A Duck in Water

I had no idea that when I started valeting all those years ago that I would take to all of it like a duck in water. I truly loved every bit of the job. Whether I was helping valet park 300 cars in an hour for an event at the performing arts center, working as a cashier in a parking booth, or collecting payments at an NFL football game, I truly loved it all. What I really enjoyed was that although the day-to-day actions were the same, each day or event was always different. Different cars to park (from Fords to Ferraris), different types of people to interact with (tailgaters, business trailblazers, Broadway show lovers), and, best of all, I was always surrounded by amazing managers and coworkers. What I did not expect was that it would awaken in me a love for business and that I would discover a hidden talent.

Findings My Niche

In my early days of working as a valet, I discovered that the supervisor had developed a way to skim revenue. When I told the management, they had the person replaced. It was not long after that I discovered that one of the cashiers had a scheme going on as well; once again, I went to management and reported it. The management noticed me and soon asked if I would be interested in managing the valet. The new manager was being offered a promotion, and they needed someone to take over whom they could trust to run the operation. I had no idea then that I would take to it so well.

I learned I had a head for business, but what I really learned was that I had a knack for being able to tell when frauds were occurring within an operation. Whether that fraud was from employees, customers, or vendors, I could spot it intuitively and specifically. It was not long before management took notice again, and they sent me undercover into operations to see what I could discover. Each time I was able to help make the operation better by pointing out gaps in their procedures or compliance issues. This evolved into the creation of a new position where, when a new significant operation was opening, I would go onsite and train the operational staff, from the cashier and office staff to management. Years later, I used these skills to create a business plan for an Internal Audit, Training, and Compliance division. It took me two years to convince leadership, but once I did, there was no stopping me. I started with just me and a budget of $50,000. Fast forward ten years, and I had a staff of nine people and a budget of $300,000.

Relocation Equaled Advancement

We all know that there is no substitute for hard work and putting in your time. The other thing I learned that can help you to advance up the corporate ladder was a willingness to relocate. While this is not an option for everyone, it was one that I embraced. I learned that staying in my home area and advancing up the ladder would take a great deal of time for two reasons: lack of opportunities that would allow for upward growth and too much competition locally for those opportunities. I started to look for advancement through what I called the “relocation program.” I would look to see what opportunities there were elsewhere in the country at a lateral or level higher than mine that paid better and offered a higher level of experience. I quickly developed a reputation for being willing to relocate, and after my second move, management started coming to me with opportunities, and I got to be more selective. In all, I moved five times in ten years, each time with increased title and compensation. In my last move, I settled into my “corner” office within the corporate headquarters, and I was making five times what I started at when I managed my first valet operation. An overnight success, right!?

Next Evolution

A few years ago, I was given an opportunity to get out of the operational side of our industry and move to the technology side. This is where I learned that no matter how far you have come, there is always further to go if you want to pursue the brass ring. Today, I am using all my operational parking knowledge to help develop technology that can advance our industry. In addition, in this next career evolution, I learned more about myself: first, I love public speaking. Crazy right? Deep down, I am a hermit, but for some reason, I get energized when I get the chance to speak about the parking and mobility industry. Whether in person, at a tradeshow, or on a Podcast, I cannot seem to get enough of it.

Second, the girl with severe dyslexia, who could not write a grammatically correct sentence to save her life, now has had several articles published. I never would have even thought to dream of something like that. It is because I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by wonderful mentors who helped me to be more and who could see what I could not necessarily see in myself. There have been too many mentors to mention over the years and new ones that have recently entered my professional realm, but I am grateful and thankful for all these people, as they helped me see beyond an evolving comfort zone.

The best advice I could give someone in our industry is to be sure to surround yourself with people that will not only support you but also give you the hard advice, answers, and/or lectures you may not want to hear while needing it the most. In fact, it was the hard lessons and failures that these people helped me to understand and learn from that got me to where I am today. While I always consider myself a work in progress, it’s this type of mentorship and “paying it forward” that makes our industry special and avails a clear path to be able to exceed your own dreams and expectations. ◆