By J. H. Irwin
Author | Storyteller | Exploring the Human Experience Through Words
My parents were entrepreneurs. In my youth they owned an appliance store, real estate and later added vending machines to their portfolio of businesses. The vending would later forge a path to where I am today.
We always had the latest technologies. We had the first remote-controlled TV, the first dishwasher and even drove all the way to Canada to purchase the first commercially available microwave oven. We spent the following weeks zapping everything from apples to Hostess cupcakes and everything in between. I am certain exposure to all this cool stuff is what sparked my passion for technology, though I would not realize it until some 30 years later.
Our summers were spent traveling the Northeastern fair circuits (yes, we were quasi-carnies in the summer, but what an experience). We would take the vending business on the road, placing the machines in county and state fairs. We sat back and watched the coin flow in...it was extremely lucrative. Chances are you used one somewhere along the way. The vended product cost the user 25 cents. Today they are $5.00 and up...inflation!
When I graduated high school, I had an opportunity to run my own, more permanent segment of the vending business in Florida. I grew the business within Florida then took it to other southeastern states, landing accounts with Dollywood, Knoxville Zoo and other well-known attractions. I created my own marketing, began cold calling and heard “No” far more often than yes, but I never gave up.
I built the company’s first website and gained the attention of Fox Television, which purchased one of the vending machines, featuring it prominently in the short-lived series “Wonderfalls.” I also developed a relationship with Concord Confections (Dubble Bubble), creating custom machines that were displayed in their convention booth in Chicago. Patrons were given a token to insert in the machine, which molded a pair of wax lips (a replica of one of Concord’s most famous confections).
The vending machines were originally manufactured in 1961, well before computers and microchips were available. They ran off hydraulics, rotating cams and compressed air. Though highly advanced for their time, they were antiques by today’s standards. I set out to change that, replacing cams with computer boards, hydraulics with pneumatic controls.
I rebranded the company to “Replication Devices” and created the tagline “Making Memories Since 1961,” very appropriate since so many of us hold fond memories of these small pieces of our childhood. At this point I had been working with these machines for most of my life and it was time for a change. After 24 years operating my Florida business, I sold it.
Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself...
I was now faced with creating a new, yet undefined chapter of my life. Aside from a few odd jobs in high school, I had never worked for anyone other than family or myself. I took some college courses but had no degree, which by itself posed a challenge. So, I began to search for my first truly outside job.
Somehow, I ended up in a John Hancock call center, answering phones and working with mutual fund account holders. While I did a good job, after a year it was very clear this was not my calling. For a creative person, being tethered to a desk and a phone was suffocating. So, the search continued.
If at first you don’t succeed...
The next job changed my life forever and was the catalyst for the technology career I have today. If you still don’t believe life guides you to your destiny, maybe this will change your mind.
No job is beneath you. Learn from the experience and grow...
The economy was booming and real estate sales were at an all-time high. I found a job as a front desk attendant (basically, a greeter) for Coldwell Banker, The Condo Store and was hired for the position. At that time, condos were the craze. New construction was everywhere and existing apartment complexes were being converted and sold as condos.
One of the job requirements was knowledge of Microsoft Excel...yikes, I had never used it! I got a few tips on use from a friend, just enough to make it sound like I knew what I was doing...I squeaked by.
Remember, at the beginning of this story I mentioned how my parents’ cool appliances were the spark for my technology career? Well, Excel was the fuel added to that spark. Suddenly there was a creative explosion. When I started exploring Excel something just clicked. I had never used it but for some reason it was intuitive to me.
Soon (within weeks) I was building advanced spreadsheets with automation macros and connectivity to external data. I was giving them insight into their sales that had been greatly lacking and my work caught the attention of management. I was promoted to the position of Closing Coordinator, where my interests grew to incorporate Microsoft Access.
Within a matter of months, I created an Access program that pulled data from multiple locations throughout the country, tracking contracts, closings, available units, sales and all the information they needed to keep a handle on the condo explosion. The application was named “Closing Management System” and was soon used by top management as a go-to source for current activities. Because of this, I was promoted to National Closing Director.
I distinctly remember the drive home from work after getting this promotion. The sense of pride and accomplishment was unlike anything I felt before.
And the journey continues...
With the economic crash and subsequent downfall of real estate in the 2000s, The Condo Store and my position ceased to exist. I then turned to consulting opportunities and was continually employed throughout the recession. I grew my technical skill sets to incorporate Microsoft Power Platform & Enterprise Data Consulting. Over the last 18 years I have continued that path, and as corporations adopted cloud platforms, demand increased.
Now at 65 and “retirement” on the horizon, my writing is playing a larger role in my life. I’ve gone from writing for a modest audience to writing for thousands of subscribers across multiple platforms. I was initially spurred by the political turmoil surrounding the Trump presidency. I witnessed the injustice and had to speak on it. When that became too damaging to my mental and emotional well-being, I changed course. Today I write mainly about life, hope, humanity and love…much more constructive topics I hope will help others. My goal is for my writing to be my sole focus once I retire from the technology sector. I hope you will support me in this journey, and that my words impact you positively as you read them.
Always look forward...
No one knows what tomorrow may bring...embrace whatever comes your way and run with it. Events we perceive as failures are often the very thing that make us grow the most. Without them we would not be the people we are today.
For whatever reason I have always been compelled to move forward, to change, to reinvent, even now. Trust your natural instincts on these matters. They are usually telling you something you need to know or do. Our tendency is to ignore or fight them…don’t! Had my position at Coldwell Banker not been eliminated, I would have stayed indefinitely. I loved my work there. But the truth is I would have missed out on even greater opportunity and growth. Perhaps that is why momma birds push their young from the nest, to force them toward greater things.
Jim, I have been your friend for over 25 years, and I didn't know much about our past career(s).
A very impressive one at that! Amazing!