The Attention it Deserves
It’s snowed 2 feet in the week with more forecasted for today.. Obviously I’m going skiing today right?
I wish.
Over the past 3 weeks I’ve been in and out of the doctor and chiropractor attempting to solve ongoing discomfort in my lower back. I tried cautiously skiing through the soreness.. wait that’s a lie. My lower back pain didn’t stop me from my typical intensity of mogul skiing which resulted in increased stiffness. I need to give this the attention it deserves.
No skiing lately, but instead, a much-needed reset.
“Taking it Easy”
Similar to my back, my skis are in need of maintenance. Last week, I managed to snap my ski in half while “taking it easy” on the outback moguls of Keystone.
It’s nice to have friends with boats and vacation houses, but having friends who work at the ski shop is high on that list. I’ve benefited greatly from being homies with Andrew Nolan and Evan Shultz.
So, I load up my skis and head to the shop. Side note: If anyone from LINE SKI’s is reading this, I’d love to be an ambassador for your company..
The Ski Shop
Larsen’s ski shop is a truly special place. In a time where small, storefront businesses are being phased out by large corporations and online shopping, it’s a treat to see a thriving local shop like Larsen’s. When you walk through the double doors, it feels as if you travel back to a previous time.
It reminds me of Hahn’s Hockey Shop in the movie Mighty Ducks, and the surf shop from Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board.
You see racks full of ski clothing and the latest ski gear.. Basically a ski nerd’s dream.
The perimeter walls are lined with all the new 2025 skis and bindings.
I hesitate to take photos of people, but the shop was full of customers getting fitted for rental gear or buying new equipment from the racks.
I connected with Evan and we began working on my skis, removing the boot binding from my broken ski and reinstalling on my backup pair.
We complete the binding swap, and my skis are ready for action. No cash transactions when you help a buddy with ski maintenance, but instead, a fist bump and a case of Coors Light beer is the typical form of payment. In my opinion, just as it should be. A proper way to cap off a “throwback” experience at the local ski shop.
The End of a Chapter
Now I have a fully functioning pair of skis, yet my back still needs rest. The mountains are full of snow, yet I can’t go.. Okay well, I could go, but I’m making the mature decision to stay home and rehab my back.
The past couple weeks have been filled with humbling experiences.
Last Wednesday, I attended a scheduled meeting with my supervisor at work. At the meeting, my boss informed me that Saunders is struggling financially, and they had to release me from the company. In my 8 years of professional employment, this is the first time I’ve been laid off. Confusion set in as I felt I was one of the better leaders and upcoming project managers in the company. In less than 2 years at Saunders, my projects combined for a total profit of over a quarter-million dollars. Money aside, I created great relationships with fellow employees in the office, was an active participant in company meetings, and took on a mentor role to Nick Highsmith who quickly became one of top project engineers at Saunders.
I’m proud of the way I responded to getting let go by Saunders. In the moment I felt internal emotions of frustration and anger, but externally I showed understanding and optimism. I didn’t want Saunders’ last memory of me to be one of anger and challenging their flawed concept of leadership. Instead, I showed true maturity, thanking all the executives for hiring me and allowing me to move to Colorado. I was confident I would be on to better things.
Leaning On My Values
Leaning on my values has provided stability in times of uncertainty. In this case, I relied on my value of Faith. Not so much faith in the religious sense, but instead, having faith that things happen for a reason.
Upon being released from Saunders, I felt an instant weight being lifted off my shoulders. Reality is, I’ve been at maximum capacity workload and stress for months on end. A challenging owner on one of my projects.. wait that’s not how I want to put this. The owner was a straight up bully. Clearly, he had issues in his home life and used my project team as an outlet for his frustrations. When I brought this up to my supervisors, nothing was done to challenge the owner of the degrading behavior he acted with. There was superintendent turnover on 3 out of my 5 projects at Saunders due to underqualified people in roles of high impact. I could go on and on..
Anyway, rant over.. back to my values. As I’ve taken time to decompress, I’ve realized what gift this might be. Getting let go from Saunders allows me to quickly close that chapter of my life with no lingering baggage. A clean-cut split from a situation that wasn’t great. In a sense, Saunders and I broke up, and I’m not having trouble moving on.
As I think about the next chapter, I dream of a situation of less stress and putting a higher value on happiness, even if that means an adjusted role and a smaller paycheck initially.
The Pendulum is Swinging
The past 6 months have been tough.. there’s no other way to put it. A breakup that shook me, a state of depression unlike any I’ve experienced before (I’m on the other side of this now, YAY!), ongoing back issues, and a company and doesn’t want me.
Part of the human experience is dealing with tough times, no one is exempt from this.
And as I sit here today on 2/15/25, I’m pleased to report that overall, I’m pretty damn happy. I’ve been in these tough situations enough before to know the pendulum eventually swings back the other way. And other aspects of my life are proving that to be true.
One example is my recent “Ice Breaker” Speech at Toastmasters Speaking Club. I went in with total confidence and gave one of the most genuine, vulnerable, and influential grouping of words I’ve heard in some time. I knew the audience was intrigued by the unison laughter at my jokes and still silence after my serious remarks. I had everyone in that room in the palm of my hand.
Public speaking, I’m good at this.. No, I’m really good at this.
Writing the Next Chapter
As I reflect back on the tribulations of my former employment and bask in the success of my recent speaking endeavors, I begin to think about the next chapter. I’m using this in-between time as a total reset. To physically and mentally rest my body, to repair my skis, and to dream about what future employment could look like for me. Recently I met with my psychiatrist, Heather, to review this opportune time of life. She helped me to realize how much stress and displeasure my former work situation was causing. Not only was my mood impacted during work hours, but it had a great hindrance on my personal life as well. As I search for jobs, I’m allowing myself to seek types of employment that will result in more overall happiness. A more manageable workload from 8:00-5:00 will allow me to be present in personal relationships and building my speaking career. Seriously, I think I have talent in the speaking department, and I want to really give it a go.
My Time to Shine
I leave the ski shop and drive home in a heavy snow storm. The one I should be out skiing in. But I feel a sense of excitement about the future. Yes, today I’m unemployed and not able to ski the fresh snow, but perhaps a month from now, I will find work that suits my needs and ski endless powder turns with a clear mind and a strengthened back.
The metaphorical Chapter 1 of my Colorado journey is officially complete. But stayed tuned, Chapter 2, “My Time to Shine” is up next.
