i've lived and worked in virginia, alabama, the us virgin islands, new york city, and the san francisco bay area. regardless of geography, my work ethic has been one of the constants in my life. i’m very dedicated to the things i do, i learn them well and drive myself to be the best. most of my traditional employment has been in small business. historically, i've tried to work like i own the business, and this usually leads to success. if i owned my own small business, i’d probably sleep in the building until someone told me that it’s not healthy. as a matter of fact, i did sleep on the stage of the golden ponythe night before we opened that business. now, that’s an extreme example; most of the time the call of duty doesn't require that degree of commitment. the point is i work hard, and if i say i'll do something for you or with you, you can count on it happening.
harrisonburg highlights from the past
my first job in downtown harrisonburg in the late aughts was as a barista and a bar-back. from there, i rose to being a bartender and a bar manager by 2010, picking up different skillsets in different businesses to get where i wanted to be in roughly two years' time. following a few years as bar manager of blue nile ethiopian cuisine, i took a detour in 2013 into the beverage distribution business as a salesman. with that under my belt, a year later i re-entered the service industry as taproom manager of harrisonburg’s first craft brewery, (three) brothers brewing. finally, i came on board in 2015 as assistant gm to help conceptualize and open a restaurant, bar and venue as mentioned, the golden pony. in addition to this, i engaged my abilities as an actor in the local theater and creative scene throughout these years.
va to new york
having pushed my restaurant ambitions as far as i wanted to in harrisonburg, i decided in august of 2015 to finally test my creative ambition on the biggest stage possible. in full-on now-or-never mode, i sold my nissan xterra and moved to new york city with no job and no connections in the entertainment industry to pursue acting professionally. in 2017, i began doing just that after gaining representation as a commercial actor with take 3 talent agency, just over two years to the day i moved to the city. within months, i was lucky enough to book my first commercial. of course, i was working nonstop all along the way, not only at this venture but in more conventional jobs. the first one i landed was salesman at the legendary and eccentric (and sadly now closed) uncle sam’s army navy outfitters on west 8th street in manhattan. in one month's time i found myself promoted to assistant manager of the store after becoming the number one salesman during the busiest week of the year in october 2015. to say i was firing on all cylinders would be an understatement.
new york to now
i lived in new york city for three years, eventually gravitating back to the restaurant industry in search of greater flexibility as my acting pursuits gained momentum. i started at the bottom as a busser to gain the “new york experience” necessary to begin advancing back up the ladder to ultimately become a bartender again in brooklyn. for the final year, i was fully on the acting hustle, auditioning during the day every week for commercials while bartending/serving nights & weekends as well as performing in comedy shows. in august 2018, i returned to harrisonburg to be with my family to address a rapidly developing, unforeseen circumstance. with that behind us, my goal now is to move forward again. i have a lot to offer you, and a lot beyond just my work ethic. in the next section, i’ve detailed the job skills i think i can offer anyone on day one.
practically speaking...
in-person customer service, working with the public
i'm particularly skilled at determining a person’s need and delivering a satisfactory experience for them once i have gained working knowledge of my environment. i am observant and can do this quickly.
patience, perception, self-awareness
i take the time to connect with people and understand what they need, seeing the experience through to the conclusion; i enjoy is building relationships.
very adaptable to new things
while having worked many in-person customer service jobs, i'd never worked in retail, much less in new york city before i was hired as a salesman at uncle sam’s army-navy outfitters in greenwich village. yet, as mentioned, i became the top salesman there in a matter of weeks, resulting in a promotion to assistant manager of the store. this was a result of taking the work seriously, being fascinated with learning a new industry, using skills of acute observation and being an effective communicator. those are some of the tangibles that add up to overall adaptability in my experience. at uncle sam's, i went on to help the likes of many celebrities who came into the store at random, as well as a very diverse base of everyday customers from all over the world. i have a knack for adapting to whatever the given moment requires, no matter how large or small. this goes for working with the public as well co-workers.
perform well under pressure, multitasking
i am not easily flustered. i am used to absorbing waves of customers whether as the focal point myself (bartending) or juggling and attending to multiple groups of customers at one time (serving & retail) while remaining calm and collected. i see the bigger picture in the moment and consider myself a skilled multitasker.
leadership and knowledge of workplace dynamics
i have been a people manager and leader in multiple small businesses. my experience is leading by example because in most environments i’ve managed, i’ve doubled as a co-worker/peer to some degree with the people i manage. there have also been many times when i was simply an employee and co-worker; i handle not being in a management position just as well if needs-be. this varied experience gives me an in-depth understanding and appreciation of small-business workplace dynamics. i switched from virginia restaurants & bars to new york city retail seamlessly in 2015, in part because i understand and have a natural sense of people and priorities in small business.
small business management
in new york, i learned the basics of store and individual sales goals and incentives for retail and how to keep employees accountable to these goals. for years before this, i was in management and supervisory capacities in restaurants and bars that required me to hire and schedule employees, manage employees on the job, work directly with distributors to maintain inventory levels and other varied tasks. i am accustomed to having responsibility, and my ability to relate to people from many different backgrounds and experiences has been of significant help in my management and work careers.
creative thinker
i detail this more on my creative page, but it's worth noting here that depending on the needs of the work environment, i have an ability to envision new aesthetic or thematic possibilities and offer creative yet practical solutions to enhance or expand upon given work scenarios. very broad, i know, so check my creative page or ask me about it!
for the record
new york city employment resume 2015-2018
click to download
harrisonburg, va employment resume 2007-2015
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below is a short promo for uncle sam's army navy outfitters. uncle sam's was an eccentric combination of a traditional army navy store and a fashion boutique on west 8th st. in greenwich village. it was sought out by everyone from the everyday new yorker to world-famous celebrities and travelers from across the globe. i sold a naval bridge coat to andre 3000 there in 2016, for example. i also coordinated with tv shows to provide authentic costumes for their productions. i'd never seen anything like it when i was out on foot in new york city hunting for my first job, and i've never seen anything like it since. that's precisely what drew me to it. peep ya boy briefly at the 26-second mark.