After running numerous sprints at different speeds for the director with 21 girls auditioning and acting out a scenario, I was one of three chosen to film a running scene with Reese. Before I knew it, I was in a van on my way to the wardrobe trailer, and then hair and make-up. I spent the morning on the set, watching them film another scene on the National Mall.

In the afternoon it was time to film the scene that I was in. There were numerous takes and lots of running. Reese had a body double in case she got tired, but she didn't use her once. She wanted to do all of the running scenes herself. She was having a great time! And so was I. What could be more fun than being paid to run...on a movie set? It was also incredible to have the opportunity to meet her and work with her. She is extremely nice and down to earth.

I spotted plenty of lululemon on the set. In my scene I am wearing Run:Ultra shorts. One of the actresses in the scene is wearing Wonder Under Crops, and I also spotted plenty of Velocity socks.

Perhaps, what struck me most about my experience was observing the cast and crew. They were so passionate about what they were doing. It wasn't just a job to them, they were their jobs. Having a strong sense of passion for something is most important. As of late, I have really let my sense of passion for running guide me, and it has led me to some pretty cool places!

Above: Carlson currently works as our Merchandise Allocations / Analyst Dude at the Store Support Centre in Vancouver, BC. He's wearing our Vitasea Tee Off tee, in case you were wondering.

What brought you to lululemon?

Six years ago, I was in downward dog at Yoga Passage in Calgary, and like many newbie yogis I took the occasional casual glances around the room and noticed the fine glutes of a yogini in front of me … and THEN I noticed the strategically placed lululemon logo on her pants.  From then on I just noticed the stylized “A” on the clothing of more and more yogis and eventually searched out to experience the lululemon 4th St. store. On my first visit, I tried on a pair of… whatever the predecessor of the asana pant was - from there on my unorthodoxly hairy asian legs and smooth bottom were sold.

How  I became employed at lululemon was actually all based on chance.  I walked into Market Mall when the lavender was still fresh and the painted walls were still scuff-free and I ran into a buddy who then was working as an educator.  He told me he was opening up the new Southcentre store as assistant manager and if I had free time and wanted to work in a chill and low-key place to give him a shout.

What do you like best about working at lululemon? What do you like best about your role?

The vision, mission and manifesto were the first corporate intents I was able to strongly relate to.  The culture and the lifestyles supported by lululemon blends seamlessly with my personal values.

I love sports, I love sweating, I love conversing, I love cotton fleece/luon/french terry, I love yoga, I love eating, I love living, I love laughing and it’s remarkable I can do it all without restraint in an organizational environment.

I love how our simply complex and complexing-ly simple responsibilities impact and support our stores for success and in turn sets myself and others around me for personal, health and financial success.

I love how I can define my role, yet the responsibilities and learning opportunities have no borders; how I can be selfish by being enrolled and taught by others yet also be selfless by unconditionally giving to others  to ultimately influence and guide all beings to lead longer, healthier more fun lives; I strongly believe this is how we transcend mediocrity.

What skills / qualities have made you successful in your role?

• Breathe… and breathe ujjayi often
• Listening and asking strategic questions without hesitation
• Empathy and patience
• Have conversations with your colleagues, with educators, with guests, with community leaders to teach and learn
• Yoga, yoga, and more yoga (and a little bit of circuit training, biking, volleyball, running, snowboarding)

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in your role in the future?

Don’t get too caught up in the details - keep an eye on the big picture, that BHAG (big-hairy-ass/audacious-goal) we all have and just have fun getting there together. Don’t rush from the beginning to the end; just ride the breath like sweet untouched pow and enjoy the journey.

Want to learn more about a day in the life of an account manager at lululemon? Well you've come to the right place!

As a Strategic Sales Account Manager for lululemon, I have the opportunity to introduce lululemon to people in new areas, creating passion for the brand, whilst supporting the communities in which we operate. It's amazing to be surrounded by entrepreneurial minded people who have an incredible passion for our product and culture. I always knew I wanted to work in new markets, I just didn't know at the time that I would land my dream job doing it!

So what does a day in the life of a Strategic Sales Account Manager look like? Well, every day is different, but to give you a snippet my team starts by creating a strategy. Where do we want to go and why? We partner with yoga, pilates, fitness and wellness spas in the US and Canada with a focus on new markets in order to build great relationships with our end users, share our culture and support our stores.

One of my favourite parts of this role is fostering and developing relationships with our partners. They are a business too and it is a rewarding experience to help them grow. The Strategic Sales program provides us with the opportunity to touch so many different facets of our company, from creating seasonal product catalogues, to working with merch and finance. I now have a broader knowledge of how my job affects other teams at lululemon. We also get involved in the fun stuff like creating community events, blogging online about our partners and we also provide product education and merch tips… And of course, taking classes and wearing the clothes!

The best part of all is that I'm following my goals and I get paid to do so! If you want to learn more about our team and what we do, check out the strategic sales section of our website.

Ever wonder who is hard at work making our website work? Wonder no longer, and meet Ronnh – one part web developer, one part art director, he also made this very blog you are reading!

What do you do at lululemon?

I am part of the ecommerce/webteam. I am mostly in charge of contributing to the creative on the website, but I also help out with programming and app building.

With the launch of the new website I was in charge of getting the blog and career search/submission pages built. I also arranged the implementation of the various educational videos we use throughout the site. Since our images are constantly changing throughout the site, I am in charge of creating/changing those assets.

What is a typical Monday like?

It’s a lot like Tuesday, except it happens first.

What are your quotes to live by?

"I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens." ~ Woody Allen

When you were younger what did you want to be?

One of the taller kids who got to stand in the back of the class photos. Not the kid holding the sign in the first row.

How do you sweat once a day?

Anxiety. I also like to take various fitness classes offered here at the SSC.

What's your favorite piece lululemon makes?

Performance Jacket.

What is your 10 year goal?

I will have 2 kids and they will do thy bidding.

Do you have a BHAG?

My BHAG is to one day tour with my own band.

What is your greatest achievement so far?

Getting married, paying bills, doing my taxes…taking care of business.

Where do you think lululemon will be in 50 years?

6th and Clark.

Above: Meet Shannon, our Running / Outerwear Designer extraordinaire!

Each week we want to introduce you to some of the amazing people who work hard to make lululemon what it is. If there is anyone you'd like to see featured, drop us a line in the comments below and we'll do our best to give you that behind the scenes look at who we are and what we do.

On that note, please meet Shannon, our Running and Outerwear Designer!

What brought you to lululemon?

I’ve always loved the store and the product since lululemon opened on W4th Avenue in Vancouver. I liked what they stood for and thought that so many of their values were similar to my own “life values”. I felt like it would be an exciting culture to be a part of.

When one of my best friends got a design job and told me that they were growing rapidly, I applied immediately and started as a product developer, which quickly turned into a design position.  That was over 3 years ago.

What do you like best about working at lululemon? What do you like best about your role?

I come to work everyday and work with some of my favorite people who have all become close friends of mine. I create. I design. I inspire and get inspired. I laugh a lot. Then I go running with colleagues or do yoga and come up with more ideas. I work really hard. And then I see it all come to life and it’s like magic.  The best part of my role is seeing the affect our product has on everyone around me, including the guests in our stores.

What skills / qualities have made you successful in your role?

Creativity, the ability to innovate, leadership, problem solver extraordinaire, multi-tasking & efficiency in tasks, teamwork, the ability to adapt.

What is your lululemon legend, ie: something you’ve already created or something you plan to create?

The lululemon running line! It’s my passion in life.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in your role in the future?

Never stop trying. Work really hard. Get a design education. Love what you do. Don’t ever be afraid to try something crazy.

>>> Interested in working in a role like Shannon's? Start setting some goals or visit our careers section to see if we have an opening that interests you!