POST #10: A Snickers-Flavored Journey: Unearthing the Joy in My Work Life
If I dig into my memory vault, one of the most vivid moments is a seemingly ordinary Costco trip with my parents that took an unexpected turn. Normally, we avoided the candy aisle, but that day, my dad, with a burst of spontaneity, loaded our cart with large boxes of candy. Among them, I had my heart set on a box of Snickers bars. But instead of heading home, we went to his gas station to unload everything.
Feeling a bit deflated, I stealthily pocketed a dozen Snickers bars, only to be caught almost immediately. My punishment? A detailed lecture on gross profit, the break-even point, and how to calculate these ratios for various products.
By age nine, I had a basic understanding of profit and loss, learning that money flows from customers to cover expenses, and what’s left is profit. The idea that every sale needed a certain gross profit to be sustainable, and that trimming discretionary expenses could improve profitability, stuck with me. Even today, calculating GPs takes me back to those Snickers bars.
That experience ignited my entrepreneurial spirit. In high school, I convinced the administration to fund a student supply store, which I managed until graduation, donating all profits to the Ronald McDonald House in Boise, Idaho. The store generated over $3k in its first year, and a business club was formed to sustain it after I graduated—my first experience drafting SOPs and preparing a transition plan.
Over the past decade, I’ve led numerous successful ventures, from building a call center in Brazil as part of a post-acquisition strategy, to overseeing 300 staff as an interim VP of Operations for a vocational school chain. I’ve developed corporate M&A strategies and led operational restructuring projects across national and international markets.
My passion for business began by observing how my father’s small businesses sustained our family. No detail in business is too small to overlook, and identifying risks proactively is key. As a Junior Analyst, I flagged financial risks around cash stipends and reimbursement during my first overseas business trip, which, although not immediately impactful, improved cash management as we expanded.
The joy I derive from refining processes, achieving strategic goals, and minimizing unnecessary expenses is unmatched. If anyone asks me about the most fun I’ve had at work, I’d share the story of my ten-year-old self, the stolen Snickers bars, and the incredible journey that followed.