🐶 Barkley Goldstein 🐶

Role: Branch Manager at Busy Bee Inc.

Species: Golden Retriever

Appearance: Yellow cartoon golden retriever with floppy ears, round face, and a red tie.

Work Attire: Business casual by default — red tie always on. Sometimes wears a hoodie over his shirt when he’s working late (again).

💼 Day Job

Barkley is the ever-reliable middle manager caught in the corporate crossfire. He mediates between overpaid executives and overwhelmed employees, all while trying to keep the peace, meet KPIs, and schedule “quick catch-ups.”

🧠 Personality

Loyal to a fault
Tries to be everyone’s emotional support animal
Mildly neurotic, especially about Slack messages
Wants to do the right thing, but often ends up doing everything

💬 Signature Quote

“Let’s circle back on that.”

🫠 Struggles With

Burnout hidden under a wagging tail
People-pleasing at the cost of his own mental health
Constantly having to translate upper management nonsense into human speak
Feeling responsible for everyone’s wellbeing

🎶 Favourite Song

Walking On Sunshine by Katrina & The Waves

📦 Fun Facts

Has 43 tabs open at any given time
Secretly journals at night with a pen that says “World’s Okayest Manager”
Owns a “#1 Dog Dad” mug he bought for himself
Once gave a whole presentation while on mute