Rounding Third and Heading for Home

The Wisconsin experiment is over.  

The current gig started as a port in a storm.  It afforded us the chance to avoid a previous misstep and not uproot our lives.  Beyond that, it enabled me to get back into the outdoor industry; an area of deep passion and love for me.  

However, there was significant baggage that came along with the job in the form of a caustic culture that is almost impossible to accurately describe.  Paranoid.  Abusive.  Punitive.  I have stories that you won't be able to believe, and should we convene some day for an adult beverage or two, I'll regale you with some of the more egregious ones.  It will astonish you.

Due to this culture, I've had my eye on the West for a while now.  That being said, I will admit that there was definitely some Stockholm Syndrome that I was experiencing, and there were parts of my job I absolutely loved.  I believe that I did my best and most meaningful work of my career while there, and I was willing to gut it out to see if a payday might be in the offing.

Unfortunately, things turned for the worst these past two months, and reached a crescendo during my annual review which was ultimately used to "put me in my place."  In my entire life - work, school, whatever - I've never had a critique of my work that was so ignorant of my achievements (none of which were mentioned in an hour and twenty-minute review - not one) and so unfairly focused and obsessed on making an example of me and lecturing me on how much I suck.  It was sick.

Once that was delivered, I knew my time there was over.  I could no longer work for a company that had just frittered away the last remaining scraps of respect I had for it.

Fortunately for me at the time, I was engaged in a great dialog with a company that had a hell of a story.  They are on a massive growth trajectory, have low-hanging fruit all over the place, and need a guy like me.  And they're in Minnesota.  And they fit outside a massively broad non-compete agreement I was forced to sign as part of my hiring.   

Was the new opportunity perfect?  No, but then again, nothing is.  Regardless, I'm energized and so bullish on the new job.  I've already sat in on a meeting via WebEx, and damn near cried seeing how normal they were and how they treated each other.  Likewise, I've already made contributions that have been so welcomed and so appreciated and were accepted without the paranoia of how my contributions were screwing the company or were stupid.    

I formally start in a couple of weeks, and I can't wait to return to my beloved Minnesota.

We're coming home.