A while back, when I was thinking of leaving my job, someone quoted John Maxwell to me:  You don’t quit jobs; you quit people.

This paraphrase resonated deeply within me..mainly because one of the reasons that I stuck it out so long at my job is because of some of the people. 

Managers and co-workers
When I started, there were only three offices open…Philadelphia, NY and LA.  I was the first AA hired, and I had the chance to get to know the managers fairly well.  A few months after I started, 5 managers were hired.  After their training in Korea, several of them went through my office, so I got to know them really well, not only in the office but outside of the office.  I admit that I bonded more with a few of the managers than the others.  And to those managers, I felt an obligation to stick it out so that I could help them be successful.  I really believe in these guys, and more than that, I actually like them.  I really hope that I will talk to at least three of them post-job. 

I met some great people while I was working for this company.  I have some great memories of the two people that I started with.  Traveling around the country, I’ve made friends with many people.  Facebook has brought me friends in the company that I have yet to meet face to face.  I was sad to leave the AA in my office.  She is a great woman…and God knows she is what that manager needs to help keep some semblance of professionalism in that office. 

Doctors
When I started, I liked dentists, but I had no particular passion for dentistry.  I remember meeting one of my core dentists for the first time, and frankly, I was scared.  He was kind of gruff; he ran/slid around his office.  I was completely overwhelmed.  When I visited him on Friday, he insisted that I give him my parents’ address and phone number so that he can always be assured that he can find me.  The doctor who now works in his office has been a bridge, for me, to Korean culture.  He took me out for my first Korean bbq.  He made me realize that I could be a leader in a corporate environment that does not encourage leadership, especially from American women.

One of my other core doctors has become…a great friend.  He challenges me to value myself more, and I have challenged him to do the same.  He encouraged me to stick it out, telling me, “Deneen, you can’t quit now.  It will get better.”  I won’t hold it against him that it never did. 🙂 I can see him in my life for a long time to come.