Open to opportunities

Tory Merritt

@torymerritt

Message

Customer-focused retail leader and creative designer driving team performance.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I seek a role combining customer-facing leadership and creative design, where I can mentor teams, improve operations, and produce impactful visual work in a collaborative, growth-focused environment.

I am a customer-focused retail leader and graphic designer with experience training teams, managing operations, and delivering high-quality creative work for local artists and online creators. I consistently combine strong communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills to improve customer experiences and store performance.

My hands-on retail background at Starbucks, Panera Bread, and a local grocery gave me operations, inventory management, and staff supervision experience, while my graphic design projects—album art, social media banners, and streaming overlays—showcase my ability to translate client briefs into polished visual assets using Adobe tools and Canva.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Restaurant Team Member

Panera Bread Co.

Sep 2019 - Jul 2020 (10 months)

Greeted and served guests while training new team members and ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations to maintain timely service and customer satisfaction.

Customer Service Food Safety Inventory Management Conflict Resolution Cash Handling Merchandising

Grocery Operations Associate

Paul's Market

Jul 2018 - Jun 2019 (11 months)

Monitored inventory, led and trained staff, handled cash operations, and coordinated with vendors to optimize stock levels and improve store merchandising.

Inventory Management Staff Supervision Cash Handling Merchandising Customer Service

Partner

Starbucks

Mar 2021 - Present (4 years 10 months)

Trained new hires, maintained quality control, and delivered exceptional customer service during peak hours, improving store efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Customer Service Inventory Management Quality Control Team Collaboration Food Safety Cash Handling

Album Art Designer

Freelance Designer

Collaborated with local artists to develop album art from concept to final high-resolution deliverables, aligning visual identity with musical themes and release formats.

Graphic Design Adobe Creative Suite Branding Typography

Social Media & Streaming Designer

Freelance Designer

Designed optimized banners and interactive overlays for YouTube and Twitch, conducting client consultations and iterating on designs to enhance streamer branding and engagement.

Canva UI UX For Streaming Consultation Banner Design

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

St. Louis Community College

Graphic Design

Activities and societies: Album art design for local musicians; social media, streaming banners and overlay projects (client consultations, mockups, revisions).

Studied Graphic Design with practical projects in album art and social media/streaming assets, applying typography, color, and digital design tools to client briefs.