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Now: Boutique owner
Then: Nurse's aide
Current position: Owner of Clementine Shoes, Bags & Accessories in Seattle
First job: My brother's girlfriend helped me get a job with her employer when I was just 15 1/2. I was a nurse's aide for a fantastic man who, as a result of polio, was paraplegic and in an iron lung. Before his polio, my boss had been an engineer. Living with polio, he became a writer and a cartoonist, explaining to his secretary what he wanted her to draw and write. My responsibilities included spending the night in a tiny room just off of the kitchen. He would call over an intercom if he needed anything. Sometimes he would call me if he needed a drink of water. He felt so bad about waking me.
What I learned: My employer was curious about the world and still actively engaged in it although he never left his bed. He was funny, warm-hearted and brave. I learned to value things that are easily taken for granted. He totally depended on his aides. I worked a lot of double shifts because people would call in with lame excuses. I worked with people who complained about everything – even in the face of a man who had plenty he could complain about. Whiners and complainers quickly lost their place in the schedule. I learned to be someone people can count on, and to have a positive attitude. These are certainly attributes that I look for as an employer now myself.
