The Walk of Shame?

September 2009. "Hey Justin, can I see you in the boardroom?" asks one of my bosses (yes, one of them, good times). I, as the happy soldier, jumped up with a new deal in my hand and headed to the boardroom to discuss it. What's this? The bossman was in there, and also my old friend from HR. It didn't take a genius to put the pieces together on what was about to go down, but I was completely shocked. In fact my recalled quote was "are you &^*%#$% kidding me, I have a deal to get done". Classy as usual, I've never had a good filter.

Let's step back for a synopsis of my time at this place. Going on 10 years, climbed the ladder the old fashioned way (operations, to loan assistant, to analyst to lender), I had put my time in for sure. There was no trouble, no performance issues, not a real "firing". Trouble was I was still the FNG (ask your military friends if you don't know what this means), and when the spreadsheet popped out yours truly was on the block, low man on the pole. OK, two options here, wallow in self doubt (fat chance) or take this opportunity and find a more suitable home. I chose the latter.

After I boxed up my little work life (surprisingly into only two boxes), and two of my bosses escorted me out of the building I got to work. We took the side elevator at their urging, guess they didn't like the role in which they were being cast, I didn't envy either of them or my friend from HR.

So I don't call my wife first (I sent her a text later in the day, NOTE, don't send your wife a text telling her you just got canned, that will haunt you for awhile), I start calling my contacts, clients and other bankers I've gotten to know. Literally before I'm in the next town I'm scheduling a sit down for the following week. Lesson here? When life gives you lemons make some hard lemonade, invite some friends, throw on some burgers and dogs, crank up the music and channel a bad thing into something positive.

I spent the next two weeks set up in my temporary office at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier, running on the bike path, and re-connecting with clients, co-workers, and other folks that might be interested in my particular style of banking. I also spent some fun time with my kids! At the end of that period I had three offers, all pretty good, all with people I knew and respected, but one stood out. After screening the three with my clients (or soon to be clients again) I had made a choice. It was the smallest of the bunch that stood out so I went with it, having spent 10 years in the ever increasing land of bigger and bigger banks. Smaller also appealed because I grew up in a small bank environment (my Uncle ran a small VT bank called at the time Franklin Lamoille Bank).

What a great decision! Every year has been better than the last! Needless to say that sort of experience really lights a fire that has yet to go out. I have more flexibility than ever before, and as a result have been doing pretty well thank you. I do want to note that the place that carried my boxes is still dear to my heart, they trained me, nurtured me, and even now I have a super relationship with most if not all the folks over there (or their subsequent places). That has worked out really well for all of us and I feel these relationships will continue to work out well going forward. So this is definitely not a bash on my original home.

So what exactly is this then? Well its a story about a situation that very easily could have gotten me down, and rightfully so, but didn't. The approach was to take an opportunity that was presented and see it as such. The longer story is this is a very small state, and small industry. Take the time to make good connections in your bank, but also out at the other banks, these are the folks that will be with, or competing against you your entire career. Let them get to know who you are, how you work, and get to know them, so that maybe one day, if the bosses come knocking at your door, you will have a nice list of folks waiting to take you in.