I have big news! Today, I will introduce you to another Goldendoodle! I love being a Goldendoodle, and I’m so proud that you’ll get to meet another Goldendoodle who’s also an office dog. Gromit is the Backblaze office dog. He works diligently to be sure all Backblaze employees are staying focused. Read more on his strategy to keep employees on the ball. I’ve already learned so much from him!
Napa: What breed are you?
Gromit: F1B Goldendoodle (3/4 Poodle, 1/4 Golden. Mom was a first generation Goldendoodle, Dad was a Red Standard Poodle)
Napa: Tell me more about Backblaze.
Gromit: Backblaze provides an online backup service that automatically and securely backs up an unlimited amount of data from your PC or Mac computer to the Backblaze data center. Then, if your computer crashes or gets lost, you can get your photos, videos, music, documents – all your data – back. And it only costs $5 a month for each computer.
Napa: How did you get your job at Backblaze?
Gromit: My owner Tim is one of the founders of Backblaze. He got me an interview with the other founders, and I charmed them into my first gig, which didn’t last long. The landlord of the first Backblaze office kicked me out because I used to bark at the mailman. When the company moved to their current offices in San Mateo, I was invited back and have been a model citizen ever since.
Napa: How long have you been working there?
Gromit: Almost 7 years – with some time off waiting for a friendlier landlord.
Napa: What’s a typical day like in the Backblaze office?
Gromit: When I arrive, I inspect the entire office to make sure everything is where it’s supposed to be and check for goodies in the trash cans. In the process, I remind everyone I’m there with an appropriately placed nuzzle. That’s always tricky, as people have different rules about where you can nuzzle them. Next, it’s a mid-morning nap, followed by a bit of management by walking around until lunch. The afternoon starts with another quick nap, followed by more management. Then Tim and I take a walk to hunt squirrels in the park. That’s always fun! Another nap, more management, and it’s time to go home.
Napa: I’ll bet you have a lot of job responsibilities. What is it that you do?
Gromit: My biggest responsibility is keeping productivity up in the office. I practice the “defocus to focus” method. You see, people tend to get all caught up in their work. They get worried and stressed, and then nothing gets done. My job is to break the cycle by having them stop what they’re doing for a few minutes so they can get refreshed and refocused. It’s a tough job, but I love the work.
Napa: Whose desk do you sit under most often?
Gromit: I hang out under whatever desk Tim is closest to so that his desk gets the most business. Texting sounds bug me because they usually signal something’s up, at which point I tend to hide under Monika’s desk waiting for the danger to pass.
Napa: When you get bored around the office (in between important tasks), how do you keep busy?
Gromit: A nap is a dog’s best friend. If I’m not tired, I do a little office recon, searching for an undiscovered napping place or discarded food stuff.
Napa: What’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten around the office (even if you weren’t supposed to)?
Gromit: We have plenty of people snacks around the office, but Tim is pretty strict, so I usually only get dog treats like Bitz Lamb Jerky. I do of course find the occasional scrap when Tim’s not looking 🙂
Napa: What’s your favorite funny dog video? Please share the link!
Gromit: I’m more a full-movie kind of dog. My favorite is Up. “Squirrel!” The Wallace and Gromit shorts that I’m named after are classic, and I’m always up for an episode of Lassie with his boy Timmy who has the same name as my Dad 😉
Napa: Do you usually spend your day with the same human or different humans? Explain.
Gromit: In the office, I am free to work with anyone I want. That said, I prefer the friendlier people and hate it when Tim has to go out for a bit leaving me with strangers. I also have my other job on days when I’m not at Backblaze, which is working with my mom, who also needs plenty of supervision!
Napa: What is one office task that you’re not allowed to do, but you’d secretly love to do?
Gromit: I really want to learn how to design websites. I think I have a flair for what looks good. The Backblaze web design guy is really good, but I have a few ideas that could make their site even better. For example, right now there’s only one picture of a dog on the entire site!
Napa: Share a funny story.
Gromit: Sometimes, when I go to the vet, they give me the “Vet Special” haircut and shave my wrists for an IV or other such means of doggie torture. I don’t think this is funny but everyone in the office thinks my new ‘do is a hoot, and I let them have their fun. The irony, here, is that these haircuts are not cheap and should make me look good, not silly!
Napa: If you could tell your human co-workers anything, what would it be?
Gromit: Sometimes I wish I could tell them their breath stinks too, but that wouldn’t be nice. I guess I would tell them to slow down – to take a nap or just roam around with nothing to do. It works for me; I’m not worried about anything.
Napa: Can you share any advice for other office dogs?
Gromit: There’s a saying I have, “The yappy dog may get the biscuit, but the happy dog gets the love.”
Napa: What do you have backed up on your Backblaze Cloud?
Gromit: Mostly my photos and videos. Tim takes me lots of great places, and I don’t want to lose those memories if the computer crashed or I slobber on the hard drive. I also keep a list of where I’ve buried or hidden things over the years, I wouldn’t want to lose that either so having an extra copy of all my files at Backblaze is awesome.
Are you an office dog? Is your co-worker a canine? We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch via email or leave a note in the comments section below!
Side note: Do you run a business in the pet industry? Would you like to drive more traffic and sales to your site through a search-optimized pet blog? Get in touch with my office-mates at Lantern Content Marketing!
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