I hope everyone had safe and happy holidays! Was great to have some time off before starting the new year and was looking forward to having a fresh start. To well.... just about everything.
Well, looks like I began to get my wish as I walked into work on Monday of this past week to find out the client I was working on decided to part ways with us. Without giving away all the gory details, this often happens at agencies - this was just very sudden and unexpected. Of course being in agencies forever, I've been through similar circumstances in the past. I've just always worked at large agencies, when there was client turn-over, they always found new things for us left behind to work on usually pretty quickly. But it's much different in a smaller shop, and I would be lying if I didn't say that I wasn't worried.
The good news was that I was able to get myself onto two new business pitches in the past week. They are extremely fast-paced, often grueling, demanding, terribly time consuming, take an enormous amount of coordination and organization - and yet I really seem to enjoy them. Somehow they fit well with my personality and work-style ; ) This was my first time working on new business at this agency, so it was a definite learning experience for me.
The really sucky part was that one of the pitches was due to be submitted on Friday, and come crunch time, I woke up with two infected eyeballs that burned like hell. I almost had to pull over a few times on my way to work and really shouldn't have been driving or operating heavy machinery. In a panic, I ran to my eye doctor for an emergency appointment hoping for some miracle drops so I could jet back to work to get everything done that was needed last-minute.
My eye doc took one look at me and immediately made another emergency appointment with one of the best eye specialists in Boston. As much as I went kicking and screaming, it turns out I have two ulcers on my eyes and am now doomed to wearing glasses for God only knows how long. After spending hours at the specialist, they basically gave me some drugs and told me I had to go home and rest. So much for being a part of the last-minute pitch! I totally felt that I let everyone down when it really mattered. Although feeling guilty and horrible, I also realized that some things are more important in life....such as being able to see! If I can't see, I can't work - it's as simple as that.
Anyway, going through all this in the past week - I have learned a lot about myself. The future is couldn't be more uncertain right now and surprisingly, I'm ok with that. Being a extreme type A control freak, this is new territory for me. Whatever happens, happens and I just need to be able to roll with it. If we don't win new business and I loose my job, we'll survive. And if things work out and we do win, I'll be able to start fresh on a new client.
Only time will tell I guess. In the meantime, at least I'll be able to see! : )
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