Name: Sean Conlon 
Company: PetBox
Job Title: Co-Founder/CEO
During the holiday season, my favorite channel to shop would be: I would have to say that I love the feeling of Christmas spirit and the only real way to feel that is to be out and about at traditional retail stores. Don’t get me wrong, I love the savings of online shopping, but you really can’t beat the sounds and sights of the Christmas season.
Which matters more to you as a shopper: Free Shipping, Same-day Shipping, Same-day Delivery and why: As a “want it now” consumer, I really appreciate same-day shipping and same-day delivery. I am also willing to pay for it, because it saves me the hassle of going out to the store to purchase the item I am looking for. If I could work on my patience, free shipping would be my first choice. Free shipping really makes the price gap between retail and online much greater and noticeable.
When I’m not shopping on my own site, my favorite place to shop is: About a year ago, I discovered the best fitting clothes I have ever purchased – Bonobos. Since that day, I rarely shy away from Bonobos when I shop online.
Which merchant is mastering the fulfillment process right now: There are several merchants that are doing some very cool things right now, and overall, I would say that the customization piece of ecommerce has been one of the coolest shifts that I have seen. One of the best wedding presents my wife and I received last year was the top of a wine barrel that had our last name etched into the wood and it came from RedEnvelope.com.
The biggest operations and fulfillment technology enhancement I need for my business would be: At PetBox our sales have nearly doubled each month since we launched in November 2013 and our inventory forecasting has been a major challenge. As a startup, cash flow is the name of the game and it is difficult to lock a lot of capital into inventory. Thus, we walk as close of a line to just in time as we can, while avoiding stock outs. There are a few software solutions in the market, but few seem to be exactly what we are looking for.
In my downtime, my favorite place to travel would be: My wife and I love traveling to the Napa/Sonoma wine country in Northern California. Nothing beats a long weekend filled with the best food and wine in the United States!
The best advice I received from a boss, friend, mentor or family member is: As I was growing up, my father instilled the famous Zig Ziggler quote in my vocabulary, “You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.” This mentality is so true and will dramatically change your perspective and results if you follow it, especially if you angle it towards your customers. Overnight you will see relationships blossom and sales rise.
When I’m not working, I’m: I have lived in San Diego, California for just over two years now and there are still so many places that I have yet to visit in Southern California. Each weekend I try and explore a new area and see more of the beauty that California has to offer.
If I could have one superhero power, it would be: Hands down, Superman is the greatest superhero of our time. Although he has many powers, I think I would appreciate having his ability to fly. Not only to fly, but to fly at supersonic speeds!
When I was growing up, I wanted to be a: I always dreamed of playing football of the University of Notre Dame and going on to play in the NFL.
Sean will also be speaking at the 2014 Operations Summit. To find out more about Sean and the conference please click here.
To follow Sean on LinkedIn click here.