Other than the actual moving day, this day - my last day as Manager of Nourish SLO - has felt the farthest away in this whole moving process. There were days when I looked forward to a short period of unemployment, of rest and reduced stress, and there were days when I dreaded the mere thought of closing the door for the very last time to the place that has boosted my confidence, refined my skills and revealed ones I didn’t know I had, and most of all, believed in me when I definitely did not believe in myself.
Six months ago, I stood in the terribly uncomfortable decision-making spot of staying in California versus moving to Minnesota. I hated that place - that shaky middle ground. I hated not knowing what to do, how to best suit my own needs and still keep my family and friends as happy for me and with me as possible. To ease the stress and help move me in one direction or another, I searched for jobs in both places and came across the Manager position at Nourish SLO. My heart raced as I read the description - it was perfect for me.
Within an hour of applying, I heard from the manager at the time and that she was interested in my application and wanted to bring me in for an interview. That was just the confidence boost I needed - knowing that my talent had been acknowledged and desired. After a period of low activity on the blog and recently finishing college, the post-grad blues and feelings of inadequacy had set in. About a week later, I walked into the interview filled to the brim with confidence and topped with just a dash of nerves, of course.
I was ready to show them the best version of Haley I had in me. And from the minute I got the job until now, the day I say goodbye, I think I did just that. No, I was not perfect every single day, or every other day. Challenges arose - some, I nailed and others… well, others nailed me. Opportunities knocked and I took as many as I possibly could. I smiled and waved and welcomed guests in, making sure they felt comfortable and happy in that moment. If there’s nothing else I did right besides provide that hospitality, I’m okay with that.
People often asked what my roles were as the manager and I couldn’t ever reduce the list to fewer than five things. My hands were everywhere at all times. If you’d ever seen me working, you’d see me for about five seconds at a time, unless you intentionally grabbed my attention. I was rarely ever sitting or standing still, and if you could see into my brain in those moments, you might wonder how my exterior still managed to smile and remain calm and collected. By no means am I trying to brag here! New to the job with a fire under my butt, I was almost always trying to accomplish something. I couldn’t sit still!
Mainly, I managed the front of house employees and oversaw the daily operations of the cafe. In addition to that, I ran our coffee program, tracked sales and financials, and helped maintain the quality of current menu items as well as developed new seasonal dishes and daily specials. Thankfully, my job description didn’t really have many limits. If I wanted to be involved in something or start something new, all I had to do was ask and I found space to learn, contribute, and teach.
The cafe itself and the actual manager position were both new to me, but the restaurant business and the manager skills were not. I caught on quickly, let’s just say. Just two days of training went by and suddenly, I was in charge. At first I was terrified because the weight of the responsibilities felt far too heavy for the amount of strength I’d built in just two short days. Environments with food and friendly people are environments in which I thrive, and I needed to thrive in order to lead. I embraced it all.
And I didn’t plan on leaving yet - I wanted to stay to help Nourish develop as an establishment within this wonderful community for at least another year. My mind overflowed with ideas and opportunities for the cafe, and many times I’d wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning just thinking about those and how I couldn’t wait to be a part of them. So, it’s difficult to leave, to say the very least, but waves of change have come and this is how I roll with the tide.
When I pictured the career path to opening my own cafe, I knew a management position like this was my next step along the way. Throughout my experience here, I questioned my dream frequently - do I want this? With the joy and community and delicious food comes stress and money and exhaustion, at times. Only now that I’ve stepped far enough back can I clearly see the full picture. YES, the restaurant industry can be highly stressful and an investment like the one I’d need to make is a risk, but I can’t imagine I’ll find the joy and fulfillment I feel here doing anything else. I just…
… I feel like I’m made for this. :)