client you may connect with daily; however, I would say seeing the sales team i.e., Charles, Tyson, Chris, Mat, etc., is the best part as they are truly like family to me.
Arshad isn’t much of a stress ball. He enjoys the challenges his role offers and embraces the stress that comes with it. “A job in sales is always challenging because of the nature of the work (cold calls, trying to connect with 1-5 people out of 60 calls, getting hung up on etc.) however I wouldn’t say these stresses me out at all. It’s just part of the job and I take it as it comes.”
Arshad gets along with everyone within the company therefore can’t really say he is close to one person in particular. With that said, he has closer ties with the following people. I really can’t pinpoint “I’ll give a little breakdown of my 5 favorite ones though.”
Charles: “The one closest to me in age, we have so much in common outside of work that it is so easy to just talk about the Habs (Montreal Canadiens), or the gym, or health related things.”
Ohmer: Just a good buddy overall, always smiling, and again, we have a lot in common in terms of interests so I can always catch up with him when we’re both at the office.”
Chris: “The funniest of all of them, I barely have to interact with him as I hear him talking to himself all day long (he sits across from me) but he makes me laugh more than anyone else.”
Mat: “My old boss when I was in logistics for 3 years and the person that’s made me stick around more than anyone at GTI. Just an overall fantastic friend and one that’s always been there for me whether it was as a boss or a friend.”
Tyson: “My current boss – he’s at the office rain or shine and always doing his best to motivate me and keep pushing me to be the best salesman I can be. A bright presence through and through.”
Arshad has seen a lot of success since joining the sales team. He explains these successes by following the plan in place. “I’ve been following the program set in place for me and things have been going much better than I ever expected at this job. Have caught a few big fish and it just motivates me to keep going and pushing for more!”
Arshad has learned a lot during his time here at The GTI Group, however one thing that has stuck with him during the years is to treat others like he’d like to be treated. “Always be kind to your team. We all make mistakes; people remember kindness in the worst times, and this is something I try to live by daily (goes both ways of course).”
What keeps Arshad motivated to come back are the different types of challenges the role offers. “The endless opportunities that come with a job in sales. You can hit a gold mine every single day you’re working. No other job offers these kinds of chances.”
Arshad’s customer service philosophy is resumed as such: “It aligns very well with the company’s own philosophy. Candor, accountability, and respect are of the utmost importance to me when it comes to how I work.”
Arshad wraps up and ends his workday by updating his CRM and closes off all new information received throughout the day in his ONE NOTE app to make sure he can pick up where he left off the next day without any mishaps or confusion.
Once Arshad gets off work, some of his favorite things to do is keep himself physically fit. “I try to get in some form of exercise every single day of the week after work – gym 4-5 times and hockey and badminton 1 time each a week.”
We appreciate you taking the time to share a little insight of your day Arshad. Keep up the great work!