Charging Through Life

If you've ever worked in marketing, especially multi-level marketing, you know that they often use really cheesy catch-phrases to motivate the sales force. And the Execs. at these places always have those 'inspirational' framed posters in their office with generic skylines accompanied by motivation words like "Perseverance" or "Achievement." Well at Team Beachbody we are no different (or no better, however you look at it).

Earlier this year for our annual summit, we asked the question, "What's your Why?" as in, "What motivates you to be a Team Beachbody Independent Sales Rep (a Coach)? The question was asked to each of the staff employees as well. Our answers were posted at our desks. You would not believe the bullshit answers people were coming up with. Crap like, "My dream is to impact the world and help people achieve their health and fitness goals." Be honest people, you should have just wrote, "I know the CEO is going to read this so I'm going to stay what I think he want's to hear."

I had many smart-ass answers to the question "Why." Answers like "I come to work because the mortgage doesn't pay itself." They didn't like that one.
After a couple of failed submissions both parties agreed on the less douchebaggery, "I want to live credit card free." This was a true statement; I DID want to live credit card free. I just wanted to be paid a salary which would leave me enough extra to pay down the cards instead of opting for bankruptcy. Guess it doesn't matter how you get there, hu?

Problem now is, I have no more Why - no reason to stay here at Beachbody. I mean, yea, they are still giving me money, not nearly enough of course. But that's all I seem to be getting out of this place. I still have yet to find an actual career here, and I've yet to see any growth with my position. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Earlier last week I was informed that I now report to the Director of Production instead of the VP of Production. It's an attempt to create a more flat-level reporting structure. What you need to understand here, dear reader, is that I've always reported to a VP. And the Director of Production, funny and sweet gal that she is, doesn't know fuck shit about being a Director of Production. And she knows even less about what I do for the company. This is her first real job (she's an 40y/o actor so she's kinda' green to "the corporate life").

Then a glimmer of hope was once again dangled in front of my face; a Development Producer role may be created and I might be a good fit for it, according to the VP. I followed up with an enthusiastic email outlining why I would be a great fit for that position, how my strengths would play well in the position, and suggested some next steps we should take to move forward. My attempt was simply blown off and a pitch meeting was held earlier today without me. Message received.

By now you're probably thinking that today's blog entry is just a way for me to bitch more about my job and complain about how I'm being treated at my work. Not so!.... (OK, maybe just a little.)

What I came to realize is that I no longer have any motivation to excel at this company. And what's worse, I no longer see any hope for advancement. I've tried to come up with new reasons to stay and new options for growth but somehow they just haven't come to pass. Every time I approach a new job opportunity I am derailed with some lame excuse. And, quite frankly, I'm not invested enough to keep trying over-and-over.

I realize that Beachbody has become a psychological crutch for me. Being that we are in the largest opportunistic and capitalist society in the world during a recession that has seen unusually high unemployment rates, simply having a job can often seem like more than it really is. People tell me all the time that I'm lucky to even have a job. They say it's tough out there and I should stay put and not rock-the-boat. But that type of attitude never advanced anyone's career or soul.

Life is full of risk and rewards. You never get the latter without assuming the former. Being the logical one I am, I have never been one to assume much risk. I will do calculated risks, but rarely will engage in the "throw caution to the wind" risk. However, THIS is the time for such a plan. No other moment will ever come again in my life  to make a truly significant change. I've got no major responsibilities which means I have much less to loose. So I half to ask myself, "WHY NOT?"