Picture this: It's 5:00 PM on a Friday, and all you can think about is rushing to the nearest Blockbuster Video to rent a VHS copy of the newly released film Mission: Impossible.
As you approach the store, your heart races. The parking lot is already filling up, and groups of people, including large families, are walking ahead of you. They must all be eager to catch Mission: Impossible too!
You step inside the store, making a beeline for the New Release section. However, your excitement turns to disappointment as you see ten or so movie covers lined up, but none of them seem to hold the distinct blue and white rental boxes.
A bead of sweat threatens to roll down your face, but you quickly brush it away. Just then, you observe a customer dropping a handful of blue and white cases into the movie return slot at the front counter.
With newfound determination, you dash to the front counter, where you spot the customer service representative. He's wearing a light blue Oxford shirt, his blue and yellow name tag reading "Ben." As you approach, you notice that Ben is carefully inspecting the VHS cases to ensure they're rewound. Among them, you spot a copy of Mission: Impossible.
Ben, your hero of the day, not only rewinds it for you but also secures the promise of that very copy.
After presenting your laminated membership card and completing the checkout, you step out of the store, a contented smile playing on your lips. In your hands, you hold the prized movie and a bag brimming with microwave popcorn and Red Vines. You can't help but think, "What better way to unwind after a busy work week? Life simply can't get any better than this!"
My sister recently bought me this adorable Funko Pop, and it's amazing how many memories it brings back! (Can you believe how cute it is?!)
My very first job was as a customer service representative at Blockbuster Video when I was just 17 years old. This was during the heyday of VHS tapes, and I must have rewound thousands of them in my time there. (Writing this, I'm realizing how much this reveals about my age!)
I stayed on with Blockbuster for four years and concluded that chapter as a store manager. I'm truly grateful that the lessons and experience I gained at such a young age - including honing my customer service skills and becoming a great leader - have stayed with me throughout the years.
Now I'm curious: What was YOUR first job, and how did that experience shape you?