Some…go to Design School

Some…get an MFA

Some…don’t. 

I’ve been asked by my students and the occasional TEA NextGen about my Career Path.

How did I get to where I am (wherever that is)?

The answer is through trial and error, taking chances, following my nose, embracing opportunity, living the dream and living the nightmare, venturing out on the limb, surviving the falls…sometimes just barely, celebrating the victories…and acknowledging the teams that made those victories possible, knowing we rarely accomplish, alone…making mistakes and learning from them, from hiding neither the error nor the lesson learned from it and seeking the lessons inherent in everything… Trusting in the Universe to support…and learning that while the Universe will always support us, it may not be in the ways we might envision or prefer.

And overall; that nowhere is it written in stone that one must stick with a chosen path when that path turns out to be a bad fit or a mistake. Learn from it, take the lessons along to the Next Thing, and the Next Thing, and the Next…

I do not believe that Everything Happens for a Reason. I do believe that there are lessons inherent in everything that happens. I believe that there is no shame in not knowing an answer, and that the shame is in hiding the not-knowing. I hope to learn every day, with every job and gig and in every relationship. Knowing everything would be boring; n’est-çe pas? I believe that Faking It til You’ Make It is a philosophy founded on a Lie.

I strive to learn openly, to seek and see the best that’s possible in others and give the best that’s possible from me. I believe in encouraging and inspiring others to venture out onto the Limb of What’s Possible. I believe in truth, clarity, integrity, honor and candor (sometimes to my political detriment), in saying what one means, meaning what one says and keeping one’s word…and acknowledging the occasional failure without excuse when one’s word goes unkept.

Those philosophies have made for an interesting journey through Life, and I am fairly certain that it ain’t over, yet. The Career Path has been circuitous, and every job embraced and completed has in some way informed the next one and the next one and those down the line.

So. All that in prelude to the laying out of my Career Path. It is clearly not a Route Planned and Followed; and I don’t know that I would recommend it. When and if I write an autobiography or memoirs, the title will be “Don’t Try This at Home!”

Though, here I am with a veritable wealth of Experience and experiences, a vast panoply of unique friends and unforgettable acquaintances and the knowledge gained from jumping in with both feet, digging in with both hands to every opportunity that appeals.

So. Beginning in 1967:

• Car Wash (Klamath Falls, OR)
• Floral Delivery Guy (also Klamath Falls)
• Stockroom @ Lane Bryant (Also Klamath Falls.)
• Swim Coach / Lifeguard / City Pool Manager (Yreka, CA)
• Bartender (Georgetown. DC)
• Waiter / Bartender Olde Ebbitt Grill (DC)
• Movie Theatre Manager (Key Theatre – Georgetown)
• Fly-Ahead / In-Port Program Manager – South Pacific and Asia (Semester at Sea)
• Waiter / Bartender (Steak & Ale/Orange County Mining Company (Orange, CA)
• Staff Member Senator Mark O. Hatfield (DC)
• Staff Member GSA (DC)
• Staff Member US Dept of State / US Youth Council (DC)
• National Youth Director President Ford Campaign (DC) 12 Advance Teams x 3 Events per day, Nationwide, General Campaign.
• Executive Director American Petroleum Refiner’s Association Political Action Committee (DC)
• Director Tom Wiens for State Treasurer Campaign (Denver)
• 1979 Came Out. Left Republican Politics. Moved to San Francisco. 
• Import Coordinator Levi Strauss & Co (SF)
• Director Corporate Communications San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
• Writer / Reporter Pacific Telesis Corporate Communications (SF) 
• Show and Event Producer @ FM Productions (SF)
• December 31, 1979/January 1, 1980 – First appearance onstage at “Beach Blanket Babylon” 
• 1984 – 1990 Self-Employed / Freelance Ceremony, State Visits of Presidents, Queens, Religious leaders, Quarterbacks, Inaugural and Fleet Week productions, National Theatrical Tours, Writing Team for “Beach Blanket Babylon Goes to the Stars” (with Armistead Maupin and Steve Silver SF) and Producer “Hands Across America” (Chicago), Writer, Director, Producer of National Centennial Tour for Stanford University (raised US$1billion from ballrooms full of weeping millionaires).
• 1990 – 1995 Self-Employed / Freelance Movie Location Manager Film (Los Angeles) “December,” “Me, Myself and I” many forgettables.
• 1992 – Candlelight Ceremony National AIDS Memorial Quilt @ Lincoln Memorial. Writer, Producer ,Director. Audience of 250,000
• 1993 – 1994 Gay Games Opening/Closing Ceremonies Yankee Stadium Producer Director Audience of 60,000
• 1994 – 1995 Universal Studios Attraction Development
• 1995 – 1996 Creative Director Universal Studios Florida
• 1996 – Left Orlando for Manhattan.
• 1996 – 2008 Self Employed Producer & Consulting Development Officer (NYC) Harvard Law, Babson College, Stanford University Touring Campaign for Undergraduate Education (another $1Billion +), Hamilton College, Mayo Clinic, Hotopp, Carabiner, Jack Morton, ICE, Other agencies
• 2005 – 2006 Opening Closing Ceremonies Gay Games Soldier Field & Wrigley Field. Writer, Creative Director, Director
• 2009 – Live Show Producer (Melbourne, Sydney, Perth Australia)
• 2010 – Specialist and Studio Instructor, Apple SoHo
• 2011 – Director 50th Anniversary Celebrations Amnesty International – USA (NYC)
• 2012 – Launched the Blog: https://imho.kileozier.com/ 
• 2012 – 2013 Studio Instructor Apple SF
• 2013 – 2016 to Dubai – State and Dubai National Day Ceremonies, Brand Experience and Product Launches, Motiongate Theme Park, Dubai Eye, Opened YAS Waterworld, Wrote/Directed “Hoyamal!” Pearl Diving Show, also for YAS Waterworld.
• 2016 – return to SF for several months. Met an amazing guy.
• 2016 – return to Dubai to write Live Show and Streetmosphere strategy with EXPO2020DUBAI
• 2017 – return to SF self employment and My Amazing Guy. Palo Alto History Museum
• 2017 – 2019 Looking for work. (SF) Lyft Driver
• 2019 – Consulting Creative Director – Freeman XP/San Francisco
• 2020 – COVID – dead in the water. Built the Book: “IMEx – In My Experience | secrets of making ‘em cheer, weep…and sometimes write checks”

https://books.apple.com/us/book/imex-in-my-experience/id1518649025

• April 2021 – July 2022 – Director of Concept Integrity @ SELA Parks and Events, Saudi Arabia (Festivals, Ceremonies, Destination Design.

and, btw:

Schools:

• Georgetown University School of Foreign Service BS – Graduated on Schedule
• Italian Studies Center of Portland State U at Pavia Italy – Sophomore Year
• Chapman College – now Chapman University – 2nd Frosh Semester
• Semester at Sea – 1st Frosh Semester

_____________________________________________________________________________

Popular throughout the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, “IMEX: In My Experience | secrets of making ‘em cheer, weep…and sometimes write checks” is now available in the beautiful and durable Field Edition as well as download from Apple Books. Contact me at kile@kileozier.com for purchase and shipping information.

Link to Apple Books:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/imex-in-my-experience/id1518649025

Unfortunately, the book is not available through Kindle, Kindle does not publish in landscape. Bummer. I am recording this for Audiobooks, targeted for December.