I am one of the many Californians that logs hundreds of miles and hours of work via Bluetooth all from my car before I reach the office each day and have been making this work for the past 19 years. Although I would not consider myself tech-savvy, mine is definitely a lifestyle of connectivity whether with the office during this commute, from home or from the road while traveling. I use my iPhone or iPad when I’m not in the office. Effective communication tools are essential to my work.  

Prior to leaving for the office, I spend an average of 1.5 hours working at home. I take this time to check responses received from my factory in China as well as communicate tasks with the California office prior to leaving home around 9 to 9:30 a.m. 

During the commute, I balance speaking with the office or sales reps as well as catching up on the news. Once I hit the office around 10:30 a.m., my time is filled with meetings, appointments, conference calls, troubleshooting and other activities, so much so that my desk is where I take both lunch and dinner. After 4:30 p.m., when most co-workers are gone, my second shift of works starts, which includes communicating with our China factories on issues requiring direction from me.

Although for many years my main focus has been over the Treasure Garden and Shademaker brands, in the last couple of years additional companies/brands have been included within my responsibilities. These include Spettmann (manufacturer of retractable awnings and window shades), Z-Shade (maker of instant pop-up shelters) and Wanda Tech (specialty cantilever umbrellas and e-commerce vendor). Each company requires strategic management as well as travel to the applicable trade shows.  

My commute home begins around 7:30 to 8 p.m. Initially, this unique commute schedule was designed to avoid the most congested traffic, but it also allows me to connect with family members and friends toward the end of the day. By the time I get home, it’s often after 8:30 or 9 p.m. Over the years, I think I developed a bad habit of checking emails both first thing in the morning and before I go to bed. This often means delaying rest time for handling urgent issues. 

My year includes travel to the factories in China where I am involved with the R&D department and with the development of new products as well as coordinating product distribution issues. I visit our two factories in Ningbo and Qingdao as well as our China main office two to four times a year, with one trip specifically for product development. Each trip involves two to three weeks, and may need additional time that involves special events and working with customers. 

Two years ago, I was given a very big opportunity by CEO Oliver Ma to groom his son for greater involvement within the company. It is a big responsibility and commitment involving traveling together whenever possible, discussing issues as well as being a resource for answering questions. I’m very pleased and blessed that I have the honor to help prepare Oliver’s son for the business and his future role.

Last month, I celebrated my 38th wedding anniversary with my husband, who has been very supportive of my career all along. Our two grown sons brought me two lovely daughters-in-law. We are very close and meet on weekends for family time and holidays, of course.

To relax and reconnect with family and friends, I enjoy cooking, shopping, ballroom dancing and social gatherings. Statistics say ballroom dancing improves mental acuity and it benefits our hearts and cardio system. It’s also a terrific way to meet people who share the same interests.

People who know me think I do a good job handling so many activities while maintaining my career. It is a constant challenge, but a lifestyle I thoroughly enjoy.