You pass them in the halls, see their faces on Teams calls, and exchange emails. You know their job title and department and might even know their extension by heart. But do you truly know who you’re working with? Get to know Jackie Flynn, Managing Director of Tandym’s Office Administration team!

Who are you?

I was born and raised in Brooklyn where I lived in an apartment with my parents and older sister for most of my youth. I went to an all-girls Catholic school for 12 years where I was a 3-sport athlete (basketball, softball & swimming). After high school, I went to the Wood Tobe-Coburn School and got my Associate’s Degree in Business. It was a 14 month program and as soon as I graduated, I had a few months off before I began working at Tandym Group as a receptionist in 1995. I currently live in New Jersey with my husband (who I met when we were growing up in Brooklyn), my two kids, and my dog.

Soup season is upon us. What are your top 3 go-to soups to make / have?

Well, the first is easy: chicken noodle. It’s something everyone grows up eating and it’s delicious. My mom always made it so well, but I’ve actually never tried to make it myself. I should try and do that. My second favorite is tomato soup. It’s just a comforting warm bowl of deliciousness. I tried to make a paleo tomato soup once before. It smelled so good, and I was so excited to have it and then when we tried it, it was probably the worst thing I’ve ever eaten ever. Haven’t tried making it again since. Last and certainly not least is clam chowder. I’ve never tried to make it (especially now after that tomato soup situation), but I order it any time it’s offered. Fun fact: I LOVE seafood but have never cooked any of it personally in my life. Weird, right?

Did you find Tandym or did we find you?

Hmmm, I’m not entirely sure. The 14-month program that I was in came with the incentive of them finding you a job immediately out of college. Whether it was the college who reached out to the company or the company who reached out to them, that’s how I got here! 28 years later and I’m still here and I still love it. My role has never been the same since I started. It just kept progressing and taking on new responsibilities and projects that always kept me engaged. I was never bored here and there wasn’t any reason ever for me to leave if I enjoyed my job and I was being recognized for my hard work and contributions.

What was the first album you bought?

Album? I don’t know, but I do remember the first tape cassette (which most people won’t know what that is) was Samantha Fox’s single “I Wanna Have Some Fun”. I love to dance, and it was one of the best fun songs to dance to during the 80s, which was such a fun decade. I’d always go out to the city with my friends dancing at all the night clubs. We used to be regulars at the 80s-themed bar “The Culture Club” downtown. Those were some good times.

Do you have any hidden talents / fun facts?

I’m really into crafting and embroidering clothing. It sounds lame, but I have a Cricut machine that I love to use to design clothes and anything else I can get my hands on. In fact, I actually designed all the sweatshirts and t-shirts for my daughter’s sweet 16 all by myself. I’m still very proud of that and so very 80s of me.

How do you pass the time on your morning commute and has it always been the same?

Honestly, it was either music on my discman (another old person thing to say) or just sleeping. When I first started with the company, my hours were 6:30am to 2:30pm, so I was up at around 4:30 getting ready every day. Sleeping on the commute was an absolute necessity. Nowadays, it’s just music or watching something new on Netflix or Peacock.

You’ve seen so much since you first started. What are some of the big everyday differences that stick out the most?

Where should I start? I mean, let’s be serious: we’re wayyy bigger than we were back then. When I started, it was just 25 people on the 16th floor of this building. We didn’t have the whole floor either, just one side to ourselves. Once we started growing, we acquired some office space directly below us on the 15th floor and had a spiral connecting the two offices – kind of like the way we do now between the 4th and 5th floors. But again, that was only just one side of the building. Another thing is that we were strictly an Accounting / Finance staffing firm back then. That was our bread and butter. So, we used to focus on hiring people with interest and/or expertise in those fields. And even that process was entirely different. Anyone we hired had to have a degree, pass a specialized test to qualify as a recruiter and always had to wear a suit and tie. Things like that have changed for the better.

You get to open your own bar/restaurant. How big would it be, what would the theme be, and what would it be known for?

I’d definitely want it to be more of a bar than a restaurant, and it would have to revolve around a DJ, live music and dancing. Since I’ve always wanted to live in Manhattan, I’d want it to be downtown in the East or West Village. But mostly, it would be a good neighborhood spot. A few good regular patrons, some TV for sports games, and a solid menu of small appetizers to share with friends. I’m always about eating a little bit of a lot of things rather than a huge meal. As for the name, we used to call my basement “Club No Shoes” because of all the dancing that we’d do down there, so let’s go with that!

Since you started, what was the best, most consistent place to get food near the NYC office?

There used to be a PAX across the street from our office (where Sandwicherie currently is) and it was my favorite place in the world. I practically lived there getting breakfast and lunch every single day. It was the same setup that Sandwicherie has now, but the kitchen staff and recipes definitely changed for the worse. They always had a new, good soup, but their claim to fame were their muffins. I kid you not, the best muffins I’ve had – which is perfect for me because muffins are a top 3 favorite food in the world!