Turn, turn, turn

I went to the dog park yesterday afternoon here in Columbus. Not really an event in and of itself, but when you consider the date, it was pretty significant to be in a sunny and warm park on January 7, watching the dogs pay in the grass and swim in the pond. A stark contrast to last year, when the snow kept coming in waves from the beginning of December until April, or so it seemed. The mild winter is one of many differences from last year to this.

I have to be at work in the morning. Like the dog park, heading into the office on a Monday morning doesn't set me apart from most of the population. But considering the failed experiment of the last few months, and the professional monotony I had found myself in for the last year or so, I expect to enjoy tomorrow as much as I have enjoyed the pleasant weather of this weekend.

When I turned the New Year into 2011, I was working on a project with Belfor that involved a major hotel. With 2 of my closest friends in the industry on the job everyday, I was fully in my comfort zone and feeling as good as I ever had about the company and my career. Working 7 days a week, it was easy to forget about the management change and subsequent chaos and negativity that surrounded the team here in Columbus. But when the project was done in early March, it was back into the instability and uneasiness that had engulfed the office here. Throughout the following months it became evident that I had hit a plateau and I could see myself starting to lose interest in the job I had once been fiercely loyal to. I felt flat and, though I tried, I could not seem to find the focus that I needed to do my job well in the midst of the chaos. After months of thought I came to the decision to leave and said farewell to Belfor at the end of September. Even though I loved my job there and would recommend the company to anyone, it was time to move on.

The challenge I took on with Kustom as the calendar turned to October was one I embraced. Starting an office in a new market intrigued me, especially with the success I had seen years earlier when I helped to start a new company that thrives even today. But after 3 months of trying to build the name recognition the way they wanted, I began to realize that maybe this was not the best fit for me. I was offered a new position and, while it was more up my alley than where I was, I debated giving up on Kustom would be the wise choice. Quitting meant admitting failure, something I have never been great at even when the lessons proved more valuable than the experience. As I struggled with the decision, I was called to an apartment complex on a Sunday morning at 5 am. I showed up as the fire was still burning and really pushed to try to land this project, with the feeling that this was my last best chance to make this work here.

When I left without signing the project, I was "encouraged" to follow up as soon as possible. I went home to check the news to see what else I could find out, and, in that moment, made the decision to leave. The news revealed that as I was trying to get our first job here, two young children were perishing in the fire. My stomach turned, and I wrote my resignation letter. Anyone who knows me knows that is not who I am, and that I never want to be that guy. This would be the nail in the coffin for my Kustom experience here.

I started with Puroclean last Tuesday morning and I immediately feel at home. There are certain companies where you feel like you belong. I felt the same way before, when 3D was in it's hayday and when Matt Carr led our Belfor office to feel like a family. The responsibilities are right up my alley, and the people all share the same approach that I do to this industry. I see it as a great opportunity to not only help a small company grow, but to re-affirm my ability to do this job to myself. After week one, I think we are well on our way.

Changes are constant and life always gives us new lessons to learn. In a year my life has been reshaped into something I never would have imagined. The world keeps turning as we set out on our adventures everyday, never knowing where we might be the next day, week, or year. The path may never be straight, though the sharp turns and hills seem to come along less often than before. But while the next steps may not always be clear from where I am standing, they seem to lead in the right direction more and more everyday.

Good night everyone...............

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