Who is Shawn Kaufmann?

Shawn Kaufmann is originally from Chicago Illinois. With regards to a work ethic Shawn Kaufmann started working at age 12 as a bicycle mechanic and by age 16 he was working on some of the top bicycles of the day traveling from his home near Montrose and Western in Chicago's inner city to Oak Park Cyclery in Oak Park IL a daily bicycle ride over over 20 miles..

During this time he also worked his way up the ranks of Boy Scouts landing him a summer job as a staff member at Fort Dearborn Cub Scout Camp in Des Plaines ILL. He was also the leader of a Order of the Arrow Indian Dance Team that traveled around the greater Chicago area area performing many week nights and almost every weekend. This was Shawn Kaufmann's first exposure to public speaking and entertainment. Yes in a loin cloth and all!

In the later years Shawn Kaufmann also worked as a full time carpet layer, valet parker, waiter and yes even a sandwich artist at Subway. Shawn Kaufmann could not afford college but did not let that stop him from experiencing college life. He moved to Morgantown West Virginia near WVU and worked several odd jobs to support himself. Shawn Kaufmann later moved back to Chicago and worked his way up in the company/corporate way of life nearing a career for life.

In the 1990’s Shawn Kaufmann took what some would consider a irresponsible risk, and transitioned from a solid corporate position into an entry level entertainment position as Cruise Staff within the worlds largest cruise line with a whopping weekly pay of $175 which required him to work 70-90 hours a week working non stop 7 days a week without a day off for a minimum of 8 months (Ship's Contract). His personal record of working without a single day off turned out to be 15 months and 17 days.

Many envision working on a cruise ship as a dream life when in fact it's very long hours and a workload that leaves anyone weary at times but more importantly it was a great place to work for advancement as you were treated fairly and your hard work was rewarded with promotions and seniority. Shawn Kaufmann's personal record of working 15 months non stop resulted in propelling him from his entery level position of Social Host onboard to the position of Acting Cruise Director while only being with the company for 15 months.

Shawn Kaufmann used his skills to balance the need to sustain excellent levels of quality entertainment and maintain the satisfaction of guests, at a time when many other cruise lines were struggling with providing this same level of service and were going out of business the job was far from secure. The cruise industry is known for its emphasis on guest satisfaction and is very critical of it's employee's to deliver this level 24/7 as you are never off duty

Cruise lines face constant competition for repeat business, and it takes an especially astute individual to balance the demands for revenue and the need to provide an unforgettable vacation experience for guests, in an environment where everything can change instantly due to unforeseen circumstances (like a hurricane, medical emergency or even a cruise ship fire, Shawn Kaufmann was aboard the M/S Ecstasy in the cruise ship fire of 1998 in Miami Florida. A disaster that lasted days for the crew and leaving any logical person walking away from cruise ship life, Shawn Kaufmann took safety seriously and understood he was not just an employee but a crew member of a vessel which meant protecting others no matter what the price).

With success in the field came new opportunities and extensive responsibilities. Shawn Kaufmann was called upon to fulfill positions with increased levels of responsibility and recognition including Emcee of Ceremonies, Event Coordinator, Group Coordinator, Assistant Entertainment Manager, Back Stage Production Manager of Las Vegas style revue shows and ultimately Entertainment Director. Shawn Kaufmann created, hosted and coordinated hundred of small and large events involving hundreds to thousands of guests.

During Shawn Kaufmann's career at sea he took his onboard experience and success in the entertainment industries to take advantage of new opportunities presented to him by transitioning into other positions with independent companies onboard. The reason for this transition was that it allowed Shawn Kaufmann and his new bride Maggie to sail the sea's together and also work together. Prior to this they were in seperate departments resulting in being apart for months at a time as a ships's transfer could happen and often did at a moments notice. Shawn Kaufmann and Maggie sailed aboard 33 ships on several different cruise lines over the course of twelve years logging over one million miles at sea...

Shawn Kaufmann finished studies of Fine Art and persued his passion of being a fine art auctioneer. This experience was rewarding on many levels and Shawn Kaufmann performed over one thousand fine art auctions. Maggie soon worked along side Shawn Kaufmann as a Auction Manager, she also partcipated in hundreds of Fine Art Auction events both globally and throughout the United States.

Shawn Kaufmann and Maggie later formed a cruise travel agency which gave crew members a future on land helping them establish a living by providing their experience to future and past cruise line guests which provides the option to book a cruise with seasoned professionals who provide service at a Concierge level.

in 2009 Shawn Kaufmann's was busy working on a concept RV tour promoting vacationing on a cruise ship which would have spanned across America and taken two years to complete. The tour featured "Deck Party" style entertainment with a theme of "Free Fun For All". The three massive RV's were to be equipped with SVO fuel systems (Straight Vegetable Oil) solar and wind power and would have even touted a mini blimp! During this time Shawn Kaufmann was made aware of Electronic Cigarettes and on his off hours made the You Tube videos which was the the birth of Zee Cigs.

Shawn Kaufmann decided to halt the RV Tour concept allowing him to apply unexpected customer service and business concepts not normally seen in the online retail industry. Shawn Kaufmann admits ZeeCigs is not nearly as exciting as cruise ship life or a RV tour accross America but has found his presentation skills are a valued asset to individuals seeking advice and assistance regarding electronic cigarettes.

Shawn Kaufmann has been with his longtime sweetheart Maggie for over 17 years with 9 years of marriage and counting, through ups and down he understands that his success is directly attributed to Maggie who is his best friend. They met in Chicago ILL on a double date (both were with other dates) and the relationship took off from there. They both entered Cruise Ships near the same time with Shawn Kaufmann being employed first.

Maggie Kaufmann and Shawn Kaufmann work equally as hard at Zee Cigs and Maggie also helps Shawn with PayItForward Charity Auctions which has been a rewarding experience helping others in thier community.