One Door Closes ....

By Ken Caputo


It’s an all too familiar story. The person who puts everything but everything into the job. The long hours… The missed social engagements…. Putting so much of all the other parts of their lives on hold.

I recently met a lady who fits the profile. She’s at the very top of her game. Held a prestigious position at one of the area’s premiere financial powerhouses.

Then the economy went south and the axe cut deep. All the hours… All the sacrifices… When it came down to it -- they meant nothing. The bean counters in some isolated part of the organization decided their shining star needed to be let loose.

Shock. Disbelieve. Then the effort to get back into the rat race. Almost immediately she poured all her energies into re-connecting with corporate America.

Only, some things changed. She took some time to take inventory who she was and what she wanted. She took stock of the way she was leading her life and came to the conclusion that something was out of balance. Out of whack.

In her quest to move higher in the corporation she concluded she gave more of herself to her job and the company. And everything else suffered. Mind you, this lady is gentle, highly ethical and extremely talented. She stabbed no one to reach the pinnacle. But, somewhere along the way she stopped smelling the roses….

The door closed on her and opened up a whole world of new possibilities. Her hunt for meaningful work lasted less than a half a year – record time in this crapola economy.

And the new company she’s joining? In interviewing with the CEO he stressed how his company respected the individual and actively encourages every employee to lead a balanced life. Of course this was music to her ears. After finding herself she now believes she found the place she never knew existed.



Ken Caputo is a marketing professional who relocated his family to the Greater Charlotte area from Central New Jersey a little over a year ago. He is currently consulting with Cristina Cassidy Productions of Charlotte, NC on a number of exciting projects.


Ken and Cristina are currently working on a series of videos exploring the world of the Greater Charlotte job seekers and emerging support groups. Look for it on the Web soon.