It Was Easier to Wear Many Hats Than Grow More Heads

THE CHALLENGE

My buddy Steve can’t wrap his head around the sheer number of jobs I juggled in my youth. Every chat we have, some random topic—defunct department stores, say—triggers a memory of yet another gig I’ve had. Last week, as we reminisced about shuttered retail giants, I casually mentioned working for a few. Steve’s jaw dropped, again. But this time, instead of just marveling, he threw down a gauntlet: “Have you ever listed all your jobs?” I laughed it off—another “someday” task. Then came the pandemic.

PANDEMIC

COVID-19 hit, upending lives and closing my photography business, Orange County Headshots. With time on my hands and Netflix running dry, I needed something—anything—to keep my brain busy. Steve’s challenge resurfaced. Why not? It wasn’t thrilling, but it beat staring at the wall. So, I dug into the dusty corners of my memory. Easier said than done. I’d jot down 25 jobs, then 50, then 75—eventually topping 100. Each proofread unearthed more. I was floored. Steve’s obsession started making sense. Even I’d forgotten how wild my work history was. A teenage song I wrote, Occupations (“I want to try them all”), suddenly felt prophetic.

DAYS OF OLD YOUTH

“Youth ends when egotism does—maturity begins when one lives for others.” – Hermann Hesse

Before the list, some context:

Age Range: Most gigs spanned ages 10 to 24, pre-teaching (2nd grade), and my photography career.
Job Hopping: Some companies shuffled me around internally—a lot.
Knack: I had a gift for fixing systems—shabby or slick, I’d boost efficiency fast. I loved it.
Work Ethic: My parents drilled diligence into me. I was a fireball—upending departments, delighting bosses, and occasionally irking coworkers.
Boredom: Once I’d mastered a role, monotony hit. I’d move on—sometimes in a week, once in a day. Most lasted 1-3 months.
Why Hire Me?: Stellar interviews and glowing references. Enthusiasm and results trumped my short stints.
Reasons: Mastery bred boredom, better offers lured me, or the job just stank. New challenges always called.

The List

Brace yourself. If you feel queasy or eye-rolling sets in, step away—I won’t mind. For me, it was easier to wear many hats than grow more heads. Here’s the alphabetical rundown:

In Alphabetical Order

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Barboy • Bartender • Busboy • Cook (Fast Food, Fine Dining, Short-Order) • Counter/Cashier (Taco Bell, Pioneer Chicken) • Manager (Fast Food) • Trainer (Busboy/Waiter) • Waiter (Family Dining, Carte Service)

The many hats of Orange County Headshots | Mark Jordan-Youth-Painting — Nascent stages of my stint at painting. After finishing painting our house, I was rewarded with painting the new trellis. Since the summers in Riverside frequently hit 100+, it necessitated a hose-drenching in-between applications. 1963

CONSTRUCTION

Furniture Assembler (Sofas, Chairs) • Painter (Homes, Interior/Exterior) • Plasterboard Installer (New Homes) • Wall/Ceiling Insulation Installer

MUSIC / MUSICIAN

Guitar/Bass (Church, Cover Band, Nightclubs, Studio Recording) • Guitar Teacher • Songwriter (Unpaid, alas)

PHOTOGRAPHER

Board of Directors (V.P., Secretary, Hospitality, Membership) • Boudoir • Children • Commercial • Headshots (My fave!) • Family • Pets • Product • Theater Production • Weddings

SALES

Orange County Headshots | Mark Jordan-Youth-Egg-Route — The three brothers (Dale-6, Bryan-12, and Mark-13) filling our red Egg Wagon for our weekly, door-to-door egg route. 1966

Air Conditioners • Auto Audio • Automotive Parts • Backpacking Gear • Bathroom Appliances • Bedding • Bicycles • Books (Bookstore flop!) • Building Materials • Camping Gear • Carpets • Christmas Trees • Men’s Clothing • Cookware • Cutlery • Dinnerware • Doors • Draperies • Eggs (Door-to-Door) • Electrical Supplies • Exercise Equipment • Fireplace Gear • Fishing Gear • Flatware • Flooring • Furnaces • Gardening Supplies • Gifts • Guns/Ammo (Ask about the one-way mirror!) • Hardware • Furniture • Housewares • Hunting Gear • Indoor Plants • Kitchen Appliances • Landscaping • Lawn Mowers • Lemonade (Stand) • Liquor/Tobacco • Luggage • Musical Instruments • New Homes (Side hustle while teaching) • Paint • Patio Furniture • Picture Frames • Playground Equipment • Plumbing • Pumpkins • Roofing • Screen Doors • Shoes • Sound Systems • Sports Equipment • Stationery (Met a Ghanaian prince!) • TVs • Tires • Tools • Toys • Unfinished Furniture • Used Cars • Vacuums • Video Games (Pong!) • Wallpaper • Watches • Water Heaters • Window Shades • Woodworking Supplies

SERVICES

Orange County Headshots | Mark Jordan-Youth-Mowing-Lawns — While my lawn mowing days were spent behind a push mower, this is a rare opportunity where the homeowner allowed me to hop aboard their riding mower. 1964

Auto Detailer • Babysitter • Bagboy (Grocery) • Butcher (Finger-risky!) • Carpet Layer (Knee-killer, 1 day) • Cashier • Counselor (Pro Bono) • Customer Service Rep • Delivery/Driver • Docent • Florist (2 fragrant years) • Gardener • Grocery/Liquor Stockboy • Lawn Mower (Push) • Model (Ramp, too shy) • Newspaper Delivery (Thanks, Mom!) • Picture Framer • Pool Cleaner (1 dull day) • Produce Manager (Frozen fingers) • Recycler • Screen Door Repair • Security Guard (New Homes, Art Shows) • Sheep Shearer (One endless day) • Weed Puller • Window Glass Cutter • Window Screen Repair • Window Washer (Hated it)

TEACHER

1st-4th Grade (Public Schools) • 3rd-4th Combo • Master Teacher (Met my wife!) • School Board • Student Instructor • Tutor

So, there you have it—a hundred-plus hats, worn and swapped before I settled into photography’s lens. Looking back, I didn’t just try every job; I lived a dozen lives, each a thread in a tapestry of restless curiosity. Steve’s still amazed, and I’m just glad I didn’t need extra heads to pull it off.

In the meantime, and as always, should you have questions regarding any aspect of professional headshots or our It Was Easier to Wear Many Hats Than Grow More Heads, no concern is too small.

Orange County Headshots | Mark Jordan Photographer

Mark Jordan
Master of Photography
Photographic Craftsman
International Photography Hall of Fame & Museum
3-Time Honoree -EPCOT’S World’s Greatest Photographers Exhibit
International Loan Collection Award – 11-Time Recipient
Orange County Photographer of the Year
American Society of Photographers

It Was Easier to Wear Many Hats Than Grow More Heads

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Orange County Headshots Photographer, Mark Jordan, is internationally recognized and serves all of Southern California, including San Diego County, Los Angeles, and the Inland Empire.