There was  no question really when Microsoft offered.  Sure, moving the family from everything we knew to practically the farthest point away we could go in the US was a tough pill to swallow, but I was getting the opportunity to not only work for one of the best companies in the world, but continue to work with digital marketing and be a part of the startup that has now become Microsoft Advertising.

I put in four amazing years with Microsoft Advertising and made life long friends in the process.  It was a tremendous experience, and when I was laid off in May of ’09, it rocked my world.  I never imagined Microsoft would lay anyone off, but the economy had other plans.  The layoffs were never really about saving money, it was just to appease stakeholders.  Hell, Microsoft throws away millions of dollars on everything you could imagine.  But I handled it with grace, dignity and patiently waited as I knew in time as I would eventually find my way back in the halls of Microsoft.

10 months later that’s exactly what happened.  I was back, with a new group, and ecstatic that I survived.  However what I didn’t realize at the time, was that I was back for all the wrong reasons.  I was blinded by fear and the need to take the first chance I got to get back in.  Most people in my situation would probably do the same thing.  When you have a family to take care of, and a stable, well paying opportunity comes along, you jump at it.  Especially in these trying times.  And that’s exactly what I did.

Within a few months I realized quickly that the passion and love I had for working at Microsoft had disappeared.  It was the combination of a few things.  My initial tenure at Microsoft was not a traditional Microsoft experience.  I was working in a much different type of Microsoft.  A start-up atmosphere with lots of transplants across the globe, in the advertising industry.  This is much different then more established parts of the business.  This was a group I thrived in and loved being a part of.  It worked for me and was a fit.  However the 2nd time around, it just was never a good fit personally or professionally.  I was still surrounded by super smart, motivated people, but the role and the business were not a good fit for me.    I’m a marketer and now a social media guy at heart.  I’m a creative soul with an entrepreneurial spirit, and these are not qualities/traits that worked in this role.  I gave it the ‘ol college try, but after 10 months, I was checked out and ready to move on.

Another reason was my growing love of competing technologies and less favorable opinions of the home brew.  I’ve grown to love using the Mac platform for my computing, entertainment and mobile needs.  So much so, that I’ve purged myself of all PC products on the home front (sans Xbox…a true winner in the space).  Plain and simple, I lost my passion for Microsoft and their products and that’s a bad place to be.  It’s near impossible to show up to work everyday excited about what you do when you don’t necessarily believe in what you are doing.  This isn’t a knock on Microsoft, I just find myself more drawn to competing products.  Everyone has their own opinion, but for me, I just couldn’t find myself continuing to work for a company I no longer genuinely loved and endeared.  It wasn’t fair to me or Microsoft.

Finally, I grew tired of the vast layers of process, management and red tape in getting things done at a company the size of Microsoft.  I truly believe that the reason why Microsoft is losing battles against the Googles and Apples of the world is because they get in their own way.  There are thousands of crazy smart people at Microsoft, but unfortunately many of them are buried under layers of process and management that stifle creativity and progress.  Things take forever to get done when they don’t have to.  It’s frustrating to have great ideas and smart choices get stifled for all the wrong reasons.  It’s just not a culture that worked for me anymore.

So now, I move on to the next chapter in my professional life (blog post soon to come on that!).  I would not change anything about my experiences at Microsoft.  They have allowed me to progress my career, meet and work with amazing people, and provide for my family in a way I never have been able to before.

More to come soon!

I re-stumbled across a video I had made before my departure and couldn’t help but post it here.  For most that do not know me or anyone in the video, this probably won’t bring much entertainment value, but I felt I needed to throw it up on my blog and share with all those involved for a reminder of how great we had it for awhile.

If there’s anything I learned in my time with this team is that the most valuable thing in the world is waking up everyday not only loving what you do, but who you do it with.

First half is your cheesy photo montage, and the 2nd half has all the crazy video goodness.

If you were one of the lucky few who were part of this amazing team leave a comment and say hi!

Enjoy!

New Job

Started a new gig back in March.  I’m a Senior MVP Lead for Microsoft Office.  Fancy way of saying I manage the group of individuals that are professionally certified on the Office platform, and are the community leaders who provide insight, guidance, training, etc.  I’m their point person for the company.  It’s a pretty unique job, and I’m still trying to get my sea legs.  It will be awhile, and it’s certainly put the brakes on quite a bit of my social media involvement.  However I’ve got to get back on that bus, I miss it.

New Idea

I’m always going to be entrepreneurial in nature, and I finally got around to getting started on an idea I’ve had for quite some time.  I just finished reading Crush It, by Gary Vaynerchuk, and while I didn’t learn a ton, it was a bit inspiring, especially reading about his rise to the top.  The key takeaway for me was sticking to the premise of making sure whatever you dedicate your time to, is something you are passionate about.  You can’t fake that.  So I decided to work on launching AdultAthlete.com, a website that will be dedicated for adults who continue to compete in the amateur ranks.  Those that love sport, compete, and live a life of activity.  The site aims to be a place with rich content on a variety of sports, nutrition, equipment, etc., all geared for the 18+ demographic.  Still in the early stages, but I certainly plan to share my journey here as it continues to develop.  Be sure to visit the site for more info, or follow on Twitter and/or Facebook.

Tech Ed 2010 – New Orleans

I’m headed to Microsoft Tech Ed next week in New Orleans.  Never been to this event or the area.  Should be interesting as I don’t consider myself a very “techy” person, coming more from a Marketing background.  Regardless I always love to visit new areas, and I look forward to meeting a new group of people in a different part of the business.  Plus I get to put my video hat back on a help out with some interviews again.  More to share as I’m there next week.

That’s it for now.  I hope to get back on the blogging wagon, and share my insights on social media, community building etc. shortly.  Thanks for anyone that actually has stuck around!

More to come!

Now, 10 months later, and what I had predicted the day I walked out has come true.  They would want me back some day.  That day will be March 15th when I start my new role as a Senior MVP Lead for Microsoft Office.  Very much a community management type of role managing the relationships with Microsoft Office MVPs.  It’s an exciting and challenging opportunity that I’m thrilled about.  I always loved working in the halls of Microsoft, and I couldn’t be happier to be aligned with what I can no doubt say is an industry leading product that I love using.  Microsoft certainly has it’s work cut out in many areas, but I do feel like Microsoft Office is and always has been a winner.

A lot of people that were let go were angry, upset, and let their frustrations get in the way for a long time.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this whole process, is that it was never personal.  Yes, I think it was a foolish decision really only meant to appease stockholders, because let’s face it, the money never mattered.  But that’s one of the risks of working for a company of that size.  I truly believe that if you work hard, are smart, and treat people well personally and professionally, good things will find there way to you.  My patience and approach paid off for me, and I’m ecstatic to be back.

And to celebrate my new found career, I decided that it was time for me to enjoy my commute a bit more.  So I went and ordered this guy:

New job, new car.  Now I just need a new haircut….oh wait…