The Offer

So a few weekends ago I posted cryptic Facebook messages about how super stressed I was. At the time I didn't want to talk about what was going on, but now that my decision has been made, I'll share. I was approached by another newspaper and they wanted me to leave The Grizzly Detail and come work for them. It was a weird position to be in, and I was very honored that this organization thought highly enough of me to seek me out and try to hire me. It was really difficult for me, because I'm a few things. Number one is loyal. When I fall in with someone, I tend to adopt a "ride till we die" attitude. My bosses at The Grizzly took a big chance on me five years ago. I was unemployed, had no print journalism experience, and no college to back up my claims that I really could do the job. And yet they brought me on, and ever since it's been full speed ahead. They've never told me no, never said "you can't do that", and never tied me down to just doing one thing. They made me a partner, and together we've built something special.

The second thing I am is very routine oriented. Creative types are usually very freewheeling, but I'm not really. I like my life to run a certain way. I like that I see movies on Friday morning, hang with my family all day Thursday, work Wednesday morning, cover Football games on Friday night. I get comfortable in routines and I hate the idea of them changing.

Ultimately I turned down the offer. I feel good about the decision, and I feel good about how it all got handled. In the end, it came down to the fact that I'm not done where I'm at yet. I've grown by leaps and bounds in my time with The Grizzly Detail, and I've had a chance to help the company grow along the way. We've made a difference, sometimes a small one, a few times a big one, and I don't feel like I'm done growing with this company. The newspaper industry isn't exactly thriving these days, and maybe I turned down the one and only offer I'll ever get. It's amazing to be presented with opportunities, and it's a true honor to have them brought to you instead of having to seek them out. It humbled me and inspired me to keep doing what I'm doing, because it seems to be working. And I'm happy with my life, and that works for me too.

So yeah, a whole lot of stress, a lot of consultations with friends and family, and a big life decision to stick where I am. It was handled well, and I'm still on good terms with that organization. That's good, because no one knows what the future holds, but for the present, I'm happy where I'm at. I believe in what we've built, what we continue to build, and the work we're putting out on a weekly basis. The day I'm not, I'm gone, but that day's not today, and I don't think it'll be any time soon either.