Every Monday we’d like you to meet someone new around here at JustBats.com. Get to know us a little better! Meet Jeremy! Jeremy is our Quality Assurance guy and trust us, nothing gets by him! Here is what makes Jeremy tick.

1. I hear you are a chocolate and candy lover, what's your favorite candy?
Reese's are at the top of the list; followed closely by Ferrero Rocher. Now there is one thing that beats them both, but it isn't a "candy". It's a jar full of delicious happiness known as Nutella!
2. You're pretty amazing at racquetball, mind sharing some secrets? What equipment do you use?
I'm not sure if I'd go so far as to say "amazing", but I think I'm above average! The only secrets I can think of would be to think about what shot you plan on taking, calm down, and practice. Practice practice practice. I use an E-Force racket that is 175 grams, some goggles that have vents in them, a sweat band, and ProKennex Pure 1 racquetball gloves. I don't pay a ton of attention to the brand of the stuff I use.
3. What has been your most competitive game so far in racquetball?
I've played a lot... so much that the games have really blended together. I can say that the most competitive day was a tournament that I went to a few months ago. I played six or seven competitive games that day, and by the end my legs just didn't want to support my weight. Standing was a chore.
4. Tell us a little bit about your job as Quality Assurance, it seems pretty interesting.
Whenever new features are rolled out to the websites, I get to look at them before they go live and give them the thumbs up or thumbs down. I review the changes in our most used browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, IE9, IE8, IE7, and IE6). The position of QA is to be the last line of defense in keeping bugs from making it into production, and being the user's advocate. I'll sometimes review and proof e-mails before they get sent out which is dependent on if someone asks me to. I also help people with Google spreadsheets from time to time.
5. Can you share the story of how you started here at JustBats.com and then ended up where you are now?
Kevin Shillingsburg, a friend of mine, worked out at Picture Hills Fitness. I believe he met Scott and Mike T. there, and was able to get a job at JustBats.com. He asked if I wanted to apply there too and I said sure. Turns out I had delivered sandwiches to them before (when I worked at Mr. Goodcents) and Armando recognized me. That helped me get my foot in the door. I was eventually hired as a DC associate. I was in that position for about a year when Mike K. sent out an e-mail to the company about JustBats.com asking for opinions. I guess I was the only person that responded, and my reply had a decent bit of detail. I was then asked if I'd like to join the development team. The rest is history.
6. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Racquetball, eating sweets, and playing video games. It's my New Year's Resolution to get a higher gamer's score on Xbox than a friend of mine.
7. Any advice for people moving into your field?
You need to have attention to detail and you have to be okay with being repetitive. I'm often looking at the same thing on different browsers. I learned this after I started the QA position, but having knowledge in SQL will be useful for confirming that data is being entered correctly. Communication is pretty big too. If you find a bug, you want to be able to give steps on how to reproduce it so that the rest of the development team can fix it. That includes saying the basic steps on how to reproduce it, as well as which browser you were using at the time. Give as much detail as you can.
8. What's your favorite memory from working here at JustBats.com?
Armando going ragdoll. Back in the DC, Dave gave Armando a surprise belly bomb which leveled him. Armando went down like a doll... made of rags.
9. What's your favorite sport and team?
Watching sports is boring to me, so I don't. The only time I really watch sports is when Top 10 is on, so whatever team is on at that time would count as my favorite sports team.
10. Favorite movie?
I've seen a ton of movies, but right now I'd say that Oldboy is probably at the top. The new Sherlock Holmes movies that have come out recently are pretty sweet too.

Every Monday we’d like you to meet someone new around here at JustBats.com. Get to know us a little better! Meet Brittanie! Brittanie is our HR Administrator and helps with the paper work and also makes sure all of us have a great place to work! Here is what makes Brittanie tick.

How long have you worked here at JustBats.com?
Brittanie: 8 months
Rumor has it, you just got married. How does that feel?
Brittanie: It feels great to have married my best friend!
Was the honeymoon awesome? Do anything fun?
Brittanie: Honeymoon was great! I think the best part was the food in Paris (especially the Nutella Crepes)!
What is your favorite sports and team?
Brittanie: Favorite sport: Football
Team: Alabama Crimson Tide!! Roll Tide!
Any advice for people wanting to step into the HR world?
Brittanie: You have to like people, and when I say people I mean all different types of personalities. Every person is different and they need to be treated that way.
Tell us how you keep track of all these employees.
Brittanie: By being organized! I have a lot of forms/spreadsheets/lists that keep my day manageable.
What kind of things do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Brittanie: My husband and I like to cook, we are always trying to challenge ourselves in the kitchen. And of course Alabama football games!
You handle a lot of interviews, what are some good things you look for and bad things you look for during the process?
Brittanie: There are different factors for different positions. I would say one main thing I look for is someone who is passionate about what they do.
You're from Alabama, was it difficult adjusting to the Kansas climate?
Brittanie: Lets just say it is different! I really enjoyed the summer....not as humid as it is at home, but it is very windy here! I haven't had to experience a bad snow yet! I am keeping my fingers crossed that I won't!
Is Alabama really as sweet of a home as they say it is?
Brittanie: Definitely! There is no place like the south!
Give us your top 3 favorite tv shows.
Brittanie: Modern Family, Friends, and NCIS

Every Monday we’d like you to meet someone new around here at JustBats.com. Get to know us a little better! Meet Brian! Brian works in our IT Department and helps make sure the computer bugs stay away! Here is what makes Brian tick.

How long have you worked at JustBats.com?
Brian: 16 months
What do you like to do outside of JustBats.com?
Brian: My family keeps me extremely busy. I can be found attending sporting events or doing many different family events.
Mac or PC?
Brian: PC... most of the time.
Your a computer guy, any tech advice for people coming into the IT world?
Brian: Be flexible, learn as much as you can, and always remember there is never a problem that can't be fixed.
What’s are your favorite teams?
Brian: Missouri Tigers and Kansas City Royals
What’s the most frustrating thing about computers?
Brian: It has to be email spam... definitely email spam!
What is your favorite memory from college?
Brian: The obvious answer, hanging out and spending time with friends from college.
What made you decide to go the IT route?
Brian: I actually went to college for programming. In High School I enjoyed writing minor programs and it wasn't until I was at college that I decided that I enjoyed the Networking, Security, and Infrastructure part of the IT world.
If you could be any superhero, who would it be and why?
Brian: Iron Man, he has unlimited gadgets at his expense.
What’s the craziest thing you have ever done?
Brian: My first car was a 1969 Mustang... Did quite a few crazy things in that car at age 16.
What is your favorite part about working at JustBats.com?
Brian: The daily challenges in an amazing team atmosphere and continuing to make the IT experience at JustBats.com a great place for everyone.

Hey everyone! To start off, I would like to introduce myself real quick. My name is Joey and I am a Graphic Designer here at JustBats.com. I am from Overland Park, KS and I love design. I am sure you have seen all the great photography, videos, and design work we do and even though I would like to take all the credit, it is all done by the awesome and talented creative team we have here.

As a part of the great culture at JustBats.com, we collectively write, design and print an in-house monthly newsletter that we like to call the RunDown. It includes articles about the workings of each department, games, interviews, pictures, fun facts and so much more. The RunDown has been a great tool used to communicate what is going on within the company since November 2008. Since each month has a different look or theme, it is fun to look back at old RunDowns and see all the great times we have had, what has changed, and how much the company has grown. Hopefully, one day we will have the RunDown ready and available for our customers to check out and enjoy it as much as we do!

JustBats.com would like to wish everyone here a happy and safe Holiday weekend. We hope you find it joyous and relaxing. As the hustle and bustle of the Holidays comes to an end we understand that some of you still have post-Holiday events that you will need last second gifts for. For those of you still trying to figure out what to get please check out JustBats.com and talk to one of our experts if you are unsure what kind of bat or glove that lucky someone will want or need. Thanks again to all of you for another great year, now go eat and be merry!

I’ve always felt that the times when I tend to focus more on work, I usually end up disappointed with the final result of my efforts. Its easy to lose sight of what I actually am working to accomplish when I put my focus on the amount of work that I may be putting into a project. This is extremely problematic, especially in a creative field, because then my creativity suffers and the quality of my work begins to decrease. This is why I choose to focus on the results of my labor instead of work itself. When I have a clear vision of what I am working for, I am more creative, timely, and satisfied with my final product.

Everybody here at JustBats.com would like to take a moment and say thank you to all of our customers that made 2011 an awesome year. We appreciate your business, your loyalty and helping us strive to be a better company. JustBats.com couldn't have had such a great year without the help of you. We are very excited to see what 2012 will bring us, but until then, please have a wonderful and safe Holiday. Again, thanks for being so amazing.

Sincerely,

Your Friends at JustBats.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgH9cGqCX_w

JustBats.com is always striving to provide the best customer service humanly possible. We understand that holiday shopping is a stressful time of year, and getting behind on shopping is part of that stress. We have decided to provide FREE 2-Day shipping to all of our customers to ensure your gifts arrive before Christmas. All you have to do is place your order with our regular FREE shipping by 8pm CST, Wednesday December 21st and your order will automatically be upgraded to FREE 2-Day shipping to make ordering online just a little more convenient. Last minute shoppers now have a teammate: JustBats.com!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVc1fKPrx1M&feature=player_embedded

Every Monday we’d like you to meet someone new around here at JustBats.com. Get to know us a little better! Meet Patrick! Patrick works in our Product Management department and writes a lot of the stuff you read on our websites! Here is what makes Patrick tick.

How long have you worked at JustBats.com?
Patrick: 2 years
What is your favorite movie?
Patrick: The Last Waltz
If you could go to a baseball game with one person, who would it be?
Patrick: Ron Paul
What makes you laugh the most?
Patrick: Good times with good friends
Who are your favorite teams?
Patrick: KC Chiefs and KU Basketball
What is your favorite part about working at JustBats.com?
Patrick: The awesome and diverse group of people I get to interact with every day and our core value of Focus on Results, Not Work (combined with all of the other perks of working here), completely eliminate the monotony that can be experienced in an average office environment.
Why is your hair so long?
Here at JustBats.com we have a culture unlike any other. While some workplaces may require men to have a clean cut head of hair, the management at JustBats.com realizes that such things have absolutely zero effect on job performance. Growing my hair out is something that I've always wanted to try, but have been cautious about due to the ridiculous social stigmas that our society can sometimes place on it. Luckily, I'm now in a place where that isn't something I need to worry about and I'm taking advantage of it. At first, I had no intention of letting it get as long as it is. As it grew, I realized that it didn't look bad and if I let it keep going, I would be able to donate it. That realization is now the main goal of this journey. Locks of Love is a charity organization that makes hairpieces for financially disadvantaged children suffering from disease that causes them to lose their hair. This is a great cause, and I hope to have it at my target length of 12 inches by this summer.

Every year around the Holiday Season, JustBats.com gets some employees together and we go SHOPPING! Not for ourselves, but for Toys for Tots charity. It's a great yearly tradition that's put on by a couple of our long time employees Dave and Clint. It's personally my third year of being a part of this and I make sure I never miss it. It's a ton of fun and goes to a great cause. If you would like more info on doing this in your own community, check out their website: http://www.toysfortots.org/