When Tara Neiderer’s mother fell ill and she had to go back to Ireland for a month, she wasn’t worried that her job as a sales rep at Bright Ideas (asi/146026) would be gone when she returned stateside.

She knew owners Ron and Janet Baellow had her back. “They are who they say they are, and they do what they say they’re going to do, and people come first,” Neiderer says.

Bright Ideas is first, too – the number-one company on this year’s Counselor Best Places to Work list. A big reason why is the Troy, VA-based distributorship’s family-first philosophy. “Every single person on our staff has had some sort of family-related issue,” says Janet Baellow, “and there’s never one second of hesitancy on our part to give them the space they need to handle these situations.”

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Appearances on Best Places to Work

Katie Hansen, a customer service rep and marketing coordinator with Bright Ideas, raves about how the Baellows “foster a work environment that supports positivity and creativity, as well as self-improvement, and everything is done with a sense of humor.”

The 23-year-old company has found a winning formula that balances fun and professionalism, Baellow says. “Our approach is to give the salespeople the tools and education they need to continue to develop themselves as salespeople,” she adds.

Neiderer, who’s been in sales in some capacity since she was a teenager, says Ron has been the best sales manager she’s ever worked for – an advocate for learning who will buy his team any business book they request and a supportive presence with an open-door policy and ample wisdom to share. “I do feel if I had Ron as a boss when I was young, goodness knows how far I would be now,” Neiderer says.

Bright Ideas has always had a hybrid setup, with several staffers working remotely across the country, so when COVID hit, the Baellows gave staff the option of staying home or coming to the office. “That’s pretty much how it’s continued,” Janet says. “We had really such a great setup to allow everyone to work from their remote location. It was little to no disruption.”

“Every single person on our staff has had a family-related issue, and there’s never one second of hesitancy on our part to give them the space they need to handle these situations.”Janet Baellow, Bright Ideas

Employees stay connected, both on a professional and personal level, using Teams. “It’s been really instrumental in keeping people up-to-date with each other,” Janet adds.

Prior to the pandemic, Bright Ideas would occasionally take the staff on outings, and treat them to a group lunch for their birthdays. But rather than give up on a birthday meal completely, the Baellows started sending GrubHub gift cards to employees so they could enjoy a free lunch on their own instead.

Other perks of the job include flexible scheduling that allows employees like Neiderer the freedom to play a round of squash in the middle of the day or take care of a sick kid when necessary. “That, for me, is huge,” she says.

Hansen’s favorite perk? “My dog, Otto,” she says, “can come to work at Bright Ideas headquarters every day.” A pet-friendly office – and a human-friendly one, too.