Watson Anniversary – Jay Armstrong’s 10th Work Anniversary

Our National Account Manager, Jay Armstrong, is celebrating his 10th year at Watson Gloves! 🥳

How did you start your career here at Watson Gloves?

I started in Calgary as a Sales Representative, and I think it was my first or second day on the job when I hit the road with my manager at that time, Rosemary Keon. It was quite the adventure as I was getting a lot of windshield time and was a bit of a road warrior. Life on the road is an excellent foundation because you get a feel for the marketplace you’re serving.

What’s your most memorable moment at Watson Gloves?

The most memorable moment would have to be Watson Gloves’ 100th-anniversary party at our head office. We were supposed to dress like we were from 1918, so a whole group of us went to a costume rental shop, and I don’t know what inspired me, but I said, “Hey, do you have any swimming costumes?” They did, and there I was in one of those stripy t-shirt short combos with no water in sight. It was so great to celebrate such a milestone for a Canadian company!

What does ‘Watson Family’ mean to you?

History, authenticity, and that we’re all such a motley crew! We’re a mix of all sorts of diverse individuals all bound together by the same passion!

What’s your secret in having a long career at Watson Gloves?

Authenticity. I think if you’re open and authentic, you’ll never ever trip-up because you show up the same every day.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give to a new Watson team member?

I love Watson Gloves as a company because they’re very willing to let us try new things. If you have any great ideas, never be shy and never hesitate. Your ideas will be respected, even if they seem wild! I speak from experience because I’ve had lots of wild ideas and it’s great to have the freedom to try new things at your job, as it’s certainly not that typical.

263 What the Buck

Did you help to name any gloves?

“What the Buck” and I think I helped to coin “the Watsonators”.

Any last thoughts?

One of my favorite sayings is “dive deep, stay down long, come up muddy” – I think if you consider that within everything you do, you’ll end up loving what you’re doing, and that’ll make an impact.

…So are you still diving deep?

I probably can’t hold my breath quite as long as when I was a young guy, but I still try to dive as deep as possible and come up as muddy as possible.

Congrats to Jay on the big milestone!

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