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(Just Like) Starting Over

It can be humbling, knowing that we used to be highly regarded only to be discarded and forgotten.

9/1/2020 | Mike Schenker, MAS, Uncommon Threads

In a recent LinkedIn post, one of my connections bemoaned the state of his career.  Since COVID-19 hit, he, like many others, had his position eliminated as companies scrambled to cut expenses.  He put out feelers, looking for new opportunities within his industry…one which has been struggling for a few years and this pandemic thing ain’t helping one bit.

Been there done that.  Over the years I have had to go knocking on friends’ door and computer screens, asking that they keep me in mind should they hear of any opportunities.  It can be humbling, knowing that we used to be highly regarded only to be discarded and forgotten.

That last part might seem like a bit of an exaggeration but trust me: perception is reality.

Unless your name is on the building, you’re a commodity.  “Overhead”, as the Trophy Wife was once called.  When the “Personnel Department” became “Human Resources”, that’s when we became cogs.  We were no longer co-workers and associates.  We were now assets and liabilities.  As Bob Seger sang, we “feel like a number”.  I’d go with that as the title of this column but I’d already settled on the John Lennon piece.  

Like many of my connections…including the one in the mirror…it’s easy to become hard on oneself and question our abilities.  The associate to whose post I originally referred wrote, “…I am now in a situation where I am considering my competence level’. “I thought I was a relationship builder, but I am lonely without my clients and losing faith without my confidence”.

Having re-read that as I was copying it to this column, it was a gut-punch.  It’s hard to read…to hear those words in my head.  I know this person to have been an absolute rockstar, only to not be able to get phone calls returned.

I commented on my friend’s post that “…our value is not based on what others think of us but what we know to be true about ourselves. You’ve been a star and that doesn’t dim. Someone will see your true value”.  

But here’s the hard part to accept: at some point we may have to break away from our comfort zone.  Maybe it’s because we’ve been too comfortable is the reason why we find ourselves in ruts.  That little cozy nook we create for ourselves can oft-times have the walls collapse.

It’s at this point we need to consider options.  “Comfort” goes just so far.  Bills still gotta get paid.

This is where reinvention comes into play.  Maybe you’ve plateaued…gone as far as you could professionally.  Maybe the decision was made for you.  Maybe now is the time to reconsider next steps.

I read a great article about starting over.  The section headlined “How to Reinvent Yourself” featured some great ideas.  Two that rang true for me were “Try Things Out”, and “Muster Your Courage”.  Put on the big boy undies and take a leap of faith.  If it helps, wear a cape.  You know you rock that look.  Feel better about yourself.

The point of this is that you have to take action.  My final song cue for this column: “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.  My my hey hey”.


Mike Schenker, MAS, is “all that” at Mike Schenker, Consulting, where he assists businesses entering the promotional products industry, mentors professionals, and offers association management.  He is a promotional industry veteran and member of the Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York (SAAGNY) Hall of Fame. He can be reached at mike@mikeschenker.com.
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