Experience

Backcountry Brewing

• Canada
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Finance Manager

  • May 2018 - Present

  Oversee the finances of this booming craft brewery. A Covid Silver Lining has allowed me to work for Backcountry despite recently moving to Newfoundland. My position here has evolved as the company has grown (rapidly and significantly). Initially I developed and implemented standardized and reliable accounting practices for all aspects of the business. Particular attention was paid to AP, AR, and payroll. I also overhauled the chart of accounts, sales input, and other reporting oriented setups. Processes are now transparent and repeatable. The data we can pull to gauge performance is accurate and useful. I also got the company onto Slack, because that's a thing I do. Partly at my recommendation, we set up and started using Ekos Brewmaster in March of 2019. This changed the accounting system from a retail approach to a manufacturing approach that fully reflects the nature of the brewery. We even got it going without really hating one another. (It was not a question of using manufacturing software or integrating it with QuickBooks. It was a question of process change. Change is hard. But beer is good? It balances out.) Employing the new manufacturing setup and a good year of data, I built a detailed financial model for the company (PL, Balance Sheet, basic Cash Flow). The value of the model became apparent during Covid, when we revised it several times a week to gauge the effect of certain sales and cost scenarios, share burn rate estimates, and plan smartly for all manner of contingencies. A larval "Finance Department" (aka Ministry of Finance) is now in place at Backcountry. I work with an awesome colleague to oversee the day-to-day. My position has become increasingly planning focused with owners, accountants, and banks. Recently I overhauled the model to make it more robust when dealing with beer costs and revenues. This allows ROI and expansion scenario modeling. I do wish they would send me more beer. Show less



GBOD Hospitality Group, LLC

• San Diego, CA

• Group Financial Controller

  • Aug 2017 - May 2018

  Managed the finances for a fast-growing restaurant group. A former client recruited me for this job. During my time the group consisted of five restaurant locations, a sixth near opening, two additional businesses, an investment company, and a management company (GBOD Hospitality). Began by consolidating financial oversight and standardizing financial processes. Moved the companies to hosted QuickBooks Enterprise and assumed responsibility for full service bookkeeping. Oversaw shift in payroll from multiple runs at individual restaurant locations to a single payroll at the management company. Instituted a intercompany billing for payroll and expenses to create visibility for funding requirements and transparency. With CEO, developed roles for two new employees and several managers who handle financial tasks. Addressed workflow issues for paperwork handling, established guidelines for categorizing transactions, and developed a financial calendar. Prepared books for tax filing (applied "forensic bookkeeping" expertise). Created and implemented consolidated chart of accounts. Also developed strong financial reporting and planning. Accrued financial data for restaurant locations to a thirteen period per year system. Produced regular period reports and PLs. Distributed meaningful data on revenue and spending to owners and managers. Created visibility for cash flow requirements to monitor spending during high outflows. Designed user-friendly budgets for management and ownership based on past PLs. Started assessment of debt across the companies. On the side, adopted pet project to restructure and improve communication. Advocated for smaller and more directed meetings. Reduced email drastically by placing the management company on Slack. Incessantly encouraged communication when things were going well, not just when things were a shitshow. (That's a restaurant technical term.) The "So-Called Accounting Department" came into being. Show less



Small Business Bookkeeping and Operations

• San Diego CA, Port Angeles WA, Squamish BC

• President & Head Tinkerer

  • Jan 2011 - Aug 2017

  For several years, ran my own business as a sole proprietor (then moved to Canada and taught college in the interim; see next entry). Helped small businesses develop and implement imaginative, cost effective, and measurable solutions to operational and financial challenges. Specialized in restaurants and general contractors -- businesses with many moving parts, lots of revenue, tight margins, and many highly tangled bookkeeping puzzles. Provided bookkeeping plus financial visibility for most of my clients. Used more than a decade of real-world experience to make financial information practical and useful operationally. Sometimes work was task oriented (fix invoicing, prepare taxes, develop oversight). At other times work was more operationally directed (scale up a payroll platform, implement job costing, locate alternative suppliers). The descriptions of Meze and ECS below, two long-term clients in San Diego, provide some examples of how this worked (the owners of Meze later became FT employers). Bookkeepers for hire tend to provide a maintenance service of existing bookkeeping structures, or data entry in existing platforms. My business developed financial software solutions and also created operational solutions to surround them. Successfully moved several clients from running books on paper or in Excel spreadsheets (with an envelope or box to catch all receipts) to operating a modern accounting system that is scaled for use by the business. Designed these systems to be realistic and useable. I find this sort of thing creative and energizing where others find it to be a headache! Show less



Quest University Canada

• Canada
• Higher Education
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Visiting Tutor

  • Oct 2013 - Mar 2017

  Quest University is (or was) "Canada's first independent, not-for-profit, secular university." I'm fortunate to have taught here for a couple of months at a time on several occasions, most recently during the school year for Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 while awaiting residency status in Canada. (Nearly became an academic in a former life. Quest offered a reminder that teaching is meaningful, difficult, and enjoyable.) Primarily taught courses in the Humanities "Foundation," which are seminars required of all students. Offered six courses (a full load) in the 2016-2017 academic year, and seven other courses at various times dating back to October 2013. • Reason and Freedom (Fall 2013 2x) • Scholarship: Death of the Author (Spring 2015 2x, Spring 2016, Spring 2017) • Texts: Manifestos (Fall 2015, Fall 2016 twice) • Poetry (Spring 2016) • Cornerstone: What is Knowledge (Fall 2016) • Rhetoric (Fall 2016) • Texts: The Question of Being (Spring 2017) Show less



Elite Concept Services

• Carlsbad, CA

• Bookkeeper / Financial Consultant

  • Mar 2014 - Nov 2015

  Provided full service bookkeeping for a busy and growing General Contractor specializing in building restaurants (of course -- because you can't ever escape restaurants). Helped ECS through a major shift from sole proprietorship to corporation at the end of 1Q14. Created QuickBooks company files for both entities, and entered data ("forensic bookkeeping") back to the start of 2013 to manage taxes and transfers of funds and assets between companies. Gave ECS the on demand ability to track subcontractor balances, assess cash flow requirements, and know (to the penny, when the data is available) whether a particular contract was in the black. (Job tracking was immensely valuable!) Setting up a system that works is a strangely pleasant puzzle. For a client, reliable and regularly visible financial information is vital and useful for just about every aspect of the business. Show less



Meze Greek Fusion / Meze Express

• Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego, CA.

• Bookkeeper / Financial Consultant

  • Feb 2013 - Nov 2015

  Provided full service bookkeeping for two (sometimes shifting) restaurant locations and two (ever evolving) business entities. Developed financial oversight and bookkeeping systems designed to receive and retrieve good information. Input comprised the regular upkeep part of this relationship; this made possible the output, which was robust reporting, cash flow analysis, beverage inventory assessment, on demand metrics, and so forth -- an ongoing interpretation of the numbers that helped the client understand the finances and put the data to meaningful use. In the case of the Meze restaurants, getting numbers out of business operations was possible on the basis of systems we set up from scratch to meet the needs of each location. Show less



Brooklyn Girl Eatery

• Goldfinch & Fort Stockton, San Diego

• Opening Co-Manager / Bar Manager

  • Feb 2012 - May 2012

  Served as opening bar manager. Handled initial bar stocking (alcohol and supply) and developed a high quality craft cocktail program in partnership with the bartenders. Held beer training seminars for initial staff. Worked 6 shifts per week (most behind the bar, a few floor) during initial opening. Created inventory sheets, designed menus, managed FOH staff, put out fires during service. Realized that I truly loved weird Belgian ale, that I was incredibly lucky to be in San Diego in the heyday of its beer scene, and that I was maybe too old to work 6 shifts anymore. (Last service industry job on the ground? Never! Spent five months waiting tables, tending bar, and bookkeeping for a spot in northern Washington during the summer of 2016. You can always go back.) Show less



Banker's Hill Bar & Restaurant

• 4th & Ivy, San Diego

• Service Manager

  • Oct 2011 - Feb 2012

  Managed service at well-regarded San Diego bar and restaurant. Reinforced existing service standards while developing changes as necessary. Toed the line of employing a fine dining service model while maintaining a relaxed gastropub feel for guests. Importantly, this improved labor margins. Solely responsible for beer and liquor pricing, purchasing, inventory, and training. Also managed inventory and purchasing for wine, though the wine selection fell to ownership. Learned a ton about San Diego beer and breweries. Surfed a ton. Show less



Dumont / Dumont Burger / Dressler

• Brooklyn, NY

• Director Of Operations / Controller

  • Apr 2009 - Oct 2010

  Oversaw the financial, bureaucratic, and mechanical workings of a family of three pioneering Williamsburg restaurants in Brooklyn (early hipster era). Initially asked to develop fiscal oversight and structure as Controller while moonlighting as (de facto) Head of Maintenance. The position evolved to include broad operational responsibility. Restructured and standardized QuickBooks and accounting practices for all three restaurants. Created a management company (formed a new corporate entity) to serve as the centralized back office for all three restaurants, then gathered a few people together to build that back office (literally: finished the space out of the derelict second floor in the semi-derelict building that housed our woodshop). Held regular meetings with six managers (three floor, three kitchen) and the Executive Chef, to guide projects, support employee management, and develop financial targets. Created regular financial reports and inventory templates, then helped managers understand and use them in decision making. Negotiated insurance packages (medical, liability, workers' comp and disability) to increase coverage and realize significant savings. Developed an internal maintenance department with two full time staff members that drastically reduced regular service calls and contracting costs. Fixed broken dishwashers on the fly. Cleaned snow drifts off of garden awnings in the freezing cold. Filled in for managers when needed. Took off my shoes in the office. Show less



Dumont Burger

• Brooklyn, NY

• Manager

  • Apr 2008 - Mar 2009

  Directed staffing and service during an increase in seating of close to 100%. Created financial tracking for the different sales channels of the business (dining, take out, and delivery). Developed new service standards and training guidelines for employees to improve sales per head. Initiated a twice-daily Department of Health walkthrough checklist that resulted in several successful inspections. Set the record for the greatest number of milkshakes spun up in a single day by a single employee (this causes blisters). Obtained a grace in dealing with drunk patrons that I didn't previously imagine possible (thanked by people I refused to serve). Led the hiring search for, and subsequently trained, my replacement at manager when I was promoted inside the company. Show less



Elote

• Brooklyn, NY

• General Manager

  • Sep 2006 - Mar 2008

  Hired as an assistant manager during opening. Promoted to GM position five weeks thereafter. Served as bookkeeper; placed orders; tracked sales and margins; handled permits and bureaucratic nightmares; regularly communicated with owners; developed and implemented aspects of the restaurant’s evolving concept; hired and fired staff; learned to love semi-colons; created and managed FOH and BOH service standards; designed advertisements and menus; administered web pages; performed maintenance tasks; tended bar; worked the floor (and kitchen, and dish sinks, and mops); grinned; scowled; laughed. Show less



Clint Bagwell Consulting, Inc.

• Macintosh Consulting / Web Design and Layout

  • Apr 2006 - Oct 2006

  Provided in-person training and problem solving for various types of clients, from individuals with home computers to mid-sized Manhattan businesses running several machines and servers. Also handled layout work for a publishing firm converting back issues of magazines from Adobe to HTML. Discovered that I could exhibit patience in a way that not even my stint teaching in graduate school had prepared me for. This patience may or may not have survived to the present day. Provided in-person training and problem solving for various types of clients, from individuals with home computers to mid-sized Manhattan businesses running several machines and servers. Also handled layout work for a publishing firm converting back issues of magazines from Adobe to HTML. Discovered that I could exhibit patience in a way that not even my stint teaching in graduate school had prepared me for. This patience may or may not have survived to the present day.



CSL Associates

• New York City

• Operations Associate

  • Apr 2005 - Apr 2006

  Sought (and found) work that had nothing to do with my experience in grad school: Managed the day-to-day operations of a small (~$80M) investment fund. Handled all correspondence with investors and brokers, worked with accountants on tax issues for three business entities, filed SEC paperwork, balanced the fund's books, and paid all invoices. Initiated tracking and record keeping in order to meet strict compliance and auditing standards. Performed research into companies and stocks that were prospective investments for the fund. Actively traded shares in the fund’s portfolio (passed Series 7 and a couple of lesser exams, I think 55 for OTC and 63 for state?). Survived an indispensable year during which I learned a lot about business (which I was grateful to know and has formed the platform of my entire adult life in many respects) and a lot about the stock trading environment (which I wasn't quite so comfortable with). Remain eternally thankful that my boss was, and still is, one of the good guys. Show less



Center for Research on Information Access (CRIA)

• Columbia University, New York City

• Project Coordinator

  • Sep 2002 - Jun 2004

  Wrote and designed press versions of all the Center's literature (was known as “the scribe”), including the composition, layout, and copy editing of two collaborative annual reports to the Mellon Foundation. The projects mostly centered on automatic retrieval of metadata from OCR datasets. Gained a pretty robust conceptual understanding of databases and tagging in the bargain. Acted as liaison to the Center’s visitors and planned large meetings for the Center’s projects (managing hotel reservations, catering, expense reimbursements, meeting space, and A/V for up to thirty attendees). Acquired the ability to act like an event planner and became a good host. Decided that librarians and computer scientists are really cool. Show less



Linnaea's Café

• San Luis Obispo, CA

• Manager

  • Jun 1999 - May 2000

  Hired, directed, and generally took care of a ten person evening staff. Provided an alternative managerial outlet to the day staff and coverage for the day manager. Also tracked sales, made coffee and tea orders, and kept the books. (These were, quite literally, books: the bookkeeper and I used to dig into the massive ledger!) Negotiated the difficulties of a historically eclectic and unruly clientele who were often at odds with other business owners and residents. Spent late nights nursing an elderly espresso machine back to health for the 6am shift. Went surfing before bed. In the sense that I learned to surf in SLO during the time I worked at Linnaea's, and in the sense that this was my first job managing in the service industry, and finally and most vitally, in the sense that this was the first place I was ever entrusted with "the books" -- this is quite possibly the most important single job of my life. Not that I knew it at the time. Linnaea's is still there! It was bought from the original owner (whose name actually was Linnaea) by the night manager I used to work with. Show less