Meet our Director of People and Culture, Tara Daniski!

What is your role at Warners’ Stellian?
Director of People and Culture.

Tell us more about your role.
My title really does explain my primary focus: our people and culture. Together with Jill and Sara (HR Team Members), we will be focused on the associate experience, engagement, recognition, performance management, and tools and training for managers. The other focus of my role is our culture.

What do people love about working here, what are we doing well that we want to continue to
foster, and where could we improve?
Our goal is to honor the traditions and history that make Warners’ Stellian special and help us take our employee experience and organization to the next level. We’re working on recruiting strategies (including hiring and onboarding a new Talent Acquisition Specialist), career pathing, diversity, equity and inclusion, and tools and resources for associates and managers.

What do you like most about your job?
The people; everyone I have met has been so welcoming. I will be out visiting the locations over the next two months and look forward to meeting as many associates as I can.

Tell us about your family.
My husband Joe and I have two kids. Claire is in 6th grade and Alex is in 2nd grade. We also have a dog named Teddy.

What do you like to do on your days off?
We spend a lot of time on the weekends at our kids’ sporting events. We also took up snowboarding as a family a few years ago, which has made winters much more bearable. I can say with confidence I am the least skilled and most timid of the whole family, but still enjoy it!

What three words would you use to describe Warners’ Stellian?
Family, Dedication, and customer-focus.

What’s your favorite appliance?
My induction stove top. I love that it really does boil water in under a minute, and it’s cool right after the pot comes off.

Tell us something about you that would surprise us or that most people don’t know.
I grew up in a small farming community in eastern South Dakota. We lived out in the country and when I was six, I had a pet pig named Porky! I still have a soft spot for pigs.

What is the one thing you cannot live without?
Coffee.

If you had to eat one meal, every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Cereal.

What is your favorite thing to do?
I love being outside with my family, whether that’s in our backyard, camping, or vacation at a beach, mountain, or National Park.

Meet Greg McCarthy!
What is your role at Warners’ Stellian?
Appliance Repair.

Tell us more about your role.
I go into people’s houses and repair appliances, whether they’re in or out of warranty. Sometimes it’s a matter of adjusting customers’ expectations; sometimes it’s better to replace older units, and I advise them on that.

What do you like most about your job?
I’m on the road all day, so I’m driving, and it gives me flexibility. Sometimes I can tweak my route if I need to. It’s nice.

Tell us about your family.
I live with my wife of 21 years and our four-year old daughter.
We live in Maplewood.

What was your first job?
I worked in the yard at Frank’s Nursery and Crafts. My job was to haul trees around and take care of the trees, move the mulch and the dirt.

What do you like to do on your days off?
I like to read, I like to watch movies, I like to spend time with my family. We like to hike, we like to camp, I like to spend time in my
woodshop building things.

What three words would you use to describe Warners’ Stellian?
Family, loyalty, reputation.

What’s your favorite appliance, and why?
It’s a toss-up: I have a 1927 Cold Spot fridge.
It still works, and I keep it on the screen porch. I also have a 1950s mint green industrial malt mixer that I found at an antique shop for ridiculously cheap—and because I know how to fix it, I now have a $500 appliance that I got for 70 bucks.

Tell us something about you that would surprise us or that most people don’t know.
I am a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and I used to teach it.

What is the one thing you cannot live without?
Oxygen! But a close second is air conditioning, because I detest being hot!

If you had to eat one meal, every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I am a big fan of stuff on the grill – grilled meats. But I could probably eat Kraft macaroni and
cheese all day every day for the rest of my life and not get sick of it.

What is your favorite thing to do?
That’s a toss up between camping with the family—I renovated a truck camper so we go camping with that quite a bit, and I really like building
stuff in my shop.

At Warners’ Stellian, one of our core values is family, and each new employee becomes a member of our family. In our Spotlight Series, we plan to share a deeper look into the talent that contributes to our success each day. This week, let’s meet Sales Associate Tanya Williams.

Describe your typical workday.

Every day is different, but normally the day stats with merchandising my area of the store. From there, I spend my time working with clients, putting together bids for future builder projects or following up on delivered orders. 

What has surprised you most about working at Warners’ Stellian? 

After working in other retail positions, which typically see high turnover, I was surprised to see how many people had been with the company for many years. It is definitely a testament to the positive work environment.

Can you offer advice for people considering a career in sales? 

Sometimes a life on the sales floor can be fast-paced, while other times it remains slow. You need to embrace both and use your time downtime effectively. Downtime provides a great opportunity to pick up the phone and follow up with your customers.

Before going appliance shopping, what should customers know?

Measure your space, and take pictures of the existing appliance. Seeing pictures helps your salesperson answer questions and foresee issues when it comes to fitting your new appliances in the existing space.

What is on your appliance wish list?

I would love to own a combi-steam oven. It allows for faster cooking and better nutrient retention in your food. Plus, food just tastes better!

How do you spend your free time?

I enjoy traveling, going to the theater or exploring historical sites and museums.

Are you interested in joining the Warners’ Stellian family? Apply here!

At Warners’ Stellian, one of our core values is family, and each new employee becomes a member of our family. In our Spotlight Series, we plan to share a deeper look into the talent that contributes to our success each day. This week, let’s meet Sales Associate Lucas Marcroft.

What does a typical day at Warners’ Stellian look like for you?

I arrive, tie my shoes and give a head nod to my manager, Jeff Warner, knowing it’s game time. I spend most days making phone calls, answering customers’ questions and geeking out about appliances.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I like helping customers plan their future projects. It’s more than just picking out which appliances will work best for them. You need design acumen to help customers figure out what will look good in their finished space as well.

Can you offer advice for people considering a sales career?

It’s definitely a great field to be in, but you have to be willing to work hard. You are your own business; what you put in is what you get back.

Do you collect anything?

I used to collect Vitamin Water bottles when I was younger. They came in almost every color on the wheel and had different stories on the back. I had my whole window sill filled with them at one point. I also collected bottle openers when my wife and I worked in the restaurant industry.

What is your favorite winter activity?

I like to be outdoors with my family as much as possible. Recently, I’ve enjoyed watching my son, Antonio, learn to play hockey.

What appliance is the MVP in your home?

Definitely my refrigerator! It keeps my drinks cold and food fresh.

Are you interested in joining the Warners’ Stellian family? Apply here!

At Warners’ Stellian, one of our core values is family, and each new employee becomes a member of our family. In our Spotlight Series, we plan to share a deeper look into the talent that contributes to our success each day. This week, let’s meet Business Development Manager Joe Nguyen.

How long have you worked at Warners’ Stellian?

I started on the warehouse evening crew in January 2005. I eventually became a delivery helper, then crew leader, and then install tech. I moved to sales in September 2009 at our St. Paul store and became manager of our Coon Rapids location in 2016.  Finally, I’ve been in the Business Development Manager role since October 2017. 

What’s your favorite part of working at Warners’ Stellian?

With every position there has been a favorite. When I was in the warehouse, I was a high school kid, so it was great to build friendships and gain camaraderie with my coworkers, who then became some of my best friends. On delivery, it was learning different appliances and installing them in all applications. In sales, I enjoyed the customer interaction. Now, every day presents a different challenge, and it keeps me busy. But nothing compares to working for and being a part of a family company.

What are the biggest changes you’ve seen over your years here?

The continued growth of the company. When I started in 2005, there were less than 20 trucks on the road. Now we have more than 70 trucks, in addition to service vans, plumbers/HVAC technicians, and installers on the road at any given time. We also offer services that we did not 10 years ago, like heating and cooling!

Before working at Warners’ Stellian, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?

I was a dishwasher/bus boy for Carmelo’s Ristorante in St. Paul. It’s still there today, and it’s great Italian food! Check them out!

If you had to eat one meal every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

My mom’s PHO!

Any New Year resolutions?

Yes, no fast food!

Are you interested in joining the Warners’ Stellian family? Apply here!