Career Family Tree

1. My Mom-Flight Attendant for Delta

1.1. I changed my major three times. I started out studying psychology, switched to interior design and ended up with business.

1.2. I am a Flight Attendant for Delta air lines. On a typical day I fly to Atlanta Georgia to go to work. From there I fly to an International destination. Usually some where in Europe or South America. I work on the airplane making sure passengers are first and foremost, safe and comfortable. I make sure they are taken care of by making sure they are fed and hydrated. A typical trip for me is usually three to four days.

1.3. I like the freedom it gives me to manage my schedule. I decide what days I work. I like traveling and seeing the world and I like not having an immediate supervisor or manager watching over me every day as I do my job. I am for the most part self managed.

1.4. When I am managed or supervised I have to be accountable for showing up late or calling in sick. When I show up late to work my job leaves without me. I wish the consequences of that were not as harsh as they are. if I don't make it to work on more than three occasions a year my job is in jeopardy. I have a lot of freedom but with that comes a lot of responsibility.

1.5. I became a Flight Attendant because when I got out of school I didn't know what I wanted to do and my mother suggested it. I originally intended to do it until I figured out what I really wanted to do. I like to say that I fell into this job. It is perfect for someone who doesn't like to be micro managed.

1.6. This is the only career I have ever had. I have been flying for over 25 years.

1.7. This job is interesting to me because I like to meet people and go to new places.

1.8. In my opinion what leads a person to be happy in their work is if they are doing something that they feel is helping either other people or improving the world in which we live. Or simply having fun at what they do which is the case for me.

1.9. Looking back on it. I think that I would have enjoyed being a teacher. I like to teach and explain things to people. I think I would have enjoyed teaching college level students.

2. My Aunt Tami- State Manager of Akvinta Vodka

2.1. What was their major and/or academic background/training? I have a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA from San Diego State with a major in Marketing/Entrepreneur

2.2. What is their job title, and what activities do they do on a regular day of work? I am a State Manager- California with Akvinta Vodka. I am in charge of pricing, product promotions, sales and marketing in California. I have 4 direct reports that I manage. One is in charge of chain grocery stores. One is marketing and promotions. Two are sales reps. On a regular day, I work with our distributor representatives (they take the orders from our accounts). I manage the pricing that the distributor has in their system. I put in promotions and deals ( ie, if an account buys 5 cases, they get $10 off per case). I sell to accounts (and follow-up with accounts that have purchased). I manage inventory and coordinate shipments with the distributor. And I manage the 4 employees in California (help with sales, coordinate promotions)

2.3. What do they like about their job? I like the fact that I am my own boss. I can plan my day and work whatever hours I want, as long as the job gets done. If I make my quotas, I get a big bonus. I also enjoy meeting new people every day and the fact that no day is ever the same.

2.4. What do they wish was different about it? I drive a lot, so it would be nice to not spend 4 plus hours a day in the car but I need to be in front of the customers and distributors. I also wish there was less paperwork but the paperwork is a necessity.

2.5. How did they start doing this job/choose this job? I started working in the wine and spirits industry right out of college with Diageo, the biggest wine and spirits company in the world. My job entailed going in to grocery stores in the middle of the night to sell our products and build displays. It was grueling work but it enabled me to get promoted into the bar and restaurant side of the business, which I really loved. I have been with 5 companies in the wine and spirits industry and each job has been more responsibility. My current employer recruited me. I was with a previous spirits company, managing Southern California and my current company contacted me about running the entire state.

2.6. What other careers/jobs have they had in their life? In college, I worked at Target (in the children's section) and at a bank. Before that, I worked every summer with the Parks and Recreation department, planning activities for children. I loved being outside and enjoyed the spontaneity of the children. While in high school, I worked at the Yum Yum factory, making carmel apples and servicing customers. I also worked at Russell's Burgers, where I cooked fast food and worked the register. When I was young, I started a few businesses: the "Neighborly News", a paper that I made and delivered to the neighbors for 25 cents a copy, a wooden sign business (I would engrave people's names and companies), a used golf ball business (I would go to a relative's golf course every Sat and Sun morning before they opened and pick up stray golf balls and resell them) and a resale business (I would go to garage sales and swap meets, buy things and resell them for a profit. I once bought a surfboard for $5 that I resold for $25).

2.7. Why did they stop doing each of those? I enjoyed working at The Parks Department but it was seasonal and part-time. I didn't enjoy the monotony of the bank job and the fact that I had to be in an office every day. Working in an office job made me realize that I wanted a career in a field that didn't require me coming into the office every day. My major was finance and I had intended to go into banking. I changed my career direction and went into sales instead and it has been the best decision of my life.

2.8. What makes a job interesting to them? Daily challenges and having fun.

2.9. What about a job leads one to be happy? Doing something that you really enjoy and working with people that you really admire.

2.10. If they could not do the profession/job they currently are doing, what would they choose instead? I would my own company in the wine and spirits field. Or I would be in charge of Business Development the Los Angeles Lakers.

3. My Uncle Mike- CEO of ID90 Technologies

3.1. What was their major and/or academic background/training? BS in Business from St. John's University and an MBA from Pepperdine

3.2. What is their job title, and what activities do they do on a regular day of work? CEO of ID90 Technologies, a start-up that automates airline employee inter- and intra-line travel. I manage teams in the U.S. and Argentina; deal with the board of directors (on which I also serve); handle relationships with airline executives; and oversee our company's financials.

3.3. What do they like about their job? I like the excitement of having come in to a company that was not being run effectively and turning it around, moving it toward profitability.

3.4. What do they wish was different about it? I wish we had a longer financial runway; as a start-up, our budget is lean and we must rely on outside investors as we move toward profitability.

3.5. How did they start doing this job/choose this job? I was sought out by their board based on my previous posts at travel technology businesses. They pitched me on the position and I decided it was an opportunity I wanted to pursue.

3.6. What other careers/jobs have they had in their life? I started in the textiles industry right out of college. After I received my MBA, I saw that the Internet was starting to take off (this was 1996) so I moved to Seattle and took a position at Microsoft's online city guide, called Sidewalk. Then I moved to Dallas/Ft. Worth and joined Travelocity, where I was VP of Marketing. I was president of CheapTickets.com, and then left to run a start-up, Groople.com.

3.7. Why did they stop doing each of those? I moved to new and interesting opportunities. In the case of Groople, we wound up selling the company.

3.8. What makes a job interesting to them? I definitely love a challenge--I like coming in to something that needs fixing and working to turn it around. This was the case for CheapTickets.com and Groople as well. I also like being in a dynamic industry, which I consider both travel and technology.

3.9. What about a job leads one to be happy? Being challenged, being able to grow professionally, being respected for doing a job well done.

3.10. If they could not do the profession/job they currently are doing, what would they choose instead? I would want to do something internationally--to work for a larger American company with international divisions--to live abroad with my family for a few years.

4. My Aunt Lori- Editor of Celebrated Living magazine and American Airlines magazine

4.1. What was their major and/or academic background/training? I majored in Literature/Writing in college and was involved in such things as the student newspaper in college. I started at a magazine,Teen, right out of college.

4.2. What is their job title, and what activities do they do on a regular day of work? Editor of Celebrated Living magazine, American Airlines' magazine for first and business class passengers. My daily role consists of working with writers to assign and discuss stories. I edit stories and plan out the edit pages of the magazine; I also manage the magazine's editorial budget.

4.3. What do they like about their job? I love the process of editing a story and also planning the stories for the magazine; each issue presents new opportunities. I also enjoy traveling to top destinations around the world to write about them.

4.4. What do they wish was different about it? I wish that there wasn't so much email!

4.5. How did they start doing this job/choose this job? I've always loved magazines and publishing. When we moved to Dallas, there were not too many editorial positions to be found, but I got in at American Airlines Publishing 12 years ago and worked my way into this position.

4.6. What other careers/jobs have they had in their life? Aside from magazine publishing, I have worked in public relations (for Microsoft) and have also done freelance writing and editing.

4.7. Why did they stop doing each of those? I hated PR -- I much prefer being on the other side of things. Freelancing is nice, but very tough to make a living at.

4.8. What makes a job interesting to them? Learning new things with each new story; having to create a whole new magazine each issue

4.9. What about a job leads one to be happy? Knowing you are doing something that utilizes your strengths. Also, when you look forward to going to work as opposed to dreading it, you know it's a good position for you.

4.10. If they could not do the profession/job they currently are doing, what would they choose instead? I would be a novelist, or at least try!

5. My Dad- Senior Marketing Consultant with Living Social

5.1. What was their major and/or academic background/training? I have a Bachelors of Science Degree in Business Management

5.2. What is their job title, and what activities do they do on a regular day of work? I am a Senior Marketing Consultant with Living Social. Most of my day is spent working with clients who would like to partner with Living Social on strategic marketing campaigns as well as social media strategies.

5.3. What do they like about their job? The fact that it is a very popular company and people enjoy using us. Also, seeing a successful campaign really help a business to grow and hearing back from those companies, thanking us and wanting to continue working with us. And Dallas Cowboys tickets!

5.4. What do they wish was different about it? I wish we were able to work with more small businesses but unfortunately, not all qualify and we are not able to help them.

5.5. How did they start doing this job/choose this job? I was approached by a recruiter for the company and asked I would be interested. After doing some research on the industry and the company, I was very impressed and decided to accept their offer.

5.6. What other careers/jobs have they had in their life? I spent 10 years as a Learning and Development Consultant with The Perrier Group and owned my own company for seven years.

5.7. Why did they stop doing each of those? The reason I left Perrier was a combination of two factors. First, I was traveling every week to Greenwich, Connecticut and it was taking a toll being away from my family. Second, I had always wanted to start a business form the ground up and felt like this was the opportune time to do so. Eventually, I sold the company after being approached by one of our distributors who wanted to purchase it.

5.8. What makes a job interesting to them? For me, it’s no two days being exactly alike and a job that’s challenging. Being able to find new ways to grow professionally and personally at work. Also, having some freedom to try new things.

5.9. What about a job leads one to be happy? You absolutely have to be passionate about what you do. If you are, you are always willing to learn more, do more, work harder and with that comes success and happiness. I’ve seen too many times where people have taken a job for the money and dread going to work every day. While I have also seen people who don’t make much but love getting up every day to go to work.

5.10. If they could not do the profession/job they currently are doing, what would they choose instead? I would be a writer.

6. My Grandma "Oma"- Staff nurse in operating room

6.1. I trained as a Registered Nurse specializing in the field of surgery and later as a specialist in treating substance abuse (alcoholism, drug abuse etc.)

6.2. I worked 12 yr’s as a staff nurse in the operating room specializing in general surgery and urology. Later in my career I became head nurse in an Alcohol Recovery Substance Abuse Treatment Hospital.

6.3. What I loved the most was the challenge of organizing and supervising of the various surgeries, seeking to provide for every possible contingency that might arise during the course of surgery and responding to the emergencies as they would come in. No two days were the same! Another aspect of my carrier as an RN was meeting patients that were at a crossroad in their lives, sometimes life & death, and helping them through those difficult times.

6.4. The long hours, having to stand by for 24hr. on call status and then working the full shift the next day after being up all night on emergencies. With the drug & alcohol patients, never knowing if the remained clean & sober after the 30 days of working with them & their families.

6.5. I always wanted to be a doctor from as early as I can remember. My mother was an RN and I would go to work with her sometimes and spend the 8hrs that she was working, in the library reading medical books. There was no money for me to go to college & medical school. My sister paid for the first semester of nurses school and then I was able to earn a full scholarship for the remaining three years.

6.6. When I was living in Mexico City, Mexico, I wanted to put my children into a Montessori school. We couldn’t afford it at the time so I offered to work at the school as a school nurse, The director of the school said that he needed teachers more that a school nurse and offered to train me as a Montessori directoress of teacher. So I studied with the Montessori teachers from Holland and became an AMI (Association Montessori International) directoress (teacher). Eventually I became the administrator of the entire preschool program ages 21/2-5yrs.

6.7. I stopped working in the Montessori program when I returned to live in the USA. I continued working as a RN until I retired.

6.8. The challenge of being on the cutting edge of life where what I do really makes a difference and the satisfaction of doing something as best as I can. Also the continual process of learning something new that helps me to grow in knowledge and experience.

6.9. I always wanted to learn to fly. If that option had been open to me when I was growing up I would most definitely have been a pilot… at least for a while….