[Rick Lee]

UPDATE

I'm in Germany now, got here a week ago and the company event is over. Most of my co-workers in sales said to me, either one on one or in small groups, that they are happy about how things turned out and how much better the vibe was at the event this year compared to previous years. Only one or two really slammed my old boss, but it was clear he didn't have a big fan club here. My good buddy who just got hired is staying for another week for training, but is really drinking from a fire hose. He hasn't gotten his computer or access to his emails yet. He'll have a full inbox of tasks as soon as he does. Two nights ago we were on a big boat for a ride up and down the Main River with the entire company. The CEO pulled me aside and said he understood how stressful the last few weeks had probably been for me, that he appreciated my work and had full confidence my buddy and I would be able to turn things around in the US in short order.

Honestly, I've traded one big problem for a set of bigger problems. But they are solvable and my buddy, a former Marine, has an even more can-do attitude than I do. I know we are gonna get our balls busted hard, but we can knock this out together. And the best part is that, when we start showing results, we are gonna be left alone, make good money and be free to do things our own way.