Well, I made a big change....

I haven't kept to my standard of posting every Sunday. Primarily because I've been going through a transition in my life and 1) I couldn't let the cat out of the bag too early and 2) it was a change that was very hard. Okay, you may be wondering what the heck I'm talking about and here it goes (put on your reading glasses and plan for a few minutes of reading).

I have moved on from AdvancedMD. I know, gasp, catch your breath, reread what I just wrote, etc. It's unexpected for most of you because you know how committed I was to my job. I wasn't looking for a new job but one came to me.

See, for those of you that may not be aware, I worked at AdvancedMD for 7 years 10 months. I started working there about a month after Kenny and I were married. Haven wasn't quite 4 when I started and now he is 11 years old. I've worked with Michele Hilton (the best boss in the world) the entire time as well. She took a chance by hiring me as the Controller for AdvancedMD. And, well, the last 7.83 years has been an amazing personal growth opportunity for me. And I was so privileged to work with Michele as my mentor - teaching me all she knew. We had some really difficult times in the beginning years of the business but things turned around and the business flourished. AdvancedMD is an incredible company to work for and I am so glad I had the opportunity to be there for so many of the critical years. I made a difference. I know that and I'm proud of it. I worked my tail off every day and it made a difference for not only me but the rest of the company.

So, why did I change? (In no particular order)

First, my family needs me more these days and commuting well over an hour every day was taxing on my relationship with Kenny and with Haven. Not to mention all the long hours I put in over the years. The new company is in Provo so there isn't a commute. Anyway, I need to be a mom and a leader in this family and I've been doing the minimum and it shows. I am also in school full-time which is sucking up a lot of my time. So, that was a big reason - more time with my family because there isn't a commute to the new company.

Second, I have an ultimate goal in my career of becoming a CFO and that wasn't possible at AdvancedMD because Michele does a fantastic job and they will keep her forever meaning my options were limited. At the new company I'll have more options for growth and advancement expecting to be the CFO in a few years. I only see this type of advancement as a benefit as long as I don't have to sacrifice my family to get to this position. I told the new company this up front so there are no questions where my priorties are at - meaning the hours and workload will have to be reasonable to me so I can still be a wife and mom to the fullest of my abilities.

Third, the company that offered me a position is a smaller company right now. This is a very fun part of business that I really enjoy because the business isn't so big that you can't make decisions or make changes - it's the time for developing processes to be more efficient and set the standard for the future. (kinda hard for me to explain :))

Fourth, I get to work with friends I've had since I was in my very early teens. More specifically, I get to work with my best friend, Melinda, and her siblings. This is not to say that I didn't have friends at AdvancedMD because I made some awesome friendships with people I worked with (Michele, Amanda, Jenn, etc - you all know who you are). I will always cherish my friendships and stay in touch with my friends from AdvancedMD.

Well, these are a few of the things I thought about while I made my decision. On the flip side, I was very saddened at the thought of not working with my co-workers. I worked there so many years. I mean, how can someone just up and leave a job that is such a huge part of their life? This is where it is hard for me to communicate my feelings. See, I'm the type of person that emotionally invests myself into my work and in the people I work with. This change has been hard for me and I sense it has been hard for those that I worked with.

Friday Sept 12 was my last day and the accounting department, along with a handful of managers and other co-workers, had a farewell lunch for me. We ate tasty Mexican food and we enjoyed an episode of The Office. It set the mood of happiness and laughter. After the Office episode, Michele presented me with a memento from the company. A bowling pin with the company name on it and a plate with a cute saying (refer to picture below). I had everyone at the lunch sign the bowling pin. I was also given 3 cards that had been sent around the offices for everyone (165 employees) to sign and write me some words of wisdom.

This picture has my 5 year anniversary clock as well as my 4 corporate awards (Extra Mile award, Scholar award, Opportunity award, and Triple Play award) as well as some $2 bills Jim Pack gave out as recognition of "doing an amazing job" on a project and for being an "outstanding employee".

When Michele gave me the memento and the cards, she praised me for the work I had done. She said I left a great legacy - wow, little old me. She also wished me the best in my future endeavors. We shared some tears and then I got up and gave a few farewell comments. Man, that was hard to do. But my goal was to have people understand how hard it was for me to make this change and what an amazing experience it had been to work for AdvancedMD. I think I got my point across.

So, farewell AdvanceMD. I've moved on and you will always be a huge part of my career and of my life. I am thankful for everything AdvancedMD has provided for me and for my family. I'm thankful for the experiences and growth and I'm thankful I was part of the team. You are an amazing company with amazing employees and I will miss you all.