On getting fired...

I had coffee with a friend today that is in a tight spot with her business. We talked about a lot of things but if I had to characterize a theme, it would be this:

The best thing is often on the other side of the hardest thing.

You can read about the hardest thing in my career below and how it lead to RevBoss, which has had plenty of ups and downs, but has been the best thing…so far.

Be good. Thanks for reading.

~Eric Boggs
CEO @ RevBoss

I started a company, formed a Board…and subsequently got fired by that Board. All in the span of ~2 years. Here is a quick summary.

It was ~12 years ago, but I still think about it a lot. It hurt and it was embarrassing. And frankly it was scary – my wife Kelly and I had a toddler and we were pregnant with our 2nd and our money situation wasn't good.

I knew that things would turn out fine, but just because you “know” something to be true it doesn’t mean that everything is immediately OK. (Of course things turned out fine, etc.)

It’s funny how time makes me think about that moment / situation through a different lens:

I’ve hired / fired / laid off a lot of people over the past ~12 years. Every time we decide to part ways with someone at RevBoss, I think about how I felt on that day. And I try to put myself in the shoes of the person that’s about to have a conversation with me that they’re going to remember for a long time.

It’s a weirdly sacred moment and I take it very seriously. I like to think I’ve done an OK job of it. Hard to say.

I remember the relief. The day after the deal went down, I slept late and watched Lethal Weapon on Netflix while my son napped in my lap. It felt like the weight of the world was off of my shoulders.

I’m constitutionally incapable of quitting things, but with a little time and space I felt like maybe the universe / Board of Directors did me a favor by sending me packing. Things got much better for me personally and professionally almost immediately.

I was afraid of doing the hard thing. Easy to see in hindsight, but I probably could have averted the decapitation if I had the courage to do the hard thing — cut back the team, narrow the product scope, simplify pricing, raise a flat/down round, etc.

I can’t remember if I just didn’t see it at the time, but even if I did I’m not sure that I would have had the courage to do what needed to be done.

My friends pulled me out of the funk. Sure “it’s just business” but professional trauma is trauma nonetheless. Even though I’d lead a team to build something real and meaningful, getting the boot made it all feel meaningless and it made me feel worthless.

After I licked my wounds a bit, I fired off a few emails and had more opportunities than I could shake a stick at within a couple weeks.

It’s why I’m quick to meet with a friend or colleague that’s dealing with hard shit or bad news — I’ve been there, I know how it feels, and I know that a friendly ear and kind word can go a long way in those moments.

The hardest thing ended up being the best thing. And I’ve learned the only way to the good stuff is through the bad stuff.

PS — Holler if things are hard and you need a friendly ear or a kind word. I’ll listen or share or help or make you laugh. Just let me know.