Never Saw That Coming
I just spent 2 weeks in Washington getting to meet my new granddaughter Hazel. It was wonderful and I did not want to leave...
(Took Amtrak there and back, thinking a private room reduced the risk. Absolutely loved the 46 hour train ride--watching the scenery was mesmerizing and relaxing.)
Went back to work on Wednesday. Catching up on emails on Thursday I got around to the corporate newsletter (we are a franchise) which only the owner and I receive. As I am reading it I hit a paragraph that says 'We give a fond farewell to MA and welcome the new owners of HWCG.' I read it 3 times because that is my boss and this company. I walked into his office and said 'Why does the corporate newsletter say you sold the company?' and he said 'Shut the door and sit down.'
On Friday he told the entire office (5 of us) at 1 pm and at 2:30 he left for good. The only reason I didn't cry was because I had done it yesterday. I spent the rest of the afternoon convincing the rest of the office that we will be fine.
I got MA to give me the phone number of the new owner and left a message introducing myself, welcoming him as our new owner, and asking when he might be coming in the office to meet us. He called back and said he appreciated that I reached out and he will be coming in on Monday.
My boss said that he sold us to a hands-off investor with the understanding that the staff was a well-oiled machine that would keep running itself. Which, actually, we pretty much are. MA said he set the sales contract up so that I will get a one year guaranteed contract with a substantial bonus at the end of the year, and that I will get the title of Managing Director. Which, for all intents and purposes, I am already--I have been with him since a month after he bought the franchise as his very first hire 11 years ago. 80 to 90% of the way we do things is because I set it up that way.
It's funny, I'm not freaking out because, unlike most of the times in my life when I am thrust into a new situation, I won't have to frantically be faking knowing what I'm doing. I can honestly say I got this. Though I am really sad because MA and I made a great team from the beginning, and he had always given me a lot of credit for our success. Although we occasionally disagreed, he respected my opinions. And bottom line, it was always obvious that for him doing the right thing for our clients always came before making money.
Ironically everyone in the office knows I am planning to retire in June 2022. Which also means no matter if it does go south, I won't have to deal with it for long. And I seriously believe knowing that I was going to be leaving factored in my boss's decision to sell now because he really didn't want to have to keep it going without me.
(Took Amtrak there and back, thinking a private room reduced the risk. Absolutely loved the 46 hour train ride--watching the scenery was mesmerizing and relaxing.)
Went back to work on Wednesday. Catching up on emails on Thursday I got around to the corporate newsletter (we are a franchise) which only the owner and I receive. As I am reading it I hit a paragraph that says 'We give a fond farewell to MA and welcome the new owners of HWCG.' I read it 3 times because that is my boss and this company. I walked into his office and said 'Why does the corporate newsletter say you sold the company?' and he said 'Shut the door and sit down.'
On Friday he told the entire office (5 of us) at 1 pm and at 2:30 he left for good. The only reason I didn't cry was because I had done it yesterday. I spent the rest of the afternoon convincing the rest of the office that we will be fine.
I got MA to give me the phone number of the new owner and left a message introducing myself, welcoming him as our new owner, and asking when he might be coming in the office to meet us. He called back and said he appreciated that I reached out and he will be coming in on Monday.
My boss said that he sold us to a hands-off investor with the understanding that the staff was a well-oiled machine that would keep running itself. Which, actually, we pretty much are. MA said he set the sales contract up so that I will get a one year guaranteed contract with a substantial bonus at the end of the year, and that I will get the title of Managing Director. Which, for all intents and purposes, I am already--I have been with him since a month after he bought the franchise as his very first hire 11 years ago. 80 to 90% of the way we do things is because I set it up that way.
It's funny, I'm not freaking out because, unlike most of the times in my life when I am thrust into a new situation, I won't have to frantically be faking knowing what I'm doing. I can honestly say I got this. Though I am really sad because MA and I made a great team from the beginning, and he had always given me a lot of credit for our success. Although we occasionally disagreed, he respected my opinions. And bottom line, it was always obvious that for him doing the right thing for our clients always came before making money.
Ironically everyone in the office knows I am planning to retire in June 2022. Which also means no matter if it does go south, I won't have to deal with it for long. And I seriously believe knowing that I was going to be leaving factored in my boss's decision to sell now because he really didn't want to have to keep it going without me.