Well boys, when we look back at our lives we can always find events that shaped it, from the smallest to the biggest. I am at a crossroads today and will be for the next few days.....I have been in a quandary for the last while, maybe just maybe I can find some insight on SBR...why the hell not, right?
First off, I love my job. I have loads of flexibility, solid benefits, great pay and I get to make all of my own decisions. Until recently I had always thought that I would stay at my current company for years to come.
Four weeks ago I got a message on LinkedIn from a headhunter. This happens regularly and I typically ignore. I am in a highly competitive space and my title is Senior Sales Manager - Western Canada and that attracts a lot of companies that are looking to sell into a similar sector of the market. I am well known as I place a very high priority on the networking aspect of my job and it makes other companies aware of me.
So, I did ignore this message as well. So the Monday morning after I received the message I get a phone call from said headhunter. She represents my largest competitor in my space and they asked her to reach out to me. Flattering? Yes, for sure.
This company is the 11th largest publicly traded company in the world, with profits year over year in the Billions of dollars. Now, what do they have that my company doesn't? Well first off, room to move. At my current position I report firm direct to our CEO and aside from our SVP and VP of Ops there is nobody above me....nice in a lot of ways but at the same time I am a little bit handcuffed as I don't have any real verticals jumps that I can make.
So, I agree to talk with them. First their CEO (of their Canadian Division) flies in to Vancouver to meet me, that goes well....then their SVP Sales, then their VP of Ops for Western Canada. Each of these goes well and now they are ready to make me an offer, which I will have later today, for their VP of Sales - Western Canada.
The job pays well, sick benefits, etc. Here is where my problem lies....
Last week I mentioned this all to an acquaintance that happens to own his own company. It is a tech company and he has built two large companies in the past and sold them off (he isn't 'uber rich' but he does own a palace of a house in West Vancouver in the ocean and happens to have a sick where he has his fleet of 6 boats, two of which are yachts upwards of 75'). In other words, the guy is a winner....he builds companies that have value and has done it twice successfully.
Anyway....he immediately says that he had no idea I would be open to moving. We sit and talk for a while and we agree to talk more in a few days. Later in the week he comes back to me...wants me to be his VP Sales, offers to beat the above package and give me a stake in the company. Seems like a no brainer...or does it?
This company is already doing well....he started it four years ago and he is still in the capital raising stages, but they are getting closer and closer to breaking even now, with a current shortfall of only $25k a month. Three of his investors are literally some of the worlds largest companies (think Siemens and Johnson Controls) and he just brought a new investor in for another $3.8 million for 20% of the business (already a valuation of $19 million!).
My thoughts are these....
I will get an amazing education at the first company.
I will get better overall benefits at the first company, including pension, etc.
I will have complete job security at the first company.
I completely understand the market as the job is very similar to what I do now.
On to the second opportunity.....
I will have more flexibility at this company.
I will be higher in the food chain at this company (the first company has dozens of layers of VPs, SVPs, etc)
I will have a chance to be a part of something huge if it goes the way he expects it to, which could mean a lot more than a big salary. I see people with 'real money' all the time....and that would be nice.
Both are local, both will require similar amounts of travel, one across Canada the second across the world.
I literally have no idea what I want to do. Normally it would be easy but with a kid on the way...it is a bigger deal. I believe that this will be one of those moments in my life that I look back at and think 'wow, if I hadn't done that then none of this would have happened'.
Either way, I am a happy camper....not here to complain about making a decision like this..but I would like some insight from people other than friends and family.
D2D
First off, I love my job. I have loads of flexibility, solid benefits, great pay and I get to make all of my own decisions. Until recently I had always thought that I would stay at my current company for years to come.
Four weeks ago I got a message on LinkedIn from a headhunter. This happens regularly and I typically ignore. I am in a highly competitive space and my title is Senior Sales Manager - Western Canada and that attracts a lot of companies that are looking to sell into a similar sector of the market. I am well known as I place a very high priority on the networking aspect of my job and it makes other companies aware of me.
So, I did ignore this message as well. So the Monday morning after I received the message I get a phone call from said headhunter. She represents my largest competitor in my space and they asked her to reach out to me. Flattering? Yes, for sure.
This company is the 11th largest publicly traded company in the world, with profits year over year in the Billions of dollars. Now, what do they have that my company doesn't? Well first off, room to move. At my current position I report firm direct to our CEO and aside from our SVP and VP of Ops there is nobody above me....nice in a lot of ways but at the same time I am a little bit handcuffed as I don't have any real verticals jumps that I can make.
So, I agree to talk with them. First their CEO (of their Canadian Division) flies in to Vancouver to meet me, that goes well....then their SVP Sales, then their VP of Ops for Western Canada. Each of these goes well and now they are ready to make me an offer, which I will have later today, for their VP of Sales - Western Canada.
The job pays well, sick benefits, etc. Here is where my problem lies....
Last week I mentioned this all to an acquaintance that happens to own his own company. It is a tech company and he has built two large companies in the past and sold them off (he isn't 'uber rich' but he does own a palace of a house in West Vancouver in the ocean and happens to have a sick where he has his fleet of 6 boats, two of which are yachts upwards of 75'). In other words, the guy is a winner....he builds companies that have value and has done it twice successfully.
Anyway....he immediately says that he had no idea I would be open to moving. We sit and talk for a while and we agree to talk more in a few days. Later in the week he comes back to me...wants me to be his VP Sales, offers to beat the above package and give me a stake in the company. Seems like a no brainer...or does it?
This company is already doing well....he started it four years ago and he is still in the capital raising stages, but they are getting closer and closer to breaking even now, with a current shortfall of only $25k a month. Three of his investors are literally some of the worlds largest companies (think Siemens and Johnson Controls) and he just brought a new investor in for another $3.8 million for 20% of the business (already a valuation of $19 million!).
My thoughts are these....
I will get an amazing education at the first company.
I will get better overall benefits at the first company, including pension, etc.
I will have complete job security at the first company.
I completely understand the market as the job is very similar to what I do now.
On to the second opportunity.....
I will have more flexibility at this company.
I will be higher in the food chain at this company (the first company has dozens of layers of VPs, SVPs, etc)
I will have a chance to be a part of something huge if it goes the way he expects it to, which could mean a lot more than a big salary. I see people with 'real money' all the time....and that would be nice.
Both are local, both will require similar amounts of travel, one across Canada the second across the world.
I literally have no idea what I want to do. Normally it would be easy but with a kid on the way...it is a bigger deal. I believe that this will be one of those moments in my life that I look back at and think 'wow, if I hadn't done that then none of this would have happened'.
Either way, I am a happy camper....not here to complain about making a decision like this..but I would like some insight from people other than friends and family.
D2D
