SFBG: What's the best part of your job?

JM: Working with talented artists. Being able to share and work on a project with the perfect person is a dream come true. Exchanging ideas, developing projects, and watching them turn into something beautiful is so much fun. I am constantly inspired and in awe.

SFBG: What's the worst/most challenging part of your job?

JM: Trying to decide which handbag to carry! And, of course, which shoes to wear! I never leave the house without considering what I am wearing. That's why there is absolutely no more room for a thing in my closet. Well, maybe except for a new pair of Marc Jacobs shoes.

SFBG: What are the most common misconceptions about what you do?

JM: The most common misconception I hear after I have gotten to know someone is:
1. I thought you hated me.
2. I thought you were such a bitch.

And, guess what? I love hearing both those things! Especially when they are talking to me at my dining table, eating my deliciously prepared food whilst they cream their dirty little panties over dessert. Bitch? Not all. Opinionated - yes!

SFBG: How'd you get started doing this?

JM: I have always considered myself an artist. Throughout my life, I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by people that have always allowed me to dream. From a very young age, I was encouraged to be what ever I wanted.

SFBG: If someone else wanted to do what you do, what advice would you give them?

JM: Find the artistic side of your soul and follow it.

JUSTIN MORGAN
GO-GO DANCER

San Francisco Bay Guardian: What do you do and what are your primary duties?

Justing Morgan: I'm a go-go dancer. I've worked at Juanita More's Playboy at the Stud, the now defunct Faggot at Daddy's, and a new Wednesday night at the End Up called Club Pervert, to name a few. My primary duties entail standing on a platform, usually small, usually elevated, wearing something that doesn't hide a whole lot, and dancing for long stretches of time. A couple gigs I've done involved cocktail serving with one of those massive trays and a couple dozen drinks piled atop it.

SFBG: Is this your primary form of income? If not, how else do you make money?

JM: No, I've got a few other things going on. I'm the Production Manager at AsiaSF, a SOMA restaurant/nightclub where the transgender waitstaff, (we call them “Gender Illusionists”) not only wait tables but take to a stage in the middle of the restaurant to perform every hour or so. I'm commonly referred to as "the Tranager", being in charge of all the transgender waitstaff/performers at the restaurant. I also do graphic design work on the side.

SFBG: What's the best part of your job?

JM: Free booze. A workout you get paid for. Getting over whatever body issues you might have. Smirking as you hand the cute bank teller your pile of bills to be deposited, knowing where they'd been a few hours earlier.

SFBG: What's the worst/most challenging part of your job?

JM: Overindulging in free booze. The fear of slipping off your sweat-soaked, elevated platform. Paper cuts in your nether-regions from overzealous tippers.

SFBG: What are the most common misconceptions about what you do?

JM: I think a lot of people assume us go-go boys are attention-starved whores who get off on parading around in our underwear. I'm just really poor and don't have a l lot of marketable skills to choose from.

SFBG: How'd you get started doing this?

JM: I think I was first approached by Juanita More to dance at a private function. From there, news of my ability to dance in my undies and not fall flat on my face spread, and other gigs followed.

SFBG: If someone else wanted to do what you do, what advice would you give them?

JM: Do people not laugh and point at you when you dance? Are your undies clean? Was your corporate accounting job that uninspiring? Then maybe you have a future in the exciting career of go-go dancing.

Photo by Misha Vladmirsky
SOLOMON
DJ
www.djsolomon.net
www.myspace.com/djsolomon

San Francisco Bay Guardian: What do you do and what are your primary duties?

DJ Solomon: I am a full time DJ. I have been the Resident DJ for the Golden State Warriors NBA team for the past 7 years. I have worked in almost every venue in San Francisco, and aside from San Francisco nightclubs, I work all over the West coast; I regularly play in San Diego, Las Vegas, Sacramento, and Phoenix, and recently played in Miami, New York, Chicago, Detroit, and even Macau China.

SFBG: Is this your primary form of income? If not, how else do you make money?

DS: This is my primary form of income.

SFBG: What's the best part of your job?
DS: I’m making people feel good through music. Music is probably the most universal language on the planet and I am able to bring joy and happiness to people through an artistic expression I love.

SFBG: What's the worst/most challenging part of your job?
DS: The most challenging part of my job is probably trying to keep myself inspired about what i do. I try to take my work very seriously (i.e. no drinking on the job), and spending countless hours in a bar/nightclub with drunk people can get very old. It is challenging to keep my job fresh and exciting, and I am constantly trying to take on new venues in new cities to provide an evolving atmosphere for what I am doing.
SFBG: What are the most common misconceptions about what you do?
DS: That I don’t do anything during the day, as if my schedule magically books itself and there’s no background work that goes into keeping a busy and successful DJ schedule. I am constantly on the phone and computer, planning and arranging gigs and coordinating with my agent. It’s kind of like having a day job and a night job all at once.
SFBG: How'd you get started doing this?
DS: I've been a musician from a very young age. I used to watch “YO MTV Raps" when I was 10-years-old and thought the DJ was the coolest gig ever. I even went so far as to DJ my 7th and 8th grade dances with a tape deck and CD player. I later got into the turntable side of DJing when I was about 16. When my older brother inherited a set of turntables, I spent every free moment at his house practicing and making mix tapes. Fast foward 14 years and here I am now!

SFBG: If someone else wanted to do what you do, what advice would you give them?
DS: Practice, practice, practice. With the advent of Serato Scratch Live and computer-based DJ setups, it has become very easy and cost-effective to become a DJ. I think people have sort of forgotten the whole "paying their dues" part of the craft. They just go out and buy a computer and a SSL setup and raid their friend's music library and think they can just start DJing for the public. Most of the people who I really respect in the DJ world spent many years practicing, carting crates of records around, and just putting time in before they could go rock a dancefloor and get paid for it. I am all for technology and the evolution of our craft -- in fact, I am one of the biggest proponents of technology that makes our job easier and more creative. But I really hope that people take the time to understand the history of the music and practice the techniques that make a good DJ sound the way they do.

NICOLE CRONIN
BAR MANAGER AND ENTERTAINMENT BOOKER AT MAS SAKE
www.massake.com

San Francisco Bay Guardian: What do you do and what are your primary duties?

Nicole Cronin: General Manager/Partner at Mas Sake Freestyle Sushi. Duties: accounting, payroll, hire/fire, product ordering, floor management, reservation management, promotions, book dj's 6 nights a week, etc.

SFBG: Is this your primary form of income? If not, how else do you make money?

NC: Yes, this is my only form of income. Besides the normal day-to-day errands and activities, I don't have time for much else.
SFBG: What's the best part of your job?
NC: The amount of fun I get to have while working. How many people get to dance while on the job? Plus, the staff I get to work with, we're like family. And how could I forget all that yummy free food?
SFBG: What's the worst/most challenging part of your job?
NC: I am not technologically savvy, but when electronics break, it's my job to fix them. I can't tell you how many countless hours I have spent fixing computers, FAX machines, telephone lines, modems, POS systems, etc.
SFBG: What are the most common misconceptions about what you do?
NC: That running a restaurant/bar is just a nighttime gig. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked, "So what do you do during the day?" Running a restaurant isn't just about showing up at 5:30 to open the doors. There's a lot of work necessary to make sure the nights are successful. I don't think people realize that running a restaurant is like being successful in any other business. You have to keep a close eye on P&L; there's a lot of strategy involved in hiring, scheduling and purchasing; and there's constant aesthetic improvements to be made. I manage 40 employees, which means a lot of time scheduling and training new staff. Also, ensuring a profitable and pleasant work environment is almost a job in itself. The majority of these tasks needs to be completed when guests aren't in the restaurant.
Also, in this city, with all the restaurant competition, going out and networking is just as important as anything else. Even if you advertise, there's hundreds of other venues doing the same thing. Sometimes you have to personally invite people to your location to grow your business.

SFBG: How'd you get started doing this?

NC: When searching for a career path after college, I kept coming back to my four passions: food, beverage, people, and entertainment. Sushi has been my favorite food since I tried my first California Roll at age 5. I treated myself to wine tasting classes in Florence, Italy as a college graduation present and fell in love with the art of wine. And I definitely consider myself a people person, with a deep passion for music and dancing.
I got my first restaurant management position at age 23, and this industry definitely ties all these passions together. The restaurant/bar industry is like a sales position- except you're selling an experience. I like to tell people I sell fun!

SFBG: If someone else wanted to do what you do, what advice would you give them?

NC: I would first ask them if they have prior restaurant or bar experience. I can't tell you how many people open restaurants or bars but have never worked in one themselves. I started off in the catering business when I was 15 years old. I was a busser, a hostess, server, and bartender. To truly be successful in this business, you definitely have to be willing to get your hands dirty. Then, I would tell them to find a partner or a great assistant; running a restaurant is not a one-person job. This is really hard to do in this industry. You need someone who you respect and trust, and who is going to work just as hard as you.

Photo by Pixie Vision Productions
ANDIE GRACE
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER AND REGIONAL CONTACT COORDINATOR FOR BURNING MAN
www.burningman.com

San Francisco Bay Guardian: What do you do and what are your primary duties?

Andie Grace: I'm the Communications Manager and Regional Network Manager for Burning Man. To sum it up, my work is in how Burning Man talks -- to its own participants, the media, its staff, and the outside world. I help to manage the volunteer team that runs our media operation at the event, and I respond to the press year round, as well. I also write the Burning Man email newsletter (The Jack Rabbit Speaks, circulation 45K or so), help manage content on our website and in our printed publications, and participate heavily in the vast diaspora of the Burner community's online presence. I also help with the efforts to legally protect the Burning Man Project's intellectual property from exploitation. Anything related to how we communicate, I probably have my fingers in somewhere. The Regional Network is a year-round effort among Burners to stay connected and bring Burning Man home with them, and I help to head up our support of those efforts as well.

SFBG: Is this your primary form of income? If not, how else do you make money?

AG: This is my one and only, full-time (and then some) job. Once upon a time, I moonlighted as the bartender at the Odeon on Karaoke Nights for pin money, but alas, the Odeon is no more. Ditto my bartending days. (Pats pregnant belly.) Last year I sneaked off and worked production on a movie crew for a month, but for the most part, this job is my entire life.

SFBG: What's the best part of your job?

AG: The best part of my job is definitely getting up every day knowing I'm doing something that I -- and thousands upon thousands of other people -- care very passionately about, something that changes a lot of lives and inspires creativity and involvement with the world around us. We spend way too much of our lives at work to do something that we hate, but I know some people have to do that, so I feel enormously grateful for a role with something passionate and real and creative.

Oh, and I get to wear whatever the hell I want to work, and be myself, and not play "rat race", which is also well-suited to my personality. I occasionally think it's exceedingly funny to wear a suit to the Burning Man office, full of colorful coworkers in tutus and tattoos and Crayola hair. It's a very fun world to go to every day and I love the people I get to work with. We're a part of this great San Francisco world of creatives who are too busy doing incredible stuff to sit around watching TV. It inspires me.

SFBG: What's the worst/most challenging part of your job?

AG: The most challenging thing in my job is also that I do something that thousands upon thousands of people care very passionately about, and it takes up all of my time and energy. Burners essentially have forty thousand -- or more -- very different ideas about how Burning Man should be managed and directed, including some who think it could flourish just fine without any management at all, thankyouverymuch. (They can think that if they'd like; since Burning Man is really about what our participants contribute, that belief is actually a sign I'm doing my job right, and it's OK if they don't know how much work it really takes just to keep it alive each year.) There's room for all of those opinions in Black Rock City, I think, but it doesn't make it any easier when someone calls me names or berates me for an unsatisfying answer to their specific complaint about the city. We hear from every angry Burner who imputes an evil motive every time we change anything from what their personal picture of Burning Man looks like, because to them the event has such deeply personal meaning. I take no small degree of heat, personally, over the decisions of an entire consensus-based organization. It's a little like being a politician, only for a city that is spread out all over the world, and which only actually manifests physically for one week of the year.

Also, it's tough that there is so much to do and care about in this that I could work all day and all night all year every year and still not do everything. During the busy season the pressure is absolutely enormous, but even in December, I'm hopping and fully engaged. I like being busy, but it would really be nice to leave at 6 PM some night and feel like I had accomplished everything I wanted to get done that day and "caught up" -- that day just hasn't come in all my 7 years.

SFBG: What are the most common misconceptions about what you do?

AG: From Burners, I often get the sense that they think since I'm a public figure, I'm some kind of stuck up, outgoing rock star party girl (I'm actually more of the "aw-shucks Midwestern" variety of rock star, really, and I'm not that into parties), or that I'm somehow different from them and I can't possibly really "get" what Burning Man is about because it's also my job.

Misconceptions I get from everyone else are mostly based on common misconceptions about our event. There are always two responses to my answer to, "What do you do?": either they just refuse to believe it's really how I make my living and can't get their heads around it, or they give me that derisive look that tells me they have no idea what Burning
Man really is, and have written me off as some dusty desert hippie freak. (Which I am, mind you, but I'm an educated, savvy, worldbeating-junior-executive dusty desert hippie freak, damn it.)

SFBG: How'd you get started doing this?

AG: I got started here by volunteering my ass off and showing brains and initiative until my boss took notice and decided to make me a job offer. Basically, I just grappled my way to the middle of a thing and wouldn't let go. I was in the middle of a returning-student year at San Francisco State University in 2000 when that happened, and before it I had had more than 30 other jobs, if you can believe it. It turns out that being a dabbler and a dilettante was perfect training for this role, really. I use every arrow in that quiver for what I do now.

SFBG: If someone else wanted to do what you do, what advice would you give them?

AG: If someone else wanted to do something like my job, I'd tell them to pick a cause -- something they really love and would do for free anyway -- and start throwing themselves at it. Sure, I was in the right place at the right time, but I found my way there by following my heart to something that moved me. Beyond that, I'd advise them to learn to write clearly and effectively, and learn how to talk to people from all walks of life. Writing is the single most important business skill I have in helping to guide a worldwide community that perpetuates itself on the Internet all year.

Photo by Neil Motteram
LISA HIX
MANAGING EDITOR OF FLAVORPILL SAN FRANCISCO
sf.flavorpill.net

San Francisco Bay Guardian: What do you do and what are your primary duties?

Lisa Hix: I’m basically the curator, and I manage the writers. I compile ideas for which events to cover – we have a way to figure out which are people’s favorites by what they click on the most, which tend to be festivals, flash mobs, and crazy events -- and then I get to make the final decision on what’s written up. I also write up whatever events are left over after contributors and volunteers are finished.

SFBG: Is this your primary form of income? If not, how else do you make money?

LH: It’s now my primary form of income. I still do Worldvibe for theChronicle, which pays the rent. And I used to write a series for ElleGirl, before it folded. I still do freelance magazine writing, as I’d like to be a magazine writer.

SFBG: What's the best part of your job?

LH: Free passes to events are a perk. I also get to listen to Myspace and learn a lot about whole new musical genres. And though we do most of our work virtually, we have parties so we can see each other face-to-face.

SFBG: What's the worst/most challenging part of your job?

LH: It’s overwhelming to keep track of everything going on. I get about 200 press release emails a week. And we have to have at least one event on Monday, and can’t have more than 7 or 8 on Friday. I feel sad I have to cut so much good stuff, and especially so much good music – but we want to feature different kinds of events.

Also, my computer is in my room, so my work always is right there. I’ve become neurotic about my room being clean.

SFBG: What are the most common misconceptions about what you do?

LH: You’d think working from home would be amazing and great, but you end up rolling out of bed and wearing your pajamas all day, and then you don’t leave the house because you look like a homeless person. Also, people assume I go out all the time, but I actually go out less than before I got this job.

SFBG: How'd you get started doing this?

LH: I studied journalism at University of Oklahoma, where I also worked on the school paper, and got a B.A. in News Communication. I’ve also been a copy editor for daily newspapers. But news journalism felt too much like ambulance chasing. I wasn’t comfortable around crises and chaos. News stories also can be formulaic. I was more interested in human-interest stories, more in-depth stories. I also wanted to leave the Midwest. I did a column for the Chronicle called Clubland for awhile, but I stopped doing it because going out started being a job.

SFBG: If someone else wanted to do what you do, what advice would you give them?

LH: Jobs like mine are hard to come by. But journalism school can’t hurt, especially if you want to work for the big names. For Flavorpill, it’s volunteering to write. There aren’t a lot of jobs here, but if you show you’re good, we’ll consider you when one comes up.

SYD GRIS
DJ, PARTY PROMOTER, EVENT PLANNER
www.opelproductions.com
www.opulenttemple.org
www2.sflovefest.org

San Francisco Bay Guardian: What do you do and what are your primary duties?

Syd Gris: Promoting, event planning, and DJing for Opulent Temple and Opel Productions. I’m also on the Board of Directors for LoveFest.

Opulet Temple is a Burning Man camp. Opel is a production company. I lead both charges. But while Opulent Temple parties are fundraisers for Burning Man, Opel parties are fundraisers for my credit card debt. At LoveFest, I’m in charge of promotions, marketing, floats, and entertainment.

With Opel Productions, I throw parties that cater to general SF club scene, but also to the underground burner scene – and all with an aspiring social activist, conscious twist. They’re meant to be more than just a party. I’m using the vehicle of entertainment as a platform for raising consciousness. I like to harness that energy to do good in the community. Everything I do is related to that mission. There’s a whole section of my website dedicated to my corner of the soap box: stuff meant to enlighten, inspire, enrage. I also write a weekly email that, more often than not, has a personal component. At the very least, I want people to know they’re not alone in recognizing shit is fucked up. Most entertainment seeks to remove you from the world, but that’s not what I’m interested in. It’s obviously a fine line, and some people don’t agree. And I have no illusions I’m starting a social justice movement. I’m just a voice in the sphere of partyland and entertainment. But we’re very unique in the underground scene in that we’ve tried to do things to be that voice. Sometimes we stop the party at midnight to give a talk or speech or do a ceremony or something. We once had Julia Butterfly speak. At our anniversary party, we played a clip from V for Vendetta with a voice over. It’s my thing, my personalized stamp on fun. And I genuinely needed the money. I’m sure I’ll phase it out eventually…of course, I could be 90 when that happens.

As for DJing: Especially in 2007, there’s been a big increase in my DJ thing outside of Opel parties – my stock has risen, and that’s really fun. Sharing music and being able to do it in way more worlds than anyone in the city. I’ve opened from a Dutch trans DJ at Ruby Skye and then played breaks at Mighty. Most DJs have a tighter range. I opened for Stanton Warriors, Cosmic Gate, and Moby.

SFBG: Is this your primary form of income? If not, how else do you make money?

SG: I get paid for one out of three things I do. And when an Opel party makes money, I make money. But my other life is in mental health. I’m about to start a 20-hour-a-week part-time job with the City of San Francisco. If I had a full time day job, though, I’d be fucked.

SFBG: What's the best part of your job?

SG: In general, creating joy. And with LoveFest: It’s a free parade down the heart of San Francisco with the vibe a dance party creates, and whose message is love. It’s a great day to showcase the city, its music, and its talent. And I hope it’s a way to elevate dance music in the American mainstream. It’s also the only one of its kind in the United States. It could be an annual destination on part with Coachella or Burning Man. I have a missionary zeal for the need for dance music vibe to permeate the mainstream. MTV ignores it. Every scene comes with its vibe, and I think this vibe is something America needs more of. That’s my driving passion for LoveFest – it’s bigger scale, and has such awesome potential.

SFBG: What's the worst/most challenging part of your job?

SG: Working really hard on a party and losing money and losing time. If I were rich, it’d be no problem. It’d be worth it.

SFBG: What are the most common misconceptions about what you do?
People assume party promoting and DJing is all I do. Even if this all paid a lot of money, it still wouldn’t be enough.

Also, people misconceive how hard a good promoter works to put on a good show. They think, “How cool! You make a flyer, send an email, come to the party, and people buy you drinks.” But it’s a big energy draw, especially flyering, where you either pay someone else to do it – but your flyers may end up in a dumpster – or you do it yourself and it’s really fucking hard.

SFBG: How'd you get started doing this?

My first event was for a group home. I’ve also done events for the 9/11 Children’s Fund, Greenpeace, and other similar organizations.

SFBG: If someone else wanted to do what you do, what advice would you give them?

You’d better really love it, and better be prepared to work hard.