Owner / Office Manager / Fly Fishing Guide - Park City On The Fly - Park City, Utah
(2002-10)
Own and operate a seasonal, service-based small business serving customers in the competitive Park City tourism and hospitality market. Personally manage the administrative, financial, operational, and customer-facing functions of the business.
- Manage daily business operations, customer inquiries, reservations, scheduling, client communications, payments, and service coordination.
- Make pricing and operational decisions while balancing profitability, market conditions, customer expectations, competitive pressures, and seasonal demand.
- Manage business expenses, bookkeeping, financial records, quarterly taxes, and preparation for annual tax filing.
- Evaluate marketing and customer-acquisition opportunities based on cost, expected return, seasonality, and the practical limitations of a small business.
- Manage customer relationships throughout the sales and service lifecycle, from initial inquiry and booking through service delivery and follow-up.
- Coordinate schedules, availability, staffing needs, and logistics during periods of highly variable seasonal demand.
- Evaluate outside vendors, platforms, and business services based on cost, functionality, reliability, and potential return on investment.
- Address customer concerns and unexpected operational issues using independent judgment and practical problem-solving.
- Maintain accurate customer, booking, payment, and administrative records.
- Balance immediate operational demands with longer-term considerations involving revenue, expenses, customer retention, and business growth.
- Adapt business practices in response to changing customer behavior, technology, competition, economic conditions, and seasonal conditions.
- Perform multiple business functions that would typically be divided among specialized departments in a larger organization.
- Provide seasonal professional fly-fishing guide services requiring instruction, risk assessment, customer communication, real-time decision-making, and adaptation to individual client needs.
Owner / Operator - Discount Quality Flies - E-Commerce
(2023-12)
Own and operate an e-commerce business specializing in fly-fishing products, with responsibility for website operations, product management, pricing, marketing, fulfillment, and customer experience.
- Manage day-to-day e-commerce operations, including website content, product listings, pricing, promotions, customer communications, order processing, and fulfillment.
- Make product and pricing decisions while balancing customer value, operating costs, competitive pricing, and profitability.
- Manage website organization and continually evaluate ways to improve the online shopping experience and conversion of website visitors into customers.
- Develop and manage search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, including product pages, category organization, regional landing pages, and educational content designed to improve organic search visibility.
- Manage digital marketing efforts across website, search, and social media channels.
- Evaluate customer acquisition strategies and marketing expenditures based on cost, potential return, and the limited resources of a very small business.
- Manage shipping and fulfillment decisions, including shipping platforms, costs, and free-shipping thresholds.
- Monitor website traffic and customer behavior to identify potential barriers to sales and opportunities to improve conversion.
- Make independent decisions regarding technology platforms, marketing tools, product presentation, promotions, and other business expenses.
- Balance growth initiatives with the financial and time constraints inherent in operating a very small e-commerce business.
- Research and adopt new technology and digital tools to improve efficiency, marketing, customer experience, and business performance.
Server | Lead Host / Restaurant Manager - Mustang Restaurant - Park City, Utah
(2019-01 - 2023-04)
- Managed restaurant flow, customer needs, reservations, phones, seating, takeout orders, and competing operational priorities.
- Assisted with day-to-day management responsibilities in a fast-paced hospitality environment.
- Delivered high-level customer service requiring judgment, communication, and rapid problem resolution.
- Worked directly with customers while balancing service quality with operational limitations and business needs.
Lead Server / Manager - Butcher's Chop House & Bar - Park City, Utah
(2011-11 - 2019-04)
- Trained employees and reinforced established performance and customer-service standards.
- Assisted with employee scheduling and day-to-day operational management.
- Managed customer concerns and service issues requiring independent judgment and problem-solving.
- Provided personalized service for VIP clientele while maintaining consistent standards across restaurant operations.
Assistant Manager — Ghidotti's Classic Italian Restaurant / Grappa - Bill White Restaurant Group - Park City, Utah
(2006-05 - 2008-08)
- Participated in hiring, training, scheduling, supervision, and performance management.
- Helped manage approximately 25 service employees in a 275-seat restaurant.
- Assisted with daily operational decisions involving staffing, customer service, workflow, and problem resolution.
- Balanced employee, customer, and business needs in a high-volume hospitality environment.
