My Time At Silvermine

I want to share my experiences with what I learned from my first job. From the summer of 2002 to 2007, I worked at a golf club called Silvermine. The club, in my opinion, is a hidden gem of Connecticut. There are many courses in the area that get attention. Nearby clubs such as Woodway and Stanwich get plenty of accolades. However, Silvermine is undoubtedly deserving of such praise. As someone who worked there for five years, I can say that with confidence.

Let's rewind to July of 2002. I was fifteen and looking to enter the workforce. Like I do today, I had a love for golf. So my father reached out to Stuart Waack. Stuart was the head golf professional of the club. And now, over 18 years later, he still holds that position. My family knew Stuart because he was the assistant professional at Woodway Country Club. My parents and I got to know Stuart very well before he left Woodway for Silvermine.

Stuart and I at Silvermine in 2019.

So yes, I will be honest. I received an interview, and presumably, the job because of the connection my parents had with Stuart. In that situation, it indeed was about knowing someone. There's that old phrase when you're looking for jobs, "It's all about who you know."

But if you know me, then you know that I don't just settle for things. I didn't want my employment at Silvermine to be a case of a dad getting his son a job, and the son is a poor employee. I tried to make the most of my employment. Looking back on my time, fifteen years later, I know I did. But looking back, I realized some important lessons that I learned during my employment at Silvermine. Lessons that I would not wholly grasp for years. Let me share with you four of them.

1. If you can smile at work, then you have a good job. Many people have a job that they don't like. They go to work, and they never smile. For them, work is just that work. During my time at Silvermine, I smiled. I enjoyed showing up to work, and on most days, I didn't like leaving. I could smile. Not just because I was to greet the members with a friendly face, but because I was happy there. For my next job, I would be a footwear associate at Dick's Sporting Goods in Chattanooga. While at the job, I did not smile that much. I left Silvermine because I was attending the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and I wanted to stay year-round in Chattanooga to advance my education. That said, I smiled when I was at Silvermine. Yes, like any job, there were moments where I didn't get along with my colleagues. But without a doubt, the smiles outweighed the frowns. If you have a job where you can smile, appreciate that job.

2. When in doubt, take charge. No matter the job that we are in, doubt will creep in. It's what makes us human. But when that doubt settles in, it's essential to take charge. What do I mean by taking charge? It could mean anything. It could be taking control of your emotions, a situation, a problem, or all three of those. In June of 2007, I was working the pro shop at a big fundraiser tournament. Over a hundred people were participating. Out of those hundred, at least thirty of them won prizes to the golf shop. Because these players weren't members, they wanted to claim their prize on that day. So following their awards, all thirty of them, at once, entered the pro shop. I typically didn't work the pro shop (I worked bags and carts), but I was pulling double duty on that day. As thirty men who had been drinking entered the relatively small pro shop, I started to get overwhelmed. That's when I took charge. Everyone wanted help first. But that wasn't going to happen. I took control of the situation, got people in order, and helped them as quickly as possible. If someone got out of turn, I put them back in turn. That day, I took control of the situation. Stuart was there and commended me for stepping up.

3. Appreciate the little things your employer does for you. Silvermine gave me a lot of things other clubs didn't. It was customary for employees of clubs to golf only on Mondays. Stuart would let us golf after hours on any day provided there were appropriate staffing levels and the course was quiet. We also received a free meal and got to eat on the clock, provided it wasn't busy. I didn't have a complete appreciation for these things until after I left. I understood these were things given to me. But while working there, I didn't fully grasp that these were things that Stuart and Silvermine didn't have to do. I understand that now. With that said, what are some things that your job provides to you that you perhaps take for granted? I'm sure there are some. If you take a step back and appreciate these things, you'll be happier at your workplace.

4. Never forget your roots. I know this is cliche. But everyone who is successful has someone or some group that helped make them successful. Tiger Woods credits his father for helping win 15 majors. Jeff Bezos credits his father as well for his success. Stuart is not my father, but he was a father-like person to me. Also, Silvermine was my family. It's why in 2016 when I passed the Professional Engineering Exam, I called Stuart to let him know that I passed. At the age of 33, I've had a nice career and enjoyed many blessings. But I have been successful because of people like Stuart and Silvermine. It's also why I decided in 2019 to take a day trip to Silvermine and reconnect the staff and members there. While visiting, Stuart and club manager, Rob DeLuca both told me, I could have my job back whenever I wanted it. Most people reading this have had their fair share of success. Given your success, I encourage you to think back to your roots and what made you successful. You may see your first job played a part.

Most people working today can probably trace back valuable lessons to their first job. Think about what lessons you learned and how they apply to you today.

In closing, I want to express my sincere gratitude to Silvermine. People like Rob, Stuart, The Zucco Family (who owned the course), and George, who worked carts with me, all have had a lasting impact on my life. So with that, I'm thankful for my time at Silvermine and the lessons learned.