Don’t worry folks, I’m still alive and kicking. Kicking hard as hell too! haha.

Pardon my absence for the last several months, I’ve been very busy. I wonder if people still read this thing… eeek! Geez, I can’t believe its been 8 months!

I moved to Orlando, Florida last May and have settled nicely. I love it here! And thank goodness for NO MORE SNOW! (My apologies to the Northerners). For those that don’t know, I am a native Floridian that graduated from the University of Florida. Upon graduation, I moved to Wisconsin for a 1 year stint while training for my company. Although I would not trade that experience for anything, I am ecstatic about being home in Florida.

Since returning to the Sunshine State, I have been working non-stop! So much that I did not consider posting on this blog (Doh!). As I mentioned in a previous post, I am a District Manager for a large retail establishment. For the last several months, I have been helping my company expand throughout the state. What a journey it has been!

Primarily, I’ve been conducting hundreds upon hundreds of interviews in an effort to staff my stores appropriately. With so many new people, I have also been heavily involved in the training and development of my staff. This has required a level of patience that I have never had to experience in my life, haha!

Fortunately, my stores have been doing phenomenal! Almost too good, which has been the cause of my absence. I needed good people to work for me! Now that my stores have been opened for a while, the business has finally begun to settle down… in terms of sales and trained employees.  So… here I am… open for business again! haha

As I contemplate what my future posts will be for this blog, I am astonished at how much has changed over the last 8 months. I feel as though I’ve missed out on so much! Really though…Gas Prices, Banks, the Auto Industry, the overall Stock Market, a new President… that’s incredible! And relatively speaking, 8 months isn’t a very long time in the overall scheme of my life. Are we living in such tumultuous times that we can witness the world change in a blink of an eye…???

I’ve been pretty vague about my job. I’m sure people have wondered where the hell I’ve been for the past few months, that is if you’re still reading this thing haha. For privacy reasons, I’ve chosen not to name the company that I work for. The last thing I want is to have a private meeting with my boss about this website.

Unfortunately, I think it will be difficult for me to continue writing this blog without giving readers further insight into my professional life. As I’ve spent more and more time in my profession, I’ve found that it has become a significant part of my life. Even if I’m not in the office, I find myself reading industry specific articles and paying particular attention to news updates that can impact my company. In addition, the friends I have made here in Wisconsin are all my colleagues in the company. My work and my personal life are intertwined.

So what is it that I do?

My official title is District Manager. I work in the retail industry (yup, I work in retail) and manage a group of stores within my district. I hope those who know me in real life don’t reveal my company (hint hint), haha.

I’m sure many of you think I’m a lunatic for working in retail. Heck, I thought I was crazy for accepting the offer in the first place. I didn’t attend college with the purpose of working in retail, it just worked out that way. Nonetheless, after nearly 8 months with the company, I have been very happy. My job has far exceeded all expectations.

I’ll be honest, many of the stereotypes that plague the retail industry are true. I am a salaried employee, which basically means that I work until my project is done. Essentially, there isn’t a 40 hour cap on my work week. My daily schedule isn’t always 9 to 5. Some days may be earlier (6 AM), others may be later (8 PM+). (Hence my absence for several months). Like I said, it all depends on when I complete my tasks.

Surprisingly, the hours I’ve spent working haven’t bothered me. Now don’t think that I’m working 100 hours every week, that’s not the case. Most weeks I average between 40-50 hours. But there are times where I work 70-80 hours, both in individual retail locations and at home.

There are two things I love about my job, Independence and Responsibility. As a District Manager, I travel between stores everyday. I am not in an office with my supervisor watching my every move. Instead, I am given clear, measurable goals and am asked to achieve that goal over a specified period of time. Thats it. I love that!

I also have significant responsibility. I am responsible for the operation of all of my stores. This means that I hire people, fire them, and discipline them. I also monitor every store’s finances by controlling our expenses and driving sales. I feel like I’m running my own business.

Don’t be surprised if you find more articles about my job. There are tons of stories to come, :)