An Unlikely Start

There’s rarely one straight path into any industry.

Sometimes getting into the bike industry isn’t about following a perfectly mapped-out career path. It’s about timing, persistence, and being willing to take a role that might lead somewhere you didn’t expect.

In this first Field Note, Washington Outdoor Link co-founder Paul Giarratano looks back at the interview that eventually brought him to Raleigh America. He touches on why the hiring team wasn’t entirely convinced he’d stick around, and how entry-level customer service role became the beginning of a much bigger career chapter.

The Second Interview That Changed Everything

My relationship with Raleigh America didn’t start with a job offer. It started with an interview in November 2001 that went well, but the timing was off. The season had already wound down, so there wasn’t much pressure to hire me at the time.

Life moved on. I moved around the country a bit, and by the spring of 2004, I found myself back in their lobby wondering if round two would go any differently.

This time, they took a chance on me, against everyone’s better judgment, including maybe even my own.

The main concern from the management team was that the job might be too easy for me, or that I’d get bored. I had been working as a college-level science instructor for eight years, and I think they saw the position as a potential dead end. They thought I might burn out quickly without the challenges of teaching.

It turned out to be neither easy nor boring.

I walked in as a Customer Service Representative, fully aware that some people weren’t convinced I was the “safe” hire. That was fuel. I worked like someone who had something to prove because, honestly, I did.

I did very well in the role and eventually excelled as a territory-assigned inside sales rep while continuing to work in customer service. But more importantly, I liked it.

No, actually, I loved it.

That’s what kept me looking forward to new roles within the industry.

I learned the ropes, then the ropes above those ropes, and before long I had climbed into the role of National Brands Product Manager. That job cracked open a whole new world for me: strategy, product direction, and the kinds of decisions that actually shape what people see on store shelves.

Once I got a taste of that, I wasn’t going back.

Eventually, I earned a promotion to Diamondback Marketing Manager, a role that felt like stepping onto a bigger stage with brighter lights. It was the point where all the grit, stubbornness, late nights, and “I’ll show you” energy finally started to pay off.

What began as a second shot at an interview turned into a career chapter built on resilience, humor, and the tribal knowledge I had gained throughout my previous career.

It wasn’t “easy” for me to get hired at the corporate level at Raleigh America. But once I made it inside, I was determined to make it work.