Standing Still and Listening
First, this blog is long overdue. But finding time in front of my computer is very rare these days, and most of that time is spent returning emails and writing estimates (which I should be doing now). But as I sit in my office during what feels like the first 15 minutes I have have had to do so in weeks, I took a deep breath and opened my blog for the first time in ages. I had to knock the cobwebs off just to be able to write..
We have been running at a frenetic pace for the last 2 months, with no end in sight. The days count down, though, to our November excursion to New England, with 39 to go until we leave (not including today) . It will be a great time of decompression, and a much needed time of reflection. Because while we love our "Salt Life" getaways through and through, just a couple of months ago we were ready to jump in full time.
I have an unpublished blog entitled " A Mammoth Goodbye". Alas it will never be made public, as God's plan for us changed. But the long and the short is that we nearly made a change.
A big change
Dare I say a "Mammoth" change?
Yes, I think so.
I was ready to bid farewell to the Mammoth, a workplace that has really been a home for the last 8 years. The family feel that runs through these walls has only grown stronger through the years, and all of us long timers are incredibly proud that what we have built from the ground up has become the standard for excellence in Central Ohio. The owner, Matt Farris, started this company with a van and a few pieces of equipment. Now, everywhere you go in the Columbus area, you see us. So when the boss announced to the executive team early this year that we were being acquired by a larger corporation (Paul Davis Restoration), it was a bit of a gut punch. After all, the assumption was that when Matt retired, we would all take a stake in the business and continue the legacy as owners. A grand vision, but also a little self serving. This man who had piloted us to the success we are now enjoying deserved to go out on his own terms, to enjoy the fruits of his labor. And while I am excited about being a part of this much larger company now, when it first happened it really threw me for a loop.
So I started exploring options. From a one day trip to Charlotte NC for an interview to a long lunch at a local Panera for another, the opportunities seemed to be coming out of the woodwork. I had a very nice offer from the folks that own a large roofing company, but their communication skills were less than desired. And just when I thought I was going one way, a call from an old friend led me in the opposite direction. namely, south.
I have know Mark Meece for many years. Back in the early blog days, when I was traveling the country working for Belfor, Mark was the General Manager of the Cincinnati office. We had the chance to work together many times, and I always enjoyed those projects where he could share his experience and knowledge with me. I have always maintained that my time at that company was my education into commercial and large loss, and mark played a big role in that.
About three years ago Mark and I connected through LinkedIn. As we were catching up, he told me he was running the operations at a DKI affiliate in the Florida Panhandle. He asked me if I wanted to come down and work for him. I thanked him for the opportunity, but explained that with Tiffany's heart issues and the love I have had for Mammoth Restoration, where I have worked for the last 8 years, that I would have to pass. He understood completely.
Since then, every few months, I will see my old friend's number pop up on my phone. Always the same conversation.
"Ready to move to Florida yet?"
"Haha, no not yet" I always reply
"Ok, the offer stands".
About the time I was weighing my options,, the same conversation began. But it ended in a very different way. I told him if the offer was good enough for me to live in Florida and maintain my residence in Ohio, then I would be interested.
36 hours later I was on the road to Pensecola, Florida. I had enlisted my friend Dave, who also was looking for an interview, to help me drive. We arrived in the Sunshine State Saturday evening, spent Sunday morning in awe of the white sand and emerald green water, then interviewed with their team before heading home. By Monday evening, I had signed an offer sheet. I was all in. We were moving to Florida.
I was excited.
Isn't it funny how our God works?
A lump was in my throat as I told Matt I was leaving. He was visibly upset, but said he would respect my decision. He asked what he could do to keep me here in Ohio. I told him I was having problems trusting what I was being told, as there were a ton of underlying questions no one had answers to. Over the next few days we continued to talk, and both at work and at home, God began showing me what he meant in Psalm 46:10. Be still, and know that I am God.
So I have. And will continue to be. Until he tells me not to be.
I stayed home. Even as my work home changed.
The last couple of months have been a whirlwind. Meeting new people at the corporate level, watching my team navigate the transition while continuing to show up all the time for us. It is a dizzying, exciting, anxious kind of time here. The resources available to us seem endless, and they say they will support my career ambitions, give me a life on the road teaching and running large projects. But we will see where things stand when the dust settles, right around May of next year. Perhaps I will retire from Paul Davis the way I had planned to retire from Mammoth. Or perhaps a year from now I will be on the beach in Florida, blogging about how God led us there.
For now I count down the days to Cape Cod and pray that as I continue to ask for guidance, he continues to show me the way.
Have a great day everyone!
We have been running at a frenetic pace for the last 2 months, with no end in sight. The days count down, though, to our November excursion to New England, with 39 to go until we leave (not including today) . It will be a great time of decompression, and a much needed time of reflection. Because while we love our "Salt Life" getaways through and through, just a couple of months ago we were ready to jump in full time.
I have an unpublished blog entitled " A Mammoth Goodbye". Alas it will never be made public, as God's plan for us changed. But the long and the short is that we nearly made a change.
A big change
Dare I say a "Mammoth" change?
Yes, I think so.
I was ready to bid farewell to the Mammoth, a workplace that has really been a home for the last 8 years. The family feel that runs through these walls has only grown stronger through the years, and all of us long timers are incredibly proud that what we have built from the ground up has become the standard for excellence in Central Ohio. The owner, Matt Farris, started this company with a van and a few pieces of equipment. Now, everywhere you go in the Columbus area, you see us. So when the boss announced to the executive team early this year that we were being acquired by a larger corporation (Paul Davis Restoration), it was a bit of a gut punch. After all, the assumption was that when Matt retired, we would all take a stake in the business and continue the legacy as owners. A grand vision, but also a little self serving. This man who had piloted us to the success we are now enjoying deserved to go out on his own terms, to enjoy the fruits of his labor. And while I am excited about being a part of this much larger company now, when it first happened it really threw me for a loop.
So I started exploring options. From a one day trip to Charlotte NC for an interview to a long lunch at a local Panera for another, the opportunities seemed to be coming out of the woodwork. I had a very nice offer from the folks that own a large roofing company, but their communication skills were less than desired. And just when I thought I was going one way, a call from an old friend led me in the opposite direction. namely, south.
I have know Mark Meece for many years. Back in the early blog days, when I was traveling the country working for Belfor, Mark was the General Manager of the Cincinnati office. We had the chance to work together many times, and I always enjoyed those projects where he could share his experience and knowledge with me. I have always maintained that my time at that company was my education into commercial and large loss, and mark played a big role in that.
About three years ago Mark and I connected through LinkedIn. As we were catching up, he told me he was running the operations at a DKI affiliate in the Florida Panhandle. He asked me if I wanted to come down and work for him. I thanked him for the opportunity, but explained that with Tiffany's heart issues and the love I have had for Mammoth Restoration, where I have worked for the last 8 years, that I would have to pass. He understood completely.
Since then, every few months, I will see my old friend's number pop up on my phone. Always the same conversation.
"Ready to move to Florida yet?"
"Haha, no not yet" I always reply
"Ok, the offer stands".
About the time I was weighing my options,, the same conversation began. But it ended in a very different way. I told him if the offer was good enough for me to live in Florida and maintain my residence in Ohio, then I would be interested.
36 hours later I was on the road to Pensecola, Florida. I had enlisted my friend Dave, who also was looking for an interview, to help me drive. We arrived in the Sunshine State Saturday evening, spent Sunday morning in awe of the white sand and emerald green water, then interviewed with their team before heading home. By Monday evening, I had signed an offer sheet. I was all in. We were moving to Florida.
I was excited.
Isn't it funny how our God works?
A lump was in my throat as I told Matt I was leaving. He was visibly upset, but said he would respect my decision. He asked what he could do to keep me here in Ohio. I told him I was having problems trusting what I was being told, as there were a ton of underlying questions no one had answers to. Over the next few days we continued to talk, and both at work and at home, God began showing me what he meant in Psalm 46:10. Be still, and know that I am God.
So I have. And will continue to be. Until he tells me not to be.
I stayed home. Even as my work home changed.
The last couple of months have been a whirlwind. Meeting new people at the corporate level, watching my team navigate the transition while continuing to show up all the time for us. It is a dizzying, exciting, anxious kind of time here. The resources available to us seem endless, and they say they will support my career ambitions, give me a life on the road teaching and running large projects. But we will see where things stand when the dust settles, right around May of next year. Perhaps I will retire from Paul Davis the way I had planned to retire from Mammoth. Or perhaps a year from now I will be on the beach in Florida, blogging about how God led us there.
For now I count down the days to Cape Cod and pray that as I continue to ask for guidance, he continues to show me the way.
Have a great day everyone!
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