T MINUS 284 V2: I'm done son!

On July 21, 2007 I decided that I wanted to own and operate my own cocktail lounge. I was at my first visit to Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans and had contacted the event organizer, the then Ann Rogers, about volunteering. I happened across the website for Tales (http://www.talesofthecocktail.com/) after I learned about the Museum of the American Cocktail, also based in New Orleans.

That was my first visit to Tales...it won't be my last! It was my first introduction to this secret little world of cocktails. So much history and so much to learn and you know me, I'm a student of life so I wasn't going to pass up that learning opportunity. I made it back to Tallahassee on July 23rd and promptly began researching my opportunities for a structured learning environment on how to operate a cocktail lounge. Sure I found books in the library about the ropes to skip and the ropes to know but I didn't feel prepared for the next step towards hospitality ownership based simply on those resources.

That's when I came across the Wine, Spirits and Beverage Management Program at the Art Institutes. Out of the 35 schools spattered across the country, only 3 of them offered this particular program: New York, Atlanta and Tampa. I decided on Tampa since that's where this all started...and met some of the greatest friends in the world, might I add! My sorors Bennisha and Chasma; classmates Pam, Jos and Cristelle; co-workers Jemaar, Angie, Samyra and Kim; roomies Marcine, Britt and Nilesia...they made my life in Tampa worth the sacrifice of leaving my life in Tally behind temporarily.

I started my classes on October 1, 2007 promptly after completing my first attempt at the Beverage Alcohol Resource program in NYC. The degree program is comprised of 112 credits and 45 of those were transferred in from my matriculation at FAMU- thank God for that MBA! So what should have taken me 21 months to complete only took 15. They weren't ready for me.

See I came into the program knowing my product I wanted to produce, I just needed the guidance and direction to do it. Most of the students who matriculate through the creative programs at Ai are preparing themselves to work for someone else but not me. I went in knowing that I would be working for myself and the class that I was most excited about was my capstone class- the course where I would graded on the caliber of the business plan that I produced.

That plan is now in its 5th draft and next week is my last week as a student of the Art Institute of Tampa. I will be the program's first graduate on March 27, 2009. The ceremony will be in June sometime so I'll keep you posted but just know that I'm done son!