Never Eat Alone.
12/29/2014
So a question I get asked way too often is "How are you a manager at a bank?" Or prior, "How are you a manager at Best Buy?" I usually just give an answer that will satisfy whoever is asking, but there is so much more to my story. So I'm going to tell you my story. Where I started my career to where I am now. It's going to be long, but well worth your time.When I was in high school, I had that part time job that "paid the bills." (barely) I started at Marsh Supermarkets in Winchester, Indiana, thanks to a few family members that worked in the same location. I was a video clerk, renting out DVDs and VHS tapes in the ever growing, popular market... so we thought. (All before the greatness of Netflix) I hadn't even had my license for a month and there I was, a working man. I thought I was so cool. I could hardly wait to get back to school and tell EVERYONE, especially a girl I had my eyes on. Upon arrival the next morning, and after numerous posts on my MySpace page that night, I was there. I was talking about my new job responsibilities, when I started, how many hours I was going to work, and lastly what I was going to make an hour, because I was about to rake in the MONEY! Looking back, it was all about the perception. I started off making $5.15 an hour at 20 hours a week max. Did I care? Heck no. I was so happy about this new chapter!
So all I had to do was go to Mr. Terrell (the guidance counselor) and get my work permit and I was "official". Once I got it turned in, I started my training. Days of training turned into weeks which then turned to months. 13 to be exact. 13 because what was my first job, quickly turned into exactly that, just my first job. I found out from a call of my co-worker and the radio station, 96.1 (Kicks 96) that my store was closing right before Thanksgiving. I was crushed. All the employees I worked with, all the customers I served and became to know, all gone in the blink of an eye.
What was I to do? I was 17 years old at this point, a junior in high school, involved in sports and clubs, who is going to want to hire me?! I was for sure my working days were over until the summer. So I heard other employees talking about possible places that were hiring and were willing to take in some of the Marsh employees. One of which was a big reason behind the closing of the store, Walmart. So I marched in on a Saturday and asked for an application. They referred me to this little arcade game looking machine that they referred to as "The Hiring Center". So I started filling out the usual information and then had to take a test. I believe it was like 100 questions. So I get to the end, look at my phone to find that it had taken me 2 hours to complete this test! I had things to do! I was a teenager with friends, right?! Typical.
So I waited, I called them, and finally received a phone call, only not from the Winchester store. Instead, the Richmond Walmart called me to come in for an interview. I was so nervous for this. My first "legit" interview. I didn't know anyone at this store! I had no idea what I was going to do. I went in, sweating bullets. I guess I must have impressed them with my track talk. (The interviewer used to run) He sent me off to my second interview. This time it was a panel. There were two managers and the personnel manager. I don't remember this interview. I must have been too nervous, but I must have done okay because I got my third and final interview! This was more of a "set up your i9 and passwords and schedules and get overwhelmed with information" type meeting. I was their newest cashier.
Just as the previous job went, after I got done with my million hours of computer work and videos, I went off to training. Now, this is different because I started November 15. Now, Thanksgiving was a week away and the store is PACKED. So I received one day of training and then was sent on my way. WOW. I was terrified. Looking back, I'm not sure why. Just the thought of me being by myself and not really knowing the system? Was I afraid I was going to miss someone walking through my line with a cart full of TVs and let them walk out? Who knows. I worked that Black Friday and really found it beneficial to my training. Once I got the hang of it, I had a blast, for a while. I was consistently send outside to help push carts. (This is before they have that fancy cart pushing machine that they have now) After a year passed, they lost several cart pushers all at once, so I was promoted. I was sent outside by my assistant manager, Karla. She was terrifying. I could not say no, because she would have let me go. I started pushing carts all the time, rarely seeing a register. I pushed in 100+ degree days, I pushed in the driving rain, the sleet, snow, freezing cold, everything. It was miserable, but good conditioning for track season. I then requested to be placed in departments throughout the store. Although I would have loved to work in electronics, I was placed pretty much everywhere else, except for there. I found working a department a lot more relaxing than being a cashier, so whenever I got the chance, I was stocking shelves, unloading a truck, or just straightening up aisles. I then found myself wanting to become a manager. I wanted to be one so bad. I had that place memorized like the back of my hand. I knew the systems, the products, I knew it all. Or so I thought. I was talking to a co-manager about possibly heading to "Walmart University" to receive training on how to be a manager, he told me I was "too young". This crushed me. "Too young", I thought. I didn't know what to do. So I applied at Best Buy in Muncie. I interviewed with Ena, their store manager, and ultimately didn't get the job. Again, I was absolutely crushed. What was I doing wrong? I was working in the meat department at this time, which isn't the most glamorous job, but it got me off the front end. I set off to find myself. I enrolled in a program called "Discipleship Focus" which is a ministry, partnered with YoungLife, located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and Branson, Missouri. They basically bring YoungLife leaders to either place, go through a 10-week study with you while you put the principles you are learning into action by working at a theme park.
So once enrolled, I notified them of my departure. I was off to Pigeon Forge to work at Dollywood with one of my best friends from right here at IU East, Dustin Wright! We packed up our lives, and went into the unknown. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We headed off one morning in May in 2010, and on our trip down, experienced a flat tire on the Kentucky/Tennessee border. Insanity. Now we are stressed out even more! We are now set to arrive past 11pm! So, once we arrived, we made the decision to sleep in the Sevierville Walmart parking lot in my SUV so that we didn't come in in the middle of the night and wake anyone else up. Camping of sorts. Worst sleep ever. So that summer kicked off and was, hands down, the best summer of my life. I met Dolly Parton. I got to go to a theme park everyday, I could go to the water park whenever I wanted, I could do pretty much anything in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, or Gatlinburg for FREE, and I got to spend my summer with 50 of the most caring people in the world while learning about Jesus. Simply amazing.
Fast forward to when the summer ended, I decided I wasn't ready to leave Tennessee. So I moved back down to Nashville, shared a house with someone I didn't know (but was referred to by one of my best friends from D-Focus) and was jobless. Not a good combo when you are paying for rent at $430 a month. So after not being able to find a job, and having to renew my license because I was turning 21, I moved back to Indiana. I went back to working for Walmart, only this time back in Winchester. I was offered an experimental position, so I took it. (It wasn't a cashier so I was happy) I basically worked for Walmart.com, gathering items purchased there and scheduled to be picked up at the store. Again, just a part time position, but this time I worked about 30 hours a week. In times when orders didn't need picked, I worked in electronics, photolab, and the cell phone area. (FINALLY) This is where I wanted to be. This is what I knew about! My level of expertise, per se. Then I heard someone say that Best Buy was coming to Richmond. I applied for Best Buy Mobile, went through the whole application and just hoped for an interview.
Well during this time, I worked for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, doing security in a bright yellow shirt. Basically just making sure people stayed away from the fence so they didn't get injured during an accident. Being a huge auto racing fan, I loved this job. After getting at the track at like 3am and working through the race, we finally left at like 6pm. Long day, but well worth it. I was ready to sleep the whole way home. Instead, I received a phone call from a recruiter from Best Buy. This woke me right up! He wanted to do an over-the-phone interview. I said absolutely. He asked his questions, I answered then he said he would call me back if they wanted to give me a second interview. This is such a nervous time because theres no guarantee. So after a week, I received a phone call. They want me to come in for an interview at the Hampton Inn in Richmond. They were at the Hampton because the store was not built yet. I came in for my interview in my shirt and tie. Sitting behind a makeshift wall, I hear my name. The woman approaches me and introduces herself as Jessica, the Best Buy Mobile Manager. She started asking questions and came across Dollywood in my application. She was asking all about it, honestly, I think she talked more about this than any other part of the interview. Then, she finished by saying they would give me a call back soon to schedule the third interview with the store manager. Oh man. I was so close! I came into my third interview and talked to the store manager, again so nervous. Her interview was a little more straightforward and more to the books. At the end, she said she would like to offer me a position. I was in. I was the new Best Buy Mobile sales consultant! While filling out my paperwork, I was told I was the first hired employee of the Richmond store! What an honor. No one can ever take that from me.
So I went to sales induction with 5 others, including Jessica. We took 2 cars to a week long sales training in Indianapolis. A lot of bookwork and role plays. Then went and trained together at the Trotwood, OH store. We became such a close team. We then transitioned to our own store and began the setup process. We finished the store in less than a month then opened for business. I came into work everyday and put everything I had into it. I loved my job. I loved the people. I loved everything. I got a promotion just a month after we opened, I was now full-time. My first full-time job. Crazy! That just meant I got to spend even more time doing what I loved. I spent as much time there as I could. Two months later, I received another promotion, I was the new Best Buy Mobile Lead. This position is not a supervisor, but a coach to the other employees. I literally coached other employees on their sales and trained them on new products. I continued my hard work.
Then, my manager asked me if I would be interested in moving to North Carolina with her to take over a Best Buy Mobile located inside a mall. This was such a hard decision for me. Do I leave my entire life? My school? My friends? My family? So after much thought and encouragement, I said yes. I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina with her and a sales consultant. I took a step back with my position changing from lead back to sales consultant. I didn't let that stop me. I worked hard again, I was in everyday, pushing sales, correcting behaviors of the other sales consultants, and before I knew it, I was the full time lead. This position in a mall store carries more responsibility as it is the equivalent of an assistant manager, and is a key holding position. I was there. So, once we turned the store around, I decided that I would make the move back to Indiana. I went back to the Richmond store and helped correct some operational things and saw a Best Buy Mobile Manager opening in nearby Muncie. Remember the store I applied to earlier and didn't get the job? Well, I was determined. I went in, I had proof of my success (Helping lead the Richmond store to over 12 months of consecutive #1 Best Buy Mobile awards. Meaning we were the top Best Buy Mobile in the entire company. #1 in the world) and why I was extremely qualified for this position. Well, that store manager that once denied me a position finally said yes. I was the new Best Buy Mobile Manager! I was the youngest manager in the entire Indianapolis district. I did not let that stop me. I just kept pushing. I wanted my team to experience the same thing I did. I had a heck of a team. Mostly Ball State students, they were always wanting to have fun, which I appreciated. That's what it's all about. Having fun. If you don't, you will become bored. You will lose that drive and have to try and build it back up again. You don't want to be in that spot.
So again, fast forward. January 2014. Just this year. My life saw a major shift once again. Best Buy is coming up on a reorganization of the store level management structure. I see this as a reason to see alternate employment. Luckily, I found a position with US Bank. I left Best Buy at the end of February, the 26th to be exact. I used the rest of my vacation I had accrued with Best Buy and technically remained employed through March 9. So, I received a phone call on March 5 from my store manager. She is very serious. She has a supervisor in the room. She is clearly reading from a script. She tells me due to cost savings put forth by corporate, our positions, along with 3 other managers', would no longer be a part of the management structure in the store. We were being all let go. Our positions just eliminated. She said they would give us a month to find another job. Wow. I could not believe that 4 of my peers, friends would be losing their jobs just like that. I felt terrible. This was not just at our store, but company-wide. I got out literally just in time.
So that brings us to where I am now. I am the Sales and Service Coordinator, or the Assistant Manager, in Hagerstown. After my near-jobless encounter, I am still trying to learn this new industry. It's tough, but I'm a fighter. I don't give up. I have also recently started coaching Track and Field here at IUE. This is a somewhat unique venture for me. I am so used to being on the track as an athlete. I am used to being a coach in a professional setting as well as coaching individual athletes and students. I have started to get to know some of the guys and gals on the team and have confidence we are going to have several conference champions and national qualifiers.
So finally, I think the point I am trying to make here is that hard work truly pays off. Whether it be in your career field, your athletic field of choice, or your studies, you get what you put in. If you are willing to put forth the effort and work hard for what you want, you're going to go places. My advice? Experience as much as you can. If you have an opportunity, take it. It will only help you. If you fail, that still helps you! Surround yourself with positive, successful people who have a similar outlook as you. You can both bounce off of each other, sharing ideas, and pushing each other to hit personal goals and milestones. I hope you get something out of this. Feel free to let me know!
Thanks for reading!
Michael Coyle
