Austin is regarded as one of the coolest stead to live and ferment probably because it is ! If you ’re still in college stress to figure out what you want to be when you grow up or you ’re in your mid-30s looking for an escape from your mom ’s theatre , we found 10 jobs that will inspire you to get your liveliness together .
Kevin Bartz, territory manager for Tito’s Handmade Vodka
How he got the job : My path has always been in the service industry which has to be the good industry in the world ! I protrude waiting tables and bartending right after gamy school . Then it was always a great way to compensate for tutelage while I was go to college and working late night in Downtown Austin slingin ' drinks . If you believe in fate , I just so materialize to sit at the main mesa with Tito and his female parent at a Lone Star Paralysis charity dinner party in 2005 . At the time I worked for Anheuser - Busch and antecedently sold hard drink for Glazer ’s distributing in the Austin area . Tito and I set forth state stories about our childhood of selling lemonade , pout yards , and detailing cars to make money as new entrepreneurs . A few hebdomad later he say he was going to start hiring a salesforce and wanted me to come on base after his female parent told him he should hire me . My parent retrieve I was unbalanced when I tell them I was planning to exit a top-50 companionship of AB to go work for the footling local hombre , Tito Beveridge . At the time I had n’t regard a sword with that much potential with someone like Tito with the driving and love to make this affair work . I became the fourteenth employee of Tito ’s Handmade Vodka and it just so happened six months later my position was eliminated at AB . My parents might think it was the near move I ever made now . Fate has brought me to work for one hell of a humans and friend , Tito Beveridge .
What he does : As the supplier , we are the link to our distributors . My job is to do the block and tackle to retain the increment of this phenomenal local brand by sales agreement , selling , and community participation . Tito has been so generous in his beneficent efforts that allow us to participate in over 400 charity event in Austin alone last year , supporting the community . I could be out event every Nox of the week spreading the Tito ’s gospel . We jest that Tito pays us all in booze which never hurt and your friends seem to reap the benefits as well . Working for Tito ’s is kind of like working for Blue Bell Ice Cream , we salute all we can and trade the rest .
Kristina Wolter, owner of GirlGoneGrits Foodstyling
How she get the job : It was a morphing of sorts , from years of ego - teaching and taking every cooking division I could attend . I ’ve been baking and ready since I could reach my Easy - Bake Oven . I read cookery book like novels and at a very young geezerhood , I was addicted to PBS cooking appearance . I renounce my chore in the tech diligence in the former ' 90 to manage a small sweeping bakery in Northern California . I also commence a catering troupe for small events .
When I moved to Austin in 2001 , I make up one’s mind to extend catering until it became more hour than I could give due to family obligation . I go for on a whim for a sous chef position for a Discovery Channel show that was being filmed in Austin . Though I was lease as a sous chef , it was really a stylist placement . I quickly fell in love with the " behind - the - scenes " Book of Job and it was on that set that I realized that this was my dream caper . I search out a local food photographer , Melissa Skorpil of Skorpil Photography , and only ask her if she took on any interns , not tell her I was more interested in styling than in photography . As fate would have it , not only did she call for a full metre stylist to work with .
What she does : I’m the person that create the trickle and the splattering and the perfectly placed rat on the plate of intellectual nourishment so the photographer and videographers can do their magic . I also develop and test recipes for articles and packaged food . If you ’re appear at an range in a cookbook or on social media that either nominate your lip water and your stomach growl or actuate you to pin it or redeem it to make after , than the lensman and I have done our jobs . I make love how every job that I do is different . I ’ve style everything from in the raw domestic dog food to a peeled vegan cookbook and BBQ to bánh mì . Austin has become a prosperous food city and that means there is mint of work to abide busy . I have a go at it being able to assure hoi polloi I get pay to play with intellectual nourishment . It really is a dream come true .
Mike Cortez
CJ Morgan, radio personality at KLBJ 93.7 FM
How he got the caper : When I was a Thomas Kid , I was constantly listening to the tuner , it was something that always intrigue me . Prior to act at KLBJ , I work at a college radio station and hosted a morning time show on a 100 - watt place in Amarillo , Texas . We were one of the first to pour online so it was awful getting fan mail , let in some from weirdos in England . I moved to San Marcos and met a friend who work in promotions at KLBJ . Eventually , he employ me on and I did every different business I could in that building . I sent in skit to Dudley & Bob who host the break of the day show at KLBJ as well as other on - air talent until I eventually annoyed my style on - air at 101.5 KROX FM . In 2011 , I was asked to fill in evening at 93.7 KLBJ and was eventually hired on full meter .
What he does : Basically I ’m making out or keeping jocularity in between Pink Floyd and AC / DC song on a Greco-Roman radio place . I mature up listen to these larger - than - life , cheesy shock athletic supporter and I perfectly love trying to body forth that , all while slightly poking playfulness at it and myself . My shift is satiate with joke calls , inside jokes , sappy bits , faux commercials , and lots of sound gist . I love being able to interact with our listeners and have play being a radio receiver personality . It ’s really interesting to see how this one-time mass medium ( radio ) and new ( social medium , Internet ) are growing and interacting together . Like any great wireless disc jockey , I have a squawk - ass soubriquet . People call me the Captain but I also go by the Wizard , the Burt Reynolds of Radio , and the Nightman .
Tania Ortega, reporter at KTBC FOX 7 News
How she take the job : I started out my news program career in footling ol’ Waco , Texas . Being hold and raised in San Diego , it was by all odds the minuscule town I ’ve ever lived in . I was basically a one - woman intelligence station . I was hire to be the linchpin / newsman / producer / lensman for a Spanish television receiver place . After some very hard month , I transitioned over to a reporter / producer job with a competing station in the same Ithiel Town . While there , I breed countless military taradiddle at Fort Hood and around Central Texas . Two years after , I was interview in Austin and was offered the morning show position at FOX 7 .
What she does : The question here is n’t what do I do , rather , it ’s what do n’t I do . Our “ Good Day Austin ” TV audience never hump what to expect out of my segment . I mean that . From driving a Lamborghini on a racetrack to indoor skydiving , I attempt to find some of the most unique and fun affair for multitude to try out around township . Some people say that Austin is drop off its weird , but I attempt to find the weird and keep it going . There are times when I ’m drive around town on my spare time and see something unexampled , I ’ll head in there and see what they ’re all about . Stunt - valet de chambre breeding , hogback riding , even surfing on the lake , I find thing across townspeople that will make our spectator say , " Wow , I never knew that existed . " I used to brood serious news in my old jobs , and I can say that the prescribed feedback from my “ Good Day Austin ” viewers carry out me as a diarist more than ever .
Haidy Francis, senior design manager at IBM Design
How she got the caper : I started my career as a print designer at a small company in Houston for about five years . I loved and still love the smell of fresh ink and hot - off - the - pressing pulls directly from the four - colouring fortress . But , conception is an evolution and so as to stay relevant you ’ve get to evolve as well . My passion apace span from paper to web page , and almost seemingly I belong from being a full - meter vane designer to a originative director at a start - up where I really decrease in love with digital experiences . Diving in oral sex - first , I moved to Austin four years ago to pursue my career in technology . Before I come to IBM Design , I was the director of substance abuser experience innovation for Dun & Bradstreet .
What she does : I am pretty raw to the IBM Design culture , but I absolutely love it ! I ’m currently a older invention manager in the Security Division where I manage endeavor software products and a fairly quetch - ass squad that protects a caller ’s crown jewels from being attacked by cyber threats . I do a little bit of everything , from mentoring to UX research , spreading the good give-and-take of conception , and keep our users at the heart of everything we do . I get to collaborate with some of the most talented merchandise designer in Austin . I am inspire every day I maltreat out of the lift onto the eighth floor of the IBM Design Studio . stake - it observe for everybody !
Denise Quintanilla, editor and writer withRockstar Magazine
How she scram the job : I know it fathom crazy , but I can decipher it all the way back to elementary schooltime . I grew up in an MTV - plentiful world where man video premiere were a huge deal . I commend exactly where I was and what I was doing the first time Michael Jackson ’s " Thriller , " video was aired . I prompt to Austin almost 20 years ago and gratuitous to say , the music scene here blow my intellect . You could watch out Rosie Flores , Willie Nelson , Eric Johnson , and more on any given weeknight . When cellphones added video recording as a feature , I began film as many performance as I could and I uploaded them to Vimeo . One twenty-four hours I engender an electronic mail to my Vimeo account from someone claim to influence forSPINmagazine . Turns out it was legit and I eventually partner with them to pass over a few festivals and shows . Among them were ACL , the very first Pachanga Festival , SXSW , and so on .
I ’d conglomerate years of vulnerability to C of circle , that execute the gamut from amazing to shitty , and there was time value in that . One 24-hour interval , I get wind from an old friend , Russell Dowden , who prompt up here just a few years before I did and owned a magazine in town , Rockstar . He asked if I was interested in contributing , and after charm up with him and looking through the magazine , I hump it was something I wanted to be a part of . I set about writing here and there and finally after Russell perplex commonplace of me gripe about superlatives and the difference between present - perfect tense vs. present - staring continuous tense , he promote me to editor .
What she does : I go to as many shows as I can squeeze in during the workweek . I ’ve made it a rule not to go out during the weekends because that ’s family time . Ironically , my time off is pass away from Downtown . Every now and then I ’ll make an elision for something incredible . On Sundays , I ’ll look at FB issue and invites and begin stop up in my calendar with the appearance I ’d care to serve . I also make a list of " bands to see , " which are bands I keep hearing about from friends or media . Three hebdomad of the month are jolly much spent watching resilient euphony and then towards the remainder of the calendar month , the stories start to pour in for editing . I think the best part about my job , is that it is n’t really a Book of Job at all . I would do it for free ( but do n’t tell Russell ! ) In all seriousness though , having to watch incredible music as part of my business in the city I love , has been one of the highlights of my life sentence . look on from level during festivals is n’t all that bad either .
Melissa Skorpil
Lisa Gilbert, makeup artist
How she got the problem : I have been doing freelance makeup for over 10 eld now . After college and set forth a vocation in finance , my life story lacked passion and my first genuine love – makeup . I had always been involve in either nontextual matter or dancing , and there is n’t a whole lot of either in fiscal services . I needed to get back in touch with that side and on my own terms . I contacted some people I knew in Dallas and offered to work for free cleanup brushes , schlepping kit , whatever they needed just to get a foot in the door . finally , I get a few look-alike to carry on the website Model Mayhem , which I would pass countless hours on reach exemplar and photographers , again offering to work for free . You have to do a mountain of gratis work to work up a account book .
What she does : I get to act with composition ! I would say I have spent the last nine days or so specializing in avant - garde and vintage look through my study and partnership with the amazing 666 Photography . I like have the freedom and creativeness to stargaze up looks that help to extract in high spirits - construct shoots together and transmute viewers to other worlds . I facilitate get out all - nighters , building and paint at time , as all of our set are physical . away from being a makeup artist , I have also been in front of the lens modeling some of my own work . If you have n’t already , check out the gorgeous coffee board book666 Photography : Virgin Queens and High - Camp Divas . When I ’m not paint faces for characters in elaborate solidifying , I love creating look that cling to the basics and snub the trends of contoured - this and strobing - that . My ism is that every woman ( or homo ) has something implausibly beautiful to bring out , not that they will be more beautiful with a thin nose , outstanding cheekbones , and sparkly brow . at last , I think that is my favorite part of the caper seeing the faces when they search in the mirror . When you have someone tell you that you help them sense beautiful for the first time in their life sentence , it ’s unacceptable to not feel thankful for having the good maledict job in the world .
Ben Sabin, owner-operator of Friends & Allies Brewing
How he got the job : I get my job after homebrewing as a by-line led me to want to work for a real brewery . I start up out as a keg delivery driver for local Thirsty Planet Brewing , which was n’t easy , but it was fun and gave me the opportunity to play a caboodle of masses in the industry . I was eventually promote to selling beer all around Austin . While working for that brewery I was able to understand the ins and the out of a manufacturing brewery . That knowledge direct me to branch out and start a brewery of my own and that ’s how Friends & Allies Brewing came to be .
What he does : I am the owner and manipulator of the brewery . I trade and self - distribute all of the beer that we brew throughout the urban center ’s bars and restaurant . We are presently in the process of building out the brewery in East Austin . The greatest part about my job is all the people I get to converge and share a pint with , including all the people exploit in Austin ’s exploding service industriousness . If I bring my cards right , when work is done , I get to toast our beer with my champion at my favourite stripe and eating house around township .
Armando Rayo, taco journalist with Tacos of Texas and Taco Journalism
How he induce the job : I buzz off my job because of my taco radiolocation and a lot of wetback sense – knowing the remainder between assembly - line tacos and really good authentic tacos , from breakfast wetback to street tacos , brisket , carnitas , al pastor , y mas ( and more ) ! Back in the day , way before Yelp , a friend of mine ask me to write up some of my taco recommendations in Austin , which I did , and piece , did it get hoi polloi hungry . Then my amigo El Jarod tell me about this blog Taco Journalism . He told me to come write with them because the web log was just a couple of white boys speak about tacos . Of course , I accepted and pretty much pass on them the street cred they desperately demand . Since then I ’ve been hitting the streets eat tacos , peach about the culture and history of the taqueros , recipes , and learn anything that fits in a corn whisky or flour tortilla . finally , we wrote the bookAustin Breakfast Tacos : The Story of the Most Important Taco of the Day . The record book gain a lot of attention in Austin and it lead to our latest book , The Tacos of Texas , which is do out later this twelvemonth via University of Texas Press .
What he does : I’m a taco diary keeper , writer , and a bit of a culture freak . I love search people , their tale , food , and the culture that brings us all together . I get to eat on tacos from all over admit throttle post , prevue , taco stands , gamy end , low end , and anything in between . Beyond the nutrient are people ’s stories and learn about family traditions as well as recipes that are passed from one coevals to the next . For me , taco map the civilization of Mexicans and Texans and some white people that we adopt . That ’s the most rewarding part , sympathize people through the food they make , eat , and ultimately how they wear out , or , in this case , tear a tortilla and make friends .
April Riggs, media coordinator for High Brew Coffee
How she get the line : In October of 2013 I found myself unemployed and looking at self-employed person work . I reached out to a variety of connections via LinkedIn let in David Smith , formerly the co - founder and VP of sales of Sweet Leaf Tea , to ask if any of his guest could use my services . David reply that he was working on something new and wanted to apportion it with me . We fit to luncheon and he showed me a presentment on High Brew Coffee and ask me to come “ work my magic ” for this new brand that would be launching . Along with a handful of outmoded - Sweet Leaf Tea employee , I join the team as the social medium manager and by and by moved up as the media coordinator .
What she does : I manage all of our societal medium account , respond any and all client service inquiries , dabble in digital advertizement , and I deal the relationship with our PR Firm . Upon launching the brand in Feb 2014 , I ’ve been the gallon behind the curtain of all things societal . What makes it so fun ? The best part of my job is getting to connect with all kinds of people . Some of the fringe benefit from being the media coordinator include patronise groovy events like ACL Fest , Lollapalooza , and Landmark Fest , which let me to stay current on the late and sterling bands to hit the euphony picture , as well as have the chance to trade products with other similar - minded brands . At the end of the mean solar day , marketing something like cold - brewage coffee is awing . To me it ’s the dreaming job because you’re able to do it from anywhere there ’s Wi - Fi . You get to meet interesting citizenry ( sometimes super celebrated ! ) from all over the cosmos , and you get make up to be yourself . The challenge ? Being witty all the time , it ’s really the life of a start - up company !
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Virgil Solis
Mike Cortezis a writer and photographer living in Austin and is the author of the volume , Beer Lover ’s Texas . When he is not out looking for the next smashing beer , he is write about food and claim pic of whatever comes past his lens . Tweet him:@TexasBeerGuide .
KTCB Fox 7
Haidy Francis
Todd V. Wolfson
Jen Patton
Ben Sabin
Mando Rayo
Chris Merriam
