My Exprience
Employment, Businesses & Investments
Over the past five years, I have enjoyed designing, managing, and tending various bar programs in Miami, FL. The New York Hamptons, and Martha's Vineyard, MA. In my spare time, I work freelance designing websites, SEO marketing projects, and photography. Please feel free to ask for my hospitality industry resume.
SMP Consulting Group, Regional Manager Business Development
Hollbrook, NY 2013 - 2015 (2 years)
Spearheaded new business development nationwide, focusing on commercial insurance agencies and brokerages that met predetermined revenue criteria. Targeted and initiated contact with 6-8 prospects in each market to develop relationships. Presented, multi-level working partnership opportunities to their C-Suite, owners, and partners. I successfully built a portfolio of over 20 new clients in major markets over two years. These clients were holders of the largest commercial P&C premium books in their respective regions.
-
♦
Researched each commercial market to determine what agencies and brokerages met predetermined criteria for relationships with SMP.
-
♦
Through multiple conversations by phone and email, organized initial meetings with all partners or owners of four to six agencies and brokerages in each market to discuss working relationships with SMP.
-
♦
Selected two brokerages per region to partner on Workers' Compensation audits with premiums greater than $50K.
-
♦
Brokered deals on multi-line commercial insurance policies, developed partnership agreements, and secured investments aligning with Worker's Compensation class code audits.
-
♦
Secured additional audit & marketing products through consistent relationship management.
OHM Lounge, Designer, Builder, Owner Manager
Syracuse, NY 2005 - 2010 (5 years)
In 2004 I purchased a defunct 20,000-square-foot nightclub in Syracuse, NY's entertainment district. I stripped and sandblasted it down to its original brick & morter pre-century construction. With an allocation of personal capital, I designed and built a lounge/music venue. The entire OHM Lounge design, demolition, and finished reconstruction can be found on my Portfolio Page. After opening in July 2005, I continued as Director of operations management for the duration of ownership. During the five years of operation, OHM Lounge averaged a yearly gross income of $1.5 million in liquor sales, hosted numerous world-renown musicians, DJs, and hosted a multitude of corporate events.
-
♦
Negotiated a five-year lease with an additional five-year renewal. The renewal rent increase contractually based on the national consumer price index.
-
♦
Managed a design working with local artists, architects, contractors, and sound engineers that required sandblasting and demolishing everything to its original turn of the century construction.
-
♦
Worked with local artists to design all pre & post open marketing.
-
♦
Hired and trained a large staff of bartenders, security personnel, hosts, cocktail waitresses, and support staff.
-
♦
Managed all oprational aspects of the business, including event sales, marketing, entertainment booking, and corporate functions.
-
♦
Managed sound and lighting for 75% of all events. Including national musical artists.
Enriched Properties LLC
New York, NY 2002 - Jan 2018 (17 years)
I researched and vetted investment opportunities to grow a vast real estate
portfolio across New York State for more than a decade. I led the sourcing,
acquisition, renovation, and disposition of distressed multi-family and
commercial properties. I oversaw property redevelopment from design through
project delivery, hired and trained property management and leasing
personnel, marketed properties and negotiated rental agreements, and
packaged newly renovated properties with additional multi-unit properties to
sell as multi-property packages. During this time investing in real estate,
I purchased or optioned over 700 residential and commercial units.
-
♦
Grew a business from one multi-unit property into a portfolio that produced $800K+ in average annual net income.
-
♦
Negotiated profitable property sales and purchase financing based on relationships with REIT purchasing agents, portfolio money managers, private investors, and brokers.
-
♦
Outlined redevelopment timelines, secured contractors for construction rehabilitation, and implemented renovation plans while delivering projects on time and within budget.
-
♦
Brokered deals on multi-property commercial packages, developed partnership agreements, and gained investments aligned with my growth projections.
Church Mutual Insurance Co., Commercial Agent
New York, NY 1998 - 2001 (2.5 Years)
An AM Best A-rated premier provider of insurance services to the religious non-profit marketplace. I was hired to manage a previously unmanaged territory consisting of the New York City boroughs and the east side of the Hudson River, extending to the Vermont border. Selling Property, Liability, Workers Compensation, Auto, and Directors & Officers coverage to churches, temples, yeshivas, and Denominational Headquarters. I added over 1.2 million new policy premiums while maintaining an average 96% retention rate on an entire book of business. I was twice awarded the presidents' circle award for performance.
-
♦
I introduced myself to every church, yeshiva, temple, and religious denominational headquarters in my territory to begin relationships.
-
♦
Through multiple phone calls, emails, and personal meetings, arranged to inspect each institution's properties for loss prevention recommendations, review their policies, and cost estimate their properties.
-
♦
Prepared comprehensive commercial insurance quotes for Property, Liability, Auto, Workers Compensation, and Directors & Officers' insurance coverages .
-
♦
Met with boards of trustees, Rabbis, and Prevostes to propose Church Mutual's Insurance coverage over their current providers.
-
♦
Met with every client in my territory before their yearly renewal to review their policies for retention purposes.
Bally Total Fitness, Membership Sales, Sales Manager, GM, Consultant
Syracuse, Rochester, Albany & Rensselaer NY 1995-1998 & 2000-2001
Hired in 1995 as a membership sales associate. Within four months I was ranked monthly in the top three of 14 sales reps at my location and in the top 10 regionally. Occasionally I was rewarded as the number one regional representative of the month. At that time, Ballys sold a three-year membership. My average monthly gross sales were $23,000-$30,000. After my second year, I was promoted to Assistant Sales Manager. In 1998 I left Ballys to work for Church Mutual Insurance Co. In 2000 I was invited By Ballys to help convert clubs they were selling off as franchises to new owners. During the transition, new franchise owners were responsible for replacing and training new staff at their location. I worked as a consultant hiring and training sales staff at three locations transitioning ownership in NY.
