Some of my favorite childhood memories are from when I would help my family in the kitchen. I remember learning how to make bread with my Great Grandma, watching the dough rise as if by magic, kneading the sticky dough with my hands, and finally smelling the savory rewards of a warm bread fresh out of the oven. I also remember my mother graciously being my taste tester as I forced her to try all my experimental "recipes" I would concoct on my own. As I have gotten older, I can see that my passions for learning how things operate, creating things with my own hands, and experimenting with recipes and formulations has grown with me.

A few years after High School, I decided to take my passion for cooking further by enrolling in a Culinary Arts program at Milwaukee Area Technical College. I loved learning more of the technical skills involved in preparing and presenting cuisine, but I soon realized that I was more interested in the experimenting and creating more than the day after day life as a chef. Even though I never completed that program, I still learned that it was important for me to follow my passions. At this point, a dream of starting my own business eventually began to form. While the idea of what that business would be kept changing over time, I knew it needed to be something I was passionate about and allowed me to express my creative and experimental personality. I also knew that I would need to develop the skills and experiences necessary to succeed in the other side of owning a business – management and operations. I decided to focus on my leadership skills through my current employer, Outpost Natural Foods. I quickly moved from Journeyperson, to Assistant, and finally to Support Manager in the café at Outpost. I helped create programs, such as a receiving shift, and wrote a weekly schedule that helped the department operate more smoothly and efficiently. I also worked on improving department communications and incorporated methods to build teamwork and comradery within the department.

After years of working in a supervisory role at my current employer, I realized that I was ready to grow into the dream of owning my own business. In 2020, my husband and I decided to take a hiatus from our jobs to spend six months hiking Appalachian Trail. As for most people, 2020 quickly made it apparent that it had other plans and we were forced to end our adventure early and return home in the middle of a pandemic. Instead of pushing forward with my intended plans or even giving up entirely, I chose to forge a new path. I enrolled in Bryant & Stratton College to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business and I slowly began to make plans to start my own business. Inspired by the ingenuity of many new and evolving individuals and organizations growing out of these challenging times into a quickly changing world, I have decided to start a business selling handmade items, crafted by myself or curated from other artisans. I hope my business will be small part of a much bigger picture and ongoing solution to build stronger local and global communities that promote diversity, inclusivity, equity, compassion, and sustainability.

- Jerett Schicker (4/3/2021)

Currently enrolled as a Sophmore through Bryant & Stratton College's Online Campus pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in General Management.

• Current GPA -- 3.83
• Dean's List (2020 - Present)

In this Portfolio Project for my Accounting Principles II Class through Bryant & Stratton College, I was tasked with completing the entire Accounting Cycle for one month of a business' operations, from journalizing transactions to financial statements and closing.

In completion of this project, I met the following Program Outcome for my BBA-General Management Degree at Bryant & Stratton College:

• Apply contemporary knowledge and skills in the evolving business marketplace.

In this Portfolio Project for my Marketing Principles Class at Bryant & Stratton College, I was tasked with researching and comparing the marketing strategies for different products from two companies.

In completion of this project, I met the following Institutional Outcome for Bryant & Stratton College:

• Utilize appropriate current technology and resources to locate and evaluate information needed to accomplish a goal, and then communicate findings in visual, written and/or oral formats.

Outpost Natural Foods Cooperative

3200 S 3rd St
Milwaukee, WI 53207

(414) 431-3377

August 3rd, 2009 - Present

I have been employed with Outpost Natural Foods for over 10 years. Starting as a cashier and Customer Service clerk, I eventually moved to the Cafe department where I was promoted to Journeyperson, Assistant, and then Support Manager. I have sinced taken a step back to become a part-time Journeyperson and Personal Shopper while I pursue my education.

Personal Shopper / Curbside --July 2020 – Present

• Organizes fulfillment of online grocery retail for an average of 15 customers per day
• Facilitates communication between customers and 6 departments within the store
• Provides fast-paced customer service and problem-solving solutions
• Delivers quality products to customers with utmost care

Café Support Manager -- March 2018 – February 2020

• Motivated employees to meet or exceed individual and whole department goals
• Coached staff on customer service and merchandising standards
• Organized dynamic systems for more efficient department workflow – Inventory, Receiving
• Instilled co-operative business values within department and store culture
• Scheduled department of around 25 employees based on projected sales and service need

Café Assistant -- July 2012 – February 2018

• Created a receiving program within the department to help monitor Inventory Control system
• Collaborated on inter-department merchandising programs
• Supervised shifts to stay on task and work cohesively
• Trained kitchen staff to cook menu items in fast-paced café kitchen

Customer Service/Cashier -- August 2009 – June 2012

• Assisted cashiers with various transaction issues
• Solved customer issues and responded to customer feedback
• Handled cash and other payment transactions for individual grocery shoppers
• Provided point-of-sale product recommendations

This is a sample of my latest cover letter written to Mr. James Kavan, the Store manager of REI Co-op in San Francisco, CA.

(December 9, 2020)

Business Degree – I am excited to be currently working my Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree at Bryant & Stratton College. My goal to is to complete this program in 2022. Applying what I have learned from this program will help me achieve my professional goals of Entrepreneurship and Networking.

Healthy Living – Balancing my life as a full-time student, part-time employee, and novice entrepreneur is challenging. I need to take time in my life to take care of myself as well. Including time for healthy eating, exercise, and mindfulness practices will help me find balance in the other areas of my life as well.

Entrepreneurship - This is my MVG (Most Valuable Goal) right now. Owning my own business is the reason I am currently pursuing my Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Bryant and Stratton College.

Networking – Although I have built a decent professional network through my current employer, I am new to Entrepreneur and the Handmade/Artisan Business areas. I want to build strong, lasting, and cooperative relationships with other individuals and small local businesses. I also want my future business to be a place that reimagines and strengthens the communities it serves.