Whole Foods Market’s Post

"The elementary school I attended is about a mile away from the flagship Whole Foods Market Lamar store here in Austin, TX. They would give Whole Foods cookie vouchers for good attendance (and I was a model student). Back then, Whole Foods shared a floor with BookPeople across the street and this little section of Austin became a very local and amicable way to spend an afternoon. Since my last free Gingerbread Man, I launched a startup that was acquired in 2015, worked briefly as a federal agent, and spent seven years in hedge fund and private equity finance. I was selected and sponsored by MLB to participate in their SABRmetrics conference based on my work in player valuations, but after that ended, I decided I was ready for something new. So, when an opening at Whole Foods on the Indirect Procurement team opened up, I welcomed the opportunity. Joining this team has been a riveting experience: I'm getting to create purchasing models and enhance data structures all alongside a supportive, creative and energetic group of Team Members. During my lunch break, I like to grab my guitar, which commutes with me to work, and head over to our office's patio that's tucked away from downtown Austin, surrounded by shade and greenery. Neither of my parents play instruments, but my grandfather is in the Tejano Music Hall of Fame, so I was surrounded by music from an early age. As a born and raised Austinite, there was always lots of access to local musicians: I grew up with Max Frost, was taught to drum by Ernie Durawa of the Texas Tornados and was introduced to Gary Clark Jr. as a teenager. I started off drumming but picked up guitar when my twin brother wanted to trade instruments. Playing music during the middle of the day is cathartic and gives me something different to focus on. The guitar I carry around the office is oddly shaped and signed by a well-known Texan, so it’s served as a fun conversation starter with my new coworkers." If you find yourself by the flagship store midday on Fridays and hear harmonious guitar riffs, that's just one of the ways we say 'hello' in Austin." - Mark Escamilla, Indirect Procurement Financial Analyst #NourishPeople #NourishWellbeing #TeamWFM