Unwavering

The Great Recession from late 2007 through 2009 impacted millions of families. Most estimates believe between seven and nine million jobs were lost during this period, pushing the unemployment rate above 10 percent. The Youngquist family was not immune from this crisis. At the time, I worked for a Milwaukee based software and web development firm. AIG was among our largest clients. When the mortgage crisis began in September of 2008, three of our top four clients called and instructed us to stop work on all projects.

My employer made a very difficult decision. With a large percentage of our projects being put on hold, they elected to layoff 25% of their workforce. I was included among them with little hope of being recalled anytime soon. I still have very strong opinions about the lack of accountability for corporate executives who fostered this crisis. You can rob a convenience store for a few hundred bucks and get a stiff prison sentence, but if you steal or defraud the public of millions and billions, you get a “retention” bonus with no substantial penalty. On top of that, the American taxpayer foots the bill for the bailouts and economic consequences.

The financial impact on our household was significant. We were able to weather the storm by lowering my career expectations and taking what at the time, we called a “filler” job. One that would keep income coming in even if it was not part of my career plan. I took a step back in my career by taking a job doing marketing and business development for a local construction company.

The building industry during this time was frozen. There was a liquidity problem in the economy. If banks had no money to lend, there would be no construction. The public sector was a small exception, but even that sector was impacted. My message to my new employer was that it was not time to find new clients. Instead, it was time to get closer to their existing customer base. Fortunately, one of their existing clients was McDonald’s, a relatively unimpacted sector of the economy.

I embarked on a campaign to reconnect to the franchises this firm had done projects dating back 15 to 20 years. They had neglected to cultivate these franchises as they expanded or remodeled. It was astonishing to me that they would build a new restaurant or two and then never call them again. As the months passed, this strategy began to show slow but steady progress.

Unfortunately, it was not sufficient for the owner of the company. During one of my regular bi-weekly business development meetings, I updated the team on the funnel of opportunities. The owner, however, was frustrated by the lack of projects in the marketplace and the pace of reestablishing his neglected relationships. He proceeded to take it out on me. It was the most humiliating experience of my career to sit in a conference room as the owner literally screamed for the entire building to hear. His tirade stretched on for 20 minutes. It was obvious from this rant that I would again be out of a job soon, but not wanting to jeopardize any unemployment claim, I remained calm and absorbed his venting. When he finally finished, I merely said “I have nothing to add to my report so if you don’t mind, I’m going to go to my desk and get back to work.”

The owner was too shocked to object as I left the room. From that moment forward, I knew my time with the company was limited. Shortly after this incident, Amy and I had to attend the company’s Christmas party. It was an awkward affair. I spent much of my time avoiding the owner. Unfortunately, at some point I was forced to interact with him and he couldn’t resist taking a shot at me personally. Once again, I just let it roll off me trying to keep the larger picture in mind (stay employed as long as possible). Amy, however, was hearing none of it. I watched helplessly as she delivered sarcastic jab after sarcastic jab at the owner’s neglect of his own client base. She even inserted a veiled reference to his screaming at his employees. I was able to extract Amy from the conversation, but the party was a flop in its goal of spreading holiday cheer.

On the way home, Amy was mostly silent. Eventually, she turned to me and said, “Don’t you ever let anyone treat you that way again. No job is worth being abused like that.”

I just smiled in appreciation and said “I can take whatever anyone dishes out. My family’s well-being comes first.”

They were just words and they were more a reflection the owner’s abilities and character than it was of mine. She squeezed my hand in understanding and said, “It’s still not worth it.”

On the first workday of the new year, I was let go from that company. I am sure my immediate supervisor had somehow managed to convince the owner to wait until after the holidays. In the end, our goals were achieved. I managed to collect a paycheck for over a year. The job market soon improved, and I moved on in my career.

As I recalled this humbling experience during the recent holidays, I remember with gratitude Amy’s unwavering support of me and our lives together. She always had my back and supported me even when I didn’t necessarily deserve it. Having a companion and partner to share life with is a blessing we all too often take for granted. Comfort and routine often obscure that near constant supportive presence in our lives.

As we head into this new year, I encourage you all to pause in your busy schedules to appreciate that one individual in your life whose unwavering support and love gets you through those difficult moments. It is a gift that keeps on giving.