Jeff had the dream job.
He’d been recruited by a Fortune 500 company in 2012 and quickly rose through the ranks. He was mentoring 6 people, had a company car, phone, computer — and he was bringing in 6 figures.
But he needed to leave — ASAP.
And in this week’s podcast, he shares 4 significant moments that led to the need to quickly make a decision and leave:
The 4 Straws That Broke the Camel’s Back
- A Big Relocation
Jeff’s wife was 6 months pregnant — they were comfortable, close to family and friends with all of the support they needed to bring a child into the world.
But his company needed a project manager badly in Oregon — and he was the one to fill the void.
They asked him to relocate. Although Jeff initially said he wanted to be close to family, Jeff’s company told them that they needed him. And promised he could return in a few years.
Three years on — he was still there. Now the most senior person in the company. He wanted to go back. But when he flagged this — they told him it wasn’t possible for him to return.
- Family Illness
Then, his father was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma.
After telling his boss, Jeff asked if he could move back or transfer to be with his father — but both requests were denied.
Jeff was hurt. But he stayed, feeling a dedication to his clients.
Luckily, his father survived.
And he continued to work.
- Traumatic Events
In January of the next year, Jeff’s wife was pregnant with their second child.
But just a few days after the announcement, they lost the child.
Devastated, Jeff wanted to take care of his wife to get through this hard process together.
Instead of offering support on behalf of the company — he was now a senior for — he was sent to Alaska to Alaska.
Yet still, he continued to work for the company.
- Zero Acknowledgement of His Successes
Shortly after Jeff’s wife’s miscarriage — he was called to the office for his review.
He knew his numbers and was proud of what he had achieved, considering all of the stress and sadness in his personal life.
He’d also just been given a promotion, which signified he was doing well.
But his boss disagreed. And instead produced a 20-page document of how he could improve.
This was the 2nd time in Jeff’s career he had been reduced to tears.
They clearly didn’t value his work, care for his mental health, or about his family during the most devastating events.
Finally, Jeff started to ask questions. Particularly as he had been working on a side hustle for some time.
Could it become a business?
With the email drafted. By 2 am that night, Jeff had sent his resignation letter.
And 2 weeks later, Jeff moved his family to the Philippines to start his business there.
The Difficulties of Making a Decision — When You Have a Team
What follows in my conversation with Jeff, is the story of setting up his new company with over 40 employees in the Philippines.
Once again, he encounters situations where he could hold back and make a decision later. But as he is now the one in charge, the stakes are much higher.
Since his experience of not feeling valued, or having a manager not care for his mental health — Jeff was determined to not be that person.
We talk about
- How learnings from his previous experience influenced his decisions
- Understanding vulnerability and support in business
- Jeff’s learnings from looking at how he makes a decision today
Jeff’s story is a rollercoaster that, at times, is truly heart-wrenching — tune in to hear what he learned from talking through it on the podcast.