This is a story I’ve kept to myself for a long time, mostly because it brings me back to a career low I’d rather forget.
In this episode, I’m finally opening up about it — because as painful as it was, it became the catalyst for the work I do now.
Listen below.
1:19 I jumped at the chance to join a 40-person medical company as an assistant controller. The founder had built it from nothing, and I was eager to learn from him.
2:37 The worst part of that role was handling collections — I hated it. Every week, I had to pick up the phone and chase down overdue invoices.
3:26 I was at my desk, either wrestling with unbalanced books or chasing another $5 payment, when I made what seemed like a routine decision — I jotted a few notes on a scrap of paper and tossed it in the trash.
4:05 When the COO (my boss) found out I’d tossed the paper with my notes, she lost it. Right there in front of all my colleagues, she practically yelled at me, and the whole office went dead quiet.
4:49 After that public humiliation, I managed to excuse myself and head to the bathroom. What I remember most clearly is standing there, literally shaking.
5:56 Two months later after the incident, I quit and started Xen Accounting. And I’ll be completely honest — at that time, I had no idea what I was doing.
7:32 I’m not telling everyone to quit their jobs tomorrow. That’d be irresponsible. But if you’re not respected, not growing, or asked to do things that don’t make sense, it may be time to explore other options.
