UnExplainable

Dinner started out as catching up but I knew there was more in store. Questions about me and my future were followed with business talks and experiences that I was really excited to engage in. “Where are you at right now and what’s next for you?” The question didn’t catch me off guard. I knew what I was working through and the timing of this conversation reassured me that movement was near. I responded with telling the story of where I was at. I was tired but I was also ready for more. Ready for something new that could light the spark that had dulled. I shared my passion and love for hospitality and food, something that chose me rather than me choosing it. The question that followed changed the trajectory of my life

“Have you ever been to Charleston?”

The words rang in my head so clearly. My response was simply “No, I have heard of it but never been.”

The conversation proceeded with discussion of the city, how it was truly a delight to visit and how food oriented the city is. I knew in that moment it was time to do research on not only Charleston but the east coast in general. The rest of dinner was all centered around bigger cities and opportunities that were out there. I was beyond grateful for the dinner and conversation.

My keys hit the counter and I immediately pulled out my laptop to start researching cities. I knew of a couple different cities that I had been to or were near places I had been to, so I made a list. Charleston, Nashville, Asheville, Savannah, Charlotte. I plotted a trip that would be roughly 2 weeks long that would take me through all of these cities. I would travel to them, check out the food scene and see if there were any jobs that may be available to me. 

While planning my trip I got curious to look for hospitality groups that were in those specific cities. A simple search produced what sparked my interest immediately:

Indigo Road Hospitality Group

“To Serve is First to Love” sat across the top of the website, quickly drawing me in. My mind started racing, breaking down this quote and zooming out to think about the practicality of it. Knowing that every day people choose to walk through the doors of a restaurant and to serve anyone comes first from having the love for self and what you are doing. All business is serving or creating a service for customers or guests. It just boils down to how much you can feel the love. Yes, it is a transaction but is it just a transaction or is it an experience or even better, a feeling. Service is a transaction, Hospitality is an experience and a feeling. The beauty is it can exist anywhere. It can be your favorite barista at a coffee shop, a server at Applebee’s, or a bartender at a well known dive bar. The ones you can tell truly love what they do. These people are rare but they are everywhere

I kept digging through Indigo Road’s website to find that they had a highly experienced administrative team and they had a lot of concepts in a lot of areas. Anything from Italian, Steakhouses, Sushi and Mexican. The companies values are what drew me in even more. 

-Work Collaboratively

-Embrace Positivity

-Have Fun at Work

Act With Integrity

All things that caught my eye immediately. I didn’t stop at just Indigo Road but I knew they were top of my list. After more research in other cities, my list did not grow much and I circled Indigo Road as my option. The website had a link to careers they had available and with Charleston at the forefront of my mind, I found an Assistant General Manager position at one of their French concepts in Charleston. I thought about it for a day or two and decided to go for it. 

I hadn’t applied for a job in a while but I refreshed my resume and hit submit.