nicholas starrett
become the change.... ...you want to see A lot of challenges face our Specialty Department: the distribution of labor, missed opportunities, the entire system of purchasing wine, the layout and upkeep of displays, the removal of culls, the intense but brief traffic at the Local Pub, complete training of all Team Members, focused beer sales, pulling in the volume of sales that a store our size is forcasted for and among others, keeping spirits up and positive. I believe it is time for me to advance in my journey through Whole Foods. I have been employed here since 2010, and have been the Specialty Cheese Buyer for the last 3 years. The Cheese Department has it’s own kind of challenges that I have faced time and time again. I feel now I can be more effective in a different role that allows me access to scheduling, training, and planning for the entire department. In order to make change you have to be willing to become the change you want to see. I believe in fostering this idea in others. I want my co-workers to grow and develop as I have on my journey. I want them to have the opportunities to make differences in other’s lives. I find myself to be a pragmatic person. That means I can be very logical and affirming in my desire to look out for the well being of my Department. I am not worried about training to become an ATL, I think I can handle all the information and really evoke a sea-change of my dynamic as it relates to inter-personal working. Above all else I am a through and through, dedicated employee who is very hard-working. My work ethic is strong. I expect others to work just as hard but in a system that may be flawed that can be difficult. We need to iron out those wrinkles before we can move forward. I want change. Instead of hiding behind the Buying position I am attempting to become the change I want to see. Hard work, dedication, passion, vision and organization are what I am bringing to the table. I am going to become this change and it is going to become me.
nicholas starrett
hello! I am a Buyer/ Interior Designer/ Visual Merchandiser with over 10 years of experience in floorsets, promotional roll-outs, and building floor, table and window displays, and over 3 years buying experience... also you should know about my incredible love and passion for cheese
objective: To obtain the Associate Team Leader position in the Specialty Department to further promote a unified Team that permanently solves problems and can finally harness the missed opportunites we always seem to fall short on. My ability to manage tasks, interface with clients, schedule and train new Team Members, and use the skills of design to present aesthectially dynamic environments, will help take this Team to a whole new level. In doing so, our sales will grow, our talents will shine and our affect on the community will promote healthy positivity and knowledge for customers and Team Members alike. This position is key to becoming Team Leader one day. I firmly believe the best leaders are the ones who have worked up from every level.
education:
Interior Space Design, The Ohio State University completed 4 year program, 2011 Columbus State Community College Associates Degree 2 year program, 2005 Bexley High School graduated 1993
references: Sally Wiersema, Team Leader, Whole Body, WFM Dublin sally.wiersema@wholefoods.com 614-657-0501 Jennifer McCaffery, Team Leader, Specialty, WFM Streeterville jennifer.mccaffrey@wholefoods.com 1-215-495-8044 Sarah Karlsburger,The Archive 614 -224-4410 Joe Baer, ZenGenius 614-220-9040
employment experience:
nicholas starrett quick info: Serve Safe Certification, 2014 Career Coaching, 2013 Certified Cheese Proffessional, 2015 accepted into program! Opening store in Wexford PA, 2014 Store Team Member of the Month!!
Whole Foods Market Specialty Buyer/ Specialty Retail Merchandiser 2010- present As Buyer I am responsible for the financial assesment and the productivity of my team as it directly relates to labor. I do the inventory, training, financial forecasting, evaluation of fiscal periods, and put into plan the promotional program as an extention of regional ideation. As part of new-hire training I have made an extensive training manual and product guide and am responsible for daily duties lists, communication logs, tempurature logs and I am supervisory in training product knowledge, implementing the process of production and rotation of product, and retain the entire visual scope of my department. I am also responsible for the buying, receiving, and production of goods. Signage and table/ledge/endcap displays that focus on blended margins and powerful visual impact. The table displays present a special challenge working with “living� product and non-perishable goods; tables must have inventive, inviting aesthetic and bold, clever signage. These are some displays I like, but did not do:
nicholas starrett
my goals: One really important skill I possess is the ability to see the entire department as a separate unit within the store, as well as looking at it function within the shopping experience of the entire whole. I call this ability VISION. In my time as Buyer I have developed many promotional maps that help us plan when and where we place product. These maps have proven invaluable in deciding which product has the greatest impact for sales. Imagine a promotional map that includes Wine, Beer, Cheese and Coffee, something that can easily be referenced and altered according to business flow. Another of my abilities is ORGANIZATION. I believe in calendars, layouts, planning; all as use in a pre-emptive strike on the proper timing and placement of product, as well as the placement of Team Members. My end-game goal is to get all of the Specialty Team Members cross-trained in every area. Our major challenge concerns the lack of labor in certain areas and the abundance of people in others. A full cross-training schedule is in the works and it’s implementation is long overdue. Finally, the most profound of my skills is my PASSION. I believe in this company, I believe in my co-workers and I believe in our common goals as a community. I want to take the experience that Whole Foods has to offer to a whole new level. Cheese and Wine classes, training Team Members and customers how to pair food, giving a complete experience to our clientelle. With my Certified Cheese Professional program complete I plan on being the face of Specialty. A hard-working master of fine products for exquisite combinations that everyone can enjoy and learn from.
nicholas starrett
visual portfolio, WFM: It takes a lot of planning to pull off a successful display. The right amount of the right product at the right level in the right light. The product on these tables varies in theme but one thing rings true, these are powerful displays that draw the eyes attention and promote sales. The proportionate amounts of crackers, nuts, cheese and beer or wine have to add up to an elegant, effortless looking spectacle. Take a look at some of the best examples of what I have to offer and think about how I can utilize this in terms of training others, working beer and wine drops, redoing entire floor sets (wine department) and let me know which ones are your favorites, which ones are more powerful and why. I am always incredibly open to learning more and love feedback!
nicholas starrett
visual portfolio, WFM:
nicholas starrett
visual portfolio, WFM:
nicholas starrett
visual portfolio, WFM:
employment experience:
nicholas starrett
ZenGenius for Limited Brands Freelance Visual Designer/ Merchandiser 2000-2007 ZenGenius focuses on party planning, visual merchandising, visual training, storefronts, display windows, seasonal “look books”, and the interior flow of space. As a contractor at ZenGenius I worked for many wonderful companies including The Limited, Bath and Body Works, C.O. Bigelow, Victoria’s Secret, PINK, Organized Living, Chicos, as well as planned openings for McConnell Heart Health Center, and a variety of local businesses in the Short North and Westerville areas. ZenGenius honed my skills in vinyl application, plannograms, digital layouts, mannequin dressing, window display, building temporary and permanent display structures, signage creation, display models and implementaions, mood boards, seasonal ideation and good old fashioned hard work. I was able to travel with the ZenGenius team to open new C.O. Bigelow stores in Boston and Chicago; Victoria’s Secret and PINK in Miami and NYC, Organized Living in Minnesota, as well as the many store seasonal layouts I participated in, here in Columbus, for The Limited.
education experience:
nicholas starrett
The Ohio State University Interior Space Design 2007-2011 Interior Space Design speaks for itself. I was top in my class with a 3.896 GPA and an Honor Society Member. Here are some sample pieces of projects I completed while attending OSU. Thank you for your time!
Intuit Yoga Studio, perspective
Lextant, Final Presentation
pattycake
vegan restaurant and bakery exploration. This space offers an intimate dialogue between the fluidity of human form and geometry. The design captures the imagination of user and client through a visual transfomation of material, texture and proportion of elements. Traveling from bakery to restaurant a gradual aesthetic shift occurs that depicts the dichotomy between baked goods and healthy eating. Ultimately, the parallel between the desire and discipline of the vegan conscious.
RDI competition, interior
ideation, communication, space. The main interior element represents impressions of the human form in space. The amorphic bakery case transitions into the angular countertop in the bar area, which then communicates with the free-standing faceted plant column. This central column connects to the interior partition walls that respond to the architecture of the building itself.
RDI competition, interior
Pattcake Bakery, Thesis Final Presentation