My First Job

"My first job, at age 16, was as a waitress in a small, family-owned restaurant in Toledo, Ohio. I loved meeting new people each day; however, my balancing skills with large trays of food were less than graceful. After only a week, my boss, who was also a family friend, sat me down and explained that while I had many talents, being a waitress wasn't one of them. I told my parents and they were great. They gave me the confidence to go right out and get another job, this one at FW Woolworth's. At the huge rate of $1.90 per hour, I was on my way. I loved Woolworth's; it was a great place to work and my manager, Mr. Liest, felt I had a future in retail management.

"In addition to working as a cashier, I created the displays for the monthly sale merchandise. My most memorable event was Christmas of my second year. None of the area stores anticipated the demand for wrapping paper that year, and they ran out. Luckily, aluminum foil was abundant in the stockroom. I wrapped several empty boxes with the foil and put them out as a display. We sold every last box of aluminum foil-at twice the price. Mr. Liest gave me my first bonus-a crisp $50 bill.

"What I enjoyed most about working at Woolworth's was getting to know my co-workers and the people who worked in our shopping center. Developing friendships with people who frequented our store was my first experience in making business contacts. To this day, I feel that people are the most important part of any business, and developing relationships is key to success."

-As told to Lauren Bernaldo