FAQs
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
We do ongoing training yearly in our effort to stay current with all the changes in the Food & Beverage Industry. And of course, we are a Trade School that has taught and continues to train and certify Professional Bartenders, Wine Stewards/Sommeliers, Bar Owners, Bar Managers & Staff since 1987; over 33,000 graduates to date. WinessteinsandCocktails.com
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
A Story of serendipity, persistence, and the achievement of success. My story takes me to back to to sunny Florida in an effort to break into professional baseball. I was 19 at the time and had been fortunate to experience a fair amount of success at the game that resulted in a number of tryouts. I figured that it was now time to take the plunge, venture down to the Sunshine State, and put my skills to the ultimate test. I found the experience to be both challenging and enlightening. Now a small fish in a big pond, I discovered that I lacked the financial resources needed to subsist and to maintain the training regimen necessary to be competitive on a professional level. In spite of my efforts, I fell short of my childhood dream. In retrospect however, I've was fortunate to have had a few individuals who have been kind enough to offer me some great advice over the years: (1) Invest in yourself and get a 'quality education;' you'll never regret it, (2) Make good use of your time, (3) Find something that you enjoy and can make a lot of money in the process, (4) Write down your goals and create a 'Smart Plan' as how to get there, (5) Package and Position yourself to succeed, (6) Get to know quality people who can make a difference in your life, (7) Don't forget to follow up and say thank-you, (8) Commit to take action, (9) Be persistent and keep moving forward, (10) Stay focused, energized, and optimistic. With a bit of reflection and no hesitation, I elected to move on and go to college. My parents at the time could barely makes ends meet and were in no position to foot the bill. To boot, my father was not well and his job was a casualty of another severe recession. Simply, my mother and father, like many of today's parents, were struggling to exist. So, I decided to look into one of the Yacht Clubs in the area to acquire some work in my quest to earn some money to pay for my education. This move turned out to be a fortuitous occasion, a real life-changer. It was at the Yacht Club that I met a butler-styled, gentlemen's gentleman, who hailed from the French sector of Montreal, Canada. He would by mentor during my undergraduate years and is responsible for teaching me the fine Art of Professional Bartending, the Wine Stewardship & Sommelier Trade, Event Planning, Customer Service, Accountability, and Controls. Although I didn't realize it at the time, I was to be exposed to hands-on, world-class training, on what would prove to be the basis for running several different business ventures of my own in the not too distant future. In addition to the stellar coaching I received in the Hospitality Trades, I was in the position to meet all types of interesting people from all over the world, many of whom would offer me valuable advice, direction, and employment opportunities. It was like Hollywood I had the pleasure to enjoy the company of all kinds of celebrities: professional sports figures, movie stars, entertainers, entrepreneurs, luminaries, educators, and dignitaries. In addition, I made a lot of money that helped pay off my college tuition and expenses in full -- at a prestigious, private learning institution. That's right; and not only did I graduate from college debt-free, but I had an automobile, a savings account, and a job-search network paved in gold. The bottom line; my experiences were eye-openers. Not only did they enable me to make fast money with unlimited tip-making potential, but put me in the position to meet people who could make a real difference in my life AND- on terms where I could showcase my talents and polish my soft skills with the elite at the same time. I was able to engage in productive conversation, make discrete introductions, and establish good first & lasting impressions with everyone I had the pleasure of meeting. And this was all done with ease, because the club members and their guests were operating on my turf the safe, friendly, comfortable atmosphere of the cocktail lounge devoid of the stresses of life and ripe for the exchange of valuable insider-information. Here I was in the thick of things. I would never again experience the desperation of having 'pound' the pavement in need of a job. I would no longer be subjected to the painful experience of having to fill out piles of applications in person or online; most of which I later observed were deleted or ended up in the trash. The Professional Bartender, Wine, and Hospitality Trades provided me with a number of recession-proof vehicles that allowed me to move about at will. I was free to relocate at a moment's notice, to where the good jobs really were. I didn't have to return home after college without a job, or to find myself up to my eyeballs in debt with no other prospects other than an immediate down-sizing of my life-style, and no immediate source of income. I might add that I worked at two other public venues on the side that provided me additional streams of income over and above the money that I made regularly at the Yacht Club. Like clock-work, it was virtually nonstop weddings, anniversaries, reunions, birthdays, private, and political functions. I had so many employment opportunities that I could have worked all day and night if I didn't have to eat and sleep. Ironically, I always ate well and virtually free at every professional bartending and wine stewardship job that I had. This is just one of the many cost-saving perks that is provided to professionals in our trades. In addition to meals and so many ways to make great money, professionals also enjoy excellent tip-making potential, and other amenities like bonuses, vacation time, and insurance. So, while my friends were either constantly unemployed, laid off, looking for work and repeatedly working lousy hours, for substandard wages, and thankless bosses -- I thankfully continued to work on my own time and my own terms. I can and have literally relocated at will, and within a week, am already gainfully employed as a Professional Bartender, Wine Steward/Sommelier, an/or in another Hospitality service position -- certainly not a dead-end proposition, but an upbeat opportunity to have more fun, make more money, and acquire more business contacts, and job opportunities. Using the same formula, I moved on to graduate school, getting an MBA in 2 years. I followed the formula and simply did more of what works. Within a week of my relocation to a new state, I was working as a Professional Bartender and Wine Steward at an upscale establishment for the connected and well-to-do --The University Club & Conference Center. Again, I made great money, generous tips, free meals, some bonuses, and insurance benefits. Over and above, I met some interesting people, as well as two new mentors; one in the field of banking law & finance; the other a former high-end restaurant owner, club manager, and graduate of Cornell's School of Hospitality Management. In any case, without filling out a formal application, expending countless hours preparing and sending out resumes, or traveling endless miles for interviews; I had been offered by way of conversation with members at the University Club -- employment in the banking, insurance, educational, financial, sales, and related service industries. I was no longer stunned at that point but humbly expectant; I had been advised that it would happen if I made an effort to package and position myself in a job marketable environment. As I had been coached during my undergraduate years while employed at the Yacht Club in Florida: "It's not always who you know, but who you get to know that counts." On that note, I rest my case. Clients who frequent clubs, or for that matter any comparable high-end meeting places, are a treasure trove of opportunity for making the type of connections you need to quickly get a seat at the hiring table. With few exceptions, the ladies and gentlemen who gather daily, are the movers
- What types of customers have you worked with?
The extension of our the Wines, Steins,and Cocktails Professional Bartender School & Wine Academy is the Bartender Express. We're a one-stop shop for all of your staff-related needs for any function or event that requires that alcoholic beverages of any type be served both professionally and responsibly. Since we train the people who own food & beverage establishments, bars, restaurants, banquet halls, etc., as well as those who are employed by them as Professional Bartenders, Wine Stewards, and Hospitality Managers & Staff, we are able to help one plan, budget, set-up, create a drink menu, develop a theme for an outing or festivity of their choice. Click on to the Employment and Job Opportunity page of our company website found at Wines SteinsandCocktails.com or contact me nationally: Dan Clougherty @ 1-800-333-7122 or on my Cell @ 724-875-2084 to talk with me further as to how I can further assist you.