Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Vitale.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I spent a little over 16 years in the restaurant industry; it was an industry I was quite familiar with due to my dad’s extensive experience in the St. Louis restaurant scene in addition to him and my mother owning a local eatery in Dogtown for a few years in the 90s. It made the most sense for me to work within that industry. During that time I learned a vast amount about in the inner workings of restaurants across various positions, especially what it took to run not just a successful shift but to maintain the longevity of an establishment. Most importantly, I learned a lot about myself. There is a certain kind of stamina and cool headedness needed when you’re in the middle of a weekend rush; how you handle the pressure would either make or break your night- I found this notion also applied to my day to day life outside of the restaurants I worked at.
Eventually I decided it was time to try another industry. While I loved the experiences and rush of the restaurants I found myself craving a new adventure. The Missouri cannabis industry was about to be open to recreational consumers and I was hired into a MSO as their field market agent. I drove around the St. Louis area as well as southern Missouri hosting pop ups to educate consumers on the brand I worked for at the time. I stayed in the Missouri cannabis industry for three years, each year receiving the opportunity to work with a different brand. By the time my run came to a close I was working with a cannabis start up in St. Louis- my experience with this brand taught me more about cannabis and myself than I had experienced in the totality of my time in the industry. Being on the road religiously, traveling from the state capital down to the southern border of the state each month took a toll on my body and psyche, but I loved the rush in the same way that I loved a good weekend rush at the restaurants. I was stretched far more than I had ever been before and keeping a smile on my face or hiding the exhaustion became difficult. I loved being a field marketing agent and was quite good at it, but it came at a cost. I didn’t see my son as much as I wanted, my hobbies fell to the wayside, and taking care of myself moved lower on the list of priorities. On the outside it could be assumed that I was the luckiest woman with the coolest job and a fun filled life- on the inside I was imploding trying to find a way to meet everyone’s needs, get enough sleep, and remember to eat. I was smiling in all the photos and videos, but I was falling to pieces on the inside because it felt as if nothing I did was good enough.
My time in the cannabis industry came to an abrupt end when life threw me the biggest curveball that I probably should have seen coming. My son and I’s lives took a sharp pivot and this required me to get off the road, for good, so I could provide him with the stability he deserved. Life came at us fast and hard, but thankfully my combined restaurant and cannabis industry experience readied me for the storms we were facing. Each industry put an immense amount of pressure on me, requiring me to go above and beyond for others to ensure a quality experience. I was stretched, pushed, and pressed to what I believed my limits were only to find that I was actually capable of so much more than I imagined. My faith in myself became unwavering because of these industries. As the chaos of this transition imposed itself on us I was able to anchor in and face these challenges head on.
Now as I move forward into a new season of life, in an industry I never thought I would end up in, I find myself excited to learn a new set of skills while also having the time and space to learn more about myself. Not only am I in a new industry for work, but I have also come into a time of my life where I get to focus on bettering myself, my health, and quality of life for my son and I. For the first time I am sober from all vices and exploring wellness in every facet of life, although currently I have hyper-fixated on how the food we consume each day influences not just our bodies but our habits as well as our mental health. I have taken a deep interest in food and health these past few months. I find these aspects to be cornerstones in creating a strong foundation for my son and I as these aspects play a vital role in our daily choices and outcomes. I was also able to get back to hobbies I was once passionate about because of the consistency this new job has offered me. Being able to feed the creative aspects of my soul while taking care of my health has been a dream come true for me. I am in a position where I can meet my soul’s needs, which in turn breaths new life into me everyday and creates a better foundation for my son’s wellbeing.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not! Hahaha! I wouldn’t have it any other way though.
Working in industries that value and prioritize the guests’ experience takes a lot from anyone who works within those environments. For example, working in restaurants can be an absolute war zone; not only are there a multitude of personalities coming together to pull off a smooth dinner service but you also have to maintain a positive guest experience for those sitting in your section or at your bar. One of my old co-workers and I used to joke during pre-service that we had to rehearse our lines (the dinner specials and wine recommendations) and do our pre-show rituals to get our mindsets ready for the restaurant’s “nightly performance.” We worked in fine dining and it very much so felt like putting on a show for the guests each night to ensure they were enjoying themselves; if the guests love the service then they are prone to tipping more and coming back. The personas we had to put on and maintain, even if a guest was absolutely ripping into you about things that were out of your control, took a toll on our mental health. We had to be able to take the hit and bounce back quick while pushing onward.
The same could be applied to the cannabis industry. The amount of times I set up in a dispensary for a pop up and was greeted by guests yelling at me or complaining to me about aspects of the industry or brand that were out of my control- well, the limit does not exist! I would have to take the initial hit and then be able to bounce back with a smile in order to greet the next guest with positivity and warmth. There were also days and long weekends when I had to drive for hours on end to host pop ups in different regions of the state. This made it difficult to maintain relationships with my friends and family as I spent majority of my days driving and hosting events. Many of my friendships fell to the wayside and I found myself having to learn how to be okay with being alone. The hardest part was being away from my son for such long stretches of time. I missed him dearly and felt like I was dropping the ball as a mother because I wasn’t there as much as he wanted me to be. He understood that this job was how the bills got paid and our lives were funded, but that didn’t make it any easier for either of us. I think he hated me being on the road more than he hated me working late nights in restaurants. In so many ways I felt like I was stuck in a loop of jobs that were constantly taking me away from him just so we could have money.
In addition to the professional struggles I have endured, a whole lot of life happened. I married and divorced young, became a single mother, and struggled with the dynamics of co-parenting post divorce all while trying to go back to school and work a full-time job (sometimes 2 or 3). The balancing act of being a single mother, coping with divorce, working full-time, while trying to heal myself is the most chaotic experience I have ever endured. Not every day was perfect, but I am proud of how I pushed forward while maintaining the faith that life would unfold exactly how it was meant to for me. I may have been raised to endure the hard times in order to get to brighter days, but it was extraordinarily difficult to do so for all the years I juggled these life circumstances. There were days I wasn’t sure if I would ever see the sun shine on my life again, questioned my sanity as well as myself, all while feeling crushed under the immense amount of stress and pressure I dealt with as a co-parent but needing to keep a smile on my face because not only did my jobs need me to smile… so did my son. There were months that felt like a nonstop downpour, but I now stand on the other side stronger and a better person as well as a better mother for enduring all that happened during those years.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Recently I was given the opportunity to work with a local electrical and lighting supply company that was initially founded by two brothers from the St. Louis area. The electric and lighting industry are brand new to me, but I have been soaking in every iota of information I can and enjoying the experience of learning a new field of work. While occupying the front desk of their original electric supply location I have been learning the inventory side of the business as well. I had a vast amount of experience handling inventory in my previous jobs and was thrilled to be asked to assist with similar work with the lighting division of the company I am with now. While the amount of light fixture offerings can be a bit overwhelming, the design aspect is enthralling and keeps me wanting to learn more. Each brand that we sell has their own story just as each fixture has it’s own unique qualities and charms.
I am beyond grateful to have been entrusted with assisting our purchaser with migrating our inventory, especially so early on into my experience with their team. They saw my sharp mind, quick learning, and eagerness to develop my skills in this industry almost instantly and took me under their wing. I was able to quickly and accurately accomplish my first assignment from our purchaser, a feat I am quite proud of due to being so new to the platform they utilize for inventory. I was comfortable asking questions and am thankful that those questions were received well then followed by thoughtful guidance. I am quite excited to see how far I go with this company; I think my eagerness to learn as well as my hard work ethic and attention to detail set me a part regardless of the length of time I have been a part of their team.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up I was always very bold, creative, outspoken, and eager. If I wasn’t running around with my brothers causing a ruckus then my head was in a book- usually a mystery or fantasy novel. My family has humble beginnings; as children and teenagers we weren’t given every material thing we asked for because it simply was not feasible, BUT we were given the gifts of creativity, good work ethic, and perseverance. This enabled my brothers and I to find innovative ways in achieving our goals. Our lives didn’t revolve around the latest and greatest. Rather, we learned how to push the boundaries in order to find our way in the world. I think what sets me a part in this life is that I truly believe anything is possible for me, even when a harsh curveball is thrown my way. The books I devoured in addition to the way I was raised reinforced the belief that I will always find my way and end up exactly where I am meant to be; I might get knocked down along the way but I will have always learned something that helps elevate me in the next challenge.
Plus, being a 90s millennial as well as the middle child and only girl kind of prepares you to face any challenge in life head on.
