CHAPTER 2
2014, June 30

About 2 weeks after I quit I get a phone call from Brodan  asking me if there's anyway I can come come to Chicago for a day or so to meet with him and Chris.  However that's the morning I put Jasper down after the worst weekend in my life.

He tells me to take some time, but if I'd like to come down to see if I can get my mind off the pain for a bit he'd like to see me.  I agree because I'm so lost anyway and being at home just hurts so I tell him I'll be down after the 4th I'm going to the lake for a bit. He tells me that he got me a room at the Marriot here for the 8th and 9th. "Hey remember I don't have a job now I can stay at a lower end hotel." I try to joke but I figure a Marriot in IL is easily $140 a night.

"Don't worry about it I'm covering it. Just get here."

I stop and think a second and realize there's no way to take the train.  "Ok when are we meeting and where?"

"Well Chris and I will meet you at your hotel.  Please wear jeans because both of us want to."

"You got it."

The following Tuesday after the 4th I drive to Chicago. Once down there I check in and I'm given a message that the Illinois room is reserved and my party is already there.  "Where is that room?"

"Its on the 5th floor to the left of the elevator. They just got here about 10 minutes ago so you're fine."

"Thank you so much."

I go up and drop off my bags and freshen up a bit before heading to the 5th floor. Once there I spend the afternoon with Brodan  and Chris.  I'm able to finally tell them honestly what caused most of the attrition including mine. Money is huge, upper managements direction of more more more but not giving anything back and their direction not translating and matching what MM's are. Brodan  asks me  why I left and I tell him, Robin came in, didn't think I matched what she wanted in the role and I had just had enough of the bullshit. After dealing with Patty for 3 years 2 weeks of Robin was enough to make me say I'm done.  I never was able to get the team behind me because I was being undermined all the time. Joss directing Jen to log things wrong and then I correct it and he still gives her mis-direction.  Debbie complaining all the time about the training - but we all got trained by Kevin and succeeded. She lied profusely in her interview.  The constant scope crepe didn't help with the team moving from sales to mostly a catch all with customer service escalations reps, sales, and collections.

Chris is happy to hear the truth he thought for sure when we talked after Jessica left that it was starting to go in that direction but I didn't say as much.

"That's because I was trying desperately to put the good spin on things.  Jas actually quit 4 times, the last time I didn't try to save her she was becoming such a discipline problem I just didn't want her anymore."

"With what?" Brodan  asked.

"Attendance was her big one and the other was logging what she did, she wouldn't log calls or emails and didn't log sales - but then yelled at me that she didn't get bonus. If you don't prove you did something I can't pay you for it."

"Wow you hid a lot from us." Brodan  says a little disappointed.

"That was my job per EsT , to handle all the bullshit and give you results. I hated it but I knew my role, I'd been there long enough and companies hire a 3rd party because they want a clear production channel without the headaches right?"

"Well you definitely did your job, perfectly as far as I'm concerned, we never knew and if that was the goal then you did it well.  As for results even Bob and  Steve couldn't argue with the cost of 3 outside field reps you were able to employ 10 people and pull the same results as the field did. Problem is we don't believe in EsT with you gone."

"I don't believe in them either obviously." I smile.

"So what Bob and  Steve want is for there be an inside sales team but he wants it to be an internal group not hired out.  We've all talked and would like you to be involved in it as well."

"In what context?"

"Well, we want you to still work with me on the success of it but we need your mind and knowledge to help get it set up.  The team will be based in Boston when the company moves there."

"Would I need to move there or could I live in WI?"

"Until the team is up and ready you can live anywhere you want.  I'm not sure if they want you on site in Boston but I think they will."

"That's something I'd want to know before I make a decision, I own my house so I obviously like where I live."

"We'll find out."

"Would I have to go through the 50,000 interviews I hear MM is famous for?"

"No you're doing 2 of them now, Chris and I are interviewing you now can't you tell?"

"Brodan  you still crack me up. What about  Steve and who would I be reporting to?"

"This would be a Strategic Initiative so it would report to me when all is said and done." Chris says.

"So Chris what do you think of my idea before about having the Strategic Inside connection?  Working on conversions or is that handled by the Strategic team?"

"They for the most part do their own conversions I do like the idea though of one member of the team having a catch all role so if we need that extra body we'd have it." Chris says.

"Problem is we'd need to set a different standard for them and I hate comp plans."

"You and me both - but we'll work it out." Brodan  tells me.

That night Brodan  invites me over to his house and I meet his wife and we have a cook out.  Its a completely different world than I'm used to.  I ask him why Boston, couldn't the team work at a MM office in Chicago, isn't there enough of them.  There is, he tells me but  Steve and Bob want it completely internal so they probably aren't going to budge on Boston being where the team is.  At that point Brodan  see's how much I love his dog's instantly and he asks me what kind of dog I'm looking for.  I tell him it’s too fresh I just can't.  He tells me that he knows I need a dog in order to be happy. So I inform him that it can't be a Husky.  Jasper was the perfect Husky and another could never compete.  After talking for a while I let out that a Golden is probably where I'll head or an American Eskimo.  He smiles and says Eski's are great but barkers, I'm not a big one on barking, its just not for me so that's leading me towards Golden's.

Brodan  and I leave, I say goodbye to him and find out that he's going to push to  Steve and Bob that they come to WI with him next week to sign off on firing EsT .  He wants that company to know its because they screwed me over that they left.  "If they can make it they can do the final interview while there."

"Do I have to dress up and be fake or just be me like I was with you and Chris?"

"You'll probably have to dress up.  While they both know you they like formality."

"Alright then they better like getting interviewed right back, I'm not so sure about their turnover."

Monday rolls around and I'm a bit nervous on how things go with EsT , the team is told by Bob that they are no longer continuing.  He thanks them for the focus but the company is choosing to bring the positions internal at MM and will be out of the Boston office.  Anyone on the team is welcome to apply if they would like to work directly for the company.  Julie of course is pissed that he says it and they do have a few choice words.  When Brodan  and I meet for dinner at Fudruckers he tells me that they told MM they fired me for failing to fulfill my role.  Brodan  tells them both that he finds that hard to believe because I sent him my resignation letter, yes he knows I resigned because they were pushing me out and he's pissed that they did so because I was the reason they stayed as long as they did.   Steve echos that MM never paid for a manager under their contracts with EsT except for me. Bob echos that their lack of ability to recognize true talent when they had me is their big mistake.  He demanded all the information compiled and sent to me.

"What email address did he give them and why did he do that I don't work for you guys yet?"

"Serena, you've got the job trust me you're going to have to show up, look presentable like you always do, be confident in your skills and knowledge but Bob has your SSO and email set up.  Its the same one you had without the consultant behind your name.  You should have seen Robin and Julie when Bob told them that you work for us now. It was priceless I wish I could have snapped a pic for you."

I laugh and toast Brodan  and then ask him, "how much trouble will you get in for telling me all of this?"

"Lets just not talk about it in front of them shall we?" We both laugh and go home for the night.

The next day is the interview and as Brodan  told me I walk in confidently so I do.  They ask me a few questions and then they make a fatal mistake.   Steve asks me, "Why do you think you're the right person for this position?"

"Why don't you tell me Steve, you came to me I never applied."

Bob laughed, "Well you got us there.  We heard from EsT yesterday that you were let go for failing to fulfill your role.  Is that true?"

"No, I resigned and here's a copy of my resignation letter." I hand it to him.  "Was I forced to resign - pretty much. I was told I had 30 days to find a new position within the company because according to Robin who had known me for exactly 1 week I didn't have what it took to manage that team.  I begged to differ, I'm damn good at what I do, the results spoke for themselves. The team never missed a month during my tenure, I was given multiple awards but because some whiny people thought they'd be brave in their exit interview I got thrown under the bus. I won't work for an organization like that so I left."

"So what makes you want to work for MM?"

"I'm still looking into that.  I'm interviewing you as much as your interviewing me, remember that  Steve and Bob and I'm still not sure of the position."

"What questions do you have?" Bob asks.

"What assurance can you give that this position has a future.  As much as the turnover issue was a concern on the IST it was compounded and multiplied within your organization so I'm not very secure in there being a future."

That throws Bob and Steve into a tailspin.  They aren't used to being put on the defensive in an interview and it takes them a few minutes to satisfy me that there's going to be a future in some form for the IST for quite a while.

I tell them ok and I call the interview to a close with the question, "When do you see yourselves making a decision?"

"We already have we are prepared to offer you a position now. Strategic Inside Sales Team Initiative Manager, full benefits, life, health, dental, vision, disability etc. $175K a year with 2 weeks of vacation to start."

I glance over at Brodan  and he smirks like he knows this is where the negotiation starts. I want to flinch since this is the highest salary I've ever been offered but I have to be logical about this.

"You say this position is required to be in Boston, MA?" I ask Bob.

"Yes, as of April 2016 at the latest."

"4 weeks of vacation, and with the cost of living out there being almost 50% higher than where I live, and that I own a house here.  $300K"

"You won't have to pay for a car or any of those fees, 3wks/$275k." Bob negotiates with a smile liking that I'm not backing down. I look at him, knowing that if he's negotiating then he wants me in this role.

"4 weeks and $290K plus bonuses."

"You have a deal." Bob shakes my hand. "You're good in sales."

"I know my worth." I respond. "I work for Chris though right?"

"Yes and we will provide you with a company phone, car, computer."

"How about no car and you pay for my Monthly mass transit fees in chicago."

"I thought you lived here in WI?"

"I do but if I'm going to be working with Chris and Brodan  I figure it'll be easier if we can meet

in person sometimes, doesn't MM have offices in the city?"

"Yes downtown do you want me to secure you a office?"  Steve asked.

"Yes that'd be great, thanks."

Bob makes note of everything thats to happen and asks if I'll want the company car in Boston.

"I'm not sure yet it depends on where the office is so I can figure out if mass Transit will work."