Meet Tamara Vermette | (since I have been at this store for the longest and wear so many hats, and am 1 of 3 women who work here, my business cards say Field General and Special Orders Diva)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tamara Vermette and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tamara, why did you pursue a creative career?
I was always interested in creating. I remember at a very young age, I was always doodling, or painting, or using whatever medium my parents afforded me. Once I hit high school, I really got involved with everything art related and continued that into my college career. Officially, I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Ceramics although I don’t get to use that for my current work. Working in the liquor industry, I didn’t think I would be able to use any of those skills I learned in college but eventually, I was able to get back into creating by at least using the design aspect of my degree: I can create using digital and photography

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Since I graduated with my art degree~ in Ceramics, I really thought that I had wasted my money. Since having started at Star Liquors, I have been able to use the design aspects that I learned. Most of what I do is self taught~ out of necessity. We are a small business and I stepped up in the role of the digital space maintaining the content on our website and social media accounts. I’ve always been interested in photography and creating so it seemed natural for me to take over this role. Since I am self taught, I can not say it’s been an easy road and the learning curve has been a challenge. With social media changing rapidly, I have to keep myself abreast of what the trends are along with completing all the other daily duties I have to fulfill. I’ve learned to delegate the smaller tasks but continue to be involved in everything that happens digitally along with print ads.

I’m not sure if people know that I am the person that builds and creates all the content for digital ads~ I am the TEAM. I’m also the author of our weekly Secret Sale newsletter that posts the night before (Saturday evening) giving our readers a glimpse into how my brain works while generating content for the sale with images and descriptions. I have an attention for detail that borders obsessive. Many of our customers have figured out that if it sounds like me, it is me! Anyone that knows me can tell it’s my voice that translates to our branding and I have learned a lot since I took over this role 4 years ago.

September 2019, our store was asked to join the Wine & Spirits Guild of America. Most people are unfamiliar with this organization since you have to be invited in to join. This opportunity has given us an upper hand in the alcohol retail business here in Durango to which we are offered products that are directly imported to us and not our competitors therefore giving us an edge on the market in our area. This had helped propel Star’s sales from our humble beginnings (since 1984) to the monster this store is today. Our recent success has been fueled by the addition of so many products that are only found in our store.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
It would depend on the season since Durango has so much to offer but I’ll stick to two!

If it’s my favorite time of year, which is the winter, we are fortunate to have Purgatory Ski Resort less than 30 miles from town with no passes to go over to get there. Even this past winter~ which was huge~ we were never shut out of our home mountain since it’s a straight drive north to reach the resort. I spend as much time on the mountain that I can during the winter which lets me snowboard on average 60 plus days a season. The Nugget Mountain bar just south of the resort is a great apres ski hangout to grab a few sliders and a cold brew with friends. There are a great deal of snowshoe trails and opportunities to enjoy the outdoors just out our backdoor and a short drive from town unlike the Front Range where you spend your weekends chasing powder with long drives and long lift lines.

Year round, Durango is home to some great breweries, and an amazing selection of places to eat. One of my favorite places to eat is Eolus, where they have a special sushi roll and nightly specials Monday through Friday along with amazing bartenders. Durango isn’t home to a ton of culture but we do have quite a few music festivals. Music in the Mountains~ a classical music festival~ held at various locations throughout the summer is a great way to enjoy an evening with friends and wine! If you’re interested in seeing the sights, the Durango Narrow Gauge train experience is a must. It starts in town and travels all the way to the next town north of us in Silverton, Colorado.~

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Stan Crapo, the owner of Star Liquors, gave me the opportunity to grow professionally. I have worked for this organization for almost 13 years now. He always made me feel like whatever he asked of me was not only appreciated but also enhanced my career in this business equating to better pay the more I contribute. My leadership in this business as also lead to me receiving profit sharing as well.

My husband, Mike, and I have helped run this business for the past 10 plus years. Stan moved from Durango almost 4 years ago leaving us to have the reins of the store. Mike handles the operations and people while I handle all the backend duties: trainer, social media, bookkeeper, special orders, pretty much whatever needs to be done. Our philosophy has always been to never ask anyone to do something that we aren’t willing to do ourselves, and yes, that does include cleaning the restrooms to stocking the beer coolers. Working with your significant other doesn’t work for everyone but we are able to bounce ideas and solutions off each other and support each other daily.

Website: StarLiquorsDurango.com

Instagram: StarLiquorsDgo

Twitter: StarLiquorsDgo

Facebook: StarLiquorsDurango

Image Credits
All pictures taken by me, Tamara Vermette