James Fripp
Yum! Brand Inc.
Irvine, CA USA
"It’s not what happens to you; it’s what you do about what happens to you. Don’t settle, don’t quit—figure out a different avenue."
Career Roadmap
James's work combines: Business, Travel, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Accounting and Business/Management
University of Phoenix
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Human Resources Managers:
Bachelor's Degree: Accounting and Business/Management
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Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I grew up as a military brat: my family bounced all around the country and the world.
2.
In high school, I took a class called DECA that required me to find a job to pass the class.
3.
My sister was working at Taco Bell, so I decided to follow in her footsteps.
4.
My original job at Taco Bell was in a janitorial position, picking up trash outside the restaurant.
5.
I wanted to join the military, but was disqualified from serving because of my eczema.
6.
Once that was no longer an option, I went back to Taco Bell and put everything I had into the job.
7.
I climbed up the ladder and now work in a corporate position at their parent company, Yum!
8.
I believe everything happens for a reason: I’m still serving people, just in a different sense.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
'You’ve been permanently disqualified from military service' --due to a rash on my hands.
How I responded:
My father was in the Air Force, and I’d always dreamed of joining the military—I had a specific vision of me wearing my uniform and saluting my dad. However, after my military evaluation, a medic told me I’d been PDQ-ed…which I later found out meant I was disqualified from serving. I felt like my plan had been wiped out and I’d been left with nothing. But it’s not what happens to you—it’s what you do about it. So when that door closed, I threw myself into my work at Taco Bell, and it paid off.