Hannah Mitchell and Collen Layton are two SAM employees who seem to have an inseparable bond. They have been friends for many years and have followed each other to multiple different jobs – and now, they even live in the same apartment complex!

The real question, though, is how did they end up at SAM?

The pair first met in the 7th grade at Moody Jr. High School. Although they had mutual friends before then, they really began to get to know each other after they shared a class together. They bonded over similar music tastes in artists such as Harry Styles, Joshua Bassett, and The 1975 – whom they’ve seen live in concert together three times!

The career-following story began when Collen and Hannah started working together at Zaxby’s over the summer of 10th grade. “I drove us to get our applications at the new store before it had even opened,” Collen said. “We interviewed on the same day and both got the job.” The two worked there until high school graduation, and then over the summers in college.

Also, while in high school, they worked together at a seasonal calendar store in Leeds. After a former employee was let go, Collen suggested to his manager that Hannah should interview – and she got the job.

Soon after, college separated the two. Collen attended Troy University, and Hannah attended the University of Alabama. But, the two continued working together over the summer, bouncing between jobs at Zaxby’s and the local splash pad.

In February of 2022, Collen began working at Mountain High, with Hannah following shortly after due to the store being short-staffed. A few months later, Hannah was hired at Strong. This was the first company that Collen followed Hannah to – all the rest were jobs Collen was hired at first.

“Collen robbed me of $3,000,” Hannah said, laughing. Collen wasn’t aware of the referral bonus, and Hannah jokes that he owes her the money now. “She talked about Strong and about how great it was, so when I saw they had a position, I knew I had to apply,” Collen said. “We both went through a long period of applying for jobs, so when I saw the graphic design job, I thought it was a crazy coincidence that they were hiring for something I could do,” he said.

Although Hannah and Collen have less interaction now than at past jobs due to the increased responsibility, they still take time to stop by each other’s desks every once in a while. “He’ll come by when he wants to visit the loud part of the office,” Hannah said.

When asked what made her want to recommend SAM to Collen, Hannah noted that the environment was a huge factor. “I don’t feel super stressed out or under pressure constantly. I feel like I can balance my work with the help of the people around me and still keep a positive attitude,” she said.  “It’s the little things SAM does that really make it fun to work here.” For instance, popcorn Wednesdays were one of the first things she mentioned to Collen after she was hired.

“Any stressful times are made easier because I love the job I’m doing here,” Collen said. The pair are both very grateful to be doing what they love and went to school for, and they are happy to be working at SAM together!