Nameless1 Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Yay, Deb! I'm so excited for you! On the building/customizing thing... you may already know this, but in any job that involves consulting for an individual client, a couple concepts help:You are the expert. You are charging for your expertise. It is okay to enforce doing it your way when the customer's way is insane.Changes cost money. Customers need to understand this and have it written into the contract.Be prepared to show the customer how your being right benefits him/her. Charm makes items 1 and 2 go down more sweetly. (Always phrase everything in terms of benefits to the customer. People see through it and they still fall for it.)Be willing to say no to commissions that are doomed from the git-go. People who are whack jobs before they hire you are likely to remain whack jobs. They're rare, but they're expensive to work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Be willing to say no to commissions that are doomed from the git-go. People who are whack jobs before they hire you are likely to remain whack jobs. They're rare, but they're expensive to work with Believe this one, you have had enough stress, thank you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Congratulations Deb!! I admire you because you Take Charge of life, not letting life take charge of you! ^_^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maresiedotes Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Deb, bless your heart!! I'll be praying for you and thinking good thoughts for you. I just retired from a corporate job that had really begun to get me down, and I can't tell you how wonderful it is to get away. A friend of mine in the same company also recently retired and told me that her rheumatoid arthritis hasn't given her a bit of pain since she lef!!! Can it be that stress can cause something as painful as RA? I guess stress can really be bad for us in so many different ways. Hang on to your dreams...don't let them go...and soon your mini projects will be flying...on very strong mini wings!!! Hugs to you Deb, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakyshaky Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 I am so glad you are going to another job! It is wonderful you will be able to have your minis even more too. I am wishing you a very blessed new job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Can it be that stress can cause something as painful as RA? Not cause it, but the stress hormones will definitely aggravate any autoimmune condition by producing histamines & other pain-producing chemicals in the body to make it flare up. DH & I both retired from our employer (we worked for state agencies) in the nick of time, all our career-service friends who are within five years or less of retirement are counting the minutes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted July 19, 2006 Author Share Posted July 19, 2006 People who are whack jobs before they hire you are likely to remain whack jobs.<giggling> When I read that, I thought, "Yep, and it'll be just my luck I'll run across someone who wants an invisible room somewhere." On the other hand, if I say yes then tell them they can't see it coz it's invisible, how could they argue with me? ^_^ :o (and then I thought, "If I subsitute the word "marry" for "hire", it's still darned good advice!!") All your tips are excellent Calamari and I truly and sincerely appreciate them. One of the things on my to-do list is writing myself a business plan and outlining my goals and guidelines. Even tho I'll be the only one who ever sees it, it will help me to define where I want to go and help keep me on track to my goals. I'm adding in your tips! stress hormones will definitely aggravate any autoimmune condition by producing histamines & other pain-producing chemicals in the body to make it flare up. <nodding in agreement> Very, very true!! Not to mention that high stress levels cause insomnia/restless sleep and when your body doesn't get that rest, you're more susceptible to illnesses, aches and overall ill health. I have some lingering problems with my liver after multiple organ failure when I had mono a few years ago and when I'm tired and stressed, it makes that problem a lot worse. Minis make it better because I relax when I'm mini-ing. Someone needs to clue in the Mayo clinic about that huh. Cats and minis will make us live longer and with less stress. Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 <happy dancing> Woooohoooo!!! <tossing confetti and popping the corks on champagne> Grab a glass and celebrate with me my friends! I handed in my resignation tonight. Yay!!! <twirling around in circle> It felt *SO* good! At the end of my shift, I hit send on the letter I'd written to the corporate president and vp's, then walked over to my manager, handed him a copy, and told him "I quit. Here's my resignation. My last day is the 12th. Here's my final time sheet. I believe that covers everything." and walked off. He was sitting there with his mouth hanging open when I left. For all I know, he still is. They just never clue in that people will only take so much abuse before they walk away. I told him a month ago that there was a limit to how much I'd take. Guess he thought I was joking. Of course, that's not the half of it and when they find out that corporate was clued in, I'll probably get fired tomorrow or Monday. They do that. In fact, they did it to one of my co-workers today. When someone who is a "potential problem" gives two weeks notice, they usually accept their resignation effective immediately and walk them out. So there's a real good chance that I'll get met at the door tomorrow afternoon (or early next week if they can't get my final paycheck by the time I get there tomorrow). <shrug> Oh well. I'm not real concerned about it. <happy dancing> If they haven't figured out that I fired them not the other way around, then they're more foolish than I thought. At any rate, I start the part time job on the 21st so if I have a little extra time, I'll just use it to make minis and get my business rolling! I've got 8 small to medium sized houses ready to build and sell so I think things are on the way. So.......<raising my glass in a toast> ............here's to life-choices! There's just not enough time to be unhappy in life. We always have choices. As the wisest person I know has told me when she's guided me thru life, there are three options to every situation. You can accept it, reject it, or deal with it. <nodding to Kathy> I tried dealing with it and it just stressed me out. There's no way I could accept it, so I chose to reject it and move on to a happier life situation. And now, <putting down the glass and picking up a paintbrush> I'm gonna go work on a sugarplum and happily sing along with Johnny Paycheck. <cackle> Deb <wandering off humming "Take this job and shove it"> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 <dancing> Deb's feeling better! Deb's feeling great! Deb's taken charge! See? It's never too late! Yea, Deb! Yea, Deb! Yea, Deb! <crawling off in pain from all that jumping & yelling...> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidiiiii Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Woohoo!! It`s a party!! (see conga line here) Congrats on having the guts (and cahonnies) to hand over that slip of paper!! You will feel much better and you will be doing something you really love to do!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maresiedotes Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Yay Deb!!!!!!!! What a freeing moment! You must feel sooo good. Congratulations!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakyshaky Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 I know things will work out great Deb! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hydroped Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Good for you Deb! Take a deep breath of freedom and give yourself a big hug - you're on your way to better things! -David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annette Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Crongrats Deb you deserve a big hug and a big toast (holding up a glass of wine) . I know you will be happier not stressing over that 'job' anymore. You'll do great with whatever comes your way. BIG HUGS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymew Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Deb - I'm just playing catch-up here with the threads since I've been spending so much time with my parents lately. I feel so bad for you that you've had to put up with such an awful employer for so long. Good for you to take the steps to move on. You're very talented artistically. I think you'll do very well in the business side of miniatures. The works I've seen you create are beautiful. Where I work is so free. The mayor and city councillors occupy whole floor in City Hall. The mayor loves animals. He and his executive assistant often bring their dogs to work. Down our wing (councillors) we, too, occasionally bring in our dogs, cats, guinea pigs. If Dudley (insulin diabetic cat) is having an iffy day and I need to get into work, I can take him along with me. I just pack up his litter box, food bowls, blankie and he'll sit in a chair in my office, or lay on my desk beside the keyboard and look out the window at the birds in the tree. I walked away from a full time career 12 years ago. I job share Thurs-Wed then off a week. I take the month of July off and the lady I job share with takes all of September off. Mid July to mid August (Council break) we shut the office down for another week (or 2) and just come in for a few hours a couple of times a week. Same at Christmas ... we shut down for a couple of weeks. With my husband being a shift worker it just made better sense to spend the time on our marriage and not in building a big bank account. Deb, I'm so glad that you've got something better. At least now you've made your decision and handed in your notice, you can start to put the time into the minis that you so enjoy. I'm looking forward to hearing how the Denver show goes for you. Best wishes as you turn a new corner in your life. I think that you're experiencing what Dr. Phil calls one of life's defining moments. This sounds like a good time in your life. Enjoy it. -Susanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggi Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Here's my bottle of champagne to celebrate. Good for you Deb--if they let you go tomorrow or Monday--enjoy the time off before the new job begins. Life is to short to endure being miserable. Best wishes and good luck!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted July 29, 2006 Author Share Posted July 29, 2006 Thanks for joining me in celebrating! Ya'll are such great friends! Yea, Deb! Yea, Deb! Yea, Deb! <crawling off in pain from all that jumping & yelling...> <giggling> I listen to Alice Cooper's late night radio show and he cracked me up recently saying we'd reached that age where we party with the really good drugs now...........bengay and tylenol. They didn't fire me today, but oh lordy, the dirty looks I was getting!! Apparently there were quite a few people knocked on their butts with the effects of that surprise explosion I caused. Wanna know the song I was singing all day? (think Little Shop of Horrors) ~~~Yah yah yah yah, yah yah yah, Yah yah yah yah, yah yah yah. Poor Deborah pushed a broom, nothing in her news but gloom and doom. Then she lit a fuse and give her room. She started an explosion, holy cow, that thing went bang ka-boom, and she's havin' some fun now. Some fun now (hot d*mn) what's she havin', some fun now (yes ma'am). She's a-havin' some fun now (oh boy), ain't she havin' some fun now.~~~~ heheheheheehehee Yes, there was dancing in the aisles too. Some of my coworkers caught on to what I'd done and there was quite a bit of covert celebrating going on. If nothing else, I at least lifted morale just a wee bit. And now I'm exhausted and going to bed. Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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