Some people go their whole lives with a song in their heart, never to be released. For Joe Gonzalez of Starfire Direct, he lets that song play out whenever he can. Joe is a musician. He picked up a guitar at the age of 11 and now, 15 years later, he has never put it down. For Joe, his love for music started the day he saw his very first acoustic guitar in a store window. "I was walking around the Promenade Mall [in Temecula], and there was this blue acoustic guitar that I really wanted…My Dad ended up buying it for me. I just went to my room and started playing, and I never stopped." These days, this Temecula native plays in a two-man band with his brother called Storyesque. Since the days of his first guitar, Joe has expanded his musical instrument repertoire to include piano, drums, and bass. But his true passion lies in singing, song-writing, and lyrical composition.
Joe operates our Wave to reach boxes on the top shelf.
Born in San Diego, Joe has been in Temecula for as long as he can remember. He began working in warehouses at the age of 16 but has been a part of the Starfire Direct warehouse team for just over a year now. He handles all aspects of shipping and receiving. From weight distribution to finding the most efficient shipping methods, Joe works hard to make sure our customers receive their orders quickly and without a scratch. You may also recognize him from Starfire Direct's social media pages. He can often be seen working hard- or dancing- in our Instagram story or Facebook page. But for Joe, the best part of the job is his coworkers. "The warehouse guys are the funniest people I have ever worked with. It is good vibes; the people are inspiring here. They are encouraging, they are positive, and Jon Burlingham [Starfire Direct CEO] is a visionary. I really look up to him and respect him a lot."
Joe uses a forklift to stack pallets outside the Starfire Direct warehouse.
Joe definitely does his part to add to those positive vibes. He is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. His friends have even described him as "abnormally nice." Joe will do anything to help a friend in need. A self-described "indoor guy", Joe has a love for movies and television. When asked to describe his perfect Saturday Joe adds, "I'd sleep in until 10. Enjoy a big cup of coffee, then a nice big brunch of bacon and eggs. After that, I don't know. I would probably write some music and play my guitar." For Joe, it always comes back to music. He was lucky enough to find his passion on display in a store window all those years ago, all shiny and blue; and to this day, he has never let it go.
Main Image: Joe's true passion is making music. He started playing guitar at 11 years old.
