Long time no blog!

I’m so sorry for not blogging more about Job #8 folks. All in all, I had a wonderful time with Stan and learned a ton. I plan to post one more blog with pictures of the week sometime soon.

So, I have an announcement! I am now a single job lady! What I mean is that I got a job this week after being interviewed on Wednesday and meeting with the manager yesterday!

I am thrilled to have this job because it is a starting point that will help me move closer towards my ultimate goal: to own a coffeehouse and possibly, a roastery. As I pondered this week, I kept coming back to the idea of “settling.” My greatest fear in pursuing a coffee shop job is that I would be settling for a job that doesn’t pay much, doesn’t look extraordinary on a resume’, and is a basic job overall.

After accepting a barista job today though, I was struck with this thought:

“To take a job just for the sake of making more money, being more “comfortable,” and feeling like I’ve arrived in the career world…

THAT would be majorly settling!

As I worked eight different jobs this summer, one thing become very evident: I love people!

After spending a full week with Charlie Mustard at Jittery Joe’s Coffee in Athens, GA, my passion for coffee and all that it represents was definitely affirmed. I realized that there are people (like Charlie) who are making a living by doing what they love to do!

It seems like a cliche’ dream to say that I want to own my coffee shop(s), but think of how many people hope to do things that never make an action step towards making it happen. I truly get revved up about the idea of owning my own business, designing a beautiful space for the community to enjoy, and serving the highest quality coffee and food!

Getting an entry-level job at Seattle’s Best coffee shop is an absolute dream for me! Unlike my previous job that only partially dealt with coffee, this job will offer plenty of chances to make drinks, learn what it takes to run a cafe’, and interact with customers.

I’m thrilled and I’m even more thrilled that I’m not settling.

Settling is a vague term anyways.

This would be a terrible world if people made decisions only based on how others would perceive them.

This summer, more than anything, I learned that it’s so freeing to be different. People were amazed that I was part of the One-Week Job Program and jealous too!

I considered over and over the idea of continuing to work more one-week jobs for the next month or longer. Going back to the idea of “settling,” that would be settling too. Here’s the thing: I know I want to do something related to coffee, business, and people. It would be amazing to try more jobs, but the fun can only last so long. I’ve used most of my travel funds, learned a lot about myself, and now, I’m ready to act on the things I learned!

This post is probably sounding like a rant or a major ramble-fest so I do apologize. I write this post to give you readers an idea of how the One-Week Job Program affected me and changed my life.

I learned a ton and met people who I will never forget.

Now, I’m on to a new project: serving the fine folks of Knoxville, TN some mighty fine coffee! I’m ecstatic that I’ll be able to be with my family, learn more about the retail coffee business, and focus on one job!

I’d love to post more thoughts, but I’ve got  a job to start! I’m off to start training today. Please keep following the blog as I share more about Job #8 and thoughts about this new permanent job.

Thanks,

Kieley Best

Email me at bestweekjob@gmail.com or follow me on twitter here.

I can’t believe it…

I worked 8 jobs for a week each and it’s over! To be honest, I’m a bit relieved. It’s also a bit unnerving since I’m back to the dilemma of “what’s next.” This summer has been extraordinary. Before I start on a soapbox about it, let me share about job #8.

This week, I was in my hometown of Cleveland, TN, working with At Your Service, a small printing business. At Your Service is a one man operation, consisting of printing genius Stan Pegram. Stan and I met when I worked at Scott’s Bike Shop earlier in the summer. After hearing about his work that week, I ordered a shirt from him. I was blown away by the quality of my custom Boise State jersey so naturally, I wanted to work with Stan for a week!

Stan specializes in sublimation printing. Unlike screenprinting and other types of printing that print on top of the surface, sublimating gets the ink into the fiber of the shirt. Besides printing shirts, Stan also offers really cool photo gifts that can be customized with logos, graphics, or photos.

When he wakes up in the morning, Stan has an easy stroll to work: his workspace is his 1200 square foot basement! It’s really a cool set-up with the computer, the heat presses, mug presses, and samples of his past work.

On Monday, I started my job with Stan and learned more about how he got into the business. Oddly enough, the business grew out of his wife’s love for quilting. To make a long story short, Stan’s wife saw really unique quilts that had sublimated printing on them. After sharing with Stan, Stan researched, bought the gear, and started doing projects for people in the community.

Some of his most popular items are name badges. In hospitals, offices, meetings, and more, name badges are worn. Stan makes really classy looking badges!

Why did I choose this job? (working as a printer)

When I met Stan earlier in the summer, we hit it off. He’s the sweetest man you’ve ever met and I was intrigued by his home-based business. As an aspiring entrepreneur myself, I knew I would really benefit from spending more time learning from Stan.

It’s interesting to note that the employer played a major role in the job that I chose for my final week. Sometimes in life, you are going to have the opportunity to work with a really great person. The job itself might not be your forte’ or something that revs you up, but it might be worth taking the job to learn.

So, to get back to answering the question. I chose the job so I could work and learn from Stan, not because I absolutely love printing things. Fair enough?

Monday Recap:

First, Stan showed me how he prepares graphics and text on his laptop. He uses CorelDraw software to edit his graphics and then prints them.

Stan received a huge order for car dash plates for an antique car show. I’m not  very informed about car shows, but each attendee receives a dash plate to recognize their presence at the show. Stan had to print 400 for the show!

The bottom picture shows Stan taping the plates to the paper that has the image to be transferred. After he tapes the plates on, they are placed in a hot press for 60 seconds. After cooling off, they’re done!

It was a busy first day and I did loads of taping! I had fun though and learned a lot.

Stay posted for more details about my week at the printer!

-Kieley Best

Job #7 was a full week of learning! Even though Clayton Homes wasn’t on my list of jobs that Sean Aiken gave me for the One-Week Job Program, I am thankful they hosted me for week #7. In case you’re behind, you can read my first two posts of this week here and here.

After working at the corporate office on Monday and Tuesday, I spent Wednesday at the Clayton Homes  sales center.

Thursday, I got the true behind-the-scenes experience! I drove an hour from the corporate office to the  Norris Homes building facility. Norris is just one of the “factories” where Clayton homes are built. As I stepped in the door, I was greeted by the manager Charlie. I spent some time with one of his salesmen to learn how they actually build a house!

A view of the home-building facility

This week I am working with Clayton Homes, the largest home building company is the United States! I spent my first day at the corporate office with the I-house specialist, Beth. To read my first post about Job #7, click here.

Day #2 was full of a variety of tasks as I spent the day with the I-House product manager, Brandon O’ Connor. Brandon and I started the morning by reading design & building blogs. One thing that stood out to me about working in this field is that the industry is constantly moving. To keep up with his job, Brandon must stay current on design trends, new innovations, new building codes, and more. He dedicates approximately an hour every morning to read blogs, interact with customers on Facebook,  and to check for i-House mentions in the media.

After checking out some industry blogs, I got to listen in on some phone calls as Brandon discussed future I-House projects with his business partners.

The highlight of the day was the very last hour!

Kieley here!

Sorry for disappearing from blog world over the past week! I’ve been in the process of moving and in case that wasn’t enough, I picked up a cold and have been trying to get well.

In case you’ve been following Michelle and Amanda’s blogs, you’ve noticed that they finished Job #8 last week. I am on the slow and steady track and am just starting Job #7 this week. Why? Well, family is very important to me so I took a family vacation earlier in the summer and last week I got sick and needed time to rest up. What’s the lesson here? This program is incredible, but it would be foolish to work different jobs like a madwoman and sacrifice my health and time with my family.

Alright, so to get back on topic, let me share my job for this week!

This week, I’m in Knoxville, Tennessee! I’ll be working with the United States’ largest home building company, Clayton Homes. Clayton homes is known for their high-quality manufactured and modular homes, but more recently for their I-House. This week I’m joining the I-house team to learn more about modular prefabricated homes.

What is the I-House?

The I-House is a new (released in 2009) house that is environmentally friendly, reasonably priced, and beautifully designed.

Here’s a picture of the model I-House to give you a better idea:

Why did I pick this job?

I’m a curious person and since a young-age, I’ve been fascinated by architecture and modern houses. After stumbling upon Dwell Magazine, I discovered prefabricated houses. I love the idea of custom designing a house and then having it built in a factory and delivered to the site. It’s mind-boggling that a house can be factory-built! The I-House is fabulous because it combines energy-efficiency with modern design.

My boss for the week is Brandon O’ Connor, the head of the I-House team.

I learned a tremendous amount about this industry in just one day at the corporate Clayton Homes office. After having a brief meeting with Brandon to discuss my schedule for the week, I met Beth Walker. Beth works as the I-House Specialist, a unique customer-oriented position that allows her to interact with people interested in the I-House. It’s impossible to know every detail about the house, but she sure knows a lot. Here is the I-House manual, which could basically be called the “I-House Bible.”

I spent most of the day sitting with Beth and listening in on calls with prospective I-House buyers. It might sound boring that I sat in a cubicle for the majority of my day. It was the opposite of boring! Each phone call was unique and required good people and problem solving skills.

I had looked at the I-House website before this week, but I learned way more during my time with Beth actually listening to questions that prospective buyers ask. I realize now that people really get excited about custom designing homes and the process of building a manufactured home is well worth it.

So, what questions do you have about the I-House or about manufactured homes? I would love to receive honest comments with your feedback on this industry and your opinion on this type of house.

Stay tuned for interesting updates all week. Tomorrow I will be heading to the Clayton Homes Center, the place where all their different model homes are on display for people to physically walk through.

Please comment with your questions and thoughts about prefab houses.

Thanks,

Kieley Best

Working at the registration desk

Greetings!

I’m back home in Tennessee this week! It’s been hectic since my family and I moved this week from Cleveland to Knoxville, Tennessee. In case you’re behind on the blog, you can read my posts from Job #6 at Dallas Market Center here and here.

To recap: I spent Wednesday-Sunday last week working at Dallas Market Center. During the year, the Market puts on numerous “markets” that each focus on a certain business. For example, they host home & gift, apparel & accessories, menswear, and bridal markets. It’s incredible because the World Trade Center (the building with 15-stories of showrooms) is transformed for each market to fit the theme. All the windows feature new displays and there are events that cater to the buyers specifically.

Like I said before, my schedule was jam-packed! Since I’m an eternal optimist, I honestly didn’t mind the chaos of being a human baton for a week. I literally spent every hour with a different Market employee and then went to another person. Someone joked, “you’ll probably know more about this business after this one week than I know after being here for years!” I think they were right!

I already explained what the Dallas Market Center does in a past blog, but now I’d like to run through the different departments that make a market happen. It would be great if there was a magic “instant market” switch, but alas, it takes fabulous people and lots of work!

Blogging takes time and energy and I have been running low on both! I have been traveling a ton lately for the One-Week Job Program. I just finished job #6 after having a busy week in Dallas, Texas.

I am so thankful I got to spend week #6 at the Dallas Market Center to learn about the wholesale business. If you missed my first blog about DMC, read it here.

A special thanks is due to Meredith Hite, Dallas Market Center’s Director of Public Relations. She is also the logistical genius who offered me the job, arranged my schedule, and ensured that the week was absolutely fantastic!

I love meeting people who are so gifted like Meredith and so on top of their game. For Meredith, public relations is her forte’ but there were many other young professionals with exceptional talent at Dallas Market Center.

My schedule was tight from Wednesday to Sunday since I was booked to be in a different place and with a different employee every hour! I’m thankful for the chaos though because I learned as much or more about the business than some of the long-time employees know.

In my next blog, I will give a breakdown of all the departments I visited and the role they play in putting on the Market.

For now, I can’t help but share the main things that stood out during my week.

“Welcome to Dallas, Texas!”

I received a warm welcome from Sydney Holt (Dallas Market Center intern) on Wednesday morning as we met at the Dallas airport. This week is likely to be my busiest week and also the best learning experience!

The World Trade Center at the Dallas Market

I’ll be working for the Dallas Market Center in Dallas, Texas. The Market contacted the One-Week Job Program to participate and I’ve never visited Dallas so after a few calls, emails, and a short flight, here I am! This week is different since my work week is Wednesday-Sunday.

When I initially heard about the Dallas Market Center, I thought of a shopping mall. I was partially right, but there’s a big difference between the Dallas Market and a regular mall: the Market is not open to the public. Only qualified buyers are allowed!

To clarify my role here, it’s important to explain what the Market is all about. The DMC is a set of four buildings that house hundreds of showrooms (stores).  To give you an idea of how massively big, I got this fact from their website:

The four buildings total more than 5 million square feet; larger than the Sears Tower and roughly twice the size of the Empire State Building.

Buyers from retail stores, boutiques, and other businesses come to the market to see new products and buy products at wholesale prices.

This week I’m in Dallas, Texas to work with the Dallas Market Center and learn all about the wholesale business!

Before I jump into blogging about this week, here’s a recap about last week. I worked with Peak 7, a nonprofit in Spokane, Washington on one of their 5-day backpacking trips. To read my first 2 blogs about last week, click here for part 1 and here for part 2.

After surviving our first night in the wilderness, we woke up to soggy boots outside out tents. There are times in life when you ease your way into something, but we sure didn’t ease into hiking! After eating our standard breakfast of instant oatmeal, we loaded our daypacks with granola bars, filtered water, and raingear and hit the trail.

We had three amazing guides on the trip, Nicole, Laura, and Lo. For the first day of hiking, they announced we would summit a mountain called “Stiletto Peak” by the end of the day. Hearing “stiletto” made me think of high-heels and glamorized the idea of hiking to the top of the mountain. Let’s just say I missed the memo that we would be walking 3 miles up a mountain! That may sound like nothing, but we counted the number of switchbacks (alternating hills up the mountain) and there were close to 30 hills we climbed.

I am back to civilization!

For the past five days, I’ve been backpacking with Peak 7 Adventures in North Cascades National Park. Peak 7 is a non-profit based in Spokane, Washington, that specializes in amazing outdoor adventures for at-risk teens. I was fortunate to go on one of their “Ascent” trips, backcountry wilderness trips that challenge the teen participants physically, emotionally and spiritually. This trip was unique since a youth group flew in from Minnesota to go on the backpacking trip. With 3 guides, 3 adult leaders, and 6 girls, we had a blast this past week!

It’s hard to put into words the magnitude of beauty I saw in the great outdoors. It was mind-boggling to look at the mountain peaks, the meadows, and dense forest, meanwhile pondering that God created it all!

In case you missed my first blog with some background about Peak 7, check it out here.

I love that Peak 7 really educates the participants about “Leave No Trace” Principles, navigation, and about other vital outdoor skills. What is “Leave No Trace?”

Leave No Trace is a set of 7 principles that center around the idea of enjoying nature, but not leaving evidence of being there.

For example, one of the principles is to “Leave What You Find.” There are some mighty cool rocks, sticks, and flowers, but if everyone started hauling off natural souvenirs, there would be no nature to enjoy!

To give you the play-by-play of the week:

Monday night, I went rock climbing!

Getting ready to climb!

It was my first time to actually climb outside. (I usually just climb on an indoor climbing wall.)

Tuesday morning, I woke up around 4:30 AM to drive with Nicole (one of the guides for the trip) to the

Hiking Boots, Jackets, Helmets, and More!

Warehouse. Upon arriving at the warehouse, I got some extra gear that I needed and got my food sack for the week. Check out the picture of the warehouse with plenty of gear to lend to participants.

Around 6:00 AM, all the youth participants showed up at the warehouse to get backpacks and other gear checked out for the week. To give you an idea of what I took on the trip:

• Gaiters (go around hiking boots to keep debris out)
• Headlamp (very important for when you have to pee in the middle of the night!)
• Whistle (only used when you see a bear or are in an emergency)
• Clothes (lightweight nylon pants and shorts, polyester t-shirts, & travel undies that dry super fast)
• Food (instant oatmeal packets, lots of granola bars, cup of noodles for dinner, and jelly beans)
• Raingear (waterproof jacket and pants)
• Journal (a small hand-bound journal I made for the trip)

As you can see, the key to backpacking is to pack light and only bring essential items!

After helping the girls get their gear checked out and packed into their backpacks, we loaded up and drove about 4.5 hours to North Cascades National Park.

The drive was incredibly scenic and offered all of us the chance to sneak in a last nap before a full week of hiking.

About 4 hours into the drive, we stopped at the Ranger station to pick up a permit that allowed us to camp in the area. Then the rain came…

When I say rain, I mean LOTS OF RAIN!

We arrived at the trail-head and knew we were in for quite the adventure. The 12 of us girls sloshed through 3.5 miles of muddy trails and rain pouring down and finally made it to our camp, Fireweed Campsite. On that first night, everyone was worn out from the drive, the cold rain, and the hike, and ready to get to bed pronto! Before we could sleep though, we had to set up 3 tents.

After setting up camp, it was time to get some dinner! For dinner, each girl had 2 packages of cup of noodles in her food sack.

Honestly, I was pretty darn miserable the first night since I was soaked, (despite wearing a new waterproof jacket) cold, and hungry.

The trip guides went to the closest stream to get water to boil for the noodles and set up the mini-stoves. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting for boiling water, it finally boiled. The girls were troopers in spite of horrible weather and didn’t complain too much about our simple dinner.

After dinner, everyone ducked into their tents for the night as the rain continued to come down.

Settling in for the night and glad to be out of the rain

I could seriously write so much about this trip, but will split it up between multiple blog posts. I am flying home today from Spokane, but will post again with more details, pictures, and even a video!

Cheers,

Kieley Best

Follow me here on twitter or email at bestweekjob@gmail.com

I am a traveling machine! After wrapping up an awesome week at Scott’s Bike Shop in Cleveland, TN, I  flew across the U.S. on Sunday to Spokane, Washington. It’s hard to contain my excitement for my job this week: backpacking guide! There is a great non-profit based out of Spokane called “Peak 7.” Peak 7 is a non-profit that focuses on taking low-income and at-risk youth on outdoor adventures. They offer climbing, rafting, and backpacking trips. Unlike some organizations that cater to mainly affluent youth, I appreciate that Peak 7 does not exist to make money. They exist to make relationships with the kids, teach them about the outdoors, and to ultimately, show them Christ’s love throughout the trip. It’s so exciting that Spokane youth have the opportunity to explore the outdoors and learn from experienced guides through this organization.

I arrived to Spokane Sunday morning after a long day of flights from Tennessee. Austin, the Peak 7 coordinator, met me at the airport and took me to Zip’s, an amazing burger place, for lunch.

After a quick bite to eat, we headed over to the Peak 7 Warehouse to unpack gear from the previous week’s trips. I put up tents to dry out, cleaned boots, and tried to help get everything organized for this week’s trips. It was great to meet the Peak 7 staff, volunteers, and guides. Every person I talked to had a unique story about how they came to Spokane and found out about Peak 7. The organization has only existed for just under five years, but it’s incredible how far along they are. The warehouse alone is an achievement since most of the gear has been donated by different companies. There are some causes that I hear about and quickly forget about, but Peak 7 is definitely not one of those for me! I love what they’re doing and believe it’s a very worthy cause to have trips for at-risk youth. If you’re interested in donating, click here for a secure link.

To read more about what Peak 7 is about, check out their website here.

Where will I be this week?

Peak 7 is based in Spokane, but for the backpacking trip, we’re driving 5-6 hours to the North Cascade Mountains.

What is my job this week?

I am going on day a five-backpacking trip, which Peak 7 calls an “Ascent Trip.” I will be going with Nicole on an all-girls trip with 7-8 youth participants. Since I haven’t been to guide school or gone through Wilderness First Responder course, I’m basically a participant that is also job-shadowing. Nevertheless, I plan to get involved by building relationships with the kids, helping filter water, set up gear, and learning as much as I can during the week.

How am I feeling pre-trip?

This week will be unique since I will be gone all week and away from my laptop. I’m ecstatic to take a break from technology though and be fully engaged in the trip. Honestly, I am nervous that I won’t be fit enough to backpack for five days. This will definitely be a stretching experience, but I don’t want to be a person known for playing it safe and only doing things that are comfortable. I anticipate that this will be a memorable week and will help me see firsthand what it’s like to lead teens on wilderness trips.

I will be backpacking for five days so guess what that means! I won’t be blogging for five days! I plan to post again this coming Saturday with a detailed blog about the trip, complete with pictures and videos.

Thanks for following me on this journey this far.

Sincerely,

Kieley Best

Email me at bestweekjob@gmail.com with job offers, questions, comments, etc…

Hey!

If you’re taking time to read this blog, I hope you’re having a fantastic day!

I totally enjoyed my week at Scott’s Bike Centre in Cleveland, TN!

Being in my hometown has been great since I worked with a local business and I could zip home from work for dinner with my family.

A couple nights ago, I went on the Thursday night road ride. The “road ride” takes place on the road as you might have guessed.

There are four different groups of riders, with the groups being divided by pace and number of miles they ride.

I’m not new to cycling, but I’ve always ridden on a paved path or on a street with no cars. The thought of riding my bicycle on a busy street was a bit unnerving, but I wasn’t about to chicken out.

Feeling great after riding 18 miles on Thursday night

For my first night of riding, I rode with the “D” group. This group rides 15-20 miles and at a comfortable pace. Don’t let “comfortable pace” mislead you though; I was still huffing and puffing at times and I even endured some hills!

My fellow “D-group” riders were so welcoming and helped me figure out the gears on my bike and get used to road riding. I felt so cool to finally be in a cycling group riding through a major intersection. I’ve always admired cyclists from afar and Thursday night, I was one of them.

Here are some highlights of my week with Scott’s Bike Centre:

• Learning how to build a bike with Scottie and trying to build a bike myself
• Mountain Biking at Brush Creek
• Talking business with David Coulter, co-owner of Scott’s
• Meeting Stan, a local shirt printer who made me a custom Boise St. jersey
• Thursday night road ride on Frontage Road (Cleveland, TN)
• Doing a tune-up on my friend’s mountain bike
• Wearing spandex
• Putting clipless pedals on my bike (increases pedal efficiency)
• Getting some used cycling shoes to use with my new clipless pedals

So, what did I think of working at a bike shop?

I was surprised by how interesting it is to work at a bike shop! There is a lot of variety between helping customers pick out bikes and gear, building and repairing bicycles, and keeping up with the business aspect of it. I liked how I could wear casual clothes everyday and not worry about getting dirty!

Favorite Part of the week?

I definitely enjoyed both the mountain bike ride and the road ride. The group rides are seriously amazing and there is so much comraderie between all the cyclists. I loved meeting new people from my hometown and telling them about the One-Week Job Program.

Least Favorite Part of the week?

It was frustrating at times to watch the mechanics work on bikes and not be able to contribute. Since I was only there for a week, I could only learn so much about repairing bikes.

Good Experience?

This week was phenomenal and I learned a ton! I would definitely consider a job in the cycling industry!

To cap off the week…

I just returned from a 9-mile bike ride with my dad! I was dying to try my new pedals and shoes to see if I could feel the difference. I definitely felt more fast and it was nice to not have my feet flying all over the place. My dad was pedaling HARD and still had trouble keeping up. To clarify, “clipless pedals” are pedals that a rider “clips into.” I know the name doesn’t make sense, but trust me on this one. Scottie gave me an explanation earlier this week that got lost in the bicycle files in my mind!

Scottie building a bike

The most valuable things I will take away from this week are not material; what I will treasure the most are the friendships I built

Stan printed a custom Boise St. jersey for me

with David, Scottie, Stan, Mike, and the other people I met this week. Each person was so hospitable and taught me something I needed to learn.

It’s been nice to be home for a week, but now it’s time to venture out in a huge way. I’m flying out early Sunday morning to Spokane, Washington for my next job.

Until Next Time,

Kieley Best

Email me here: bestweekjob@gmail.com

“Are you wearing shorts under your bike shorts, Kieley?”

“No sir, just underwear.”

“Next time, go commando! That’s how we do it around here to avoid lines that show through spandex.”

This was my introduction to the weekly mountain bike ride with Scott’s Bikes Centre on Tuesday night.

I arrived at the shop fully decked out with spandex cycling shorts, a new jersey, gloves, sunglasses, and my helmet.

It was hilarious to start the evening off with a command to “go commando!“

In case you missed my first blog, I’m in Cleveland, Tennessee for job #4 for the One-Week Job Project!

One of the keys to success for Scott’s Bike Shop to grow their business is to offer weekly mountain bike and road bike rides. Not only do the rides provide a social outlet for regular riders, but they’re also a great way for people who are new to cycling to give it a try. The group setting is great since the Scott’s crew makes sure nobody gets left behind.

So I’ve tossed around the terms “road bike” and “mountain bike,” so allow me to clarify the difference between the two:

A mountain bike is used for riding mountain terrain and has thick tires that withstand lots of action!

A road bike is a bike with “skinny tires” that’s used for riding on smooth surfaces and for racing.

Just like my job at the coffee roastery, the bike shop has its own community. The owners of Scott’s Bicycle Centre realize this and it drives them to provide awesome customer service. They are intentional about offering rides for all levels of riders.

Honestly, the best part of my week so far was riding up to the Brush Creek Trail with David Coulter, one of the owners of Scott’s. He was very candid about his business and gave me  advice about starting my own small business in the future. One thing that people don’t realize is how much money it takes to run a bike shop. With a full spectrum of bikes, David and his brother have a lot of money invested in just bikes!

David asked me how I ended up in the One-Week Job Program and what my future plans are.

To explain how I got to have this fabulous experience:

After being in college for a year and switching my major 3 times, it was time for a break! I moved home from Chicago to Tennessee to work, regroup, and pursue my interests. This past spring, I worked full-time at Panera Bread and really enjoyed it, but wanted to pursue other jobs too!

When I saw the tweet (on Twitter, of course) about the Program I knew the program had my name all over it!

I applied, you voted, and I got in!

I don’t take this experience for granted since I’ve met so many people in just the past month who would do anything to try different jobs.

I’ve been carrying around a small Moleskine notebook to record all the people I meet, what I do each day, and other insights.

To be gut honest, my big goal is to open a coffee shop & roastery in the future. After talking to David, I realized that I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me if that’s what I pursue!

If any blog readers have business advice or  general advice, what would you say to me? Please leave a comment since I’m very open to advice and would love to read the things you learned the hard way or principles that helped you to be successful in life & in business.

(If you prefer, you can email me here: bestweekjob@gmail.com)

This week has been a blast so far!

Not only did I get to work at Scott’s Bike Centre, but I also got to ride with the Scott’s weekly mountain bike ride group!

I could describe the 45-minute drive up the mountain, the killer views on the ride, and the rush of riding a bike in the mountains, but this video will do it justice, more than words can.

-Kieley B.

Since the days of my childhood, I’ve loved cruisin’ around on 2 wheels and seeing beautiful sights by bicycle. This week, I’m in my hometown, Cleveland, TN, working at Scott’s Bicycle Centre. This family business is the place to go to buy new and used bikes, get repairs, and meet for weekly rides.

How did I end up at a bicycle shop?

The rest of my jobs for the summer will be very travel intensive and will take me to new cities I’ve never visited! This week I wanted to be at home to experience life as a small business owner.

Scott’s is special place since it’s a family-run business that’s been open since 1978. To read the history of the shop, click here. I bought a great used bike from Scott’s before heading to Chicago for college a few years ago. The thing that sets Scott’s Bikes apart is their customer service. From the time I walked in the door as a customer, I felt like I had the staff’s undivided attention and they didn’t make me feel dumb for asking lots of questions. In the end, I walked out with a bike that fit my needs, was reasonably priced, and had a great overall experience in the shop.

On Day 1, I walked in Scott’s with absolutely no idea of what to expect. With very little mechanical experience, I was nervous about working with the mechanics who repair bicycles like pros. For me, fixing things takes concentrated thought, lots of explanations, and getting lots of questions answered. Scottie, the owner’s nephew, explained how they build bikes out of the cardboard boxes they arrive in from the factory.

What a bike looks like before it's built by the mechanics at Scott's

Did you know that bikes arrive to the bike shop in cardboard boxes?

It may seem trivial to think about, but there is a tremendous amount of work that goes into getting  bikes out onto the shop floor.

To start off, Scottie built a mountain bike and explained the steps as he worked.

“Then, it was time for the moment of truth…”

Scottie went over to the shelf of bikes in boxes and pulled down a leisure bike for me to put together! I payed attention to his building lesson, but to do it myself was a challenge. I started by attached the seat post and the rest is a blur. Luckily, Scottie was more than gracious to guide me through the process as I worked on the bike myself! There is something so satisfying about greasy hands! The feeling of accomplishment that flooded me upon seeing the finished Trek Navigator 2.0 was a great feeling!

The rest of Days 1 and 2, I mainly watched Zack, Scottie, and Josh as they worked on both simple and complex repairs, part replacements, and bike adjustments.

Zack working on a bike

How did they learn to fix bicycles?

The cool thing about working in a bike shop is that you can learn as you go. From the time he was a teen until now, Scottie has worked with his uncles David and Doug Coulter, to learn the bike shop business. I love it that they didn’t have to go to “Bike University” to become bike mechanics. It’s a very hands-on job job that is “nitty-gritty” work, but the reward is so worth it: seeing the customer’s huge smile when they come to pick up their bike.

Sitting at the desk to greet customers and pretending that I'm a cycling guru

This week is super fun and totally out of my range of knowledge. It’s a bit uncomfortable since I’m not the most bike saavy, but that’s the point of my week with Scott’s Bicycle Centre: to learn and have fun!

I have more pictures and videos to post so keep following my blog!

Cheers,

Kieley B.

Follow me on Twitter here or bookmark my blog here.

I apologize for getting behind on my blog this week. I didn’t mention it in my first blog, but I had 2 jobs this week! All week I’ve been staying in a huge house and not only house-sitting, but also taking care of 2 little dogs. To add to the madness, I fit in 3 days at the dentist’s office!

The infamous dental chair

One thing that has become really obvious is that a job that I can’t actually try is not near as much fun! With the coffee roasting job, I got to work with Charlie Mustard, roastmaster for Jittery Joe’s Coffee. Last week I didn’t have a set job, but I still felt like an active member of the Sierra Trading Post team.

Here’s the thing: I’ve always wondered about dentistry. Even though I couldn’t actually work on patients, I still got to watch the procedures. Also, I got to talk to the hygienists and dental assistants personally. I already highlighted the perks of careers in dentistry in my last blog. You can read it here.

So what did I think of job shadowing the dentist, the assistant, and hygienist?

Overall, I enjoyed interacting with the different patients. As the dental assistant put it, “we may be doing the same things day in and day out but we work on different teeth.” Most of the patients were nice and easy to deal with, but some of the kids can be challenging since they get scared. It’s funny having a conversation with a dental patient since it’s one-sided. The person can’t talk back with their mouth wide open!

Between the hygeniest (the person who mainly cleans teeth) and the assistant, (helps dentist do fillings, sealants, crowns, root canals, and more) I definitely would prefer to be a dental assistant. Why?

I thrive with a combination of people and variety! Both of the jobs allow lots of people interaction but cleaning teeth all day seems a bit too monotonous.

I really enjoyed hanging out with Cassie, one of Dr. Tedford’s dental assistants, to watch various procedures. I got to watch how X-Rays are taken, how molds are made for crowns (a common restoration option for cracked teeth), and even saw a man get tooth implants. According to Dr. Tedford, implants are the deluxe route to take when replacing missing teeth. They have a very high success rate and look and feel natural.

On the bright side, I liked the schedule for the dental jobs. I arrived at 9AM and left in the afternoon. Even though I don’t plan on pursuing this field long-term, I’m very grateful I finally learned more about it. It would be a major bummer to always wonder about if I would like being a hygienist or assistant.

It’s a great career since it’s flexible, requires minimal schooling, and pays well.

I will post tomorrow about my dog sitting gig and then I’m on to JOB #4!

This summer is flying by so crazy fast! I have an exciting job this coming week and can’t wait to blog about it!

Feel free to email me here: bestweekjob(at)gmail.com or follow me on twitter here.

Have a great week!

-Kieley B.