On the eve of Thanksgiving I thought it might be nice to do a positive piece. Give a little thanks.

I have been a GM for 8 years. 9 seasons. I‘ve been employed by five restaurants. Each job very different. It’s funny, because when I interview I ask the person I’m chatting with what kind of GM they want. I know GMs who run the whole restaurant. Who run just front of house. Who have access to the P&L. Those who have no idea what their labor cost is. I know GMs who hire and fire. I know GMs who have assistants for that.

Each of my jobs has been a variation on all of these.

My first GM position is one for the history books.

Adam and I moved to Portland in May, 2012. I did a brief stint as a dining room manager. Very brief. So brief that it’s never been on my resume. I quit that job to take a very big lighting design gig that would have been several years of work. I worked for five weeks when the project shifted producers and the designer I was working with lost the gig.

It’s now October, 2012. I’m unemployed. I’m not worried. I’ll find something. October came and went. November came and went. I’m starting to panic. Adam is really worried. We are barely scraping by.

December comes and goes and I’m getting no responses to my resume.

Nada.

I’m really getting desperate.

After the holidays, we agree that at this point I’ll get any job. Any job at all.

I also take a look at my resume. It’s been basically the same for ten years. I re-work it. I drop my masters degree and my MFA from the page. They aren’t relative and might be the problem. I also drop the dates from my college degree.

They don’t need to know how old I am.

I start sending them out. And BAM I start getting calls. I end up doing four interviews with Panera Bread. I find out I didn’t get the job when they repost the ad. (To this day I email anyone I interview to say yes or no to their application).

I keep sending them out.

I do three interviews at Target to be a manager. No go.

Did I mention it’s now February and I haven’t worked since October? We now haven’t paid our rent in two months.

At the beginning of February I start applying for server jobs. I also apply at Sams Club to be a cashier. I am desperate.

Was called in for an interview at Sam’s club. I interview with a junior manager, who talks to me for five minutes and realizes I‘m smart. Two hours later, I’ve interviewed with the entire upper management team including the GM. They offer me a job.

I’m not super excited. But a job is a job. However there are hoops. Pee test. Background check. Start to finish a week plus. I jump through the hoops.

Meanwhile I keep looking. Sending out my resume everyday. Assistant restaurant managers. Cashiers. Servers.

I’m still waiting to hear if I passed the pee test and background check at Sam’s. I’m not worried. It’s been 20 years since I smoke pot and the last time I interacted with the police was a speeding ticket in 1997.

On February 15, 2013 I was waiting in the parking lot of Margarita’s restaurant to apply for a serving position. The restaurant opens at 4:00 and they were advertising for staff.

It’s about 3 minutes to 4:00 when my phone rang.

It’s the owner of a local restaurant who is interviewing for a dining room manager for his new venture.

He asks if I’m available on Monday. I say I’m not as I’m flying to Iowa to design a show. He says, will now work?

I explain that I’m not dressed for an interview but if he doesn’t mind I’ll come by.

I can still remember standing in the lobby of his restaurant. I remember, his manager Kim saying hello and taking me downstairs. I remember, shaking his hand.

And we started talking.

And talking.

And talking.

Three hours passed.

He told me he’d be in touch and I left.

I have to say I was reserved after my search. I wasn’t expecting anything at all.

The next day I fly to Iowa.

I design my last show for them.

The day before we opened, I’m about to leave for the theater when my phone rings.

It’s the owner. We chat for a couple of minutes.

Pleasantries.

Then we get down to business.

He says that he doesn’t think that I would be a good fit for dining room manager.

My heart sinks. But I’m not surprised.

He then says, “Would you consider being the GM instead?”

I have to admit that my breathe had been taken away. There’s a long pause.

He says, “it’s okay if you don’t think you can do it”.

I immediately say, no,no, no. Yes I can do it. It’s just not what I was suspecting.

We chat for five more minutes. He says to reach out when I’m back in town.

I call when I get home.

There are a couple of hoops to jump through.

One of the owners wants to meet me. This makes me nervous. What if she realizes he’s made a mistake???

The interview goes great.

I get the job.

I start on March 25, 2013. I have no idea what I’m doing but everyday I say to myself before I go in, fake it till you make it. Don’t let them know!!!

And miracle of miracles I put one foot in front of the other and survived. I put together lists, manuals, opening checklists.

On April 15th my management team started. I had staff!!!

What the fuck!!!

We interviewed that week for opening staff. I met two of my favorite people that week.

Laura Ray, who was a manager. And Katherine who was a server. Both still great friends.

On May 15, 2013 we opened.

We were busy from the start. And I instinctively knew what to do.

Did I make mistakes? Of course.

Did I do a lot of things right? Absolutely!

8.5 years.

So much has changed.

I’ve gotten better at my job every day since.

But to this day I’m still grateful that David Turin took a chance on me. He changed the trajectory of my life. And that path has continued to change with his help.

So I’m super thankful for David.

Happy Thanksgiving.