When I was 24, my world was in shambles. I was drinking to excess, partying like there was no tomorrow, and avoiding all responsibility. I got fired from a really good job that I was miserable at. I had Adrenal Disease and Alopecia and was completely bald. I had a relationship with someone I had no business being in a relationship with and it was completely tumultuous. I spent six months unemployed. I was broke, I was fighting unemployment, my car which I'd just paid off died and I was relying on friends for rides anywhere and everywhere. All of that led me to drink more and party harder.
I finally accepted a $10/hour job because there was nothing else out there and I was desperate. I was told it would be an 8 week temporary assignment and that there was no hope getting hired on full time because the lady I was covering was on maternity leave.
In those 8 weeks, I revamped all of the companies spreadsheets, helped organize files, learned some new things in the quality department and started doing inbound inspections and soaked up everything I could. Seven weeks into the temporary assignment, I was hired full time and given a $1.50 raise!
My boss was awesome. He was young and liked the same music I did. The quality supervisor was awesome and quickly became my best friend, which he remains to this day. 8 months into the job, they offered me a supervisor/management position... in California. 3,000 miles from home. I looked around at my life and knew I had to take the opportunity! So three months later I packed up my belongings and flew, one way, to Fresno, California. I met many struggles managing that warehouse and those employees. I fought battle after battle. I accomplished so many things. I made amazing friends. But 22 months later, I decided that journey was over. I had a going away party full of employees who told me I had made an impact in their lives, and they had collected money to get me a Go Pro Hero 2, they had JUST been released! It was extremely touching. I moved back to Ohio at my request and the company made a spot for me to manage a department. We opened a warehouse in Hong Kong and management picked ME to go train! How lucky was I? I got to go with two of my favorite colleagues and explore the other side of the WORLD. Things were going great. I had a department of 32 guys, most of them 18-22. We had fun, but we worked hard. I tried to instill in them what I had instilled in the group in California but it was not the same. These kids in Ohio were disrespectful, they were careless, they were fed from silver spoons at home so this job did not matter. I moved out at 17 and never knew another life. These were 22 year olds who still lived in their childhood bedrooms.
In July of 2013, I had to fire my four favorite employees. It was really hard for me. I knew it was the right thing to do, they had broken some major rules, damaged property, and posted all of it on social media. The stress this caused me was ridiculous. I felt like a failure, like I couldnt fix them.
I bid on a corporate quality position in November of 2013 and have been there ever since! I have built my department of only 5, all of whom are scattered across the country and report to me remotely. We work hard, are successful, have time to be silly and I truly enjoy the work.
Last night I got this text message out of the blue, from one of the four employees i'd fired over two years ago.
It was great to hear from him, he had always been my favorite and I had worked so closely with him. I smiled, relaxed and thought about what changed my mentality towards my professional life and it was truly rock bottom that changed mine. I hate that I had to fire them to show them the light and I hate that I had to get fired to be shown the light, but I am glad that we have grown up. And I am glad to have played even a small role in that part of his life. I know he is going to go on and do great things and I will still be here, working at the company that gave me the opportunity to grow up and do great things, honored to have had a small part of his world.
My break is over... I better get back to work!
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