Tell us a little about yourself and your work.
I'm Emily. I run Origami Vinyl in Echo Park, Los Angeles and I DJ around town occasionally.
Why did you decide to work in a record shop?
I honestly didn't think about it before I worked here. Neil and Sean were friends of mine and they approached me on the street about a job. I have a pretty extensive background and they wanted to add my experience to help take the to the next level.
What kind of person would make a good record shop employee?
Someone who loves music of all kinds, and is non judgmental of other peoples' musical tastes regardless if it lines up with their own. You need to be able to want to TALK about music too. There are a lot of music lovers out there but in retail, social skills are a must.
What is the pay like?
Depends on your position and record store but hourly generally starts at $12.
What are the best parts of working in a record shop?
Listening to music all day! Discovering new music and turning other people on to it.
What are the biggest challenges in working in a record shop?
It can be slow at times. Retail is fickle and depends on the shopping whims of customers. Also, not all customers are great.
What is the best advice you've ever received?
Make sure you drink enough water.
