Today & Tonight Magazine October 2022

2nd Place for "Polk's Beloved Bartenders 2022" Camille Farley

Photo by Chris Douglas

CAMILLE FARLEY

APPLEBEE'S WINTER HAVEN

201 Cypress Gardens Blvd • Winter Haven

How many years you have worked as a bartender? 13 years.

How long have you worked for this company? 6 years.

What is the secret to your success as a bartender? Bartending is a multifaceted job; it is so much more than just serving drinks. I believe that since I genuinely enjoy getting to know my guests and making people feel welcome and cared for it helps me stand out. Personality and memory is a big factor for me. If someone is having a bad day I try to be a good listener and give advice or just put out a positive vibe. I am at my best when I am joking around being silly with my regulars and getting them to try new drinks or telling funny stories and just making a very welcoming and friendly atmosphere. Getting to know everyone by name and remembering what they like and dislike is really important to me and I definitely believe that contributes to my bartending skills.

Do you feel that we are back on track with the hospitality industry after coming out of the ‘dome and gloom’ of COVID-19? For the most part I do believe we are back to “normal”. What a wild time that was. Everyday there were new guidelines we had to adhere to, it got very frustrating and depressing at times. Product availability was one thing that was really frustrating to deal with that has gotten pretty stable again, finally. With everything stabilizing I have gotten back to being busy as normal and even gaining new regulars over the last year or so. I also enjoy getting to go out with my friends and having drinks at other local establishments!

Have you been able to take any trips over the last year? Where and what did it mean to be able to travel again? I took a trip recently to visit my friends in West Virginia. I grew up in Florida but lived in West Virginia for many years. Not being able to travel to visit my friends was heartbreaking. We got good at video chats and taking time to make phone calls, but nothing beats in person visits. This last trip I was able to go to a concert and a beer fest and party with so many of the people I love - all in the same place!

Toxic Waste

Photo by Chris Douglas

Where is the one place in the world you want to visit? Wow, this is a hard question for me. I love traveling to new places and experiencing different aspects of life. If I had to pick ONE place, it would probably be to visit Norway. I have always wanted to take pictures of the Aurora Borealis, ride in a boat through the fjords, climb mountains, see some amazing concerts, eat different foods, and visit record stores there.

On a desert island, what 5 things can you NOT live without? I am going to not answer this question with a literal survival aspect, and just go with things I would not want to live without in general ha-ha! So, I am going to say my camera, a pen and notebook, beer, and a really comfy blanket.

If you weren’t a bartender, what would your profession be? If I wasn’t a bartender I would either want to work in or own some type of oddities shop or record store. I’ve always been attracted to the unusual and creative aspects of life and music is highly important to me.

What is your favorite food? And why? I absolutely love trying and cooking new foods, so this answer changes quite frequently for me. I tend to gravitate towards food with lots of spice or complex flavor profiles. So, my basic go to favorites will always be Indian cuisine, super spicy chicken wings, and tacos!

Do you have a passion project or non-profit that you admire or are involved with? And why? I have always had strange and vivid dreams and over the years I started writing them down. Recently I have become more interested in other people’s dreams and how they perceive them and how to focus on dream recollection. I am just highly intrigued by unconscious thought and the psychology surrounding dreams. I also started writing a short story compilation book based on some of my more vivid dreams.

What’s your zodiac sign? Is your personality type defined by this character? I am a Sagittarius and surprisingly enough I have plenty of the personality traits that go along with it. I enjoy adventuring, being spontaneous, cracking jokes, having deep conversations, being passionate, and staying open-minded. I can also be stubborn and sometimes selfish but, the good outweighs the bad I think ha-ha!

Do you believe in psychics? Have you ever had a reading? If so, what was the take-away? I do believe in psychics I have had too many odd experiences not to. I believe this world holds more than we can usually perceive. As far as going to see a psychic, I only did that once, in St. Augustine. It was a very interesting experience. She did a “past life reading” and told me quite a few things that I don’t know if I believe or not. It was a fun experience either way!

As a child, what was your favorite Halloween Costume? What was your fondest memory of Trick or Treating? My favorite costume was called “The Sock Monster”. It is the monster that steals single socks in the dryer. My mom made the costume by sewing single socks of different colors to a sheet, kind of like a ghost ha-ha. My favorite year trick or treating was when I was about 8 or 9 and I remember my neighbors went all out with decorations and making haunted houses. My friends and I all took turns hyping each other up and scaring the crap out of each other the whole night. I absolutely love that memory and I am still obsessed with going to haunted houses and decorating for Halloween.

What was your favorite Halloween Candy to receive as a child? How about now as an adult? My favorites have always been sweet/sour stuff like Skittles and Warheads. I do sometimes want chocolate like a KitKat or Twix.

Do you still like to dress up for Halloween? What’s your favorite costume? I absolutely love getting in costume. One of my favorites I have done was last year, I dressed up as Geralt from The Witcher. I was covered in leather head to toe, had cat eye contacts, and a silver sword. I loved playing his character and pretend killing all the people dressed up as monsters that I came across that night ha-ha.

Queen Elizabeth II just passed away. And a beautiful ceremony was held in her honor. When you pass, how and what do you want to be remembered for? When my time comes, I would love for people to remember me as a good friend and confidant and as someone who always saw the good in life and tried to enjoy and experience as much as possible.

What’s your “spirit animal”? And why. I would have to say a cat. They can be wild hunters who are independent and fearless but then also have a soft side that enjoys being lazy and sweet. They love attention but only when they allow it. They are also great companions!

What’s your favorite Fall-flavored or Halloween inspired cocktail? And, what’s your signature cocktail? I absolutely love a good caramel apple martini. It’s an adult version of one of my favorite fall time treats so of course I have to have one (or many) every year! Also, I love beer so any kind of pumpkin ales or Oktoberfest style beers I am all about! This year for Halloween at work we are featuring our “Spooky Sips” which are the Dracula’s Juice and the Tipsy Zombie. My choice of a signature cocktail is called “Toxic Waste” and goes along with my costume for this year, a toxic sludge monster! It is a blend of green apple vodka, Midori, lime juice, pineapple juice, and Red Bull! Guaranteed to have you ready for all the Halloween parties!

Is there anything you would like to add? We’d love to know more about you! I am a very outgoing adventurer and I love trying and learning new things! I love kayaking, being in nature, expressing myself artistically, playing music, attending as many concerts as possible, cooking good food, spending time with my close friends, and getting to know new people!

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