Just so you know…

I am a very happy guy, who generally doesn’t rock the boat. I may try to help row the boat… sometimes with a little more vigour then is appreciated…

There are so many new followers to this blog since I wrote about this the first time, I figured I’d better include some of my response to the letter…

I wrote them back. Just like the issue at Goodlife, I never received any sort of response… here is what I wrote in this blog (since scrubbed) on July 23rd, during the full telling of the banning story…

I was mortified. I was sick, I was upset, I was incredibly disappointed and embarrassingly emotional.

I took some time to absorb this, then wrote this letter back.

Thank you for your letter.

In regards to the contravention of the personal information protection and electronic documents act,

I am able to single out the email addresses in questions as well as the person who gave me these emails with their request that they be included in my emails. I will prepare a statement of fact to this regard. Once I had been approached by management about this email issue, I complied with all their requests. I complied with their most recent requests as well when asked if I would clear up the email that I was running every Sunday with a group of new runners. Additionally, I was told that I was reflecting negatively on the Store and the Program, and I simply asked for specifics so I may adjust my course of actions.

I will be researching this matter fully to ensure that my personal rights have not been violated in any way. I will also be requesting my legal rights with regards to the incident where I was physically assaulted by one of your employees.

I understand that you are genuinely concerned for the safety of the staff and participants at the store location as am I. I have had wonderful experiences with the Programs run by your company and appreciate the quality of your products.

I am very disappointed in the response to my genuine concerns here in Calgary, and had hoped to open a dialogue with your company to help better serve both our concerns. My utter shock in the way I was treated by your staff may have been mistaken as antagonism, but never was there any hostility. Sundays incident was witnessed by many run club participants and I am sure some will attest to the demeanour of myself in this unfortunate situation.

I do not consider this matter closed, and I am available for a discussion at a mutually convenient time.

Neil Z

They considered it closed, I never heard from them again.

So there you have it. Does that change your opinion of me since yesterday? Or do you wonder a little about me? Anyone local who knows me want to chime in on the character of me? I just want to set your expectations before I decide to re-post the whole sordid affair. I think the story should be posted somewhere, just not sure it should be here again… Any thoughts? I know a couple of you think I may be beating that same dead horse. I think the story is entertaining and is enough of my history that it should/could/does define me in quite a few ways…

Just as a teaser, here is excerpt from a part of the story I wrote…

This letter made me who I am today…

I received this letter, effectively banning me from the Running Room just a little over a year ago. I believe if this letter hadn’t shown up in my inbox, I wouldn’t be Barefoot Neil Z and I wouldn’t have all the awesomeness in my life that has come from being Barefoot Neil Z.

Note: this is the first time i have shared this letter publicly… I have a HUGE story written in a private blog about exactly what happened, but I'll save that for another day when I am feeling especially prickly…

So, in closing, Thank you Running Room. This was one of those defining moments in my life. I realized (with the help/solid advice from many friends and family) that something like this was not the end of the world. I know what happened at the running room last winter and I know I was treated unfairly. BUT. what has come into my life since then in the form of running karma, awesome friends and a good amount of swag, had more than made up for any of the crappy feelings I had when this first happened.

It was a couple days of real grieving for me until Josh sent me this comment.

If you notice the shirt he is wearing in his profile photo, he too is a cool kid!

Oh, I went to the Running Room tonight to run with my buds. I don’t go in the store, so I just sit in the car until they are ready to leave for the run, and I join them on the way out… Ran 8k, 5 in the 5’s and 3 barefoot. (It was clear and 30f with not too much road sanding chips to run over, so I obviously kicked off the shoes). It was hill repeats and they felt SO much better than yesterdays easy 4k… it’s true you know, you just gotta get out there to find your groove again, you won’t find it in the cushions of your couch.

AND!!! Really in closing, Chris K over at BqorDie The Manly Runner had a special message for me over at his blog…

It IS neat…

ok. here’s the story…

Some of you have been following along at my Facebook page, my current life saga and my choice to take an new(old) job again. I have been pretty cryptic about it on there, with the promise that I would write about it here. so… here.

15ish years ago I dropped out of university and moved halfway across the country to move back in with my parents. I searched for a job when I got there and got mixed results. I started working for a wood furniture manufacturer but shortly after got a job in an office products store selling desks and chairs. A few months later I went to Merca and stole my wife away, and a few months later we moved to Calgary as I had been recruited by a big office furniture store.

I spent the next 2 years at that store, then a year at a really small company doing the same thing (selling office furniture) then I ended up at McCrum’s Office Furnishings. I kinda begged for my job there as the guy I worked for for the previous year was a total asshole and he did nothing for my reputation in the industry.

I spent 5 years at McCrums learning all sorts of lessons about people, sales and when to keep my mouth shut (usually after not keeping my mouth shut). I liked it there, and am still very good friends with many people from McCrums. I spent 5 years there, but started to get an itch that I could do better. I thought I needed to run something on my own, to create my own identity. I left there (under no bad terms really) for a competitive store, that had promised me a lot of autonomy in my dealings. Wow, what an eye opener. I really started to hate the business.

I started going to small business seminars and reading how to books on running my own company. Traci and I looked at all sorts of ways to get a company started, and we finally decided to open a company called LeeDavid Business Furnishings.

We didn’t have any cash money tho. That was a problem. I wasn’t loving the industry at the time either. So what to do now?

Well, we were pretty good at Landscaping. Afterall we did build this yard (ours)

 Let’s start a landscaping company. Ok! Oh Hey, Dad, do you want to be a partner in the company? Yeah? great, lets get started.

So we did. LeeDavid Landscapes. We are the best landscapers that we know.

We sort of sucked at business running tho (me, actually). It just ended up too tough to do everything. We under-capitalized at the beginning and were chasing money every year. Oh, by the way, Landscape construction is a DUMB business to get into in a climate where the ground is frozen solid for 6-7 months of the year.

Really dumb.

5 years we ran the company, the first 3 were ok, but before the 4th year we tried to grow with the acquisition of some new equipment and a larger crew. Do you remember what happened to the economy in the spring of ‘09? Anyone? Yeah it tanked. We actually had a HUGE project to start that season and 3 days prior to starting, the customer went bankrupt and we we left chasing bad business all year just to keep the hounds off our heels. Spring of ‘10 started well enough, but in a conspiracy type scenario we had 3 months of our 6 available for outdoor work be rained out. Yeah. 40days and 40 nights. Twice! We struggled through the season as best as we could, still turning out amazing projects when we could actually work, but the writing on the wall was getting more clear for us. Finally back in January of this year Dad and I decided to pull the pin. We owe some money, but rather then go bankrupt and cause a ton of grief for our families and vendors, we are committed to paying off out debt (over time) and rebuilding our careers and credit.

Dad is mad skilled in all things construction and is interviewing at a few places, and I had decided to start the Website and Social Media Business. That started well with a quick contract and a website build, but with limited resources (read:cash) I couldn’t squeeze my own network of friends and family enough to make an immediate living from it.

As you know, we are selling the house too. Too much house for the 7 of us. (Me, DW, DS, 2 a-hole dogs, 1 sweet old cat and a really dumb fish). The final straw for me, regarding needing to look for a big boy job was the fact we were required to re-qualify for the mortgage we already have when we switch to a different house.  So I made the call to my Friend and now VP over at McCrums.

Me: Hi Bob? It’s Neil
Bob: Hey! I was just thinking about you.
Me: You looking for sales people?
Bob: Yep, when can we meet?
Me: tomorrow at 1!

And that was it. A formality at best and I was back in the world of corporate office sales, at McCrum’s Office Furnishings. And you know what? I am very happy about it.

When I was there 7 years ago for 5 years, I felt appreciated, I was supported both professionally and personally, I made lifelong friends, and I made a whack of cash! I didn’t realize how good a place to work this was until I figured out that life without them was so much harder and suckier(professionally) in general. I grew up a LOT in the past 7 years.

As soon as I signed the offer, it was like a massive weight was lifted off my shoulders. As of now I have emancipated myself from the landscape company, and I couldn’t be happier. The management at McCrum’s are going to be so pleased with the different salesman I am now, and how much more money they are going to make off me. The big difference for me is the perspective I have on life in general. I am a Dad now, I have ran a company, I can see the deals from all sides now, and I know how to say no.

Saying no is a HUGE skill in sales. Sometimes the deal is just wrong. I can now say no, and save everyone a ton of time and money when things don’t fit.

I gotta buy some suits… dang

I haven’t been running for 3ish weeks. Just too much other stuff. Sometimes it’s ok to look after other parts of life. Really. Especially when it comes to looking after your family. Traci is making me go for a run tomorrow tho.

Anyone up for a run? 10-ish slow k? 6:30pm?

One photo Monday…

Since I spent the last 2 days in the truck I don’t have much to say.

I liked this photo from late Sunday morning (17 hours into our 19 hour plow ultramarathon). The rays of the sun seem preposterous compared to the effort of the night before. However, the sun was AMAZING! I turned on some hip-hop music, rolled the windows down and actually felt pretty good up until we finished.

Oh, Thanks to everyone who is registering in the Virtual marathon! I’ll have some updates soon!

Please cheer me up…

I am really grumpy. While I may be the best plow truck driver in the world, it doesn’t mean I like it. I am hoping tonight will be the last plow ever for me. On April 11th, I am restarting a career that I left 6 years ago and I couldn’t be happier about it.

I am grumpy because I have a week to wrap up a huge pile of to-dos. I am grumpy because snowplowing causes me to be a zombie idiot for 3 days after. It is really hard to do a labour intensive night shift for one night in a row and then expect to just carry on daytime activities…

Life.

So, Chris K over at BQorDie The Manly Runner is having some lazy fun giving the internet people a chance to create a story in the comments.

I am outright copying him, for the amusement of myself, while I am out plowing tonight. Only I have 2 rules.

1. You can only write 5 words at a time.
2. You cannot write back to back comments.

I am forcing my smile. Ask my DW, she has had to deal with my attitude all day…

 

I FREAKING LOVE SPRING!!! I've seen it in the movies and it looks AWESOME!

March running re-cap.

Sucked.

Learn to Run Barefoot

Jason Robillard is giving away free PDF copies of his great barefoot running book.

Click here to get yours.

This offer is valid until 8am tomorrow (April 2nd), so don’t delay. This is not an April Fools joke and there is nothing attached that you have to do. Jason has emerged as the #1 barefoot running advocate in the world and everyone who wants to run or does run barefoot, should take advantage of this offer.

Thanks Jason!