7 Questions* for José Cruz, Frederator Networks’ Staff Accountant.
I thought you might want to find out a bit more about some of the Frederators, my colleagues who make our joint run so well everyday. They’re really special, seriously.
José Cruz works in the finance department at Frederator, which means he’s the guy you go to for the check. But that’s not all, he handles the numbers in our company’s ledgers and bank statements. Crucial stuff that make our company run smoothly everyday. At least, the stuff that the rest of us don’t mess up.
José’s only been around less than two months, so we don’t know each other too well yet. So, I asked him to tell me a bit of background before we got into the questions.
“I went to school at Baruch College, just up the block. Didn’t think I would be working in the area that I basically called campus. After school, I decided to help my dad manage his restaurant and deli-grocery. After two years of helping to run our family-owned business, I decided it was time to do something on my own. Zabar’s & Co. decided to give me that opportunity. I began as a bookkeeper in 2015 until becoming AR [accounts receivable] clerk with exposure to the company’s books.
“There have been many moments of happiness, many of hardships, but all in all, I wouldn’t be here without having through all that I have been through.”
1 What are you into right now?
My favorite things at the moment include Game of Thrones, playing soccer, and bike riding.
2 How did you meet Frederator?
I met Frederator a couple of months ago when I came for my interview. Since I stepped foot in this office, I knew it had a different vibe to any other places that I had been at.
3 Describe your work. Is it what you expected to be doing with your life?
I’m currently handling a lot of the financials of Frederator. Everything from paying Freelancers and vendors to allocating expenses and revenue streams for the company. It’s actually been better than where I thought I would be at this point. Really enjoy doing what I do with the great people that I am surrounded with.
4 Do you watch television? (Is that different to you than watching video through the internet?)
I don’t even own a television anymore. Everything I watch is through my phone, iPad, or laptop. It mostly includes Netflix, Youtube, and HBO. But I believe we are in a point in time this trend has become increasingly common.
5 What’s your favorite cartoon of all time?
DragonBall Z, watched it while I was growing up and watch it here and there as an adult.
6 Where do you live? Will you live there forever?
Currently live in Astoria [Queens]. I can’t imagine living more than 20 minutes away from the city. I’ve grown in the city and I don’t think I’ll be able to relocate, at least for now.
7 Answer a question of your own for us.
What’s one goal you wish to accomplish in the next year?
The one goal that I would want to accomplish, with respect to work, is to be a little more open. I’m just so used to standard office that it’s taken me a while to get used to this open office that we have here at Frederator. Don’t get me wrong; I love this setup that we have, however it’s just taken me a while to adjust. But I know that eventually I’ll get there.
*7 Questions is my irregular series of interviews with interesting people. Coming up soon, writers, graphic designers, educators, tech founders, start up investors, music folks, and more Frederators.
