During the pandemic I took over ownership of Thinker Toys. We closed down one location, remodeled another and now have two quality toy stores, one in Morgan Hill and one in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

I provide oversight and management to three locations with a combined gross yearly sales above $700k. This includes being the primary buyer and inventory manager for all three locations, including personally moving product between stores as necessary. I oversee three store managers and have 15-20 total staff at any given time.Recently we rebranded with a new logo, which I conceived and designed personally, including the creation of watermarks, business cards, headers, gift certificates, and other associated branding. I moderate two Facebook pages and create all advertising, graphic design, and website design for the business, as well as overseeing the team which moderates our Instagram page. My style is to be very hands on, but also give broad leeway to my trusted store managers. Each week I work at least one floor shift at one of our locations, running the register, gift wrapping, pricing, and shelving. This keeps me on my toes and gives me valuable insights into our customer base. I work 12+ hour shifts during inventory and work major holidays like Christmas Eve because I don't believe in asking my employees to do it if I'm not willing to put the work in myself. Much of my job is about delegating well, finding the employees who excel at certain tasks (database entry, window display design, board game selection) and giving them the support needed to work independently. I want all my staff to feel a sense of ownership, and to love coming into work each day.

I returned to the Bay Area and Thinker Toys Morgan Hill to work as a store manager as well as being the digital and social media coordinator for all three locations. I knew there was a possibility for a promotion if I returned and excelled, which I ultimately got three months later. During this time I created a new informational company website from scratch and got the businesses active on Facebook and Instagram.I also re-trained, scheduled and managed all location staff to optimize productivity. Within just a few short months I redesigned the planograms and overall merchandising design for more than half of the store, and made it a more welcoming and pleasant place to shop.

Texas Advocacy Project provides free legal services to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking. As an intake specialist I was the very first point of contact for people seeking assistance from our agency. I would interview potential new clients about their situations and needs and when appropriate schedule them for free legal advice from one of our staff attorneys.The clients I spoke to were in crisis, usually wanting to speak with me about the intimate details of their situations, and would often become upset when I explained that I could not personally provide any legal advice during the screening process. During the screening I would gently ask for the required information, soothing the client's anxiety as best I was able while maintaining strict confidentiality procedures. This involved data entry and maintenance on a customized, complex Client Tracking System database, including many separate screens, windows, pop-out boxes, and conflict of interest checks while on the phone live with the client.My performance reviews were stellar, as I consistently outperformed my peers on speed and accuracy, often processing the most calls per shift. From time to time my manager would specifically ask me to call back difficult or sensitive clients as I excelled at remaining calm and pleasant while still getting required information in a timely fashion.

This internship had a broad range of tasks and projects helping with whatever needed doing. My primary tasks were getting quotes from vendors for office equipment, doing background research for grant proposals, updating media contacts and doing database upkeep. I also did fact checking on resources, researched and proposed articles for social media, and reformatted digital assets as needed.During the course of this job, my supervisor took note of my exceptional data entry skills and recommended me for the paid position of Intake Specialist, and I transitioned into that paid job from this unpaid internship.

I curated, created and edited all Chamber of Commerce publications, including monthly print newsletters, informational pamphlets, event programs, posters, postcards, and advertisements. This included not just layout and design, but also custom graphics, editing, interviewing members for informational pieces, and article curation. Additionally I collaborated with the rest of my team on the extensive and complex website, managed through ChamberMaster, as well as the social media accounts.

As the store manager for the Morgan Hill Thinker Toys location, I hired, trained, scheduled and managed all location staff. Much of the product selection was at my discretion, and I met with sales reps, traveled to trade shows and educated myself deeply on the specialty toy market. I designed all advertising materials both digital and print for the business from scratch. I worked at the Morgan Hill location for several months before it was open to the public, and was integral to the overall store layout design, merchandising, window displays, and overall aesthetic. Our opening weekend was a large event with free face painting and other activities, and was just the first of many in-store events I put together, ranging from small craft activities with 4 or 5 children to huge parties with multiple activity tables, raffles and hundreds of attendees.

During this time period I was a keyholding sales associate. I worked multi-thousand dollar Sunday shifts in a large location in a high-traffic tourist area, often alone. This included running the register, answering questions, tidying the store, re-stocking product, personal shopping, completing returns, gift wrapping. Depending upon the day I could be called on to be the sole opener or closer.

For a brief time, I worked as a support person for adults with disabilities in a one-on-one environment within their own homes. This involved driving to and attending activities with my clients, as well as helping with basic chores. Sometimes I was an advocate for clients in their day-to-day lives, and helped them to live the life they wanted to lead.

While I was a junior in college, my part time job was as a University Tour Guide. I led tours through complex and varied routes under strict time constraints across a vast wooded campus. I provided information, tactfully answered questions and worked to represent the university in a positive light.