I guess I know now what it feels like to have writer's block. I didn't intend on being this long between posts, but here I am. It was my plan that this post would be about our financial situation and the struggles we have faced. But, every time I tried, what I wrote sounded like I was feeling sorry for myself. I also didn't want to reveal any really private information and it has been hard to approach this subject without doing so.
It goes without saying, when one goes from "working" to "not working", money no longer comes in. I was able to file for unemployment, but the amount I received was minuscule at best. On the subject of unemployment, I'll have to admit that I really had a hard time with it. I guess it comes down to pride because I felt that I was being given a handout. I firmly believe that if one is able to work, then one must work and I wanted to work! Oh well, the unemployment program is there for a reason, and I had paid in to it, so I had to get over my guilt. Besides, like I said, it was not enough to feel guilty about anyway.
I'll say that Kim and I had done a pretty good job of handling our finances. We had saved and put away where we could, so we had money to take care of our obligations in the beginning. We found out though, it goes out much faster than it comes in. It was an obvious fact that we had taken for granted just how much it costs just to live each day. We quickly learned that we had to be more frugal and had to cut out many of the luxuries upon which we had become accustomed. We did not (and do not) live an extravagant, carefree lifestyle, but little things like going out to eat lunch after church on Sunday had to be set aside. To this day, we still do not go out to eat after church, but there is a plus side. The time we now spend together preparing a Sunday afternoon meal has become cherished time. Where once we might have gone out to a movie, we now stay home and play a board game or work a puzzle or go for a walk. This gives us the opportunity to talk to one another and these opportunities mean a great deal to me.
Well, I think I have done a good job skating around the given subject of finances, other than state the obvious, so I'll get to the real meat of what I want to say. A few weeks ago, Jimmy Stewart, our Pastor at First Baptist Church Olive Branch gave a message on Matthew 25: 14 - 30. This was Jesus "Parable of the Talents" The story tells of a man about to go on a trip. Before he was to leave, he brought in three individuals that worked for him. He gave each of them a number of "talents"; a talent is a sum of money. He wanted each of them to invest the money on his behalf while he was gone. He gave each individual an amount based on each of their abilities. He gave the first, five talents, the second, two talents and the third, one talent. The two individuals that received the five talents and the two talents immediately went to work with money. Each of them, in time, had doubled their master's money. However, the third individual was afraid of the punishment he would receive if he lost the money so he hid it away. Upon returning from his trip, the master called the individuals in to make account of his money. The first two showed where they had worked hard and doubled the five talents into ten and the two talents into four. The master praised the two for their efforts and invited them to celebrate with him for what they had done. He even rewarded them by increasing their responsibilities because they had shown that they could handle it. But, the third individual when he explained that he was afraid of the punishment he would receive if he lost the money, was in fact punished. The master called him evil and lazy because instead of hiding the money, he could have at the very least put the money in the bank where it would have earned interest. So the third individual was banished.
Jesus point to this parable is simple; what is expected of us is relative to what we have been given. Each individual in this story was given an amount based on their known ability and on the expected return.
This message spoke deeply to me on a couple of different levels. First, one might think that maybe God was punishing me by losing my job because maybe I did not put forth the effort that I should have. So, that responsibility was taken from me. Personally, I don't think this was the case. Although this sounds prideful on my part, I firmly believe that it is God's way of preparing us for what He has planned for us. He is not using this to test our faith, but as a mean to help our faith in Him grow. Like those in the parable given the talents, are we going to continue to do the best we can with what we are given or are we going to hide it away in fear of what might happen. Secondly, this message spoke to me by revealing that I had become like the individual given the one talent. Even though I was outwardly saying, "God I have faith that You will see us through this, so I will continue to do what is expected of me", inwardly I was still holding on and trying to figure out how I was going to fix things myself. In other words, I was giving it over to God, but not letting go. The first evidence of this was in our offering to the church. We never stopped giving, but we were not being faithful in the amount we were giving. As a result, the joy that comes from being a faithful giver was gone. So, Kim and I made the decision that we must get back to doing what we knew was right in the area of giving and trust that God will provide. He HAS provided and the joy and inner peace has returned as a result. So, like the individuals given the five talents and the two talents, we are celebrating this victory. We look forward to what God has in store for us.
In the area of finances, the best advice I can give is the same advice that our parents gave which is, "Save for a rainy day." But, I will take it a step further and say, "Save for a thunder storm", because the storms can, and will be much worse than we can imagine. Even better advice I can give is do the best with what you have been given and trust that God will provide. Then celebrate the results.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
The Job Hunt Begins
I need to clarify a couple of things. First, I am working now. Performance Marine in Sardis, MS was one of my accounts when I was with Godfrey Marine. The owners, Tracy and Beverly Williams were gracious enough to hire me to help at their boat dealership. I am very thankful for the opportunity that they have given me. Secondly, I missquoted Kim. I said that she had said it takes me, "5 miles to walk next door", her reference to me rambling when I tell a story. What she said was I go "Around the world to walk next door." I don't think that is any better, nor do I think that it accurate. She also said she would not chastise me, I think I'll leave that one alone but I digress...
It took a couple of days for the initial shock to wear off. I accepted the reality and thought to myself, "OK, where do I start?" Under normal circumstances, a few phone calls would have lined up a few interviews and I would be right back on track. But circumstances were (are) definitely not "normal". I knew that I needed to prepare a resume. In this electronic age, creating a resume should not be that difficult. I explored Microsoft's website and found all the resume templates that I could imagine. It was just a matter of filling in the information. But as I began to do this, I found that remembering dates and names and addresses and other pertinent things such as this didn't come as easily as I thought it would. I strongly recommend preparing a resume even if one is not needed. At a time as stressful as this, I found it extremely difficult, but I persevered.
Resume in my hand was an accomplishment, but I needed to get into the hands of a prospective employer. I began to use my "mental Rolodex" to make a list of all the contacts I had made over the years. I am thankful that networking is one my strengths. Through email and telephone I conversed with my industry peers. I became very good at telling the story because with each conversation I had to recite it over and over. I began to put together a database of human resource names, email addresses and telephone numbers. As I would call and speak with these individuals it became ever increasingly clear that the boating industry was "on her heels". Many times I was told of how valuable of an asset I would be to a company only to then hear that there were no positions available. Although that was not what I wanted to hear, I did appreciate the honesty. It was (and still is) amazing how many times I was told to "get my resume in as quickly as possible and I would be hearing back from them soon" only to never hear from them at all. An email is the most non-confrontational form of communication there is, but more often than not, I would not even receive that. One thing I have learned through this process is if I tell someone that I will call or email, then I make sure that I do it. One might call it unprofessional, but I call it down right rude when someone does not follow up when they say that they will.
Each day was the same process; phone calls, emails, follow up on leads (which were few). It was quite a bit like my previous job.
I would ask, "Did you get my information?"
"Yes, I did but I have not had a chance to look it over", would be their reply
I would then ask, "OK, should I call you back later today or would tomorrow be better?"
"Call me tomorrow" was the typical response.
Tomorrow's conversation would follow the same script. It was difficult to not get discouraged. There were days when I had trouble making myself make those calls. But, it had to be done.
It did not take long to realize that I was going to have to expand my search into other fields. Surely, my experience as an outside sales representative would carry over to another product. I found myself getting the same responses in the golf industry, pharmaceutical industry, hunting industry, food and beverage industry and many others. I did have some success with a company in Dallas, TX in the industrial supply business. I met with a recruiter in Memphis, TN and they flew me to Dallas for an interview. During breakfast with the recruiter, I was told that they would expect an answer that day if they made an offer. I thought this was quite strange and later during the interview with the President of the company, I was told that was not the case. They did make an offer and after careful consideration, Kim and I made the decision that it was just not the opportunity for which I was looking. It was extremely difficult to turn it down, but now, since time has passed we have found that it was the right decision.
I also tried a few of the online "job finders". These sites had a wealth of information. However, I was not at all prepared for the emails and phone calls that I began to receive after posting my information for all to see. I don't know if it was the sales experience, the customer service experience, the travel experience or what, but I think every "no name" insurance company in business called me. Most of them disguised themselves as "Financial Planners" or "Retirement Counselors". But don't get it twisted, it was insurance and not any kind of insurance about which I had ever heard. I do still visit those websites to look at the postings, but I removed my information a long time ago.
Time passed quickly on some days and very slowly on others. I was discouraged to say the least. It was hard to believe that it was already early October. I had been unemployed for almost two months. I needed work. Not just for the financial benefit, (I'll discuss the financial issues at another time) but also for my own mental well being. Desperate is a word I'll use although that sounds a little extreme, but I wanted to work. I began contacting department stores, home improvement stores, grocery stores and specialty stores. I couldn't even land a position with one of them. I was told, "You are over-qualified and we don't want to invest in training you knowing that you will probably leave us." One might take it as a compliment to be told you are over-qualified, but in this case it wasn't a compliment.
I had applied online with a major shipping company that is based in Memphis, TN for an account manager position. One day, I received an email from this company's H.R. department. As I began to read the email, I discovered that it did not concern the position for which I had applied, but it did invite me to an open interview for an hourly paid, general labor position. Like I said in the previous paragraph, I needed work, so I accepted their invitation. This was an experience the likes of which I had never had. I am going to refer to it as a "cattle-call". Upon arriving prior to the appointed time, I was greeted with a line of people that stretched close to a city block. After taking my place in this line and following those ahead of me into the building, I was given a number and told to wait along with the other 200 or so people. 35 was a nice number to have in this case. A brief introduction was made by a representative of the H.R. department, followed by 3 short videos explaining how the interview process would proceed and the duties of the job for which I was interviewing. I got to watch the videos in full 4 times before my number was called. Once I entered the second room, I was placed in front of a computer to take a 45 minute aptitude and personality test. Being that the video had explained to me that I was going to be taking packages from a container and placing them on a conveyor belt, I wasn't sure the relevance of "If I were a tree, what kind of tree would I be?" They didn't ask me to leave, so I guess my personality passed. From there I was taken to another room where I was finger printed and then taken to another room to wait with the rest of the "herd". One by one, we were called back for a personal interview. I was told in this interview since I was still there, then I probably would be hired; I had made the cut. One more time I was asked to wait with the "herd" (considerably smaller now) until I was called back by a nurse. She was holding a cup and asked me to go into the men's room and fill it, (that's all the details you need, or want). The interview process was complete. I was told that I would hear from them "soon". "Soon" turned out out to be close to 45 days, so now it was mid-November and I got the call to begin my career as a Package Handler. This was a part time job, averaging about 25 hours per week, but at least it was a job. I'll have to say that I have NEVER worked as hard as I did at this. I have a new respect for the people that "work" for a living.
Between Christmas and New Year's day, Tracy Williams at Performance Marine called and offered me an opportunity to come and work at his boat dealership. Although not the position I was hoping to find, it did get me back into the boat business. So, I tendered my resignation of my Package Handler position and Performance Marine is where I am today.
I am a firm believer that if a man doesn't work, he doesn't eat, so I had began to feel guilty watching Kim get up and go to work each day. Although the feeling wasn't justified, I also felt as if I wasn't doing my part to support my family. This situation was certainly not something for which I had asked, but it was hard to control the feelings of failure. My family, friends and faith were what kept me going during this difficult time. I had prayed that God would open the right door. I also prayed that He would close the wrong door. He did just that in both cases. I also discovered the meaning of a true friend. The ones that supported and encouraged me are a blessing. Most importantly, my family has grown stronger. Just last night, I hugged Kim and told her that I was sorry that 24 years into our marriage and we are still struggling. Her reply was, "Yeah, but we are together."
That's what has kept me going.
Next post, "Financials"
It took a couple of days for the initial shock to wear off. I accepted the reality and thought to myself, "OK, where do I start?" Under normal circumstances, a few phone calls would have lined up a few interviews and I would be right back on track. But circumstances were (are) definitely not "normal". I knew that I needed to prepare a resume. In this electronic age, creating a resume should not be that difficult. I explored Microsoft's website and found all the resume templates that I could imagine. It was just a matter of filling in the information. But as I began to do this, I found that remembering dates and names and addresses and other pertinent things such as this didn't come as easily as I thought it would. I strongly recommend preparing a resume even if one is not needed. At a time as stressful as this, I found it extremely difficult, but I persevered.
Resume in my hand was an accomplishment, but I needed to get into the hands of a prospective employer. I began to use my "mental Rolodex" to make a list of all the contacts I had made over the years. I am thankful that networking is one my strengths. Through email and telephone I conversed with my industry peers. I became very good at telling the story because with each conversation I had to recite it over and over. I began to put together a database of human resource names, email addresses and telephone numbers. As I would call and speak with these individuals it became ever increasingly clear that the boating industry was "on her heels". Many times I was told of how valuable of an asset I would be to a company only to then hear that there were no positions available. Although that was not what I wanted to hear, I did appreciate the honesty. It was (and still is) amazing how many times I was told to "get my resume in as quickly as possible and I would be hearing back from them soon" only to never hear from them at all. An email is the most non-confrontational form of communication there is, but more often than not, I would not even receive that. One thing I have learned through this process is if I tell someone that I will call or email, then I make sure that I do it. One might call it unprofessional, but I call it down right rude when someone does not follow up when they say that they will.
Each day was the same process; phone calls, emails, follow up on leads (which were few). It was quite a bit like my previous job.
I would ask, "Did you get my information?"
"Yes, I did but I have not had a chance to look it over", would be their reply
I would then ask, "OK, should I call you back later today or would tomorrow be better?"
"Call me tomorrow" was the typical response.
Tomorrow's conversation would follow the same script. It was difficult to not get discouraged. There were days when I had trouble making myself make those calls. But, it had to be done.
It did not take long to realize that I was going to have to expand my search into other fields. Surely, my experience as an outside sales representative would carry over to another product. I found myself getting the same responses in the golf industry, pharmaceutical industry, hunting industry, food and beverage industry and many others. I did have some success with a company in Dallas, TX in the industrial supply business. I met with a recruiter in Memphis, TN and they flew me to Dallas for an interview. During breakfast with the recruiter, I was told that they would expect an answer that day if they made an offer. I thought this was quite strange and later during the interview with the President of the company, I was told that was not the case. They did make an offer and after careful consideration, Kim and I made the decision that it was just not the opportunity for which I was looking. It was extremely difficult to turn it down, but now, since time has passed we have found that it was the right decision.
I also tried a few of the online "job finders". These sites had a wealth of information. However, I was not at all prepared for the emails and phone calls that I began to receive after posting my information for all to see. I don't know if it was the sales experience, the customer service experience, the travel experience or what, but I think every "no name" insurance company in business called me. Most of them disguised themselves as "Financial Planners" or "Retirement Counselors". But don't get it twisted, it was insurance and not any kind of insurance about which I had ever heard. I do still visit those websites to look at the postings, but I removed my information a long time ago.
Time passed quickly on some days and very slowly on others. I was discouraged to say the least. It was hard to believe that it was already early October. I had been unemployed for almost two months. I needed work. Not just for the financial benefit, (I'll discuss the financial issues at another time) but also for my own mental well being. Desperate is a word I'll use although that sounds a little extreme, but I wanted to work. I began contacting department stores, home improvement stores, grocery stores and specialty stores. I couldn't even land a position with one of them. I was told, "You are over-qualified and we don't want to invest in training you knowing that you will probably leave us." One might take it as a compliment to be told you are over-qualified, but in this case it wasn't a compliment.
I had applied online with a major shipping company that is based in Memphis, TN for an account manager position. One day, I received an email from this company's H.R. department. As I began to read the email, I discovered that it did not concern the position for which I had applied, but it did invite me to an open interview for an hourly paid, general labor position. Like I said in the previous paragraph, I needed work, so I accepted their invitation. This was an experience the likes of which I had never had. I am going to refer to it as a "cattle-call". Upon arriving prior to the appointed time, I was greeted with a line of people that stretched close to a city block. After taking my place in this line and following those ahead of me into the building, I was given a number and told to wait along with the other 200 or so people. 35 was a nice number to have in this case. A brief introduction was made by a representative of the H.R. department, followed by 3 short videos explaining how the interview process would proceed and the duties of the job for which I was interviewing. I got to watch the videos in full 4 times before my number was called. Once I entered the second room, I was placed in front of a computer to take a 45 minute aptitude and personality test. Being that the video had explained to me that I was going to be taking packages from a container and placing them on a conveyor belt, I wasn't sure the relevance of "If I were a tree, what kind of tree would I be?" They didn't ask me to leave, so I guess my personality passed. From there I was taken to another room where I was finger printed and then taken to another room to wait with the rest of the "herd". One by one, we were called back for a personal interview. I was told in this interview since I was still there, then I probably would be hired; I had made the cut. One more time I was asked to wait with the "herd" (considerably smaller now) until I was called back by a nurse. She was holding a cup and asked me to go into the men's room and fill it, (that's all the details you need, or want). The interview process was complete. I was told that I would hear from them "soon". "Soon" turned out out to be close to 45 days, so now it was mid-November and I got the call to begin my career as a Package Handler. This was a part time job, averaging about 25 hours per week, but at least it was a job. I'll have to say that I have NEVER worked as hard as I did at this. I have a new respect for the people that "work" for a living.
Between Christmas and New Year's day, Tracy Williams at Performance Marine called and offered me an opportunity to come and work at his boat dealership. Although not the position I was hoping to find, it did get me back into the boat business. So, I tendered my resignation of my Package Handler position and Performance Marine is where I am today.
I am a firm believer that if a man doesn't work, he doesn't eat, so I had began to feel guilty watching Kim get up and go to work each day. Although the feeling wasn't justified, I also felt as if I wasn't doing my part to support my family. This situation was certainly not something for which I had asked, but it was hard to control the feelings of failure. My family, friends and faith were what kept me going during this difficult time. I had prayed that God would open the right door. I also prayed that He would close the wrong door. He did just that in both cases. I also discovered the meaning of a true friend. The ones that supported and encouraged me are a blessing. Most importantly, my family has grown stronger. Just last night, I hugged Kim and told her that I was sorry that 24 years into our marriage and we are still struggling. Her reply was, "Yeah, but we are together."
That's what has kept me going.
Next post, "Financials"
Saturday, September 26, 2009
The Story
I'm not sure why I am doing this. I don't know if anyone will read it or even care what I have to say. Most certainly, I don't feel that anything I say will have any importance. I have been wanting to start a journal, which I know would make my high school writing lab teacher happy (she was my favorite teacher and made a huge impact on my life), so I guess maybe this is more therapeutic than anything else.
In order for any of this to make any kind of sense, I need to tell the story. Kim, (my wife), says that when I tell a story it takes me "5 miles to walk next door". In other words, she says that I ramble on and on. I just want to make sure that all of the facts are there to support my point. So out of fear of being chastised by her, I'll try to make this brief.
My entire adult life I have been in the boat business. My father in law, John, gave me my start at his boat dealership in Little Rock, AR. I began by working in the shop as a boat rigger; I put the boats together. I installed engines, trolling motors and other accessories. Usually after the boats had been retail sold because each new boat owner wanted different things. I also did minor repairs on the boats. John sent me to service school which gave me the ability to work on the outboard engines also. Now, I'll be the first to tell you that I am not mechanically gifted so the thought of ME working on someones outboard engine is a little scary. So let's say that my future as a mechanic was not very bright. The knowledge that I did gain from service school did allow me to be able to speak intelligently to the retail customers about their new boat. So, I was given charge of working with each customer in the pre-delivery process, showing them the ins and outs of their new boat, how to use it and how to maintain it. From there, I began to spend some time inside selling the boats. I do not consider myself a salesman at all. At the fear of offend someone which is not my intent, I do not like salespeople. I do not like to be "sold". When I make a purchase that requires the assistance of a "salesperson", I am immediately turned off by the pushy type. I want someone to help me make a purchase. For that reason, I have always tried to treat people the same way. If someone came into the dealership with the idea of owning a boat, I helped them purchase one. I never (and never will) tried to sell someone a boat. As time progressed, I moved to working inside permanently, rather than working in the shop. We never had more than a couple of people working as salespeople, but I kinda became a quasi sales manager. In this capacity, John taught me about how to buy our products from our suppliers, how to figure retail pricing and obviously how to manage people. John also began to teach me the management side of the business as a whole, so one could say at a point I became the manager of the dealership as a whole. John was ever present at the dealership and he was in charge so I in no way feel like I was "the man". Although my father was (and still is) the most influential person in my life, he taught me how to be a dad and a husband, John was (and still is) my mentor. John taught me many valuable lessons about business and how to treat people.
As time progressed and I grew at the dealership, I began to feel the itch to try something new. I always enjoyed working with the factory representatives of the products that we sold. Bill Atkinson who was an independent representative and John Mitchell who was a factory representative inspired me and encouraged me to try my hand in the "rep-ing" business. Bill hired me to work some boat shows in his territory. I really enjoyed working with other boat dealers in other states. I was able to use my knowledge for our dealership in Little Rock to help these dealers and in turn I gained some knowledge from them that I was able to use back in Little Rock. It didn't take long for me to figure out that this is what I wanted to do. With John's blessing, I set out to get a position with a boat manufacturer. John Mitchell recommended me to his company Godfrey Marine and they hired me to represent their Polar Kraft and Dynasty lines. I had found my calling. As time passed, there were a few transitions, I even left Godfrey to work with Bill as an independent rep for a time, but I was fortunate to be able to back to work for Godfrey and was soon representing all of Godfrey's boat lines. Side bar story, the Deputy family who owned Godfrey Marine (they sold the company; more on that later) were the most generous and honorable people I know in the boat business. I would like to think that if they still owned the company that I would still be working for them. If they started a new boat company, and I was given the opportunity, I would work for them again in a second!
Several years passed and I was blessed to meet and work with a lot of great people. I mentioned the Deputy family who is at the top of that list. I owe them a great debt. But business, as in life, changes. The Deputy family sold Godfrey Marine. All was great in the beginning, no major changes in our day to day business but slowly little things began to evolve. Let's just say, I did not like nor did I feel comfortable with the direction things were beginning to go. Another boat company had approached me about going to work for them so after much consideration I made the decision to leave Godfrey and accept the new company's offer.
The new company was (is) a family owned business. I felt more comfortable in this situation. I guess it's the "big fish in a small pond" theory. I felt like I played a bigger role in the business than I was feeling with Godfrey. I was also excited because I was going to get to work in a territory that I had never worked; the Northeast United States. Imagine a redneck from Arkansas calling on dealers in New York and Massachusetts. It was a little intimidating to say the least. But believe it or not, I met some of the nicest "Yankees" with which I still stay in touch. The people at Comstock Yacht Sales in Brick, NJ and Pier 47 Marina in Wildwood, NJ are awesome people. Yeah that's right, I said NEW JERSEY!!
Just as things were beginning to roll, the economy began to tank. There were many boat manufacturers and boat dealers that were beginning to struggle. Being a small company, we were able to make adjustments and carry on our day to day business. But things were continuing to worsen. Other manufacturers and dealers were starting to go out. I'm not going to make this political, so I'll keep those opinions to myself, but I will say that mistakes were made. I'll add that I believe a big part of the blame goes to the media. Not that the truth should be hidden, but I firmly believe that their news coverage built around ratings only, hurt our country deeply. Anyway, our company began to feel the pinch. Changes had to be made. On August 13, 2008, I was in a hotel room in New Jersey when I received a call telling me that I no longer had a job. I had become a casualty of the poor economy. The company fulfilled their obligations to me as far as income that was due me and did offer some alternatives but they were not realistic alternatives. I think they were offered as a means to ease their conscience, but the decision had already been made.
That brings me to this blog. It is going to be about the life trials of a self proclaimed "professional" that became a casualty of the poor economy, lost his job and can't seem to break back in. I'm not doing it as a means to garner sympathy but maybe someone might get some comfort knowing that they are not the only experiencing tough times.
Next post "The Job Hunt Begins".
In order for any of this to make any kind of sense, I need to tell the story. Kim, (my wife), says that when I tell a story it takes me "5 miles to walk next door". In other words, she says that I ramble on and on. I just want to make sure that all of the facts are there to support my point. So out of fear of being chastised by her, I'll try to make this brief.
My entire adult life I have been in the boat business. My father in law, John, gave me my start at his boat dealership in Little Rock, AR. I began by working in the shop as a boat rigger; I put the boats together. I installed engines, trolling motors and other accessories. Usually after the boats had been retail sold because each new boat owner wanted different things. I also did minor repairs on the boats. John sent me to service school which gave me the ability to work on the outboard engines also. Now, I'll be the first to tell you that I am not mechanically gifted so the thought of ME working on someones outboard engine is a little scary. So let's say that my future as a mechanic was not very bright. The knowledge that I did gain from service school did allow me to be able to speak intelligently to the retail customers about their new boat. So, I was given charge of working with each customer in the pre-delivery process, showing them the ins and outs of their new boat, how to use it and how to maintain it. From there, I began to spend some time inside selling the boats. I do not consider myself a salesman at all. At the fear of offend someone which is not my intent, I do not like salespeople. I do not like to be "sold". When I make a purchase that requires the assistance of a "salesperson", I am immediately turned off by the pushy type. I want someone to help me make a purchase. For that reason, I have always tried to treat people the same way. If someone came into the dealership with the idea of owning a boat, I helped them purchase one. I never (and never will) tried to sell someone a boat. As time progressed, I moved to working inside permanently, rather than working in the shop. We never had more than a couple of people working as salespeople, but I kinda became a quasi sales manager. In this capacity, John taught me about how to buy our products from our suppliers, how to figure retail pricing and obviously how to manage people. John also began to teach me the management side of the business as a whole, so one could say at a point I became the manager of the dealership as a whole. John was ever present at the dealership and he was in charge so I in no way feel like I was "the man". Although my father was (and still is) the most influential person in my life, he taught me how to be a dad and a husband, John was (and still is) my mentor. John taught me many valuable lessons about business and how to treat people.
As time progressed and I grew at the dealership, I began to feel the itch to try something new. I always enjoyed working with the factory representatives of the products that we sold. Bill Atkinson who was an independent representative and John Mitchell who was a factory representative inspired me and encouraged me to try my hand in the "rep-ing" business. Bill hired me to work some boat shows in his territory. I really enjoyed working with other boat dealers in other states. I was able to use my knowledge for our dealership in Little Rock to help these dealers and in turn I gained some knowledge from them that I was able to use back in Little Rock. It didn't take long for me to figure out that this is what I wanted to do. With John's blessing, I set out to get a position with a boat manufacturer. John Mitchell recommended me to his company Godfrey Marine and they hired me to represent their Polar Kraft and Dynasty lines. I had found my calling. As time passed, there were a few transitions, I even left Godfrey to work with Bill as an independent rep for a time, but I was fortunate to be able to back to work for Godfrey and was soon representing all of Godfrey's boat lines. Side bar story, the Deputy family who owned Godfrey Marine (they sold the company; more on that later) were the most generous and honorable people I know in the boat business. I would like to think that if they still owned the company that I would still be working for them. If they started a new boat company, and I was given the opportunity, I would work for them again in a second!
Several years passed and I was blessed to meet and work with a lot of great people. I mentioned the Deputy family who is at the top of that list. I owe them a great debt. But business, as in life, changes. The Deputy family sold Godfrey Marine. All was great in the beginning, no major changes in our day to day business but slowly little things began to evolve. Let's just say, I did not like nor did I feel comfortable with the direction things were beginning to go. Another boat company had approached me about going to work for them so after much consideration I made the decision to leave Godfrey and accept the new company's offer.
The new company was (is) a family owned business. I felt more comfortable in this situation. I guess it's the "big fish in a small pond" theory. I felt like I played a bigger role in the business than I was feeling with Godfrey. I was also excited because I was going to get to work in a territory that I had never worked; the Northeast United States. Imagine a redneck from Arkansas calling on dealers in New York and Massachusetts. It was a little intimidating to say the least. But believe it or not, I met some of the nicest "Yankees" with which I still stay in touch. The people at Comstock Yacht Sales in Brick, NJ and Pier 47 Marina in Wildwood, NJ are awesome people. Yeah that's right, I said NEW JERSEY!!
Just as things were beginning to roll, the economy began to tank. There were many boat manufacturers and boat dealers that were beginning to struggle. Being a small company, we were able to make adjustments and carry on our day to day business. But things were continuing to worsen. Other manufacturers and dealers were starting to go out. I'm not going to make this political, so I'll keep those opinions to myself, but I will say that mistakes were made. I'll add that I believe a big part of the blame goes to the media. Not that the truth should be hidden, but I firmly believe that their news coverage built around ratings only, hurt our country deeply. Anyway, our company began to feel the pinch. Changes had to be made. On August 13, 2008, I was in a hotel room in New Jersey when I received a call telling me that I no longer had a job. I had become a casualty of the poor economy. The company fulfilled their obligations to me as far as income that was due me and did offer some alternatives but they were not realistic alternatives. I think they were offered as a means to ease their conscience, but the decision had already been made.
That brings me to this blog. It is going to be about the life trials of a self proclaimed "professional" that became a casualty of the poor economy, lost his job and can't seem to break back in. I'm not doing it as a means to garner sympathy but maybe someone might get some comfort knowing that they are not the only experiencing tough times.
Next post "The Job Hunt Begins".
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