The other day my far-away friend, Tiffanie, hit me up with a text message that was simply an image of her notes about the opening procedure of the Woodinville 747 Costco Photo Center. I smiled while I was saddened by it, as she explained she was cleaning up her notes from her mobile phone.
My mind was transported back to the beginning of our days in that tiny yet mighty area of the warehouse …
Wake Me When September Ends
In September 2019, I was faced with the impossible task of learning about Photo in 30 days, assemble a team since the majority of the original crew bounced en masse, train the new team in 30 days, and be ready for the holiday CRUSH.
At Woodinville 747, I was considered the Costco Nick Fury. My intention was to assemble the Warehouse Avengers. I have, and most likely always WILL have an unorthodox style of leadership with an all-access, no-boundaries, no-judgement flair that generally galvanized a group, but aggravated upper management.
To this day, I still quip, “Collaborative efforts yield better results!”
I simply won’t take credit for my team’s success. I haven’t in the past; I won’t in the future. Anyone who I’ve taught, coached, guided, advised, led, or been their boss in any capacity knows this. MY. CREW. IS. FIRST.
It’s not in my DNA, therefore I’ll always be regulated to middle management. This is fine by me, as I lead by example and in the trenches. When the chips are down, and our backs are against the wall, I know my team has me, and I have them. LOYAL to the end.
As I’ve state before I joined the team in September 2019. Their long-time leader, Brian O, had transferred to another warehouse. Josh, Jaime, Catrina, and Garrett were choosing different career paths as a result. By the end of September, Catrina was the remaining crew member. I used every moment I could to learn from that vast database of knowledge and experience.
By the end of September, the job postings from the vacated positions needed to be interviewed and selected. By mid-October, I had handpicked my team with upper management having furrowed eyebrows. “These are your team members?” they ask with trepidation.
“Yup!” I retorted. “And if you kindly excuse me, I have too much work to do with no time to do it in.”
Catrina, Shinta, Tiffanie, and Jami, plus yours truly were the assembled crew for the 2019 holiday season. Throughout my interactions with the outgoing employees was, “Oh, and don’t have a mechanical breakdown during the season.”
They emphasized once you use a supply of some sort, immediately order a backup. To be honest, it was a life habit that I continue to this day, because it makes sense.
2019 Holiday Season was hellaciously busy! However, as a team, we made mad stacks of loot, had fun, forged ourselves into a seamless team that utilized non-verbal communication, and were syncopated in every way.
COVID-19
From March to May 2020, our Photo Center was shut down due to COVID-19. Over the summer, Shinta transferred out. Prior to the holiday season, Catrina decided to focus on other priorities. That left three of us: Tiffanie, Jami, and I.
In November 2020, I recruited several employees to cross-train, and/or apply for the part-time position: Heidi, Brian, Jennifer, and Dylan. We selected Dylan, who ended up being a perfect fit for our tiny family-team.
Once again, 2020 Holiday Season was wildly successful. Each of us received accolades throughout the year, and months based on the culture we developed of friendly, thorough service yet adequately fast timelines for the appropriate work.
The majority of the footprint of the Photo Center was the photo printer that you grew to love, and sometimes loved to hate. It’s complicated.
Despite all of that success, we knew we were financially hemorrhaging, and had been for years in the photo arena. We read about closures of several photo centers across the nation. Total and complete closure of all Costco Photo Centers was inevitable. [a la Thanos, “I am evitable”]
There was a button I warned repeatedly NOT to click: PRINT. NOW.
I knew it was eventually gonna be the decision from HQ to shut down a majority of the photos centers, perhaps sparing a precious few that had shown a profit and/or making revenue.
The End Is The Beginning Is The End
The inevitable happened on Monday, January 11, 2021. We were held to the utmost secrecy but the truth was told to us: All in-warehouse photo centers to be closed on February 14, 2021 – Valentine’s Day.
“Valentine’s Day” by Linkin Park seemed apropos.
For some folks, this was shocking news, for others it was inevitable. Still, I wasn’t surprised by the hard decision to move that service to online only.
Closing Time
My newly assigned Assistant General Manager, Terry, asked about my future, and the future of my crew. Dylan requested Major Sales, Jami was indifferent, and Tiffanie requested Front End and Supervisor-In-Training [S.I.T.]
For myself, I requested Morning Merchandise.
With the help of many, especially Darryl, we shut down, tore down and packaged up the photo center.
How ironic about February 14th? The day that we’re supposed to be filled with love, will actually be true heartbreak as soon as I switch off the light to the department forever at closing time … [admit it, you sang those last two words instead of reading them]
More from me later,
los, Fil-Am Renaissance Man 