Old Scores to settle ?

I would never be so unprofessional as to use a public forum like this blog to denounce the behaviour of a previous acquaintance or employer.

However, recent events within my own 'world of work' have made me ponder previous issues and previous job roles. You see, I've been 'self-employed'; an entrepreneur; small business owner (however you want to categorize it) for about three years now following being made redundant from a previous salaried role in 2010.

Being truthful, at the time being ditched hurt, badly.

This was at the height of the recession and with a young family, big mortgage and enormous chip on my shoulder it wasn't a great time for me. However, as is always the way you just get on with things - after three years of long hours, small paychecks and graft things have turned round remarkably - this is effectively what got me thinking. I've had an excellent few months, picked up some really great interesting new clients and introducer contacts to work with so now I'm asking myself how do I feel about my old company and colleagues.

Well the answer is I'm conflicted. I would now not choose to go back into employment - I have no 'boss' other than the self drive to succeed in what I'm doing. I would view myself as a thought leader in the social media side of the healthcare sector and could never have achieved that or the potentially unlimited earnings potential that I have now where I was before. In fact I think it is true to say I am totally different person now than the one who walked out of the ambush redundancy meeting I was lured to in 2010 - the thought occurs that if any of my 'managers' had thought about it they could have incentivised me to become that person when working for them and their business would probably be a hell of lot more successful than it is now - but who knows ?

Plus I've met a lot of good people and have a much larger and more lively, rewarding business network that ever before. But I still think employers at all levels should consider how they treat people and  conversely therefore I will not be forgiving or forgetting those people who made me redundant and here is why - they are not responsible for my success (i.e. the thought process that being made redundant gave me the shove to set up on my own etc) - I have not created and grown my own businesses (from literally a zero base) because I was made redundant, on the contrary. That was the creation of a situation and a very negative one at that - I turned that negative into a positive and the only person culpable for me paying my mortgage and earning enough to feed and home my family is me.

So I suppose the message of this blog post is threefold :

1) Take responsibility for your own future
2) Build up good clients and contacts
3) Carry a grudge, in the long cold nights (everyone who works for themselves will understand about waking up at 4.00am in the morning panicking) a good solid chip on your shoulder can both keep you warm and provide some essential focus !