I've just started down a new path at Embolden... as Director of Project Management & Client Partnerships.

I'm the child of a salesman... my father could sell anything to anyone, and leveraged that from a younger-years stutter into a major jewelery manufacturing company that paid for my college education, among other things.

I grew up behind a counter at Scrumptions, my parents' pastry shop in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, apron dragging on the floor... I was seven when they started up what was their second/third/fourth career as pastry shop owners. Born of boredom, I'm still convinced, my father took Master Gardener classes at URI while my mom learned how to bake. Summers filled with, "Close the door or you'll let all the air conditioning out!" and "Get your fingers out of that bowl!" changed me into the child of the cake lady.

We had freezers full of delicious treats in the basement, and the occasional flour mishap in the kitchen, when a precariously placed bowl of freshly sifted white stuff landed on my sister's head as she hunted for something to eat on the way to work.

Before I hit middle school, I was working the crowd, charming my mom's customers as my apron covered nearly my entire tiny body.

There, I learned the most important things about people:

1. Most people are nice. But some aren't.
2. People like it when you smile. Even on the phone.
3. People like it when you remember something about them... even just their name.
4. What they say they want and what they actually want are not always the same thing.
5. You don't have to know every little detail about the product... but don't make things up. It's ok to say I don't know. But then go find out and report back!
6. Try to know more. Every single day.
7. Offer a sample. They'll likely buy the cake.
8. You never know who's going to end up with a 7-tier, crazy-ornate cake for their 450 person wedding at Mrs. Astors' Beechwood.

My father was the guy who delivered the cakes, the guy who did the books... he did none of the cake making. And he never really knew a whole lot about anything in the case. But he certainly knew how to talk to people.

He could stand behind the counter and sell just about anything, because he asked questions and he listened. He'd tell them what his favorite was, and people were willing to wait for him to find them an answer because he was willing to hear all about their 8 year old who really needed a soccer ball birthday cake.

My parents saw every single customer as an ambassador for Scrumptions' wedding cakes. And more than 20 years later, the shop still thrives.

I try to channel that kind of customer service mentality at Embolden.

As an Emboldener, I have to say, it's a pretty fab deal. It's a great place to work. Not only do we have awesome customer service for our clients, we are each other's customers... we take care of each other. Everyone's in the boat together. And it shows. Our clients dig working with us partially because we dig working at Embolden.

As I move into this new phase of my time at Embolden, with one of my charges to cultivate our client partnerships, I'll have an eye toward knowing more every day, on remembering the little things about our clients, and on making sure that I'm helping them get exactly what they need.