Today we’d like to introduce you to Corey Harley.
Hi Corey, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In February of 2005, my brother and I drove down from the Maryland/D.C area to Atlanta for the weekend to party for my birthday. At the time, I was six years into the retail industry, managing shoe stores and so ready for something different. I had recently, unexpectedly lost my father and was desperately looking for the opportunity to get back closer to my family in South Carolina. On that ride down I said a little prayer, simply asking God, if Atlanta was the place I should be instead of D.C., to please show me a sign while I was there. Not thinking much of it after that, we went about having the time of our lives partying all over the city. One of those nights, late after leaving the club, we were on the downtown connector, coming around the Grady curve. I looked up and noticed this white water tower with blue lettering down the side, spelling out my name C-O-R-E-Y. There were lights around the base of the tower brightly illuminating the structure and that’s when it hit me….this was my sign from God!
Two weeks later I put in my letter of resignation, packed up my apartment and rented a U-haul one-way to ATL. No job, no real idea of what I was going to do or how I was going to do it. The one thing I did know was that I was in love with the Atlanta entertainment scene and everything that was happening in the city. It took me a while to get my footing and I held down a couple of jobs here and there to help with getting established. Because my focus was on the nightlife and entertainment scene, I was out every night and in every nightclub, bar and lounge that I could get into. I spent my entire severance check from my previous employer hanging out and networking, while learning the Atlanta scene. I eventually came across an advertisement for a new nightclub that was about to open as the next big thing in the city. They were looking to hire bartenders, cocktail waitresses and security guards. Having absolutely zero experience in any of these areas but still having a sense that this was a great way to get involved with the next big thing coming on the scene, I aggressively pursued the option. I took it upon myself to just show up during the construction and buildout to see if I could get an interview with anyone and it happens that the first person I walked into was the General Manager of the operation. After a brief introductory conversation that included an admission of my lack of experience with any of these positions, I somehow convinced him to hire me as a 5’10, 180 pound security guard. I quickly worked myself into the security position for the upstairs VIP area and eventually grew that position into what can best be described as a VIP host and concierge. I would work the tables with the waitresses and ensure those high profile guests were always enjoying the party, which equated to more opportunities to network. And then one night, they gave me the microphone to make an announcement and I seized that opportunity to showcase my potential talents as an emcee and voice of the venue.
Soon after, I was hosting the college night parties as well as proms and bar mitzvah’s for the private events side of the business. This led to my invitation to the weekly marketing meetings where I happen to be in the room when one of the club owners inquired as to why there was no hip hop night in the weekly lineup of events in a city like Atlanta. The response was that the existing promotional team had no ties to what was considered at the time to be the “urban party scene.” I raised my hand and volunteered to make that connection as I had spent a lot of time and money hanging out and getting familiar with the movers and shakers around town. They allowed me to start working with promoters to develop a weekly Thursday night event called Day IV or Opera Thursdays. It was one of the hottest parties in the city for a while with a live radio broadcast and occasional talent bookings with all the hot artists and athletes of the day. I was also a part of a team of promoters that put together one of the first big day parties in the city, which we called Opera Gardens. Through all of these experiences, I came to develop an extensive social network while establishing quality relationships with even more of the groups of people that drive the culture and pulse of the city of Atlanta.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As we all know, clubs have a shelf life and after a 10 year run, the writing was on the wall. I needed to figure out my next career move. I didn’t have a lot of options, as all those years in the club did not necessarily translate over to many 9 to 5 job opportunities. The club money had dried up pretty quickly and the cost of maintaining a presence on the scene in ATL wasn’t cheap. I found myself feeling as if I was losing ground with all the work that I had done to create a name for myself in the city. Luckily, I was able to act on my relationships that I had developed over the years with some of the liquor vendors and reps that were always up at the club. They were constantly coming in to meet with management and push the sale of their brands and products. At the time, I didn’t even realize that these kinds of jobs even existed. One of those individuals happened to be from Charleston, my hometown, which gave me an instant connection. It wasn’t long before I began to inquire and soon beg him to help me land a job in the spirits industry. I saw this as one of the only opportunities where I would be able to capitalize on my years of experience and relationship building from the club scene. He assured me that if he ever came across an opportunity, he would reach out and serve as a reference on my behalf.
At this point, things had gotten extremely tight for me financially. I was surviving by feeding myself off fast-food dollar menus, paying for meals with change I had saved in this huge glass replica of a liquor bottle. I had a roommate and was working part-time as a night manager for a small, struggling club operation on a sketchy side of town. I was literally barely making it and could see my bottom quickly approaching. It was now three years after our initial conversations but Brian Greene kept his word! He called me as soon as he had insight on an opening for an entry-level position with his company. He got me in the door but after feeling like I crushed the interview process, I still did not immediately hear back or receive any follow-up. I now know the delay was based on individuals involved in that process that felt my lack of qualifications for the job did not make me the ideal candidate for the position. But thankfully, the very week that I had made the decision to give up on my dreams and head back home to South Carolina I received a call. The individual they agreed to hire decided not to take the position, leaving the door open. That call came on a Wednesday before my Friday deadline to throw in the towel. In August of 2017, I was hired as the local brand ambassador for one of the most popular whiskey brands in the world, thus starting my journey into the wine and spirits industry.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I spent 2 years in my position as the ‘multi-cultural brand ambassador’ for the Jack Daniel’s whiskey brand. It was an amazing introduction into the world of spirits brand marketing and sales. The ideal aspect of the job was that it was a shared role where I spent time working with the parent supplier for the brand as well as the local distributor. This gave me an opportunity to learn multiple areas of the industry and put me on a fast track to garnering the much-needed experience for success. It was the perfect entry-level job and I was good at it! They say that 90% of the work in this industry is establishing rapport and maintaining relationships. One of the things that I have always had is very strong relationships in metro Atlanta. All of those contacts with the movers and shakers from my club days had manifested into relationships with the now owners of restaurants, clubs and lounges around the city. I did such a great job in the position that I started to make a name for myself. This led to my consideration as a candidate for a job with my current employer Georgia Crown Distributing Co.
In this position, I serve as a branding consultant/specialist for the wine & spirit brands that we distribute locally in the Greater Metro Atlanta Area. This includes brands such as Don Julio, Patron, Jameson, Crown Royal and DeLeon Tequila to name a few… I carry the more specific purpose of providing insight while driving support for the accounts and consumers within communities of color. I am uniquely positioned, to my knowledge, as the only person in the state of Georgia working to consult across multiple brands on the distributor level. In other words, I may have one of the greatest jobs in the city, as I now get paid to be on the ATL nightlife scene as a representative of some of the most popular wine & spirits brands in the country.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
“Without risk, there is no reward.” This is one of my favorite life quotes and words that I try to live by. I firmly believe that you have to put yourself in uncomfortable positions to find a position of comfort. At no point in my working years have I made a career decision based on financial gain. I have always searched for opportunities that best fit my passions and goals. I have always been willing to risk financial stability, among other things, for my personal pursuit of happiness. For me, taking the path less traveled and the risk associated with it, is what motivates and drives me toward continued success!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @charleysway @atlcultureandcocktails
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corey.harley
- Twitter: @MrCharleysWay
Image Credits:
Madelynne Boykin @bitesandbevsmedia Shane Garrett @supplyshane Anitra Isler @anitraisler5 Sergio @wire_atl
