I’ve fixed my last headphone, answer my last phone with Ultrasone this is…., issued my last return authorization and posted my last headphone related post. I’ve cleaned out my desk and sent my goodbye email. I even took my dirty dishes back where they go. This sucks it really,really unimaginably sucks. It feels like I’m saying goodbye to a family member. And three sisters. I’m gonna miss this crappy shed that leaks when it rains. Dear life….please improve soon.
I just had a really great interview at a company that would be great to work for. I’m really stoked about the possibility of being involved in what they’re doing. There would be lots of opportunity to innovate, find new ways to do things push new technologies forward into the music industry. Its also really gratifying to get recognition for doing a great job at my former job against tall odds. So I’m feeling pretty good right now and the day is only going to get better from here on. More updates as events warrant…..
So I’ve been pondering this post for several weeks, editing it, rewriting it as things change. I think i’m ready to let it go now, that I can see the end. For the past three years to the month I’ve worked for and with some of the best people you’re ever likely to meet, distributing a german made product in the western hemisphere and unfortunately it’s coming to an end. Basically we were so successful, that the german company that makes our product decided that they wanted not a bigger piece of our market, but our entire market. They think they can do better than us which is laffable in the least. So they came over, set up their own distribution company on the west coast and terminated our distribution agreement over some ridiculous, trumped up claims. But they haven’t taken the time to understand how we did what we did. They haven’t taken the time to realize that their product, though good, wasn’t really that important to how we did what we did. It was always about doing something great, having enthusiasm and showing that to people and making them want to be a part of it. I think if you can truly believe in what your doing, success will take care of itself.
So the last few months has been fighting for the life of our company and consequently, when we realized we couldn’t make it work anymore, dismantling that company, selling off all of our assets and starting the process of finding other jobs. It all just sucks, cause we’ve all poured ourselves into this company and this product and to have that just destroyed by someone who’s only looking at the bottom line. You’re always told work hard and nothing can stop you, but it seems like greed and lies won this round. In the end though, I’m kinda glad not to be working for them anymore, if this is the way they treat people who do well for them, I can’t see why anyone with half a brain would want to work for them anyways. Bastards. I’m sad to see it go, I keep telling myself change is good and something else will open up. It helps sometimes and other times not. I hope that we can resurrect this thing in the future. It would be great to show up with a new product and be more successful than ever and throw that in their faces.
The forces of mediocrity cometh…
Taken from Seth Godin’s blog this morning, this one really hit home. This is the exact situation my company is going through at the moment. We did too well and someone (who things they’re) bigger, stronger and smarter than us, wants to take credit for it and take over the business. No matter that four people took a product from nothing to being the best selling product at a certain price point in the USA in just four years. No matter that we invested our time, sweat, tears and lives in this thing. It’s all about the bottom line. Not about the people. Not about the work done or the storms fought or the hills climbed. It’s so frustrating that people think like this. That we try to grab something for nothing if we can. That if we have to lie and cheat to take the easy road we will to get ahead. That we live in a society where that’s maybe not okay, but its excusable. Cause we’ve all done it at one point or another. So everybody just calls it the cost of doing business and looks the other way. Or looks for a way to get some of that sweet sweet cash themselves. I read somewhere a long time ago that you shouldn’t be modest about your talents. Don’t pretend you’re not as good as you are at something because when you do well it gives other people license to shine. To do what they do well. I’m beginning to think thats about as good an idea as communism. It works on paper but not in real life. I’m not saying we should all be mediocre, but be realistic about it. If you do too well, like the post said someone is going to try to take part of it. If you push to hard into new areas, someone is going to push back. It’s just disheartening to be going through it. Vent Vent Vent.
