Blond Ambition

Friday, November 23, 2007

Taking it to “The Bank” with the Light Group’s Jodi Myers

(944 – November 2007)
By Emily Jannah Reyes

Meet the first lady of Vegas nightlife. She claims to be “just one of the guys,” but she’s way too hot for that. We understand her point though: She’s got to do a lot of hangin’ with the boys to be successful in her line of work. The payoff? Jodi Myers, first-ever female managing partner at the male-dominated Light Group.

The blond bombshell will reign over The Bank, which is set to open soon in the space formerly known as Light.

“I’m a competitive person,” Myers says. “I now notice details I never would have noticed before. I watch people interacting, and I’m constantly thinking of how I can apply what I see into a new idea for the club.”

As the face, voice and brain behind The Bank, Myers is contributing her unique female perspective to all aspects of the creation and operations of the club. From marketing to manuals to development and design, Myers will get to show what she’s made of as she takes on the challenge of upping the Light Group ante. Bringing a woman’s touch to a typically male-driven environment, Myers is a key contributor to the creative vision behind the Light Group’s latest, which is set to open New Year’s Eve weekend inside the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. The femme fatale is fired up and ready to take the competition head on.

If you want details, however, on exactly how Myers plans on keeping up with the big boys, you’re out of luck. In true nightlife-culture form, Myers’ lips are sealed from spilling any juicy tidbits on The Bank’s new look (trust us, we tried).

Milking Every Opportunity
Originally from a Minnesota dairy farm, Myers traded her life of bailing hay and milking cows for big city opportunities, moving to Las Vegas just after September 11, 2001. Finding it difficult to get a job in her field of communications, she applied for and landed a position with the Light Group as a cocktail server at Light.

“I was looking for work at a time when nobody was hiring, so I decided to look for a job in the industry that I knew,” she says. “I paid for college by working in Minnesota nightclubs, and I’ve always loved the hospitality industry.” This temporary resolution for financial stability eventually jump-started her career.

“At the time I started waitressing, I didn’t realize the potential there was for growth in the nightclub industry,” she says. “Opportunities in Vegas are a lot different than anywhere else.”

After four years as one of the most requested cocktail servers at Light, an opportunity for promotion from server to V.I.P. host became available with the 2006 opening of another company property, Jet nightclub, inside The Mirage Hotel and Casino. With no prior hosting experience, Myers relied solely on her charm, professionalism and personal drive to become one of the first female nightclub hosts in the business.
“When I started hosting it was difficult being a woman, but it made me want to be successful even more,” Myers says. “When people don’t think you can do something, you have to prove them wrong.” And she did just that, becoming a successful and sought-after host, aiding elite clientele in planning their ultimate Vegas experience. With nocturnal hours and a persistently buzzing BlackBerry in hand, Myers spent nearly two years hosting for Jet.

Jet Setter
“Working in the nightclub industry is not easy, and you have to find a balance between your days and your nights,” Myers says. “As a host, you have to be in the scene and out at night, but you can’t get too caught up in it.” This ability to stay steady in a roller coaster work environment proved that Myers was ready for her next career move – just six years after serving her first drink at Light.

“It’s all about control,” Myers says of her ability to hold her own in a typically male-dominated business. “You have to have drive to get this far and learn how to control situations with grace. I’ve learned from my mistakes, kept a positive attitude and worked to maintain the relationships I’ve made along the way.”

Perhaps the most important personal relationship that’s blossomed in spite of her hectic lifestyle is her three-year marriage to husband Mike Myers, the director of customer development for competing club Body English.

“Mike and I definitely have a unique relationship,” Myers says. “We met in Minnesota working in a nightclub together in college, so we’ve always been in that environment. We give each other pointers, but when it comes to work stuff, we keep it really light and try not to talk about it too much.”

As one of both the first female hosts and managing partners in the industry, Myers is dedicated to giving women the opportunity to follow in her footsteps.

“It’s a lot of work, and it is a bit of a man’s world, but I’d definitely like to hire female hosts,” she says. “To be good, you have to have the right personality. You have to be a social person who likes going out and who loves people; otherwise you’d be miserable. And don’t expect it to be a 9-to-5 job, because it’s not.”

With a proven track record and two impressive promotions behind her, Myers is set to make her mark in the Vegas nightclub industry. But to enjoy the payoff of her hard work, you’ll have to get past The Bank’s future hefty bouncers and velvet ropes. Just don’t get on the bad side of the tough-as-nails blonde who’s in charge at the door.