Tobin King

Background

About Tobin King

It’s a dog eat dog world and I’m wearing Milkbone underwear” - Norm Peterson Its funny to think back and realize that I had decided how a large portion of my adult working career would play out when I was 8 years old. It was 1985, Cheers was the most popular show on TV & it had a fan in this young, naïve prairie kid. It was a brilliant show with an amazing cast & writing, but it was the relationships that were built among the staff and with their guests that spoke to me. As a class assignment that year, we had to write what we thought we would do when we grew up, I wrote. “Play professional sports & own a sports bar” Unfortunately I did not have the athletic prowess to achieve the first part of my goal but through Desire, Dedication, Discipline & Attitude I was able to own & operate a sports bar by the age of 28. It was a dream come true & the passion of my life for 14 years. During this time there were many successes & many learning moments. I discovered the importance of having an eye for detail, the ability to see the big picture & how proper training can have an enormous impact on the profitability of a business. My knowledge of management, team building, marketing, inventory control & sales have all been learned & tried in the field, in real time. I never had the opportunity to work in hypotheticals, it was always sink or swim & I never sank. I discovered years ago that it was not the hospitality industry that inspired me, that it had always been about the people & the relationships. Nurturing my staff to grow professionally & personally & giving my guests a place to call home, where the price of our products was made moot by the value we placed on them individually, was what drove me. The product has never mattered, it has always been about the people. It was that realization that prompted me to make a change & explore other opportunities where I could take what I have learned to the next level. In December 2019 I sold my stake in the business, with an eye to take a few months off to enjoy some much-deserved R&R before exploring the job market. Then Covid hit & threw us all a curve ball. I found myself taking care of my young boys as my wife continued to work full-time. It was an enjoyable yet tiring experience spending that much time with our boys & I now feel I am as well versed in Roblox and Paw Patrol as I am in Excel & Word. Luckily, we have found a good balance that has allowed me to start looking for that position that will inspire & drive me. Its time for me to do what I do best, make others better.