Moving on
I sit here today, February 2021 looking out of the patio windows and its been life changing. A warm sunny day in the south of France, I think back on the journey we have travelled in the last 3 years.
Could I have even contemplated this sitting in my office in 2018, another year started much the same as many before, target increased, staff to manage and motivate. The team have grown to more than 50 the pressure is constant and I'm not the only one wishing for a change.
The change moment
First came call from from my predecessor, did I want to follow in his footsteps by moving further away from the big city, this time the offer was interesting! It would be in the same jobs role within the same brand, I was planning a visit to see my sister and it was half way so said yes.
To cut a story short it was a good offer, they wanted me and my track record to change the business. They had poor results financially and more importantly in the eyes of their customers, 18 months later the end of 2019 the team had matured and was delivering the results for the business and the brand.
For me little had changed, maybe a few less hours a day at work and after travelling the 163 miles twice a week for more than a year we are living in a nice location but unable to sell our house we are only renting, not the plan we had to find a new life with little or no mortgage.
2020 COVID all changed we went into lockdown the business closed and Tuesday Mach 24th we locked the doors, little did I know 6 days later myself and 3 other volunteer would reopen the door and start looking after what was making National Health service staffs cars. It would be September before I would get all the team back to work many stressful conversation as we picked the team members to return like at school the teams are picked and someone always needs to be last I found that element very stressful.
Shortly after the team returned thoughts changed to what next we had nothing keeping us here and when we sat the suggestion came "how about we pack up and rent somewhere in France, the number worked we would be spending less there, we could take a break to recharge and then focus on different option for careers.
Whats the worst that could happen we spend a year in France and return to get a job.
With that in mind I resign, a huge shock not one saw that coming but all wished they had the nerve to do the same.