Many people don't know this, but I used to play for the New York Yankees. I was touted as the next Phil Rizzuto with my defensive prowress, but I couldn't hit a lick. However, there was no quitting in Little League, just some crying, a lot of big league chew, and a dream to make the real New York Yankees. Spoiler - That didn't happen. I ended up with a different professional career with my same perserverence, dedication, and eventually the ability to hit the ball out of the park.
The story of my professional career was scripted at first. My father managed Old Oaks Country club in Purchase, NY, and was cultivating me in the service industry so I would eventually take over and manage in the Hotel / Restuarant business.
I was a bus boy at fourteen. A waiter at fifteen. By sixteen, I was working multiple events, Weddings, retirement parties, you name it. I won't lie these country club guys and gals could get down. By seventeen, the dream crashed and burned as my father, Nicholas Mourikis, passed away.
What I didn't realize then, was that dream didn't crash and burn. It shifted.
Once I stopped fighting it, I shifted with it.
Days after the loss of my father, I was accepted into Bucknell University.
Bucknell was the next chapter that changed my life forever.
Following my sister who recently graduated from Bucknell, I began my own journey working towards my Bachelors in Business Administration. I won't lie, I didn't pull a 4.0. I did graduate. I earned my degree, but it was difficult. I spiraled a bit after the loss of my father, and had to learn how to ground myself and find who I really was. Thankfully, so many amazing people at Bucknell and Kappa Sigma Fraternity that I am still so very close to, they became my family, my foundation to move forward.
After graduation the world gets thrown at you. I had no idea what I was walking into, and I took the first job that came my way. Selling life insurance for New York Life Insurance. I trained into New York City. I got my Series 6. I ramped up. I hated it. Not the company - they were great - it was the fact that I was selling life insurance. No offense to those who do it- it just wasn't for me.
It was then I decided to go into Information Technology and enrolled at the Chubb Institute of Technology for a six month networking program. Upon completion, they assisted with my job search and I landed my first IT job working for the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center (LHRIC) based out of Elmsford, NY.
Hands down, my favorite job. It had meaning. It had value.
I was deployed to the North Rockland School District for 3 years, working with teachers, administrators, and even sometimes the kids. I provided all IT support from networking, desktop, software, and servers. They had servers in broom closets.
After my third year they offered me an opportunity to fix a broken district in Pearl River, NY.
I absolutely loved this district and eventually bought a house in the same town.
After a year of a successful turnaround effort, I felt it was time to progress my career ladder, and began looking to bring my Bucknell education and merge it with my IT skillset.
It was then I took my role at Conair Corporation (now Conair LLC), in Stamford, Connecticut.
Sixteen years is a long time to stay in one place, especially employment. Conair was a family to me. We had ups and downs, epic christmas parties, and typical family dysfunction. I was part of both Softball teams, literally played everywhere, and even managed the Co-Ed team. I was part of the SPFHL, a peer created Fantasy Hockey league. I even bowled a couple times, but not very well... I had so many memories and gained so many lifelong friends.
When I left Conair for Sitetracker, it was painful, but necessary to advance my career. I packed my bags, spent a full day visiting everyone to say goodbye, and learned more of what I really accomplished. The hardended executives became emotional, stories of impact and change, and promising reassurance of my future success.
I joined Sitetracker, despite the long 80 minute drive from Connecticut to Montclair, New Jersey, in the heart of winter. Thankfully, the weather held, until Covid surfaced a month into my tenure and we all went remote. The role shifted from my previous IT background and focused on customer support as Head of Support. I began growing and building the Support team and processes.
As metrics pulled in we learned where a large amount of the issues were stemming from - over 15 versions of the software spread across the globe. I was soon asked to fix it - which, along with my talented team and leadership support, we did. It wasn't perfect, but it worked. My time at Sitetracker was taxing - but pain is gain. I spent long hours on calls with corporate executives addressing concerns, driving internal collaboration with our Customer Success, Engineering, and other Leadership teams. I built many lasting relationships with some great people across the board.
Unfortunately, I was asked to hire my team in India, which as you know, focus is on cost and my days were coming to an end eventually. Even with that knowledge, when it happened, it was a blow. Executives I trusted, respected, telling me in a cold scripted voice - It's not performance - we are restructuring, and buh-bye.
Since that day, I've bounced around with ideas, applied to over 300 jobs with silence on the other end - I decided to take action to further my still youthful career.
My life has had many twists and turns, like all of you reading this. The most important takeaway for me is that I strive for the betterment of all. In a world falling apart at the seams, we need to unite and be there for each other. There are no more hand outs, and that is reality.