I had a great conversation with a mentor of mine this morning over a cup of coffee. I get so passionate about what I'm saying that I forget about the coffee! I am so motivated after having conversations with her that I immediately feel like accomplishing something, but I decided to come home and relax a bit before I go to work later today. Tuesdays are normally my day off but I didn't want a day off this week. My conversations with her normally express my goals. I've been trying to build good relationships with people I trust. The latter of that sentence means I don't have a lot of relationships. It is difficult for me to develop trust in people. I decided at a young age to hold things in. I can remember back to four years old when I made that decision, and I've been content with discontent until this past year. I moved out on my own almost as soon a I graduated High school. I was going to go to a university pursuing a music education degree, and I had great scholarships to do that. Everything was planned out: I even got into a scholars program. At that point I was working part time making $7.50 an hour, and I planned on keeping my part-time job while pursuing my degree. I remember going to my new student orientation and setting up my classes. I was excited up until that day when I saw my school schedule. In fact, I became irritated. My whole schedule was music classes. Some of them I didn't even get credits for. I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do but I got the most money with that as my major. Over the next few weeks I couldn't stop thinking about it. Everyday my options were running through my head, "WHAT DO I DO?" I was about to spend a lot of money on something I wasn't sure I wanted to do. I knew I'd be good at it, but would it be worth it?
I've worked for Sonic since I was 16. I used to cut school so I could go to work instead. The last few years of high school were rough for me so work was my escape, and I put all my energy into it, but I never looked at it as a career option. It was a job while I was in high school that I just happened to enjoy. I started off with a different franchise, but the same immediate supervisor. I remember around Christmas time one year finding out she wasn't going to be my boss anymore. I was very disappointed but I was going to continue working there. My new boss was one of our assistants that got promoted up. At that time I was 17. The store changed after my previous boss left. I was a crew leader and I wanted to step up. I started jumping back into the kitchen so I could cross train. I learned more about food prep, and I started working more and more. I remember one day I worked 18 hours and I wanted to frame my clock out sheet. As I neared 18, the possibility of me getting promoted to an assistant manager was mentioned. I thought, "I'll be an assistant manager and go to school."I did get excited, but I wanted to start training. I felt like I was promised something and there wasn't any follow through. I knew I was going to be going to school in the town where my previous boss worked, so I thought maybe I could work for her again while I went to school. I applied, got hired, and then I put in my two weeks notice. My "new" boss waited to schedule me until those two weeks were over. I never saw myself where I am now. I drove 30 miles to work 4-5 days a week. I wanted to perform the best job I could. I wasn't planning on being promoted to a high rank, but I wanted to work there. Then those doubts about school started up. I walked in to work one day and my boss was standing at the desk. I've always been early to work, and that day was no exception. I would be there anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour early. I liked having conversations with her during this time if she wasn't busy. I was pacing a little, and I really wanted to talk to someone about my doubts with school. I was too nervous to bring it up to my mom because I thought she would be disappointed in me. We had spent all this time together getting everything set up and I was going to tell her I didn't want to go anymore. I was nervous to even tell anyone! Then, I said, "Jessi I've been thinking." Jessi is my boss by the way. She turned around immediately. "Yes Shayla?" "Jessi, I don't think I want to go to school." Her face immediately lit up and I was shocked. Here I was stressed out about decisions I was making, and my boss was smiling at me? She said, "Shayla, I've been thinking too."That was the moment she said she wanted to train me to be an assistant manager. She told me she had talked to her boss, and her BOSSES BOSS and these were her words, "I think she's a for lifer." She was right, but I didn't realize it until that day. I had always wanted to do the best job I could with the best attitude. All she had to do was tell me she saw potential in me. Following that conversation I broke the news to my mom with confidence. My mom was a restaurant manager as well, and she was very successful. At this point I said I wanted to take a few classes and become a manager. She was surprised, but not disappointed. I did all the required training to become certified after that along with my partner Harry. Harry was another crew member training to be an assistant. After I was a certified assistant I didn't stop my work, however I paused my schooling. Jessi continued working with me and I started my Co-manager checklist. Then we got the approval from her bosses in December of last year that I could be promoted, but not until January 1. I still get excited thinking about each step of my journey. In the past two years I've graduated, moved out on my own, got a full time job, then got promoted twice. Everything is working out for me. I remember when I was 16 and I thought nothing ever would, and everything good was over for me. I was wrong. The process isn't over yet either. I will still keep learning and advancing my skills until one day I will be a partner just like my boss. Hopefully she will be my supervisor by that time. This is one goal I know I want. It was the first time in a long time that I felt passion for something.
When I was younger I had so much passion. I directed it to so many different things. I started off in gymnastics then I got psoriasis and was forced to give that up. My dream then was to become an olympic athlete, and I am still convinced I could've done that. I was very good. That next year after was rough for me but eventually I got my passion back. I started dance, and after a year got invited to join the competitive team. I excelled in class. I started band, basketball, volleyball, and track. Then into High school I made the cheerleading team, dance team, honor choir which included lead roles in all 4 musicals, and model un. I created our school calendar and website. I was class vice president and eventually became cheer captain. I did so many different things and once again something came up. I quit everything at school. This time it wasn't psoriasis, and it's taking me more than a year to over come it. It happened when I was 15 and now I'm 19 going on 20. I'm still sorting out the mess it made. I was broken for a long time. There must've been a small flame still lit inside somewhere even if I didn't feel it because my passion for life is coming back. I'm so excited to watch the next few years unfold. I'm starting to have that confidence in myself again. I know I have a lot of potential. I am putting that into motion, and we'll see how it all unfolds.
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