Working in the Ohio and Kentucky market as a representative of Cutting Edge Selections to educate and sell some of the best wines, sherries, ports, and sakes available on the market. Leading restaurant and retail staff education. Working with restaurant accounts on wine list creation, promotional concepts, and wine development, as well as leading accounts to develop better inventory an cost structures to maximize profit while offering more consumer-friendly product from more boutique producers. Working with importers, winery representatives, and wine makers to help better educate buyers and consumers within the market.

Offering corporate hot air balloon sponsorship, commercial rides, crew opportunities, pilot training, tethered events

Worked as the Beverage Director for a 300+ room hotel with two restaurants (David Burkes Primehouse, Bacon Bar) and two bars (The Primehouse Bar, Jimmy Chicago), overseeing the beverage operations of all outlets including IRD and Mini-Bar. Implemented successful and popular outlet-wide staff education of beverage to raise level of product awareness and general beverage knowledge. Put in place new tracking systems for wine bin numbers (hotel wide), contemporary wine list for all outlets, and oversaw work of talented beverage team that led to record high sales numbers, both in terms of total sales and per person average. Successfully worked with staff and Sommeliers to raise average bottle sales from sub-$100 to over $112 per bottle, while increasing total unit sales for entire hotel by over $2 per item in less than 6 months. Implemented bar and cocktail worker scheduling system. Created new system for tracking wines and updating wine lists that increased effeciency and was able to help lower payroll by cutting back hourly employees while their pay was offset by increased sales leading to higher gratituity. Worked with hotel beverage staff to reinvent a beverage program that had reached high level of stagnation and created a new list of hard to find, older vintage wines that drove top line sales across the board while leading to decreasing cost. Oversaw reworking of storage after remodel, organizing wine storage in a clear and concise manner that led to greater efficiency. Successfully oversaw opening of craft-spirit based bar 'Jimmy,' implementing new procedures to help track sales, cost, and transfer of inventory.

Oversaw all aspects of restaurant, including hiring/firing, staff training, guest relations, private events, scheduling, controlling costs, budgeting, and ran acclaimed wine program of 700+ international selections. Successfully implemented cost structure that brought alcohol cost down over 10%. Created staff training program in service, alcohol, food, and upselling techniques. Raised portfolio of restaurant through interviews and outreach programs, allowing it to become one of the highest rated restaurants in Cincinnati according to consumer reviews across several categories. Also mentored several individuals to Introductory and Certified Sommelier diplomas in the Court of Master Sommeliers. Maintained a low turnover of hourly employees through fair and positive work practices. Streamlined many aspects of the restaurant to increase efficiency, including creating systems for general and individual server sales tracking, creating an efficient daily sales and manager communications log, creating an organized database for all restaurant related files and important documents, and creating a system to improve the efficiency of payroll processes.