Creativity and Tenure Lives On With This Entrepreneur!
By Rosemary Augustine
An interesting thing happened Saturday night. I attended a Service Award ceremony with a family friend who had been with her company 30 years! The evening was filled with exceptional food and drinks at a local and very posh country club. The award ceremony was for employees reaching 5-year marks of service: 5 years; 10 years; 15 years; 20 years; 25 years; 30 years; 35 years; 40 years; 45 years and one person at 50 years of service. These were line personnel in scientific glassware manufacturing in Southern New Jersey. I was happy for my friend who not only received a gift of her choice (a healthy dollar amount to use from an upper-end catalog), but a nice certificate of appreciation, a hand shake, her picture taken and this fabulous dinner with 250-300 other co-workers, managers and guests.
I asked my friend about her company, since with so much doom and gloom about companies going under, closing and laying off employees, this company is thriving. The company is Gerresheimer (www.Gerresheimer.com) and is a thriving international manufacturing company with plants in Millville and Vineland, NJ, and 42 other locations around the world. “The benefits are great!” she said, “With Health Insurance and a 401K with a matching employer contribution, vacation, employee training, and team support.” “And,” I chimed in, “dedicated employees who have lots of tenure.”
So, as I sat digesting my delicious dinner and watching the awards ceremony, I became sad thinking how I never worked for any company longer than 3-5 years (and with many more jobs in the 2-3 year mark). I was saddened by the loss of perceived income and missed the camaraderie, the lunch room breaks and the posting of your vacation week so there was no overlap with another co-worker out at the same time. I soon became distracted from my thoughts, because it was time for my friend to receive her award, and I was suddenly busy taking pictures.
However, on my 60-mile drive home, I had an epiphany… “You’re an entrepreneur, Rosemary! You’ve owned your own company since 1991 – sometimes full time and other times running it part time. But you have health insurance, a 401K equivalent; generous time off; and lots of perks – including financial. Along with lots of exciting marketing projects, product launches, business brainstorming with colleagues, and a virtual water cooler whenever I wanted.” I continued to blurt out driving along a country road to get to the bridge crossing the Delaware River… “You left a job that although I had an office, you had no windows. Now, you work from a home office with the computer facing a wall of windows overlooking a grassy knoll with evergreen trees, walking paths and benches (of which I have painted and photographed the view many times)”…. “So,” I continued, “go home young lady, and print yourself a Certificate of Appreciation for 20 years of service! Who says you haven’t worked for a company for 20 years? If you’ve own a small business for the last 20 years, it’s still a company… and 20 years!”
With a sigh of relief, I recognized a difference. That difference is… I love what I do, I’ll never be laid off; and if something isn’t working, I decide to change it and maybe even change it the next day!” So…. To ALL the entrepreneurs out there… whether you are a newbie or a 20-year vet like me who has realized the importance of being your own boss… WE MATTER! We provide a service, or offer products… and some of us offer both. WE make the decisions. We MAKE a difference because we ARE entrepreneurs, and WE decide when we want a raise or additional benefits. I knew this long ago and forgot it when I went back into the workforce and ran my business part time. If you are truly an entrepreneur, how quickly you are down trodden, stifled and zapped of all creativity working for someone else.
So here is my certificate for 20 years of Outstanding Service as the President and CEO of my own company. The certificate says “We couldn’t do it without you.” Damn right! Here’s to 20 more years of service and the best is yet to come!
PS… If you are wondering who is Zachary Austin, Chief Operating Officer, he’s one of my feline partners who right now is sleeping on the wicker chair planning our next product launch! My other feline partner, Ziggy Stardust happens to be keeping my feet warm under my desk.
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