- As told to Pilot writer Carolyn Shapiro We started in 1984 as a phone-in company. We did voice recordings and faxes. We have remote employees all over. Our East Coast team consists of myself, a person down in Florida and a person in New York.

- As told to Pilot writer Philip Walzer I had done a couple of commercials with my dad when I was in grade school. My family had a meatpacking business in Dayton, Ohio. I just thought a TV studio was a pretty cool place to be. I went to Ohio University and got my first job in Parkersburg, W.Va., as a weather guy. That was in 1974, and I've been at it ever since.

– As told to The Pilot

I’ve been in the company 23 years. My first official job here at Costco was pushing shopping carts. You couldn’t beat the pay at the time. I think the minimum wage was like $3.25, and I started out here at $5.85 an hour. After a year or two, I moved into tire sales. Then, I became an installer. I’ve been an installer at least 11 years.

As told to Pilot business editor Dave Mayfield This is my 12th year as a hygienist and my second career. My first was therapeutic recreation. I worked in psychiatric care and spinal cord rehab for about six years before I ending up choosing this route.

- As told to Pilot writer Philip Walzer I grew up in Florida. One of the reasons I moved to Norfolk was because we do have great culture. I used to love to come to the Chrysler with my friends. I paint myself. I was looking for a job, and they were advertising, and it was kismet. That was in 2010.

- As told to Pilot writer Carolyn Shapiro

As told to Pilot writer Robert McCabe I was born in Guam in 1966.

My parents, both originally from the Philippines, met in Guam and were married there. My dad worked for the U.S. government as an electrical engineer. He is the oldest of 11 brothers and sisters. His father died when he was very young. As the father figure, he brought all of his family to Guam and then to the States.

As told to Pilot writer Josh Brown I was raised by my mom and my grandparents in Chesapeake. My family is full of educators. My grandmother is a retired teacher. They instilled in me that you have to go to school, continue to do what you can to be independent and improve your quality of life. That's what drives me, is that passion, and having that support system.

- As told to Pilot writer Philip Walzer I went to high school in Florence, Alabama. We had a chemical engineer as a chemistry teacher. I really enjoyed math and chemistry and with her influence became interested in becoming a chemical engineer. I applied for a scholarship that International Paper funded, along with several other paper companies.

- As told to Pilot writer Carolyn Shapiro I had never done any serving or anything, and I applied for a waitress job. I was in my 20s. I was married to a (military) service man who, in those days, didn't make too much money. I figured I could help out. They hired me. I was surprised. I was about four years waiting on tables. And then I magically got the offer to do this.