While I'm writing this, I'm feeling such frustration. I'm feeling this for a number of reasons and it all pertains to Paul's job. We are at a crossroads, I guess you can say. We feel it's time we do something now before the bottom falls out.
Paul has worked at his current job for the last 17 years. He started at the bottom and has worked his way up to management. Before, when the location he was working at was with the corporation, he worked so hard trying to become the District Manager for our area and the position was so promising. He was excited and wanting to move on to the next best thing making more money. Well, since the "Big Man" (the owner of the corporation) who lives in New York City and 3 of his 4 sons live out here in the Bay Area, he offered 2 of them ("T" and "V") a job with the company. The other son, "J" was going to Pepperdine for business at the time. "J" had no intentions of working for the family company.
Meanwhile, Paul was doing all this work traveling to LA, Reno, Tracy, Fairfield, Sacramento. His work at these locations was to more or less train the Manager and the employees to do the job "right". Clean the restaurant up and improve the overall profitability of that particular location, at the time. Well, once "J" completed his college schooling at Pepperdine, he decided that the family business was the easiest thing to get into at the time and who do you think got that District Manager position Paul was working so hard for???? Not Paul.......fricken "J" did. This is where my frustration started with this company. This was probably about 9 years ago or so.
During this whole time, "T", "V" and now "J" were District Managers for different areas. "T" was covering the East Bay. So, about 4 or 5 years ago the Big Man" (the dad) decided to sell the company. Before doing so, he decided to give a couple of the locations out here to his 3 sons. "V" got the Sun Valley Mall location, "T" got the Antioch location and "J" got the Tracy location. Paul continued to be Manager for "T". Paul used to work at the Sun Valley location until a few months before I gave birth to Sabrina. He then came to the Antioch location to be closer to home. At that point he was still working under "T" until "T" took over the Antioch location as a franchise when his dad gave it to him.
Now that Paul has been working for "T" the last 10 years or so, we have learned that "T" doesn't know shit about running a business. I have to give it to Paul, the guy is business savvy and if we had the money, I wish Paul would have been able to buy "T" out. Paul knows everything about how to run a business. When "T" had to remodel/move the Antioch location, Paul did most of the work from making sure the work was done right, to making all the necessary calls to contractors and dealing with city codes, etc. "T" was completely clueless as to what the next step would be during this remodel/move. The guy is smart and I'm not just saying this cause he's my husband.
So, frustration #2 is because "T" is our friend, and he told Paul at the beginning that he wanted Paul to be co-owner. Even "T"'s dad said that Paul would be a great asset to him ("T"'s dad really likes Paul.) I told Paul to get that in writing. He didn't and the outcome was what I had expected. "T" saw the money he could make doing a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y NOTHING! Then Paul had been telling "T" for the last couple years what he needs to do in order to keep the business going now that the mall is going down. I'm sure any of you that have been to the County East Mall, or as they call it now the Somersville Town Center, the fricken place is not doing good. You get homeless people in there begging for money. You have "choice" people causing problems and it's just not busy. Stores are closing and who the heck wants to go there when we can go to Sun Valley Mall or Slatten Ranch?!
Paul being the Manager, he doesn't feel like he can make the decisions he needs to. He keeps telling "T" that the money is going and "T" continues to buy personal shit with the business money and because "T" hired his step-dad (who does what the hell he wants to. Comes in to work earlier than he is scheduled and will only work in the back making food.) Paul used to make the food and now that "T" won't say anything, Paul has to work in the fricken front serving and shit. Meanwhile, "T" comes in for all of 4 hours a day, a few days a week cause he has to go to the gym. The fricken gym is more important than his business. Or he'll make a dentist appointment at noon so that he doesn't have to come in at all. "T" doesn't know what it is like to work. The nerve of it is, he complained to Paul telling him that there is no way Paul could run a business. WTF????? Are you kidding me? The fuck he can't. What the hell has he been doing all these years? Keeping "T"'s business afloat while "T" goes to the gym, buys boats and trucks on the business money when the business is going down.
Frustration #3, Paul and I have to pay for our own medical insurance out of pocket cause "T" wouldn't provide it. Well, about a year or two ago Paul got "T" to start helping in paying for it for us. Mind you, our insurance is SHIT!! We have Blue Cross, 5,000 deductible. It is almost $400 a month. Yesterday Paul asked for the insurance money for the month and "T" said, "Oh, this may be the last month that I can pay for it. We're not doing good." YA THINK????? Paul's been telling "T" that, telling him that "T" and him needs to work open to close and cut a couple people to make it work but "T"'s too damn lazy to get in there and get his hands dirty.
I'm pissed!!!! I know Paul can find another job making more money with benefits, but "T" was supposed to be our friend and all he is doing is thinking about his self. His wife has even been crying about this. "T" just won't listen to Paul and take his advise. Paul has been telling "T" what he thinks will happen and he has been right. Paul just feel like his hands are tied right now. If Paul leaves, "T"'s business will not survive. He doesn't know the first thing about his own company.
So, now I am in the process of preparing a resume for Paul. I'm trying to think of the positive of this change to come. Perhaps this will be a blessing in disguise. Perhaps we will be able to better our own situation if Paul gets a new job. I just want him to be able to utilize his skills in a more productive way and be rewarded for it. He is so smart and business savvy and I know there is a job out there waiting for him. I'm just saddened cause just talking to him on the phone today, you can just hear it in his voice, all the frustration he is feeling.
Please, wish us luck and if you pray, please pray for us! Thanks!!
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