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Officially, I am a store manager, but we are sometimes referred to as store operators and managers. Basically, I am the boss of everyone and I make sure that the store runs smoothly. Our primary responsibility is to satisfy the customer, so whatever it takes to do that, that's my job.

More or less, everything is catch up. Anything you don't finish the day before carries over to the next day. We are always trying to get ahead of the game by stocking the shelves, doing resets, making price changes, and anything else that may have to get done, but it never really happens, because there is always someone who will stop you on the way to your goal. I change what I do daily to fit the needs of the business and of the customer.

My main concern is making sure the store is ready and clean all the time. There are a lot of people who do extra things when visitors come, but to me the biggest visitor is the customer that walks through that door. Important business people come and go, but the customers are the ones that are going to buy the product, and they are the ones that are going to come back. Gaining the trust and the friendship of our customers is invaluable.

I try to be as truthful as possible, because if you lay it all on the line for them, you are not wasting the company's time, and more importantly you are not wasting their time. If I see potential in someone, I will retrain him or her to strive for the level I know they can reach; otherwise there is nothing you can do but let them go. You have to find out what their interests are and try to steer them in a direction that is more suited for their needs.

No, retail is definitely not for everyone. It gets hard because you have to work long hours, nights, weekends, and holidays and it takes away from family and home life. I hate to see someone in the business that doesn't belong here because they are wasting their time. For those who are suited, it is a great opportunity to put you through school and help you save money to reach another goal. Plus, the retail business will always be here, and it is definitely something that you can always fall back on. I did.

Satisfying everyone is the biggest problem. Not all people are going to be happy. Some people come in and have a chip on their shoulder. They think they are right, and in the world of retail, the customer is always right. You try to get both sides of the story, but if worse comes to worst, you give their money back. The $25 is not worth the aggravation. It took me a long time to learn that, to find the balance between calming the customer and the employee.

I have been working in retail since I was 16 years old. I switched from company to company but this job helped put me through school, and years later it helped me raise my family.

My father definitely influenced me. He always taught me to have a back up and always to plan ahead. Retail was my fall back job. I was a teacher, and I loved it, but it wasn't enough to support my family. I always had this job in the back of my mind and I fell back into it. I try to teach my kids the same thing my father taught me, but sometimes it doesn't work too well.

Also, one of my former bosses set a model for me to follow. He was the president of the company, but he would still walk the floor at least once a week, if not more, and go to everyone and talk to them, asking how their day was and joking around. I thought he was one of the sharpest guys I have ever seen, and I try to mirror what he did. I hope that my employees admire that about me.

I definitely want to go back to teaching eventually. I like teaching college level students because they are open and willing to learn. They don't have to be disciplined, and I feel like I am getting too old for that. I think I still have something to offer students, at least I hope I do, so I teach them everything I know.

No matter what field you work in, you teach people things. In retail, you teach people to build end caps, displays, to handle difficult customers, anything like that. It lightens my load a little bit, because I no longer have to worry about the little things. My goal is to have my employees be as good as me, if not even better. The only way to do that is to have very good communication skills.

The worst thing that can happen to a company is rumor and gossip. It spreads like wildfire, and it is very harmful to daily activities. The most important thing is to make sure everyone knows what is going on, because that prevents rumors. If something is going to happen, tell the employees because it is their right to know. Of course there is always a break down in communication, because people forget to tell others, or get the story wrong, but I strive to keep everyone in my store informed. Communication is the number one priority to me, and whatever it takes to get the job done, I tell my employees to do it. Whatever it takes.

I punch in around 6:30 a.m. and do the cash report. I put the money in the tills, make sure the tills have change, and then put the tills in the drawers and go. The first employees start at 7:00 a.m., so there is not much time to mess around. Things have to be done in a short time frame, but it is not too hard to do if it is done right the night before.

Breaks to me are just grabbing a drink or eating. I like to give my employees breaks by going to talk to them. I like to ask how their day is and joke around with them. I am not only giving myself a break, but I am giving them a break. I like to keep good relationships with my employees. They respect me, but they also trust me enough to bring any concerns that they might have without fear of being yelled at.

Variety is the one thing that keeps me going in this business. There are so many different customers, employees, and products that there is no time to stand around and do nothing. I don't sit too long, because I have to keep moving, and this business allows me to do so.

They do, but most of them are still learning what I want, or rather, demand, from them. Sometimes, they don't listen and want to do things their own ways. I have worked in the retail business for so long that I think I know the best and easiest ways to do things, but sometimes they just have to learn for themselves. But it's the moment that they finally realize what they need to do, and that light bulb goes off in their head that I love. That is the payment for me in this business. It is supposed to be the dollars, but I would rather have someone succeed at what they are doing than be paid for teaching my employees nothing.

It really depends on the worker and how much experience they have. I would probably say the salary can range anywhere between $45,00 and $60,000 a year. It doesn't sound too great, but it is enough to support a life and a family.

One and a while, I will teach at a community college. It is only two nights a week for 12 weeks, but I love it. I am always available to teach if the opportunity arises.

We pay minimum wage, but the employee gets raises for every year they have worked, and it eventually adds up. Also, if there is an employee that is leaving and I find them invaluable, I will give them a raise if that is what is necessary to keep them.

Employees receive bonuses, but I have not heard of that many receiving them. Other programs we participate in are promotional deals. I think they foster more animosity than friendly competition between stores, because people then focus on that one product. I will put it up, but I don't push it solely because I know my customers don't all like the one product. Also, often times the employees focus so much on winning that the store goes to hell, and that is not something I would support.

For a long time, I brought my work home and worried about it. It definitely put stress on my family, and still does a little. For the most part though, I have finally learned to adjust more and more worry about the little things. It took a long time for me to do, but it has definitely made my life easier. Some things are not as important as they were before. Tomorrow is not guaranteed for anyone, so sometimes we have to live our lives as we want. Money and our career are not everything in this world.

Money is money; people will always assume they deserve more than they are currently making. This job could have been better, but it is the way it happened. I feel that I was given the hand I was dealt for a reason, and I made the best of it. I give 100% in everything that I do, no matter what I am dealt. This job allowed me to give the best I could to my family, and that is all I could ask.

Hopefully within the next five years, but I don't know. If I could find the right part-time teaching job, I would retire sooner rather than later, because no one knows what the future brings. I am here today, but I could be gone tomorrow. The world is changing and there is little stability in it because of the economy and business. I like to have a back up plan.

I didn't sacrifice as much as I could have, because I wanted to be further along than I am. There were promotions that passed me by, and other opportunities I didn't take because of timing. Timing is everything, and if it isn't the right, then then you can't force it. In the long run, I cannot complain. I am happy and the people that I have met along the way have all made it worthwhile to me.

Right now, young people are in the position to bring about change. They have the opportunity to become the change they want to see in the world. If you start now, you can move up the ladder and be in the position to make the change in the future. Unfortunately for me, I started years later, so I was not able to accomplish that, but if you start young enough, you can do whatever you want. Just make sure not to lose sight of what you wanted to change in the first place.

The retail business is growing bigger everyday, but it is becoming impersonal. Eventually, they will have to look back and find out what made them successful in the beginning, but they are not at the point right now. Every city and every neighborhood is different, and needs to be treated as such. You have to alter your product to the customer, and I think that is something that is going to have the change in the next few years.

I think that education is invaluable, I really do. It is so important that more of our money and time be focused in providing education to everyone. We need to put our money in the future, and that future is in outstanding education.

The company decides, which is not always the best way to handle it. The customer should drive what is carried in the store; however, we are not at that point yet. We are getting there, but it is still a few years away. We are on the right path to satisfying the customer's needs, but it is not perfect yet.

More and more, I see the unions backing down because they do not want to become obsolete. I don't think they have much say in things because the stores more or less take care of themselves. Especially my store - we try to treat people very well and take care of everyone. It doesn't show as much as it should, but we really do. Sometimes, if there is a problem that cannot be addressed within the four walls of the store, that is when the union steps in.

The most important thing is to be yourself; you are here to sell yourself, so tell them your good points but always admit that you have weaknesses. Admit that you are eager to address and improve those weaknesses, because employers like to hear reality rather than the everyday BS. Don't be afraid of the person interviewing you. Make sure you believe in yourself and sell yourself as best as you can. That's all you can really do.

I look for people who have something a little different about them, whether it is their walk, their smile, or the way they shook my hand. It is those little things that show me that they are going to be a good worker. If people have faith in themselves and are proud of what they have accomplished, it comes across in the interview.

There are little actions that set off warnings that some people are not as serious about the job as they appear to be. I hate when people don't look me in the eye, or if they look down. I hate when people mumble, or use slang terms. A job interview is when you are supposed to put your best foot forward. This is the time and the place to show your best self, so don't be afraid.

The job is what you make it. So if you try to make it fun and enjoyable, it will be fun and enjoyable. I try to stress that money and pay isn't everything. If you are enjoying yourself, then the money will find a way to work itself out. Don't stress too much on things that don't really matter. Happiness is key to success, not money.

I have learned that the biggest thing in any career is to be happy. I try to tell people that you aren't going to be here forever, so do the best while you are here. If everyone loved their jobs and did them right, the world would be a better place. I realize that the world is not perfect, but it's something to work towards.