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A Shine & Co brings to the world of shoeshining an incredibly diverse and talented staff. Recovered alcoholics share a unique commonality and understanding of one another that empowers a natural dynamism. The shine comes from within; meet the source. |
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Kevin Tuohy
Sobriety date:
8/16/88
Kevin founded this company in '96 shining shoes with a portable chair at conventions and special events. Since his U.S. Army training to guard nuclear missiles, speak German and become an expert machine gunner didn't really translate to civilian life, shoeshining turned out to be the only marketable skill he took with him. Before he formed A Shine & Co, his charm and charisma made him an unforgettable character serving in such local hot spots as Postrio and Lulu. If you walk down the street with him it seems he knows everyone in San Francisco. Not only do people recognize "the man in the hat," he remembers every single one of their names! In '02 when his country needed his military training again he left the business in the hands of his partners and went to Kuwait without flinching. We were so glad he made it back as we missed the bright spot in the financial district that is Kevin- greeting all passersby with a bright smile a friendly hello and a sincere compliment. When he's not being a one-man sales/marketing/promotion team, he's mastering the Internet and establishing "All Good Design" his new joint venture of custom screen-printed and embroidered apparel. email : kevin@ashineandco.com |
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Rachel Leamy
Sobriety date:
11/21/87
Rachel has been shining since spring of '97 helping to open the Crocker Galleria Stand in April '99. The following October she joined forces with Kevin Tuohy to build a company that would employ their sober friends and create an atmosphere of fun and respite for the financial district of San Francisco. A Shine & Co has given her the creative challenge to put everyone's talents to great purpose and it is her joy to see the business (staff and community) flourish. From staff relations to shoeshine chair design and production she strives to make working conditions effective and easy. After studying English at UC Berkeley she found she'd rather be shining shoes, telling jokes, playing her ukulele and improvising songs about customers and staff. Her special focus now is improving and building the convention/event business where everyone can really shine! email : rachel@ashineandco.com |
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Meghan Scanlon
Sobriety date:
10/7/96
Meghan has been on the scene from the beginning. One of the 1st ladies of shine, she is an integral part of the creation of this business. After many years surviving the high life in the Malibu/Hollywood music scene, she had just the kind of strength and honesty that helped to forge the atmosphere we now enjoy. While we love to have fun, she has done much to establish the bedrock of respect and professionalism that underlies all that we do. She joined as a partner in '02 and brought with her tremendous power and experience in business/management and vocational rehab. It is her level head and creative practicality that keeps the business grounded and growing. She looks like a teenager but when she's on the phone its not to gossip it's to govern. email : meghan@ashineandco.com |
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Chris Brown
Sobriety date:
12/15/04
Chris has been with us since summer '04. You can find him working often at our Macy's location where he has more time to write raps and slam poetry. When he's not rapping he's dancing, acting or telling jokes. He is grateful to A shine & Co for providing a safe working environment where he feels more comfortable being himself. He is currently putting together his first EP with his hip-hop artist collective. email : brownchris@ashineandco.com |
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Brett Duggan
Sobriety date:
5/5/96
Ever since October '03, we've been able to offer "The Bunny Buff," Brett's trademark buffing technique. Twenty years of drumming has trained this shiner to finish his shines with lightning speed. He also brings to his work a BFA in acting with a minor in writing. He has been working as an actor and stand up comedian all over the country for 10 years centralized in NY for the last 5. When he's not trying to cover a shine shift to catch a last minute comedy gig, he's co-teaching the staff improv techniques for our infotainment and convention/special events. email : brett@ashineandco.com |
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Eric Garrett
Sobriety date:
5/24/01
Eric came to us in the spring of '01. With dutiful persistence he gradually took over our existing office shoeshining accounts and found us some more. You could see him saving people from unshiny shoes in such offices as Thomas Weisel, Goldman Sachs and many others. If you don't see him there he's probably at 24 hr fitness where he is a star weightlifter and informal trainer. He loves to hang out with his son Mason and values the flexibility that his work with us provides him to spend time having fun with other sober people. email : officeshiner@ashineandco.com |
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Tenagne
Sobriety date:
9/18/02
In the summer of '03 Tenagne showed up with a bright smile ready to shine. With a degree in fashion design and modeling experience, like many alcoholics, she'd been bartending and bar managing for 5 years. She is so glad to have a supportive work environment where she feels she can really express herself. She has been a managerial blessing to us all at the 555 California St. location, taking great care to insure that the needs of customers and staff are well attended to. After studying dance and martial arts for 10 years and having been a performer for as long as she can remember, she is ready to tackle opera singing. You should come in and hear her! email : tenagne@ashineandco.com |
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Cassandra Hill
Sobriety date:
4/11/96
In November of '03 Cassandra began her commute from Stockton to work with her friends and have some fun. She is a licensed cosmetologist, and a 3rd degree black belt in Aikido. Not only does her ambidexterity assist her shine ability, it comes in handy with bodywork. She can do Reiki, essential oil therapy, and stone therapy with chakra alignment. She has taught Aikido/self defense to children and adults, guided meditations, adult positive discipline techniques and worked as a teacher-aide for preschool through 6th grade. An expert gardener, housepainter, wood-carver and dancer she is currently studying with our improv/acting group adding yet another skill to her rap sheet. She is a valuable enrichment to our company. It's not every day someone needs a lapidary but if they did, we'd be able to use Cassandra. email : cassandra@ashineandco.com |
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Doug Horne
Sobriety date:
3/1/99
This shiner was a gift to San Francisco from Tipperary Ireland in the first of 2000. We love to hear his lilting brogue engaging customers and staff with his quick wit and latest studies on financial matters. He can play right-handed guitars left-handed upside down. He is a great improviser with our infotainment group and his fast precise excellent shines keep him a customer favorite at our Crocker Galleria location. It's not just his flaming red hair that makes him such a colorful addition to our business! email : dougl@ashineandco.com |
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Jake Lyon
Sobriety date:
1/14/00
Since May of 2000 Jake has been grateful for the sober workplace where he feels most understood by his fellows. Having had experience with tree trimming (from oak to Bonsai), all types of landscaping and gardening, yellow jacket and honeybee removal, locksmithing, small engine repair, auto dismantling, construction and irrigation installment, he has quite a repertoire of skill with which to manage our Crocker Galleria location. He even found his sole mate shining side by side with Shana DeAngelis (now Shana Lyon) and they love their little shoeshine baby Aiden born 6/11/03. email : jlyon@ashineandco.com |
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Shana Lyon
Sobriety date:
11/1/87
Shana has been with us since the beginning. She was shining shoes before we opened in April of '99 and was one of the first women to show us that "we can do it!" In fact, she's like Rosie the Riveter with a rapier wit. Her meticulous attention to detail and unflinching standards made her the perfect manager for The Russ Building shoe repair operation in '02. This included helping to create integrated systems for all of our stands to offer the best service. Those standards apply to all that she does from floral designing and gardening, to creating vintage reproductions of all sorts of things. Whenever we've needed an expert seamstress, she has come to the rescue. She invented our adorable feminine lap covers (for women needing shoe care in short skirts). Right now she's spending her extra time putting out a beautiful line of baby clothes and accessories. Thanks for the inspiration Aiden! email : banana@ashineandco.com |
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Nicole Gabrielle
McCracken
Sobriety date:
1/12/95
Nicole is one of the 1st ladies of A Shine & Co. She was shining before we opened in April of '99. And boy can she shine! In high school she was a nationally ranked gymnast so paired with her shine ability she makes the perfect coach and trainer for all of our new employees. The Crocker Galleria Stand flourished for many years under her management. Customers loved to come and get her fabulous shine and hear her unbelievable stories (all true) to laugh and smile for a while. You would often find her playing her Banjo or accordion between shines and helping others to join in. If not making music how 'bout swing dancing? Anything to keep this girl moving. She is also a partner at The Moscone Center shine concession so you can find her shining her light there too! email : nicole@ashineandco.com |
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Jimmy Mc
Sobriety date:
1/2/02
This baseball buff came to us in the summer of '02. No one was happier than he to shine shoes with us at weekday ballgames on the suite level of Pac Bell Park. Jimmy brought to his management position at The Russ Building a wealth of customer service and business management experience. After one day of trying to keep up with shoe repairs coming and going from 3 different locations his experience as complaints manager at Air France really came in handy. He has a BA in English Lit with minors in French, Political Science, and business management. Between shines you will find him avidly studying philosophy, history, cultures, politics, religion, anatomy of the brain-its functions and possibilities...so if you'd like to have an interesting conversation, or a heated debate, come talk to Jimmy! email : jimmy@ashineandco.com |
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Kaila Morris
Sobriety date:
4/10/00
Kaila started shining in summer '02 and has been managing The Russ Building Location and Shoe Repair operation for us since '03. Perhaps her chemistry studies assist with her expert shoe repair diagnostics while her yo-yo and hackysack savvy enable her to expedite repairs to and from 4 shine stand locations. She loves working with other sober alkies and getting paid to have a blast. Not only does she know about tree planting, tile setting and political activism, I bet if you asked her she could tell you how to build a straw-bale house with genuine Canadian politeness! email : kailamorris@ashineandco.com |
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Prudence Parker
Sobriety date:
2/87
"Nails by Parker" joined us in November '01 when we opened the Russ Building Location. You can find her gabbing and manicuring away in our little shop in the lobby there. When it comes to nails she's seen it all! Long red square '70's nails, bejeweled pierced striped '80's nails, French in the '90's and buffed short, sporty now nails. Pru can help you get those problem nails to grow and make you feel so at ease while you kick back and enjoy her delightful intensive pedicures. Prudence is a golf lover and a grace to the stage having studied and performed at SF ACT. She is a glorious addition to our entertainment ensemble. email : pruparker@ashineandco.com |
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Joshua Seare
Sobriety date:
5/1/00
Josh was the first manager of our Russ Building shoe repair operation. This was great for us starting a new venture with new equipment, as he is an experienced auto mechanic and general handyman. When he's tired of having car grease or shoe polish on his hands, he returns to the kitchen in a local fine dining establishment. He would never boast but we will about his positions as chef at Ma Tante Sumi or Suix Chef at Oritalia, Café Claude and The Cliff House. You can usually find him shining shoes when he gets tired of being promoted and needs a low stress fun break for a while. email : lordisamonkey@ashineandco.com |
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Tamara Standard
Sobriety date:
11/7/01
Somewhere around the first of '03 a witty wanderer got the surprise of her life when she found herself shining shoes. She was a natural born shiner (not just of shoes) falling right into step with us. Along with being grateful for a trade that she can take anywhere, the practice of it has helped her to get rid of prejudices she didn't even know she had. This is greatly appreciated by a truth seeker like her who has studied to be a Buddhist nun, varied meditation techniques, instructed yoga, worked for the environment, and provided security at the Olympic games. A talented artist and budding actress/improviser who loves to dance and play banjo we are so glad she dances to the beat of our drum! email : tamara@ashineandco.com |
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Sia (Shuggar)
Valena
Sobriety date:
5/97
This girl has been bringing it to A Shine & Co since summer of '00. Bringing what you might ask? For starters her shoeshine is as good as it gets, her customer service is impeccable and she shines with all the beauty of the Hawaiian islands blended with the soul of San Francisco. She brings a style of her own that enhances the whole company's appearance. After managing the 555 California St. location when she went to open our stand in the Macy's Men's store customers missed her so much we had to bring her back part time. When any kind of music plays there is a dance she can put to it. From hip-hop to salsa this girl will shake her money-maker (as she did professionally for such legends as MC Hammer) and make you clap happy. She plays Ukulele and is a great addition to our cheerleading infotainment squad. email : charminaurora@ashineandco.com |
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Karen Wadalove
Sobriety date:
6/2/98
Karen finally gave in to the shoeshine bug in Sept of '03. After getting bored with the tedium of practicing law, she wanted a job that was more fun and fulfilling. Anyone with a law degree can be a lawyer, making tons of money and being the butt of many a joke. Who, on the other hand, has what it takes to be the very best shoeshiners on planet earth? We do! This girl would prove to any judge that her shoeshine is guilty of perfection. She is an anchor in this company shining with great care and an almost imperceptible sarcasm. When we need a solid guitar player and a harmonious voice for our entertainment crew we can count on Karen. She's performed in rock bands and traveled coast-to-coast singing the blues to finally join us to shine your shoes. email : karenlee@ashineandco.com |
