After about a little over a year in the multifamily housing industry I was done being a leasing consultant. Like, burned out, toasted, roasted, charred to a crisp done! It wasn't that I didn't enjoy my time as a front-line leasing consultant, I was just ready for a new phase of my career. (Okay, I might have also been done being on the front lines too!)

Unfortunately the "powers that be" in my company had pegged me only as a leasing consultant and wouldn't have considered me for any type of promotion. I was stuck. I was facing a dead end. I was frustrated and angry and actively looking for another job since it was clear I wasn't going anywhere within the company. 

Then one day I saw a job posting for the customer care manager position. I told my wife about it and she encouraged me to apply. I told her that the way the company worked, even though I was qualified for the role, I wouldn't even be considered for the position as it was a corporate-level job and I was still relatively new to the company. I figured that I shouldn't get my hopes up trying for something that was out of reach. 

Before I had even tried, I had almost given up. 

I decided that I would listen to my wife (always a good idea) and I submitted my request to apply for the customer care manager position. I closed my fingers and hoped for the best. I knew with my extensive background in customer service that I could make a difference, I was just hoping the company would see it too. 

Then-the day I was waiting for arrived, I received an email letting me know that my request to interview for the position was ...

DENIED. 

Yep. My regional manager denied my request to even submit an application to interview for the position. I was so $^%$%^$%^$ at the company and knew that my time there was coming to an end. 

How did I get here?

In fairness a lot of what held me back was my responsibility. I found this industry to be much harder to navigate than I thought. While I was a good salesperson in retail and in mortgages, my early sales performance as a leasing consultant was average at best. Couple that with my going through a major life transition (divorce!) which completely rocked my world and you have a recipe for an underwhelming employee. 

Even though my sales numbers steadily got better and I became a solid employee, I always felt I was never able to shake the "bad vibes" I created in my early days with the company. It always seemed that all my leaders saw when they saw me was disappointment, and not the potential that I had within me. Nevertheless I kept doing my job and tried to do it well, in spite of the discouragement I felt. 

What changed?

A few weeks after the initial denial email I received a phone call from the office of the Vice President of Training and Development informing me that Annie (the VP) wanted to interview me for the customer care manager position after all. After a series of interviews she hired me for the job and that position completely changed the trajectory of my career! I wouldn't have my business today; I wouldn't be a motivational speaker, trainer or organizational strategist; I wouldn't be a member of the Apartment All-Stars if I wasn't first the customer care manager!

I'm glad that I didn't give up too soon. 

I knew that I had something special to offer. I knew that I had only scratched the surface of my potential. I also knew that not a lot of people saw that potential at the time. I used that as motivation to rise above where I was, to break out and to achieve success. 

What am I saying? If you're in a valley right now, make a decision to walk through it and not get stuck in it. The phone call you're waiting for could be there tomorrow. The email you've been praying about could be waiting for you after you come back from lunch. Just do your job well, regardless of what you're seeing. Regardless of whether you feel you're getting your due. 

And when the time is right that opportunity you've been waiting for will present itself. Take the time now to make sure that you're ready (in all ways) to run with that opportunity when you have the chance. Then when you get a green light, it's going to feel good knowing you didn't give up.

Will you do me a favor? Will you consider sharing your "not giving up" stories with me? Feel free to comment or to email me at rommel AT rommelanacan.com. And if you like these blog posts, please subscribe to them so you can read them as soon as they're published!