1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:05,399 Speaker 1: Wind Down with Janet Kramer and I'm Heeart Radio podcast. 2 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 2: I want to introduce you to On the Job and 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 2: host Avery Thompson. Avery shares stories of people making changes 4 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 2: in their professional and personal lives. Whether it's a successful 5 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:18,119 Speaker 2: athlete transitioning into a new career off the field, a 6 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 2: fly fishing tour guide trying to introduce a new segment 7 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:23,279 Speaker 2: of folks to the joys of the outdoors, or a 8 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 2: stadium beer and hot dog hawker who doubles as a 9 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,159 Speaker 2: CEO of a red hot startup. We'll find out what 10 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 2: drives them and what lies ahead. These are heartfelt stories 11 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 2: of people finding their lives. Work on the Job is 12 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 2: brought to you by Express Employment Professionals. This week, Avery 13 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 2: talks to a hot dog hawker who helped pave the 14 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 2: way to launching a startup. 15 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 3: Welcome to on the Job. We're going up to the 16 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 3: Windy City to speak with Jonah Fialka, who somehow manages 17 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 3: to be both the CEO of a startup and a 18 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 3: successful and increasingly famous hawker of food and drinks at 19 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 3: Wrigley Field each game day, a few hours before the 20 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 3: Chicago Cubs trot onto the baseball diamond, Jonah Fialgo starts 21 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 3: getting ready for work because it's on his way there 22 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 3: exposed to the elements that Jonah decides what he's going 23 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:15,039 Speaker 3: to sell that day. 24 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 4: Yeah, exactly. It's like while I'm walking over, and then 25 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 4: once I get into the room and see how many 26 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 4: vendors are there that day, and then when I get 27 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 4: to the table and see how many other vendors have 28 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 4: signed up for the same product in that section. But 29 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 4: it generally will happen on my walkover, and I do 30 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 4: live in Rigneyville, so it's like a ten minute walkton 31 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 4: stadium and then it's off into the stadium to get 32 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:35,839 Speaker 4: selling right after the pick. 33 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,279 Speaker 3: Jonah is a food and beverage vendor at Wrigley Field, 34 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 3: one of those guys that goes up and down the aisles, 35 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 3: or as he describes a job. 36 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 4: I think the official term is hawker seat vendor is 37 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 4: another way to describe it. But generally, I say, I 38 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 4: carry beer and hot dogs around the stadium and yell 39 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 4: very loudly and make a fool out of myself at 40 00:01:58,760 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 4: Cups games. 41 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 3: And since I know you're curious to hear what that 42 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 3: sounds like, let's just get it out of the way. Actually, 43 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 3: hang on, let me find some free baseball sounds to 44 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 3: set the stage. Okay, here we go. 45 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 4: But for hot dogs, it's something along the lines of 46 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 4: eat dogs, Eat dogs. For beer, it'll be something like, Hey, 47 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 4: beer man, buy but light who's ready beer? Hey, I 48 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 4: skolled beer man. 49 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 3: If you can't already hear the passion and dedication Jonah 50 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 3: has for hawking in his voice. You could also take 51 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 3: a look at his social media presence because he's become 52 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 3: quite popular on numerous platforms for giving people an inside 53 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 3: look into the world of professional hot dog banding. 54 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 4: Yeah, I've been making videos about my job at Wrigley 55 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,399 Speaker 4: for just over a year now. I came into last 56 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 4: season with the idea of highlighting some of my fellow 57 00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 4: vendors and kind of providing a day in the life 58 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,239 Speaker 4: of what a vendor does and a job that I'm 59 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 4: so passionate about. It's been really fun to share that 60 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 4: on social media, and people have been really receptive of it. 61 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 4: It's a unique job and everyone knows what a vendor is, 62 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 4: but it's been fun to provide a behind the scenes 63 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 4: look and there's just so much history behind it and 64 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 4: creating content around my job and around the Cubs and 65 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 4: Wriggleyfield has been that it made last season the most 66 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 4: fun year vending, and I'm looking forward to what twenty 67 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 4: twenty four has in store from a content perspective as well. 68 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 3: Belong with being a veteran hot dog vendor at Wrigley 69 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 3: Field for the past decade, Jonah Fialco has for the 70 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 3: last two years added ceo to his list of job titles. 71 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 4: I'm a big pajama worker unless I have important meetings. 72 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 3: And what's the business that the sweatpant's wearing CEO is running. 73 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 3: It's called bracketology and it's I'll just let Jonah explain it. 74 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 4: We provide fantasy foot all style games and your college 75 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 4: basketball bracket style games, but for reality television shows. So 76 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 4: we do four different game types that we offer across 77 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 4: ten different reality television shows. 78 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 3: Now, Jonah credits his vending career with helping him develop 79 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:18,599 Speaker 3: into the businessman he's become. 80 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 4: For sure, it has. I think there are so many 81 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 4: transferable skills that I've learned vending at Wrigley over the 82 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 4: past decade that have translated to running my own company. 83 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 4: I have no fear of rejection, no fear of making 84 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 4: a fool out of myself than asking people for things. 85 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 4: There have been so many things that have been helpful 86 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 4: from a professional standpoint that I've gotten from my job 87 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 4: at Wrigley that I use on a day to day 88 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 4: basis as a CEO. 89 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 3: Bracketology CEO says he has no intention of quitting his 90 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:56,840 Speaker 3: hot dog vending gig anytime soon. 91 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 4: Like I said, I really think that as long long 92 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 4: as I'm living in Chicago and physically able, I will 93 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 4: do this as long as I can. 94 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 3: From the job I'm Avery Thompson. 95 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: Looking for a job is lonely, endless searching phone calls 96 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:18,039 Speaker 1: that go nowhere, applications that vanish into thin air. What 97 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 1: if you could link with dozens of local companies who 98 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: are hiring right now with just one connection. That's Express 99 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:30,479 Speaker 1: Employment Professionals. Find us at expresspros dot com. One connection, 100 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: endless opportunities and no fees ever for job seekers. Express 101 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: Employment Professionals expresspros dot com.