by Hope
We all remember when I lost my dream job back in the summer of 2022. The contract job that became a full time W2 role essentially shutting down my consultant business. It truly was my dream job. Working with a dream team. It was everything I could have asked for and I planned to stay there…
Then the woman who hounded me to come work for her full time…left. With almost no notice. And I was put in a very uncomfortable position. New management was brought in. And I was pushed out.
(By the way, that new management didn’t last a year.)
Do You Have Time to Talk?
Here we are three years later, and guess who comes calling? Yes, her. Well, she sent text messages.
We scheduled and rescheduled and rescheduled a call. And then it finally happened. Here’s how it went…
“Hey Hope, can you do this? I have a client that needs XYZ.”
Yep, looks like my freelance, contract work is going to continue to grow through not only my past clients and work sites, but also through my old corporate jobs connections. Grateful doesn’t begin to explain how I’m feeling.
On the Right Path
Many of you will remember how tumultuous my work life has been the last 8ish years. For the first 10 years I was in business as a freelancer/contractor, it grew slowly and steadily. It had two clients that were with me all those first years. Any fluctuations didn’t really rock the boat.
But when both of those clients left for different reasons over two short years, it rocked my core. I wasn’t prepared for it at all. (Since that time, owners of each business have passed on.) And I’ve flailed around and never seemed to recover the equilibrium.
Since this job loss, mentioned above, and my 5 year relationship ending, and the kids growing up and moving, I have flailed about even more.
But for the first time, I confidently believe I’m on the right path. Selling the house. Freeing myself to go. And slowly rebuilding my consulting practice. It feels right. I’m not lost. I’m not confused. And I’m not questioning the decisions I am making for the first time in almost a decade.
Hope is a resourceful and solutions-driven business manager who has spent nearly two decades helping clients streamline their operations and grow their businesses through project management, digital marketing, and tech expertise. Recently transitioning from her role as a single mom of five foster/adoptive children to an empty nester, Hope is navigating the emotional and practical challenges of redefining her life while maintaining her determination to regain financial control and eliminate debt.
Living in a cozy small town in northeast Georgia with her three dogs, Hope cherishes the serenity of the mountains over the bustle of the beach. Though her kids are now finding their footing in the world—pursuing education, careers, and independence—she remains deeply committed to supporting them in this next chapter, even as she faces the bittersweet tug of letting go.
Since joining the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015, Hope has candidly shared her journey of financial ups and downs. Now, with a renewed focus and a clear path ahead, she’s ready to tackle her finances with the same passion and perseverance that she’s brought to her life and career. Through her writing, she continues to inspire others to confront their own financial challenges and strive for a brighter future.
I’m so glad you are getting some new contracts. Congratulations!
I encourage you to reframe your thinking about your former boss, because the language you use to describe her is, frankly, a bit shocking. I’m reading that this woman successfully advocated for you to get your dream job. Then, after securing stable employment for you—and for reasons of her own which aren’t really your business—she left her job, but still continues to advocate for you years later. Do you genuinely feel like she victimized you? Do you genuinely feel like you were the Giver and she was the Taker in the interaction where she secured employment for you at your self-described dream job?
I hope she doesn’t read this post. I’ve helped connect a few people in my network to jobs. Of one of them publicly posted that I “hounded” them, or “came calling” (play on “came crawling”?), I would sever our professional relationship immediately and permanently.
I actually had the job as a contractor. She convinced me to become a full time employee and close my contract business.
Then very clearly did things prior to her abrupt departure that put me a very awkward position. She could have set me up for success.
And I wouldn’t call what she is doing now advocating…more using my skill set to get ahead with her own clientele.
I see your perspective. But I can’t say that I am better off with her in my corner. Nor do I really believe she is.
I’m just a means to an end with her.
She is calling to potentially offer you (or refer you to) some work. You’re not really in a position to decline.
Leave the past grievances with how things played at your dream job behind. Be wary, sure. But don’t carry an old grudge forward. Especially publicly.
Assuming the job expectations and terms are reasonable, accept the job/referral. Do it really well and take the win.
I wouldn’t trust her at all.