Today we’d like to introduce you to Angel Wallace.
Angel, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in Baltimore MD. Before moving to Los Angeles, I graduated with honors from Towson University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Mass Communications and a Certification in Marketing. After graduating, I decided to pursue an acting career in New York, then went to Los Angeles. While looking for consistent acting work, I became a part-time bartender, working at some of the hottest bars in Hollywood. I experienced first-hand the many issues and problems service workers and establishments face when it comes to calculating and monitoring daily tips. A few of those problems include: miscommunication, lack of transparency, calculation errors, wastefulness of paper, and inadequate organization of tip information.
What many people don’t know is that tipping brings in over 40 billion dollars a year and many businesses still use outdated, complicated paper-based accounting practices. I got so frustrated with the process and set out to create an easier way to handle tips—In 2015 Tipnpost was born!
Besides working in the service industry for many years, I’ve also served on the Board of Directors for a local chapter national non-profit, worked on the communications committee, and headed up website management.
I used my own money to build tipnpost over the years. I became self-taught and this came in handy during the early stages. I took the knowledge and skills I learned over the years and put together a solid team to help me create something that changes the lives of millions of people.
I learned early on that you can’t do everything yourself, know your strengths, know your weakness, and find the right people to excel in areas that you might not. Overall, finding good mentors, and surrounding myself with people who inspire me and encourage me to take risk helped get me where I am today.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As with all journeys, you’re going to run into a few bumps and detours along the way. Running a start-up is no different. I tried to prepare myself mentally, expecting to have a few challenges, not knowing when they’ll come or what form they’ll take. However, you can never fully prepare because there isn’t a magic crystal ball to see into the future. I can say hindsight is 20/20.
I faced challenges with finding the right team, delays in product development, contract issues, financial strain, as well as finding a healthy balance between work and personal life.
When challenges happen, I try to put them in perspective and remind myself it’s not the end of the world. I believe success, achieving goals, takes hard work, no exceptions. You get out, what you put in.
Tipnpost – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The process of sharing tips and communicating about tips shouldn’t be complicated and shrouded in mystery.
Tipnpost is cloud-based interactive software that connects Bar, Restaurant, and Nightclub staff of all sizes, streamlining the process of sharing, organizing and managing tips. So basically, a bartender or server can plug in their tip information using their mobile device, then use that information to split tips. All of that info goes into the company’s profile—creating the nightly tip out sheets. Reports can then be generated for management book-keeping and staff record keeping. There’s no more paperwork, calculators, binders, or waiting around for hours after your shift to figure out your money.
Tipnpost is changing the industry standard for both sides, staff and management, to ensure better communication and transparency. It transforms the nightly tip process which can normally take hours and reduces the burden on management.
As a company founder, it makes me proud when I see people using tipnpost and tell me the difference it makes when handling tips. We want every bar, nightclub and restaurant to try it for free, with no strings attached. We believe in tipnpost and hope new users will as well.
As a company, what sets us apart is that we’re innovative, we don’t try to follow trends, we would rather set them. We’re forward thinking, always looking for ways to create not just an exceptional user experience but a genuine connection with our users. We’re passionate about what we do.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I believe what’s meant for me, will be for me, so I don’t measure my success against others.
Personally, success to me is achieving my goals, big and small. I try to celebrate my small achievements as much as the big ones. Every one counts, and when you finally achieve the big one, you realize how important all the small ones were along the way. Also, it’s about feeling good about what I’m doing, a sense of personal satisfaction, knowing I gave it my all.
Some of my proudest moments so far in my career include when tipnpost went live for the first time! When people searched and found me through search engines looking for solutions. In addition to the overwhelming response I received when I exhibited at the Nightclub and Bar Show convention in Las Vegas. I met so many owners and managers who desperately needed a new tip management system.
It takes a long time and hard work to get to product launch and a lot of start-ups don’t even make it for any number of reasons. I feel blessed for this huge milestone.
Contact Info:
- Address: 15233 Ventura Blvd., suite #500
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 - Website: www.tipnpost.com
- Phone: (888) 744-4438
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tipnpost/
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tipnpost
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/tipnpost
- Other: http://vimeo.com/tipnpost
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