When I was driving out of town last Friday, we passed the Movie Gallery and my jaw dropped. I've kind of been waiting for this to happen, but at the same time I can't believe that it actually is happening! I spent many a late hour at this store doing inventory, cleaning up messes, and organizing shelves. I also spent waaaayyyy too much time in a red polo and khakis. Being the store manager taught me a lot of important lessons about hard work and not taking on everything all by myself. I was lucky enough to be flown to Hollywood, CA in April 2005 because of this company, where I won an award for having the store with the biggest cash flow in my region. I was personally congratulated by Joe Malugen and Harrison Parish, CEOs and founders of Movie Gallery. I took this store from floundering to flourishing in the nearly two years that I managed it. It's hard to see it the way it is today.
Me, manager extraordinaire :)
One of my SCSA's (senior customer service associate) Katie Keefe.
Another SCSA- Erin Matheson (She was also my go-to-girl; if I needed anything she was there for me!)
I was celebrating because at the last minute one of my employees said they could work Christmas day for me. Movie Gallery was open 7 days a week 365 days a year, including all major holidays.
Another SCSA, Rachel Hendricksen. She was killed in a car accident in 2007 and I really miss seeing her. She was always so positive and had such a solid testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The following pictures are from my trip to Hollywood in April 2005 with my District Manager, Jeff Madrid and his wife Mieke (pronounced meek-uh).
Jeff posing for a picture with one of the many characters that roam in front of the Kodak Theater begging pennies off of tourists. You had to pay them to get a picture of them. 
Mieke, Jeff, and Roxanne (a manager from Hawaii). Roxy was my roommate on the trip.
Me partying with a Kramer look-a-like at the Sony Pictures back lot party. (We also had back lot parties at Warner Brothers and Universal Studios- Universal even closed down the lower part of the park early so we could party in the park all by ourselves).
The best part about the Universal Studios back lot party was being able to ride The Mummy Returns over and over and not having to wait in line.
Me and a couple of people I don't know posing with the Jack Nicholson doppelganger.
My Movie Gallery Star Award- I always knew I would win an award in Hollywood one day. How right I was!
Goodbye Movie Gallery! Thanks for the memories.
4 comments:
That is crazy. It fell apart without you there. I'm not saying you look old now, but you look super young in those pictures!
I had no idea that you worked at a video rental store, let alone managed it for two years. You are a woman with many mysteries. ;)
Well look at you go! I didn't know you were the manager. I bet you helped me rent a movie...before I knew you.
P.S. I can't believe how much your hair has grown out since then!
Kalie told me you were the manager of that store. It is very nostalgic to go back and think about things in the past and I'm sure it was fun to walk down memory lane for awhile.
Since I am extremely sentimental (according to my cousin, and she's right) I have a sense of how you are feeling.
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