I am blessed to be working with Jeff Ellis Management. Each and every day I have worked with the company has been the most fulfilling venture I have ever pursued. One part of what makes working for Jeff Ellis Management so exciting is the work travel opportunities.
In less than five years with the company, I have been allowed to travel to the Gaylord Rockies, Gaylord Opryland, Sole Mia Lagoon, Jerry Resnick, Caporella Aquatic, Hilton Anatole in Dallas, and the Aulani Disney.
My first experiences were earned in my home state of Illinois. In JEM Illinois, we have a unique structure that has given all of the leadership team here, the opportunity to experience so many different facilities. With each facility, I’ve gotten to learn so many different strategies to tackle the different challenges and opportunities each has. Learning to adapt to those challenges and work around problems has developed my problem-solving skills. All of the new faces and places have allowed me to see tangible improvements in my social skills and reduced my anxiety. While the travel within my state doesn’t seem like a big deal, I have enjoyed and found benefits in every facility I have been lucky enough to visit and work at.
The Gaylord Rockies is home to Arapahoe Springs. I have been lucky enough to visit this location numerous times and build up a strong relationship with the team there. When working at Arapahoe Springs I was able to guard while overlooking the stunning Colorado Rocky Mountains. In the winter the steam rolls off the outdoor pools’ water surface and adds to the beauty of the facility and the surrounding area. Working at the facility is a blast! The management and staff are A-tier and they are always a massive help whenever I visit. While the altitude can be an adjustment, working with another amazing JEM team makes all the other adjustments easier.
Off work? You have the downtown of Denver close by with so many fun and interesting shops to explore, not to mention some of the best nature preserves and scenic routes in the entire country.
The Gaylord Opryland is located in Nashville, Tennessee. Our Jeff Ellis Management home is called Sound Waves. Stunning from the roof to the bottom of the pools, working at Opryland is like walking through a nature preserve and a water park at the same time. Beautiful nature decorates the water park, with so many slides, features, and details that keep all the guests and guards engaged. Just like our other resorts, the guest frequency is awesome. It allows you to have refreshed compassion and patience for every new hurdle in your work day. The staff and management do a great job at making sure all the employees have all the tools they need to have great shifts. When you are done exploring the mini-city that is the Gaylord Opryland, there is the amazing Opryland Mall, and not far away is the amazing city of Nashville with all it has to offer.
Florida is home to a variety of JEM locations. Most unique is easily Sole Mia, a massive and gorgeous manmade lagoon. We get to work with watercraft for guests, drive a massive underwater tank that cleans the bottom, and have one of the most automated pump rooms possible. Truly every day I spent at Sole Mia I learned new skills and how our company adapts to each client’s needs. Once I had my fill of massive bodies of water with Sole Mia, I got to visit other JEM local pools that reminded me of home.
Florida is a booming tourist state. During my visit, I took a wind-boat trip through the Everglades, saw rare birds, giant crocodiles, alligators, and got to fly through the water and nature at high speeds. If nature and the Everglades aren’t for you, I also had amazing fun by myself exploring the mall, and the incredible art shows I walked through, and after I walked my heart out, the drive through Miami and South Florida had me gasping. You will never run out of things to do, see, and try in Florida.
The first travel opportunity I received was to travel with four of my co-workers to Dallas Texas to work at the Anatole Hotel. Of course, the first day can be hectic with flights, traveling in, and finally starting at a new facility. My time in Texas was irreplaceable. I developed great friendships with everyone I traveled with and after closing each day, the team got together and picked out a unique restaurant to try. While we weren’t able to do much outside of our shifts during this trip, I still had a blast going on late-night running trips with my friend and JEM co-worker Jimmy, having a big fast food meal to end the day with Jerica, friends from Illinois and new friends from the Anatole, and the best memory I made on my first trip was the final conversations each night with my friends after a long day of work. There is nothing in this world that makes me happier than being surrounded by friends, making fun memories together, and sharing stories and jokes as we all fight off the desire to fall asleep after a long day of work, and that is exactly what my trip to the Anatole was – happy.
The furthest and most impactful travel I’ve done with Jeff Ellis Management has to be my trip to Aulani Resort in Hawaii. Getting to work with Disney characters, wonderful live music, and the most breathtaking rainbows in the world was an experience I cannot truly reflect on with words. When I wasn’t at work, I drove around and explored the island and all it had to offer. Snorkeling in the ocean with sea turtles, playing around on the beaches, shopping at the malls, and taking nature walks every chance I could. Hawaii is phenomenal, I honestly felt so unbelievably happy throughout my shift. My perspective and outlook on life were forever changed because of that trip. Hawaii is one of a kind and so is the amazing experience of working at Aulani with Jeff Ellis Management.
I am overflowing with appreciation and gratitude to Jeff Ellis Management for every one of my travel journeys. I feel blessed to be an employee of this company every day. With Jeff Ellis Management I have grown professionally and personally more than I ever could have thought. This is not only the best job I’ve ever had, this is the only job I am committed to going forward.
“One Team, One Dream!” – IL Team
– Taylor Sumerix