One of the newest Innovators to join our employee team, but certainly not new to ttcInnovations, is Doug Wooldridge! You might recognize the name being that he is the son of our CEO and Founder, Debbie Wooldridge, and husband to our HR Coordinator, Emily Wooldridge. It goes without saying that ttc culture takes on a bit of a family feel, especially since many family members contribute in some capacity. Doug has onboarded as our Administrative Assistant, an integral role to our success — so we thought Administrative Assistant Day was the perfect opportunity to recognize his achievements! Learn a little more about him, what he likes to do off-the-clock, and three apps he always has on his phone.
Tell us a little bit about yourself as a new member of the ttc employee team!
Outside of work, I like to make music. I’m a guitarist/keyboardist/singer, so I have a bunch of fun toys and instruments in my studio to keep me occupied.
What is your career background in? And what led you to the admin assistant role at ttc?
For the last eight years I’ve owned and run a recording studio for music and voiceover audio. I’ve been partnering with ttcInnovations as a voiceover vendor for the last three years. When COVID hit, the entire recording industry hit the pause button. I knew I had to be open when opportunities presented themselves, and near the end of last year ttc asked if I’d be interested in coming on board with them to take on the role of Admin Assistant. It seemed like a perfect fit for my analytical mind!
Where are you from and where do you currently live?
I’m originally from Kansas City and moved out to Los Angeles about six years ago.
What does your ideal Saturday look like?
Sleep in an extra hour. Make brunch with my wife. Take the pups for a walk. Practice a little piano. Prep a brisket for the smoker and get ready to stay up all night smoking meat for the Chiefs game on Sunday.
Coffee or tea?
I like a good light roast coffee with just a touch of cream.
What is it like to work at ttc alongside your mom, sister, wife, and cousin?
Luckily, I’ve had a bit of practice with it since I’ve contracted with ttc a few times over the years. I started doing various maintenance projects in 2011 and then helped with a large program rollout in 2013. It’s a lot of fun working with the folks you know and love! It’s also nice to have a twin working in the same department, because we’re often thinking exactly the same thing while working on solutions or workshopping ways to innovate within our department.
What is your professional superpower?
I don’t know if I’ve quite landed on my professional superpower just yet, but I can sing pretty well.
What are three things that are always in your workspace?
- Upright piano – practicing is a great way to relax while I’m taking my ten-minute breaks.
- Chiefs helmet signed by Patrick Mahomes
- Moleskine notebook for note taking. I try to mix it up a bit so I can take a break from slamming keys on the keyboard.
What does life outside of work look like?
It looks very similar to life at work since I’m often going from my admin assistant tasks directly into a recording session, and then there’s the whole COVID thing. Mostly though, it’s a lot of cooking and baking with my wife. I took up making sourdough bread when the pandemic first hit (totally worth the time and effort, by the way). We also love watching movies, walking our dogs, and driving down to San Diego when we can to see the family and hang out with our little nephew. As long as the parks are open, we really enjoy camping as well.
If you could only have 3 apps on your phone, what would they be and why?
- Twitter – It’s the best (and worst) of the social medias.
- Radio.com – I have to be able to listen in on some 610 sports KC even though I’m 1200 miles away.
- The Weather Channel – We live in the San Fernando Valley, so really it’s just to keep an eye on how far north of 100 degrees it’s going to get most afternoons from July to October.
What is a once in a lifetime experience that you wish you could go back and relive?
My wedding. It was the best party I ever helped put together and I got to share it with the love of my life.
