Taylor Ray

Responsibilities I have experienced a tremendous amount of growth running my own business. I love what I do and have the opportunity to work with incredible people each and every day! I photograph everything from senior portraits, family photos, and maternity shoots, to weddings, parties, and sporting events. I especially love fashion and product photography. Aside from years of practice and experience with a camera, the most important part of my job is to build and maintain relationships with my clients. Accomplishments Throughout the course of Ray's Imaging, I nurtured relationships with other local businesses, bringing me a multitude of opportunities. I was able to learn the inner workings of a local boutique, exposing me to various sales strategies, merchandising, wholesale buying, inventory, multiple point of sale systems, hiring, and maintaining a social media presence. Skills Used The most important skill that I have learned in this line of work is motivation. In order for my business to stay afloat, I must constantly seek new clients and other various opportunities. Organization, communication, and reliability are 3 other skills that are imperative for me to maintain a strong relationship with clients.

Responsibilities Although West Mart is no longer in business, it still holds a special place in my heart. This is where I was first exposed to retail. Here, I was responsible for merchandising, sales, inventory, and scheduling. With customer service being our top priority, I gained valuable experience in conversing with customers, and creating a warm and welcome environment.

Responsibilities Each day at Wink was a new and wonderful adventure! We have a women's boutique in one half of the store, and a custom t-shirt and sign company in the other. Throughout my time at Wink, I have gained a vast knowledge of how a retail store operates. As the creative director, not only was I responsible for all of the promotional and product photography, but I also worked closely with the staff to ensure our customers had a great experience from beginning to end. I have had a hand in hiring sales associates and managers, buying product wholesale, merchandising, the use of Shopify and Lightspeed POS systems, tracking inventory, shipping, and website management. On the t-shirt side of the shop, I was one of three designers. We worked closely together to quickly fulfill online and walk in orders for pre-made designs, as well as collaborating on ideas for new artwork. I dealt with new customers daily and designed artwork according to their specifications, keeping in close contact throughout the entire process. Once the customer was happy with their design, I would send it to either one of our Graphtec vinyl cutters or the Roland Versicamm printer depending on the complexity, then heat press it onto the garment. Most large jobs, such as sports teams, were easier and cheaper to silk screen, and I would be responsible for seeing that process through as well. Accomplishments During my time at Wink I helped to start and grow the t-shirt side of the business, successfully launch the boutique's website, and gain new clients in multiple locations as well as maintain a great relationship with existing ones. Skills Used I relied on effective communication in order to keep balance between all areas of this business. Utilizing my knowledge of Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, Graphtec Studios, Versaworks, Mac OS, and my Nikon d700 was essential in order to successfully ...

Responsibilities Ray's Dent K.O. is a business specializing in the removal of hail and door dings without the use of paint. This was tough but rewarding work that not only taught me how to remove a dent from a vehicle, but how to own and operate my own business. Here, I had to schedule time for an estimate with a prospective client, repair their vehicle, keep a positive rapport with local dealerships, and develop personal relationships with clients. Accomplishments While working for Ray's Dent K.O. I was able to offer a friendly face to customers and make their experience as pleasant as possible. Skills Used Effective communication and practice in the art of paintless dent removal are the top two skills helped me be the best technician I could be at this job.