July 2019
513-874-8800 www.stretchphysicaltherapy.com Painless News
2 Locations:
9500 Kenwood Road Blue Ash, Ohio 45242
4851WunnenbergWay West Chester, Ohio 45069
From Fried Chicken to Patient Care
What My First Jobs Taught Me About Treating Your Ailments
I was babysitting for family friends and neighbors as soon as I was old enough to do so. Thinking back, I was probably 11 years old at the time, which as a mom in today’s world terrifies me to think about. But back then, jumping into the career world at that age was a natural next step. Finding a job and generating my own income was a natural thing to do when I was just 11 years old. I come from a hardworking family in a small town. Each month, we scrapped and saved religiously just to get by, which meant it was up to me to produce my own additional spending money. As a young child, it was instilled in me that in order to succeed, I had to work hard at what I was doing. Babysitting from a young age only propelled this belief. After babysitting, I found my first “real” job at 15 years old as a front-counter worker with Carter’s Fried Chicken. A greasy fast food joint, Carter’s was my first introduction into getting a paycheck that wasn’t just wrinkled cash I stashed away from babysitting gigs. Instead, I would take the order, run it back to the kitchen, take the money, deliver the food to the customer, and see that their needs were met throughout their meal. I had to man the drive-thru too. I was essentially a waitress, without all the frills and excitement of tip money. Carter’s was actually a fun job for a 15-year-old. I loved helping customers and talking to them throughout my shift. I would often find ways I could make the job more efficient and would spend my shift multitasking from one chore to the next. I only worked at Carter’s for a year before a distant relative offered me a job at the local McDonald’s. This relative was in a management position, and since I was 16, I could be employed with the company and earn more hours. When my own kids were old enough to start earning their own money, I let them venture off into the working world as well. My daughter would actually accompany me to the aerobics classes I taught, and I put her in charge of classroom set up and organization. Meanwhile, my son would often referee or
umpire for local sports through the YMCA. I was always proud of the work they did outside of our home because it meant they were learning about a level of responsibility outside of their family. It’s a valuable lesson I still treasure, even years after first entering the working world. Looking back, I can honestly say that the work I did as a babysitter and in the foodservice industry laid the foundation for where I am today. As a business owner, I’m constantly analyzing and processing the best systems and procedures to help streamline my practice and make healing easier for patients. What’s more, I was taught the value of great customer service and treating others with the respect they deserve, especially now that I’m in an industry that caters to very intimate needs and concerns. Sure, serving a fried chicken meal isn’t the same as helping a patient overcome chronic pain, but serving them is founded on the same principle: making them feel welcome.
–Kim Nartker
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