It was the best of times…

I had the unique experience to simultaneously work for the best and worst bosses I have ever come across. My time was split between two small businesses. I was working as a licensed massage therapist for a local spa and also as a stained glass artisan for The Glass Source in Shelton. Both of these opportunities involved a field I was passionate about, but they could not have been farther from each other in actual experience.

The spa started out as a great opportunity with regular hours, work in my field and benefits. I liked the women and the clients with whom I worked and it was a great opportunity. However, things changed very quickly. My coworkers and I started experiencing inconsistencies in our schedules and house rules. The upkeep started to grow slack and the owner was less and less present. We started having to make excuses and apologizing for management. The environment became toxic and did not represent me or how I wanted to express my craft.

The Glass Source was the completely opposite situation. Fred and I took an introductory class and I fell in love. Debbie Breither, the second owner after the original owner/artisan Mary Pilsbury passed from cancer, saw something in my talent and offered me a job. The space was small but tidy and her whole family worked there. Debbie’s mother was the bookkeeper and her father the comptroller. I felt instantly at home.

From the beginning, I was amazed at the amount of grace Debbie possessed. She made it a point to know everyone’s name, even if she had only met a person once. When she gave a quote, she would tell the client that it would take a little longer than she expected, because she would rather pleasantly surprise them than give false hopes and empty promises. Debbie loved her craft. She had an uncanny attention to detail and executed as only a true perfectionist could. She cared for her clients. Her employees were treated like family (the ones you like) and I loved coming to work every day. And working with stained glass was an amazing experience which I will always cherish.

The glaring difference between these two people was the level of care and attention they gave their businesses. The spa owner was in it as a money-making venture—nothing more. She made her money, but after a while her bare minimum level of care and integrity wore away at any staying power and the spa eventually failed. Clients were disappointed and employees were left to fend for themselves.

Debbie had moved down South to semi-retire and passed the business to Mike Skrtic, an artisan with whom I worked. His level of care and craftsmanship is equal to if not greater than before and he carries on the tradition of intuitive customer service and a keen eye for quality and detail. He is the realization of a true apprentice becoming a master craftsman and Debbie took the time to teach him the art of small business ownership.

As a restaurateur, I feel that I learned so much from that time in my life. I learned as much what not to do as how to do things correctly. I learned what happens when you don’t treat your employees and clients with the utmost of respect. And I know from experience that the short term decisions that I make can and will come back to either help or hinder myself and my business. I choose the road of kindness, inclusion and care for my craft. Thank you both for these valuable lessons.