Lonni shares a chit chat that she had with one of her previous coworkers about how they were brave enough to leave a workplace that was no longer fulfilling them.
Lonni shares a chit chat that she had with one of her previous coworkers about how they were brave enough to leave a workplace that was no longer fulfilling them.
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Jalonni Weaver:
Hey, y'all. You're listening to Chit Chats with Lonni, a podcast that was created to unpack some shit while also amplifying black and brown voices. I'm your host Jalonni Weaver. And I hope you're ready to chit chat.
Jalonni Weaver:
Hey y'all. It is 11:22. I just got done talking to an old coworker and we had such an amazing talk. We talk every now and then, and they always update me on their life and what's going on. And they're an amazing person. When I worked with them, we had chit chats literally. Before I came out with Chit Chats, we would schedule time and just talk to each other and talk about real stuff in corporate America. They are a woman of color and we can relate with each other on a lot of things. And so their main goal was to get into business school and they had me updated on, if they get into business school, they want to leave the company that we worked for because it was just no longer fulfilling their purpose. We talked about it a lot and I'm a real advocate for, "If you no longer want to be somewhere, then leave."
Jalonni Weaver:
I know not everybody is able to do that. Not everybody is able to step out on faith, or willing to step out on faith in order to make the best move for them. But I'm a firm believer in God got me. So if you're new to this podcast, faith is like on one shoulder, the most high is on my other shoulder. And that's how I make decisions because I know He would never have me out here just looking crazy. And if He does have me out here looking crazy, it's for a reason. He's trying to teach me something. I'm real big on that. She was just telling me how she had got into grad school or business school and it's one of the top 10 in the United States, and how she's so excited and she can't wait. And I was like, "That's great. That's amazing."
Jalonni Weaver:
They were like, "Yeah, but I got to tell our team that I quit tomorrow." And I was like, "Okay, aren't you happy about that?" And they were like, "Yeah, I am, but I don't know how they're going to take it. I'm nervous, this and the other." I'm like, "You've been talking about leaving this company and how you haven't been happy since I've met you, and how the growth is no longer there. You want more, you need more. You're not able to have a voice. And now, God gave you this chance and is giving you what you wanted. Here you are. You're nervous about it." In my mind I like to replay, "It's crazy when we ask for things. And then when God, the most high gives us these things, we're not ready to accept them."
Jalonni Weaver:
I've learned that a lot. I'll be praying and I'm like, "God, I want business." Be careful what you pray for. I had asked God, I was praying about is when I first got back into photography. And I was like, "Okay, I really want my photography business to take off. I want business. I want to be able to make a passive income. I want to one day quit my job because I'm doing nothing but photography." Kid you guys, not two months later, three months later, I started doing mini sessions. I was charging to do 20 minute holiday sessions and business was out of this world. I was working a full-time job, getting booked every weekend.
Jalonni Weaver:
I was booking studios, just praying. My first mini session I booked a studio for four hours and I literally had eight slots open. Nervous, spent 275 on the studio. All I wanted to do was make the money back. I put the flyer out. I was like, "Okay, we're going to do this. This is just faith, me and faith. It's fine. We're going to make things happen." Within 48 hours all of my slots were booked. I said, "Well, I'll be damned." All praises. It's amazing.
Jalonni Weaver:
Back to the original story. I was telling my coworker, "You wanted this, right?" I was telling them, "Regardless if they like it or not, you're going to do something that you want to do and that you're passionate about. Think of this as you get your mental sanity and mental space back because I know you're not in a good space mentally. I know you don't really want to be there. You're there because the money's good. My thing is, money is good but at the end of the day money can't buy you happiness. It can buy you things that make you happy, but are materialistic things really going to fix your mental state?" If you wake up every morning and you're draining, going to work. I've had that feeling. You're draining to clock in. Every team meeting, you're off camera because you don't care.
Jalonni Weaver:
There are times when I worked at a company and I didn't even want to go and interact with people. I was like, "I'm just here for attendance purposes and that's it, and to get updates. If you need something call on me, but I'm still going to be off camera." I just wasn't present at that moment. And I feel once you get to that point where you're not present in the workplace or anything you do, and you don't want to be present, is it worth really staying or continuing to do what you're doing if it's no longer fulfilling your purpose?
Jalonni Weaver:
I get asked all the time by people around my age or even older people, "How do you just walk away from a job that no longer serves your purpose?" I forgot who said it, but when you get sick and tired of being sick and tired, you'll find a way. I know a lot of people will say, "Don't leave a job until you have a backup." I've left a job and had no backup plan. I literally left, prayed about it. Prayed I got an offer and I maybe had a good... This was when I was living on my own too. So rent doesn't pay itself. I had told my mom, "I'm putting in my two weeks notice. I have gone through interview stages." Put in my two weeks notice, had nothing else lined up, prayed about it. There was nothing more I could do.
Jalonni Weaver:
By all blessings, and by all things that the most high can do, I ended up getting a job offer. My last week at my company, I got a offer. And that right there was probably one of the best feelings and that was where I was really tested, really was tested. My faith was tested because I had been praying about this opportunity that I was interviewing for. But I went in there regardless. I was like, "Mom, regardless of if I get this job or not, I'm going to leave this company and the most high will take care of the rest." That's my mindset about a lot of things is that, if it's draining me emotionally, physically, spiritually, mentally, why am I still here? Why am I doing that or doing whatever it is? Life is too short to just be letting things that aren't meant for you and aren't meant for your space, to be just putting that much toll.
Jalonni Weaver:
Especially for us in our 20s, 30s, 40s, we shouldn't be dealing with that. I was, I believe 24, and a job should not be stressing me out at 24. Like I said, money's great but mental clarity and sanity is great. I've also taken a job that pays me less for the better mental state. I know you're probably like, "You did what?" "Yes, I've taken a job that was paying me a couple of dollars less." And in this generation, in this age, in this society, you need as much money as you can if you want to live comfortably, especially people that live in California, or Atlanta, or places where it's expensive. Now Texas is getting expensive because everybody's moving here. You guys need to stop. We are booked. We are packed. We have no more room. Stop moving here. Okay. I'm done.
Jalonni Weaver:
But, no. And so that's how much I was like, "If this means that I'm going to get a better environment because I don't like the word culture, because what is that?" That's the executive look or what is it? Executive fit, executive presence, I don't like that either. Because what does that really mean? We'll unpack that in a couple more episodes. But yeah, I'll leave a company in a heartbeat to go work somewhere where my mental sanity is good, where benefits are good, where I have a good people leader. I'm going to brag about my people leader. "This is my people leader. Get your own."
Jalonni Weaver:
But my people leader is probably one of the main reasons why I decided to work at my company. They're amazing. Both of them, they are amazing. They're understanding. It makes a difference. I could text my manager. I don't like to say manager, my people leader. I could text them right now and just have a conversation with them and they'll be understanding. I let them know how my vacation was when I was on vacation. They support me. They support my podcast, my LinkedIn. They support who I am outside of work. I told my people leader that I felt like I was drowning and they found me help and helped me.
Jalonni Weaver:
At certain jobs that I've had when I say, "I'm draining or I can't do it or I need help." They're like, "Okay, we'll find you some," and I never got it. It just makes a difference. I always tell people, "When you're looking for a job, salary is huge, cultures is huge, but make sure you're working up under a good leader, not a manager," because I feel they're two different things, a good leader and also with a good team, because that makes a difference. My team is amazing, love all of them. I'll actually be flying to Seattle to see them and actually meet them in person. I've never been with a company that is like, "Hey, we want to see y'all and we know that y'all are in Texas, or Atlanta, or wherever we may be. And we just want to fly y'all out here so you guys can hang with us."
Jalonni Weaver:
And that right there is like, " Why, you want to do what for me? Okay. Just tell me when and how and when I need to be on this airplane and where are we staying at?" Just things like that makes just a real difference. And when I'm on candidate calls, I'm always telling everybody, "I'm not in the selling business. I don't sell the job because you applied for the position so obviously you're interested. I'm going to give you my testimony on why I'm here. I'm not going to sell you on the company. I'll let myself and my experience, while I've been here for the last four months, I'll let that speak for the company." I'm not afraid to be transparent and honest because I never want somebody coming in that has left maybe a bad situation, or they may be in their job search and want to settle down. I'll never just try and sugarcoat things. If you ask me about something, I'm going to keep it 100. That's just how I am.
Jalonni Weaver:
It is now 11:35 and I am still talking, but that's okay. But I had to hop on here really quick and record this before my thoughts got lost. Sometimes it's like that. I can write it down, but it's like that passion that you have at that moment is when you need to get off your chest. So if you're listening, I appreciate you always. I appreciate the love, support. Everyone that is listening in, you are appreciated.
Jalonni Weaver:
If you can please rate, subscribe and review. It only takes a couple seconds. Just click those stars. Leave a comment, share with your network. We love to grow. I love to give this information out. Somebody needs to hear it, and until next time can't wait to chit chat again. Bye y'all.