It has been
two months since my last blog post. For almost three years, I have averaged a
post every week to ten days so this long break is unusual; however, I was a
little surprised when people started sending me emails asking if I had switched
blog sites or if I am “ok”.
So with the
calendar reading September 1, I figured my blogging summer vacation should end.
It was almost a year ago I wrote my most widely read post about getting “RIFed”,
fired, “let go” or whatever phrase you want to use for being sent
unceremoniously into the dark world of unemployment. When I checked my blog
readership statistics it was somehow oddly comforting that readers from over 25
countries using ten different browsers and nine operating systems connected
with my sad tale of corporate politics and pettiness.
In many
ways, the past year felt like my first expat years in Japan and China. Although
I was living in my home country this time, I was suddenly thrust into a new
world where I had no corporate infrastructure supporting me and was, for the
most part, flying by the seat of my pants.
Fortunately I have an insightful and supportive wife who quietly helped
me figure out what I wanted to do next. She encouraged me to keep a journal
which included the practical things I needed to do to ensure a smooth
transition as I worked my last few days but more importantly the journal
included ideas about my future – both my own and those from many friends who
called me to check-in. I also found out who my real friends are – in many cases
the people who supported me the most were not the ones I expected to “be there”
for me. I received many positive and humbling surprises as I found out many
people really did want to help me sort out my future. My desire to head back to
normal corporate life quickly evaporated as I began to talk to friends about
potential opportunities to work with multiple companies.
As the first
few weeks passed and I mentally “cut the cord” from the habit of driving to the
office or airport to start my days, I began to feel isolated and miss the camaraderie
that can exist in small groups even in generally unhappy work environments. I
came to realize that my feelings were a normal part of the emotional roller
coaster that accompanies any major life change. Fortunately in week 6 of my new
life I was off to Japan to sign my first contract. The idea that I am working
for myself is a bit of a misnomer since in many cases, I am working with old
friends who value my experience. The
first contract led to another with a major Japanese company just a few weeks
later. By April, I was working for several companies and had more than replaced
my corporate income. In early summer I
even managed to sign an agreement with a US company.
From time to
time I got calls from headhunters who told me that the individual that fired me
gave them my name. I found that
interesting since he never was one to speak favorably about me. I decided not
to spend too much time pondering that situation.
 |
| My days of being pictured in Annual Reports are over |
I became a
regular on Linked In which I
previously didn’t pay much attention to. I developed a much better appreciation
for networking and learned to enjoy working from home which I dreaded at first.
My days are flexible – a couple hours of work early, a visit to the gym or a
run, a little more work, maybe nine holes of golf, some phone calls, a walk
with the dog and a couple nights a week Skype calls with clients in Asia. My travel is down overall but next week I will
make my fifth trip to Asia in nine months so I am doing enough traveling to
keep life interesting.
As my “first
anniversary” approaches, I am considering new business opportunities and
looking forward to year two. Several friends who helped me over the past year are regular readers - all I can say is "thank you"
