Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Atthajaroon.
Hi Amy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Los Angeles by two immigrant Thai parents. I am the middle child between two sisters. My parents divorced, and my father moved back to Thailand. I saw him sparingly throughout my childhood. Then, when I was a preteen, my parents reconciled. Wanting us to be together as a family, we all moved to Thailand. I of course went kicking and screaming. I was more American than Thai. My family are practicing Buddhists, and I somehow ended up at a private Catholic school. I call it the USC of Thailand: rich, famous, and socialites alike attended my school. I was a middle class American jus trying to make it through.
For college, I moved back to Los Angeles; Pasadena City College then onto Cal-State Northridge. I majored in the precursor for Physical Therapy. I worked simultaneously at a physical therapy office and a fine wine and spirits shop to get me through college. As luck would have it, I decided to not pursue physical therapy anymore, and instead became a product specialist in wine, craft beer, and spirits.
I currently work as a wine manager at a retail shop. Within the couple of years, I started performing stand-up comedy. It was a childhood dream that I wanted to pursue for quite sometime. So I work as a retail wine manager during the day, and moonlight as a beginning stand-up comedian.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My partner and I ended our relationship of tens years back in 2023. We broke off our engagement, but still maintain a great friendship. I was unhappy in the relationship. I had to do a lot of inner work to understand why I was unhappy; whether it was in the relationship or in general. I’ve discovered that it was both. I didn’t want to be in a relationship during this process because I didn’t want my partner to feel like he was responsible for my unhappiness. That’s such an unfair burden I did not want him to feel responsible for.
In doing so, I found out that I have about thirty plus years of trauma that I needed to heal from. I had a traumatic and chaotic upbringing. I was basically in survival mode most of my life. So now, in my early forties, I’m learning about who I am, how I want my relationships to be like with family, friends, and romantic partners. I’m proud of who I am and what I have accomplished in my life. It doesn’t seem like much, but to me, it’s everything! I live a life that’s entirely of my choosing , and I think it’s a good one. Most importantly, I’m a really good person in spite of so much that’s happened in my life.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a wine specialist in a fine wine and spirits shop. I am the person that customers and coworkers go to for answers about the world of wine. I am great at my job because I’m always trying to learn more personally and professionally in how to be better at my job. I have gone out of my way to learn multiple languages because I wanted to be able to pronounce the names of the wines correctly. I’m only fluent in two, but on any given day, I may have a short conversation with another person in their language. I genuinely find joy when I can help someone find a new product that they like. It’s like I’m a matchmaker between people and wine.
I both love and hate interacting with customers. It is the best and worst part of my job. I have so much more positive interactions than negative, so I can withstand it all. Most importantly, I had to remember that a lot of the actions of customers are not personally against me directly. I just happen to be the person in the moment to incur their poor behavior.
I started doing a series of Facebook posts called “Amy vs. Customers”. I’m debating on turning it into a series of Instagram posts and a coffee table style book. There are so many interactions that I feel like a lot of customer service workers will relate to. Also, because it’s such a unique job, there are some niche problems that only can happen in my field. I’m also trying to integrate it into my stand-up routines. It’s difficult trying to get a story into a short amount of words with an impactful punchline. These are ideas I think about when I’m not learning and talking about wine.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
A strong work ethic is very important, so I strive to have one with the best of my abilities. My work affects other people; the way I interact, my knowledge, and my approaches to different aspects of my job. The results are immediate. I have to be thoughtful, methodical, and considerate all at the same time. That mindfulness goes such a long way. Good intentions are bare minimum. Showing up physically and mentally, and then being present of mind, that helps so much more. Hopefully the outcome is good. If not, we try again.
I have said this a lot in my life: I’d rather be respected than liked. Sometimes I succeed at both. However, being the middle child of sisters, I learned very quickly that not everyone will like you, and it’s completely out of your control. So I work hard to be great at the objectives of my job, and try to be polite and respectful to everyone I encounter. Even when they’re unruly, the work motto is “kill them with kindness”. The only way I know how to navigate through customer service is learning to be understanding and have empathy. I try. I really do try. I’m not always successful, and I have to reconcile that.
Pricing:
- If I ask you how much you want to spend, please give me actual numbers. Descriptions like “not too cheap, not too expensive” or “medium price” are absolutely meaningless, and I can’t help you without your budget. I judge you more for you saying that than what you actually spend. I’m just happy that you’re shopping with us.
- Spend as much or as little as you want, so long as you are going to enjoy it. Taste is subjective. Only you can decide whether or not you like it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @amydrinksforwork
