An Incredible Day!
Every once in a while you get involved in something great, if you are lucky and if you care enough to try, that makes you feel stronger, better, smarter, happier... joyful and so glad to be alive at a certain moment in time. Today, we opened the doors at the new Whole Foods Market in New Orleans, and for me, this was that moment. I had almost given up on my sweet home New Orleans, and on the food biz in general, when I found this chance for a renewal of my passion for food. I was able to put my knowledge to work and to do it working with a company that consistantly rates in the top 40 best companies to work for in the U.S. This company has sourced out the most amazing products and put them in the most incredible seetting. My job... to talk to people about food and wine, taste it with them and recommend different ways to put things together. It's a natural thing for me, and so much fun to do. Beyond that, I am working with my team leader to train and develop a team of people who can do it with the same confidence that we can do it. My knowledge and confidence is something I can pass on to someone else, and that is an amazing thing! It has totally changed the quality of my life. To watch over a dozen people get excited about their time at work, I mean really excited and passionate about it, is a beautiful thing. To know that I helped them reach that state is....priceless.
I can't help it, I have to brag a bit here... we have the most amazing selection of cheeses! In fact, at the back we have a stellar selection of Neal's Yard cheeses, (and quite a few others) in a custom built aging case. (It's like a cold, moist cave inside, with no air stirring). There's also a smaller humidity controlled case for the more delicate and petite goat cheeses, and some of those other younger cheeses with delicate, floury, white rinds, that keeps them perfect without smothering them in plastic wrap. If you know something about cheese, this is some kind of heaven.
The most important thing, the most central thing in all this is the fact that I am able to open anything and give people a taste of it, and that if it's something that I can't open, like a can of something, I can slap a sticker over the UPC code and it's free for them to try! That I am able to leave my department and walk someone to another area of the store to find something else that they wanted that wasn't in my section of the store. We don't point to "aisle 5", we actually walk the customer to the correct place and hand them the product and talk to them about it. (Just ask me where the bathroom is, or the floral department, or the seafood department... I'll walk you to it... and so will every other employee).
This is not like anything else I've ever done.
And for that, I am so grateful.
durlx
btw, I got an e-mail from Gary from For The Boys TV. I admit with everything else going on, I haven't had time to check it out, but this evening I looked at a replay of last weeks show and it was fabu! I'll try to join the chat next Wednesday. (perhaps noah, GC, and MQ will be there, among others...)
I did get a chance to talk to luca this evening, and the Vegas trip looks more fun every day! Now that he and Pebs have sprung for a limo and everything...hehe.
And Bry from ChaosInAustin is bringing both a friend and his video-grapher! Apparantly this film maker wants to know about guys who have cams... and the guys who notice them!
Yikes!
oh, and I almost forgot, I got a Christmas Pudding from a certain English bloke....
Every once in a while you get involved in something great, if you are lucky and if you care enough to try, that makes you feel stronger, better, smarter, happier... joyful and so glad to be alive at a certain moment in time. Today, we opened the doors at the new Whole Foods Market in New Orleans, and for me, this was that moment. I had almost given up on my sweet home New Orleans, and on the food biz in general, when I found this chance for a renewal of my passion for food. I was able to put my knowledge to work and to do it working with a company that consistantly rates in the top 40 best companies to work for in the U.S. This company has sourced out the most amazing products and put them in the most incredible seetting. My job... to talk to people about food and wine, taste it with them and recommend different ways to put things together. It's a natural thing for me, and so much fun to do. Beyond that, I am working with my team leader to train and develop a team of people who can do it with the same confidence that we can do it. My knowledge and confidence is something I can pass on to someone else, and that is an amazing thing! It has totally changed the quality of my life. To watch over a dozen people get excited about their time at work, I mean really excited and passionate about it, is a beautiful thing. To know that I helped them reach that state is....priceless.
I can't help it, I have to brag a bit here... we have the most amazing selection of cheeses! In fact, at the back we have a stellar selection of Neal's Yard cheeses, (and quite a few others) in a custom built aging case. (It's like a cold, moist cave inside, with no air stirring). There's also a smaller humidity controlled case for the more delicate and petite goat cheeses, and some of those other younger cheeses with delicate, floury, white rinds, that keeps them perfect without smothering them in plastic wrap. If you know something about cheese, this is some kind of heaven.
The most important thing, the most central thing in all this is the fact that I am able to open anything and give people a taste of it, and that if it's something that I can't open, like a can of something, I can slap a sticker over the UPC code and it's free for them to try! That I am able to leave my department and walk someone to another area of the store to find something else that they wanted that wasn't in my section of the store. We don't point to "aisle 5", we actually walk the customer to the correct place and hand them the product and talk to them about it. (Just ask me where the bathroom is, or the floral department, or the seafood department... I'll walk you to it... and so will every other employee).
This is not like anything else I've ever done.
And for that, I am so grateful.
durlx
btw, I got an e-mail from Gary from For The Boys TV. I admit with everything else going on, I haven't had time to check it out, but this evening I looked at a replay of last weeks show and it was fabu! I'll try to join the chat next Wednesday. (perhaps noah, GC, and MQ will be there, among others...)
I did get a chance to talk to luca this evening, and the Vegas trip looks more fun every day! Now that he and Pebs have sprung for a limo and everything...hehe.
And Bry from ChaosInAustin is bringing both a friend and his video-grapher! Apparantly this film maker wants to know about guys who have cams... and the guys who notice them!
Yikes!
oh, and I almost forgot, I got a Christmas Pudding from a certain English bloke....
posted by durlx at 12/05/2002 03:34:00 AM
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