My hard work didn’t pay off.
My hard work didn’t pay off because I was too junior and young.
In my early years, I worked very hard and the founder of the company took me under his wing and mentored me.
The company grew rapidly and we moved from one office to another bigger one. The team and subsidiaries grew as well.
One day, the founder showed an email to one of his GMs during a dinner session and said, “See, Mar Vin is putting in late hours.”
The GM did not reply. I was pulling late hours to 3:00am of sorts and I closed deals despite the tough competition.
The GM ran the subsidiary business well too. The good words from the founder on me didn’t go well with the GM, who was a star.
When the company was sold, I wanted to leave and see how the world is beyond the immediate team I worked with.
The founder kept me back to join in his new venture and I was told to join the GM’s side of the business.
I stayed to help but relinquished as a second class pioneer team without a stake. Maybe because I was too young and too junior. Maybe the rest of the management felt my early success was due to the founder who mentored me and felt I wasn’t ready to be made partner.
Things went downhill from there because I felt bitter and I would not have access to opportunities that can demonstrate my potential.
I could no longer work closely with the founder because his portfolio grew tremendously. All his aides were jostling for his time and attention.
And so, I left after helping out in the new venture for a year with a few deals anchored.
In hindsight, I should have left on a happy note instead of agreeing to join the GM’s team.
“选择大于努力”
“In life, choice matters more than effort.” Mar Vin, Foo🌿🪟
Many times in life, relationships and career, we give our best but we may not yield the returns proportionately.
It’s part and parcel of life. What really matters is making the right choice that works for us instead of just working harder and expecting good returns.
It’s also a lesson in life to not part on an unhappy note at work, and we should take in our stride to toughen ourselves.
This is my experience as a junior executive from many years ago.
Do you feel your hard work did not yield the results you expected?
I am Mar Vin Foo 🌿🪟.
Thank you for giving more despite the results.