PickTrace is proud to be a team of diverse backgrounds, skill sets, and interests. Each week we highlight members of our team to learn about what makes them, and PickTrace, unique.
Learn more about Senior Manager People & Operations, Maggie Phu!
RAPID FIRE:
- Grew Up In: El Monte, CA
- Currently Lives In: Covina, CA
- Star Sign: Aquarius
- Favorite thing to bake: Cookies are a go-to. I got really into tarts and cakes. I usually go down a rabbit hole and obsess over 1 thing for months like croissants, macaroons, cinnamon rolls, etc.
- Dream travel destination: If it’s non fictional: Japan – Fictional – Hogwarts or the Shire, especially for mealtime.
- Savory snacks or sweet treats: Depends, but probably sweet.
How would you describe yourself as a child?
- Rambunctious. And a snacker. My mom used to cut fruit for us and keep them in the fridge. It was the best thing to come home to after school.
- Loved playing pranks on my sister and brother.
You’ve worked in PeopleOps for many years now – what’s your favorite part of this field?
- I’ve been in the people ops realm for close to 10 years. Seeing the impact that my work has on our team is really motivating.
What’s a favorite memory from your time at PickTrace?
- Playing Bananagrams in the office.
- Growing the team and every time we got a signed offer letter – it was an emotional rollercoaster, but so rewarding. I remember everyone I’ve recruited.
- Getting together with the team. I’m not in a role where I travel much so it’s great to see everyone in person and hang out.
What are your hobbies and passions outside of work?
- Baking – it’s fun to challenge my skills with complicated bakes. I made a Paris-Brest last year that was really fun. It’s a choux pastry with praline creme covered in almonds. I didn’t really get into baking until I started watching the Great British Baking show in 2017.
- I really want to get into restoring furniture. Taking some kind of beat up and making it new again.
- Gardening – typically veggies/fruit. We built our garden in 2021 and do a veggie garden every spring. It’s nice not thinking about what veggies to eat in the summer.
- Yoga – hot yoga specifically. It’s a 90 minute moving meditation in the heat. I don’t think I could live without it.
- Hanging out with the doggos. That’s always good for the soul.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received – or do you have a mantra you live by?
- A mantra I’ve always lived by is ‘you can’t control other people, you can only control how you handle things and what you believe in’ – it’s forced me to let things go, even if it’s not what I agree with. It’s also challenged me to be the change that I want to see (ha, another cheesy mantra), but it’s helped me a lot throughout my life.
If you were a fruit or vegetable what would you be and why?
- Celery is my gut instinct- I like it. Never really the focal point of a dish, but it’s always there lol. It usually has dirt on it when you buy it at the store and my mom says my element is earth. It’s also very versatile. It’s crunchy, strong, hearty, kinda stringy, and its partner in crime is peanut butter.
