In the mid-90s, I worked at Wherehouse Records in Costa Mesa, California. The experience was very memorable and taught me many things that have helped shape my life. I’ve always been a music and film enthusiast, so I was excited when I got the job. It allowed me to be surrounded by all genres of music and movies and connect with like-minded people whom I still count as lifelong friends, not to mention my wife, whom I met at a company conference — but that’s a story for another time.
The friendships I made in that small record store are among the most essential things in my life, and the lessons I learned there about life and business have stayed with me.
Although working retail was tedious, working at a record store felt like a vocation. I was part of a unique club, connecting employees to art and facilitating the experience of great entertainment for my customers. I learned the importance of being informed about upcoming releases, current trends and signature works from the past that were within my taste but outside my preferences. I began to appreciate things I would not have exposed myself to if it wasn’t required for my job. I learned from discussions with coworkers and clientele who had varying interests. This opened my mind, making me more tolerant and curious. Those traits would become valuable later, in my career as a creative in a marketing firm. The Wherehouse job helped me hone my nonlinear knowledge on a daily basis, both at home and work, which made me better at navigating the complexities and unpredictable nature of various situations.
I’ve found this skill to be essential in my relationships at work and outside of work: Interpersonal dynamics are inherently nonlinear, as human emotions and interactions are complex and can change unexpectedly. Effective communication and conflict resolution require nonlinear thinking to understand different perspectives and find creative solutions.
The Wherehouse business model was to put young people in management positions. Serving as an assistant manager and later a store manager while still a young adult, I had the difficult task of motivating, disciplining and managing people my age and older with little to no training. I learned as I went — making really, really bad choices along the way — but I also surprised myself with what did work. I began to discover new solutions and started to learn how to think multiple steps ahead before each decision. Learning by doing always makes for a stronger lesson, as opposed to being told to do things one would never have considered otherwise.
That job also taught me the power of appreciation, of the value a team brings to the collective, of seeing how differing personalities fill gaps in systems willing to adapt. Company culture is never dictated. It is simply allowed to evolve and become stronger with time. The trick is seeing how all the moving parts work together. Managing people well requires an immense amount of humility and empathy — especially when your team consists of creative people with strong egos. Learning to appreciate differences rather than become frustrated by them is key to building a strong business culture. This may be the most important lesson I learned as a young store manager.
My daughter works in a music store now. She knows how that experience brought her parents together, and she loves her aunts and uncles who came from this shared love of music rather than a blood relation. I hope that she learns as much as I did during this time.
Alex Raffi is the creative director and owner of Imagine Communications.