Jason Warner ’19 Leaps Out of His Comfort Zone

If Jason Warner ’19, manager at CED St. Petersburg could give just one piece of advice to his fellow Knights, it would be to get out of their comfort zone. It’s something he first learned when he was in elementary school at Academy Prep Center of St. Petersburg.

“Take that leap,” Warner says. “You might be surprised by how good it makes you feel.”

The private school was established by philanthropists Jeff and Joan Fortune who went out of their own comfort zones after retirement to open the center as a quality alternative to public education.

At the time, Warner had been recognized as a high-achieving student; admission to the school was also need-based.

Developing Business Skills at an Early Age

“We went to school for about eleven hours a day,” Warner recalls. “We also went to school on Saturdays for enrichment activities like golf and karate.”

He had a small side hustle or two back then: on his lunch break, he would sell snacks he had bought in bulk. He didn’t know what the term “ROI” meant back then, but he realized he had a knack for business. His motivation for making money was mainly because it allowed him the opportunity to purchase fast food or buy new video games. To be clear, his parents had plenty of delicious food at the house, but Warner wanted that “McDonald’s money.”

Warner also had the opportunity to be one of a core group of students selected for a two-week trip to China where he was able to see first-hand things he had only read about, like the Terracotta Army and the Forbidden City. He also had a chance to visit a McDonald’s, where he noticed that they, perplexingly, had corn on the menu.

“I was 13 years old, and all of these experiences really left their mark on me,” Warner says. “We all were coached to say, ‘yes, ma’am and yes, sir,’ and other examples of proper business communication, including how to deliver the perfect handshake.”

Warner recalled that before entering a class, each student was required to shake their instructor’s hand. If the instructor wasn’t satisfied with the grip, firmness, duration of the handshake, or if the student didn’t look the instructor squarely in the eye as they shook hands, the student went to the back of the line and would try again.

“They were all invested in ensuring our future success,” Warner says. “And they knew that it all starts with the basics like a good handshake.”

Admission into Private High School Brings More Opportunities

After Academy Prep, Warner went on to Tampa Preparatory, a private high school. That was another experience that brought him out of his comfort zone, he says. He proudly drove a green Ford Escape, a gift from his grandfather, and parked it in the student lot alongside Audis, BMWs and Mercedes.

“Yes, it was definitely different, coming from a school where everyone looked like me, to a place where my classmates definitely had a different standard of living than I did,” Warner says. “But once I realized that difference, I adjusted, and it was fine.”

After graduation, he went to Tallahassee Community College and earned his associate degree.

He wanted to get out of his comfort zone again and told his friends he wanted to go to one of the biggest places in Florida to earn his finance degree. Naturally, he chose UCF.

“I didn’t really know anybody there, and I was a little nervous,” Warner says. “I met someone who suggested I join him at a Phi Delta Theta party.”

Joining the fraternity was one of the best decisions he ever made, he says.

“I made so many connections, and many of them were first-generation college students like me, and we were all just trying to better ourselves.”

As he was going through the finance program in the College of Business, Warner says it was “very challenging.” But as the end of his journey was in sight, he began to get excited about the possibilities that lay ahead of him.

Scoring an interview, thanks to his grandfather’s shoe advice

man standing in front of tool displayHe prepared for the first of those possibilities – a career fair hosted by The College Of Business – by donning a suit and a pair of wingtips that his grandfather had helped him pick out.

“I had no real plan,” Warner says. “I was just looking for someone in finance to take a chance on me.”

As Warner was planning his strategy at the career fair – should he talk to Charles Schwab or Wells Fargo? – a person standing next to him introduced himself

“Hey man, I like your shoes,” the recruiter from Consolidated Electrical Distributors (CED) said. The two fell into an easy rapport, and Warner says he forgot all about the other opportunities there, and secured his goal of five job offers by the time he graduated.

With his finance degree, Warner had many options when selecting a career, but chose CED Petersburg for its innovative, three-year rotational program. The company, a wholesale electrical supplies distributor, has over 700 independently operating locations across the United States,

Warner started in their warehouse and worked his way up. He trained in four different locations under three different managers, and then was promoted to manager at their St. Petersburg location.

“Before I accepted the position,” Warner says, “I had no idea about the scope of the company and the products they provide. We basically source the materials for electricians and electric companies, and the number of businesses throughout the country who depend on CED to ensure that their own operations continue to run smoothly is kind of mind-boggling.”

Warner says CED works with Starbucks, Busch Gardens, Walt Disney World Resort and the space industry, just to mention a few.

“At this location, I am in charge of thousands of dollars in inventory,” Warner says. “We have a team of seven, and what I really love is that I am given autonomy to run the operation as though it were my own business.”

Warner reflects that his opportunity would not have happened had he not stepped (with his new wingtips) out of his comfort zone.

“I would not have found this opportunity had it not been for the UCF career fair. I recommend that anybody who is in their junior or senior year, check them out.”

Warner says that his involvement in UCF’s Interfraternity Council was also key to his success after graduation.

“I was the director of the IFC for one year, and then I was elected to be the director of social media and public relations. Both of those opportunities allowed me more chances to get out of my comfort zone, but more importantly, they gave me real-world experience that I am now using every day in my career.”

After graduation, Warner became involved in UCF’s Tampa Bay Alumni Community, and was asked to serve as this year’s lead for National Networking Knight.

“My approach to this year’s NNK was to host the event in an informal setting, just to kind of break the ice with people who may not have attended before. We had a lot of alumni who came out, and we got them out of their own comfort zone by showing them that networking can be fun, and they might leave with a few new connections.”

group of NNK in Tampa
Jason Warner says he enjoyed helping make 2024 National Networking Knight a success.

Warner also made a few new connections – possibly a few new hires for CED, or “just simply more people to golf with,” he says.

“I learned how to golf in middle school, and at the time, I thought it was such a silly sport, and we had to practice in the hot sun, but now, I’m very thankful that I was given that opportunity that has led me to the position that I’m in now.”

Recently, Warner was invited back to speak at Academy Prep about his experience as an alumnus.

man and woman standing in front of a sign.
Recently, Warner was invited back to his alma mater to speak about his experiences as a student.

“I spoke about how that middle school changed my trajectory in life and how it instilled an unshakable sense of self-confidence within me. I didn’t do it alone, of course. I had my mother behind me every step of the way, telling me I could be an astronaut or a basketball player or an attorney. I have never lost that feeling.”

It’s the same feeling that Warner imparts on his team at CED.

“My team is amazing,” he says. “I think the world of them, and I tell them that all the time. I encourage them to be the best version of themselves, and that all stems back to the lessons I learned in middle school and growing up with my parents.”

Warner also regularly reviews his team’s profit-and-loss statements to see where improvements can be made, or if there are any issues in the supply chain that need to be addressed.

“It gives me such an overwhelming sense of joy to be able to have those kinds of decisions. Whether it goes wrong or right, I know its because of me and I can take accountability for it.”

Warner says he loves to have those moments because then he can show his team that “It’s not just you guys that mess up sometimes. Let me show you what I did, how I plan to fix it and how you can avoid doing that.”

group of people cutting a ribbon
Jason Warner, fourth from right, attends the opening of CED in Homestead, FL, Warner’s previous location, before managing CED St. Petersburg.

In those moments, Warner also reflects on his earlier experiences when he was hustling snacks. He says always dreamed that he would be able to one day say that he was running a real business.

“Obviously, it’s not my own business, but I have a wonderful team, a great customer base, and I’m in charge of a building that’s over 5,000 square feet near the heart of beautiful St. Petersburg.”

Warner is thriving on not only helping other people in the community where he grew up, but he is also helping his team to find their authentic selves, “just like I had to find my own self in middle school.”

He also hopes that anyone who is still in school, or in a situation where they are just trying to get to the finish line reads this article and realizes there is a great future waiting for them on the other side.

“You may feel like you’re just a college kid,” Warner says. “But there is a lot more waiting for you once you turn that tassel to the other side. Like my mom always told me, ‘you get to make your own destiny – just keep working hard and trust the process.’ You can do anything you want to do. Keep believing in yourself.”

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