Ok. This is starting to make sense. If one can:

Ryan A. Oatis Sr.
Jul 21, 2017 · 3 min read
  • Focus on the smaller things at times and have a clear understanding of the micros that either lead to, or affect macros,
  • Possess a high level of humility, empathy and EQ to match assertiveness,
  • Get dirty,

then they have the qualities to be a disruptor.


“I’ll never get back into management again”. I told myself this over and over in 2007 and 2008 as I parked cars on the overnight shift and bounced around many day jobs. Little did I know that for the next 6 years that’s right where I’d end up.

It was that attention that said “hey, this process can be a little bit better”. And not only that, but “here’s how it can be better”. Problem and solution. I’ve always attributed that quality to OCD, but now I think it’s far more than that. It’s the drive to try new things, to learn, and to be better.

I’ll admit, I was a little unorthodox with some things, until I was proven right. Fast forward years into my most recent promotion in 2014:

“Let’s not leave it up to the runner to manage productivity. Let’s manage it for them”. This was one of the brightest ideas I had while managing for a hospitality parking company. As you know, valets give you tickets when you park. In a lot of cases, what you may not realize is that the attendant who gave you the ticket may not be the same one parking it. He/she is what’s known as a ramp manager. Instead of placing the ticket inside the vehicle and either standing idle waiting on a runner, I wanted every ramp manager filling out vehicle info on the ticket AND tagging the car key. That way, all the runner had to do was fill in the stall/spot location of the vehicle after it was parked. This hit 3 key areas, which influenced another one. Productivity, accountability, and efficiency, leading to a more reasonable labor figure. If production times were cut in half, extra staff isn’t needed. Now the machine is being ran at a third less of the labor cost, which equated to $6,000 monthly including overtime.


Managing money wasn’t new to me. After all, it was a tipped position. So when it came to revenue, what can be done outside the norm?

Parking fees weren’t negotiable. To me they were. It didn’t make sense to let someone who was only staying one night and catching a cab to dinner drive next door and pay half the valet fee in a self parking lot. I wanted that half! So I got it. Same thing applied for 2 vehicles staying more than one night. “Well sir/ma’am, if the other vehicle is just going to stay parked and this will be the primary vehicle during your stay, I’ll just charge the other one half per night. How does that sound?” It sounded all too well. They had the added security of an attended garage and their vehicles in one place. This increased car counts, revenue, and again, the bottom line. Gross profits from one month equalled the gross profits from the entire previous year before bonuses.


I want to challenge you. Do you pay attention to the smaller things? Or just let them play out because it’s the norm and what’s been done since the beginning of time? Do they matter? Or do you think your influence won’t be enough to spark change?..

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