One Year On

A year ago today I was made redundant. You might say I got in early to beat the COVID rush. Always fancied myself as a trailblazer ...

This was my first experience of not being in full time gainful employment since a brief spell in in the 90s. At that stage in life it was a non issue, I had none of the commitments and responsibilities one collects with advancing years (kids, mortgage, a fondness for nice coffee and decent Rioja). Inevitably it came as quite a blow. 

The build up to the redundancy was a fairly long and torturous saga that I won't cover in detail. In short the business I joined to support the founders ran out of money, momentum and mojo. It was a great shame. There was a fantastic team and enormous potential in multiple projects that never quite saw the light of day.  

In early Feb 2020 COVID-19 was only creeping on to the collective radar (the United Kingdom saw the third case confirmed on 6th), but it wasn't seen as a significant threat to everyday existence or short term job prospects. Little did we know!

First off I had a couple of weeks of down time. I was knackered. I had gone in to my previous role straight out of 16 years running, building, selling (and building some more) a travel business. My brain was gently oozing out of my ears and I needed to do nothing for a bit. A proper rest was long overdue.

In late Feb and early March 2020 I got active and had some very interesting conversations about a number of potential projects. I was getting quite excited. And then the wheels fell off - globally and big style. 

So ... what happened next? 

In many ways 2020 proved to be the most diverse and stimulating year of my career. I would be lying through my teeth if I pretended my income hadn't taken a "signifcant" slide (and there were some days when I got pretty low), but that's just one factor I have to consider. 

When I looked at the job market the odds of securing a full time senior role in a business that genuinely interested me seemed slim. That said, I did pursue one position following an approach by a head hunter. I made it to the final two; not bad considering I'd last had an up to date CV and attended proper interviews in 1997! It was good for the confidence if nothing else.

I had long hoped that at some point in my career I would transition to being a consultant or advisor working with a range of clients on different projects; I work best when there is some variety to what I am doing. 2020 just forced me to put this plan in to action around 5-7 years earlier than anticipated ... and without the hoped for safety net.

In April 2020 I launched Ballard Down Consulting and was delighted to secure contracts with three great clients by June. All three continue to work with me today. I also did some interesting work on a few short term projects, without exception every one taught me something new. 

In September I started chatting to the founders of The Firebird Partnership. Stewart Lambert and Ian Finlay were starting to see high levels of demand for their services supporting travel and leisure firms to survive and then thrive in a post COVID world. I was invited to join their ranks a month later. 

Being part of Firebird has been a fantastic experience. Whilst I have enjoyed all of my work for Ballard Down clients, it has been great to be part of something larger. Interacting with colleagues who have a broad skill set and wide ranging experience has been enormously stimulating when under virtual house arrest. 

So ... what have I learnt? 

I think my biggest lesson of the year has been that if you engage with people, ask for help, offer help or just chat, it can lead to some cool stuff. Pretty much every week I have had a thought provoking conversation with someone new. 

The last twelve months have definitely taken their toll (I suspect that when I finally get my lockdown bouffant trimmed my hairline will once again have crept backwards) but it has, in a weird kind of way, been a positive experience. 

Would I change anything? Oh yes! That's all part of learning though. 

"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer."― Randy Pausch

If anyone is now at the start of this story having just lost a job (or fear it may go soon) do drop me a line. I may have ideas or contacts that would help. It's crappy at first, but it may not be as bad as you fear.