Quick Links: Entrepreneurial History | About Christopher Clai

I’ve had an interesting, and short professional career history compared to my history as an entrepreneur, however in the few short years I have been in the workforce, I’ve made significant impact. I work to take pride and interest in any job I partake in and always drive to make things better.

Databanq, Inc.

Orlando, FL
February 2008 – December 2009

Position: Senior Internet Marketing Associate, Mortgage Site Manager, and IP Rights Enforcement
Reason for Leaving: Laid off from lack of investment

Description of Company
Databanq is a start-up search engine optimization firm, that focused on financial services and directories.

The company began suffering several setbacks in November 2009 resulting in a difficult investment environment, requiring executive management to reduce their staff and pay.

Description of Employment
During my tenure at Databanq, I had a collection of responsibilities, as one would expect from working with a start-up.

I started as an internet marketing associate, working to help manage a network of 20 websites in regards to search engine rankings, content marketing, and lead generation.

For several months, I managed the IT operations of the company, focused on bringing the company up to PCI compliancy standards, reducing costs and improving productivity. Soon after, it was outsourced to my company, Contiga Networks Systems.

After we noticed widespread piracy of our content, I was tasked with the responsibility of working with Executive Management in developing a game plan for bringing our Intellectual Property back under control, and then executing the plan and coordinating between different departments to maximize effectiveness of the IP campaigns.

Then for the last 6 months of my employment, I was responsible for managing the mortgage properties of the company. Both major properties I was managing in the mortgage segment of the company maintained and improved rankings for highly competitive search terms in addition to hundreds of mid and long tail terms that produced a high rate of leads.

Here is some quick points of my responsibilities at Databanq:

• Managed IT operations
• Content Writer (Mortgage and Financial News)
• Brought company to PCI compliancy requirements
• Managed mortgage properties
  responsible for maintaining and improving rankings in search engines, developing content, managing design and functionality, coordinate with different departments to maximize effectiveness.
• Co-Developed a proprietary Site Production system via PHP known as SIB, marketed nationwide.
• Developed a Rank Management system via PHP
• Designed and Developed a Marketing Management system via PHP
• Direct recommendations to Management on an assortment of situations
  IT products, audio / visual products, programming, usability, marketing.
• Video Podcast Production

Circuit City Stores, Inc.

Orlando, FL
October 2007 – April 2008

Position: DSLR Specialist and Customer Service Assistant
Reason for Leaving: Position at new company was conflicting with my schedule.

Description of Employment
I started at Circuit City as a general sales associate in the technology department. Similar to Target, I was quickly moved from department to department, learning new tasks to benefit the customers who entered our store, and to help with the overall store.

I worked with store management to improve the marketing positions of our products after I noticed the positions suggested by corporate were ineffective for our store.

When the store began hitting record levels of theft, I provided a one page of recommendations to management on how to reduce store theft. Their implementation of the strategies reduced theft considerably, and brought out a more serious internal theft situation that was not priorly found.

Management soon directed me as the store’s DSLR (Digital SLR) Specialist, the only one in the District at the time. I was responsible for selling the more complicated digital camera’s. I exceeded all sales goals set.

Here are a handful of other responsibilities that I had while at Circuit City:

• Worked with Customer Service to validate returns, and reduce losses
• Providing sales support in all departments
• Training new team members
• Developed a sales method for DSLR’s that was later replicated company wide
• Provided marketing recommendations for general store planograms and special sales
• Helped store management with tricky Human Resources issues

Target Corporation

Altamonte Springs, FL
October 2005 – March 2008

Position: Senior Planogram Team Member
Reason for Leaving: Position at new company was conflicting with my schedule.

Description of Employment
Target was my first entrance into the Retail industry, and was by far one of the most enjoyable. I started in Target as an overnight flow team member in October of 2005.

I quickly trained myself on as many aspects of the store’s operation as possible, since Target was consistently having shortfalls in our store for skilled team members.

During my tenure, there was a significant human relations issue between overnight management and the team, which I later found to be a store-wide issue. There was also a trust breakdown between Human Relations and the rest of the staff.  I worked with HR to rebuild the trust, pinpoint concerns and situations, and built a coalition of employees to humanize the concern to District to empower my store’s HR with the necessary tools to come to a rapid resolution.

I was also asked to leverage my knowledge in networking and distribution to provide the store with useful recommendations to improve productivity.  I presented Target with thorough recommendations on everything from internal store security, to planograms, stocking management, and technology efficiency. The result was more effective operations for my store, increase in productivity, and improved customer service relations.

I was considered one of the most trained team members on the store’s team, able to work any shift, in any department, with little direction. I would own my tasks and provide results well beyond expectations. Here are some of the responsibilities I had at Target:

• Stocking of products
• Planogram execution
  breaking down, rebuilding, cleaning, and restocking entire area’s. Customizing for the store’s particular marketing needs.
• Store marketing execution
• Human Resources relations
• Stock room management (Electronics – High Risk Area)
• Leaded the stock room reorganization
• Team trainer for all departments
• Backup team leader (supervisor)
  provided direction to a team either on the sales floor, in the backroom, or on a specialized team.
• Reported directly to District on critical issues

D20 Events / Kunicon, LLC / Prestige Travel

Miami, FL
June 2004 – January 2005

Position: IT Manager, Main Stage Operations Manager, Entertainer Relations, General Advisor to the Board.
Reason for Leaving: Laid off; Lack of funding, poor management.

Description of Company
D20 was a start-up based in the Kendall district of Miami. It was an events company started by Prestige Travel, best known for “Sandals.com” and similar travel operations. The company was planning a large group of Japanese Animation conventions known as “OtakuCon”, and later renamed “KuniCon” due to legal threats from another convention. D20 began to collapse after the first event in Miami and the owners refused to pay all the employees for their work and overtime.

Description of Employment
I was brought on originally in D20 as a PHP web programmer by the initial recruiter. After meeting with management, I was quickly moved to several different responsibilities based on my experience.

I was responsible for managing the IT operations of the event company, including recommending security / access products and AV equipment.  Here are some other major points of my tenure at D20:

• Managed relations with bands in Japan
• Managed website operations
  programmed website via PHP technology, managed search engine marketing and rankings, coordinated layouts and campaigns with design department, maintained servers.
• Programmed registration and customer management systems via PHP
• Directly influenced and purchased high-grade audio and visual systems for events
  100,000+ watt system, including intelligent lighting and trussing, and maintained sound levels within safe ranges while maintaining the illusion it is much louder than it seems by creative architecture of the system.
• Suggested and Purchased complex lighting and automation system (30 lights)
• Managed main stage team and schedule
• Assisted Manager with Public Relations and Press Releases
• Provided direct suggestions for marketing materials and campaigns.