Thursday, November 03, 2005

Corporate office living

It is a beautiful fall morning. The shimmering sunlight bouncing its gentle rays off the colorful leaves on the trees. I get out of my car and fall into step with the rest of the herd which is making their way into the small funnel opening of the building. As the doors opened I could smell the stagnant, ink saturated air and step inside. The plethora of fluorescent lights produce a cold radiance and a humming sound that fits right into the environment. The long line of never ending cubicle walls are situated in front of me. I weave my path to my hole that I will be in for the next 8.5 hours. My "office" is very sparse. I have two picture printed off on 8.5 x11 paper - one of my husband, Matt, and one of our two cats, Ocyrus and Athena. My coffee cup (usually filled with tea) is present along with my lotion and water bottles. I have strategically placed papers on my desk which gives the illusion that I am actually working. Home away from home?

Needless to say, I don't really enjoy my job. One good thing that I can be assured of is that this is a temporary position. This thought is my second hope which drags me through the day. The first is that I have a wonderful loving husband whom I am helping support through college. This statement is not meant for anyone to say, look at me I am so generous and self-sacrificing. In fact, I feel very privileged in helping him progress in his studies, and I find joy in the ability to encourage him. I know he would do the same for me!

Due to the ever-present drab, monotonous, banal environment I work in I am often found trying to understand why a person would stay working here for 20+ years. Shortly after that though pops into my head, I am reminded how I was sucked into a similar, if not worse, environment when I worked for Quixtar. There were jokes going around, when I was hired in, that I was a "lifer". I kept laughing at it until one day I found that I had been working at this company for 5 years. I know that is a drop in a hat when some people work for a company for 20 or 30 years, but this experience gave me an understanding of the complacency that most people are compelled to within these situations.

When you are in this type of situation, you find a lot of the time you are going through the motions. You busy yourself with "important" meetings about up-coming projects, power lunches, and walks with co-workers. These habits gets a person into a routine, which generally allows them to become comfortable.

A lot of times people find that the more "friends" they have at work, the easier it becomes. Then, instead of just going to work for a set period of time, you can look forward to seeing all of your office "friends". The reason that I use quotes is because most of them are not really your friends. What would happen if you got fired? There would be some people who call or email, but most of them would forget your name within a couple of months. I found this first hand after leaving Quixtar. Invitations to our wedding was either accepted and they did not show up, or the RSVP was not sent back at all. At first it hurt my feelings, but after I realized what type of "friends" I associated myself with I was able to overcome the hurting.

After finally hauling myself out of the Quixtar life, I now can see that I do not want to work in an office for any time longer than I have to. I utilize this time on creating and accomplishing goals. I working here because there is a paycheck every other week, my husband and I have health insurance, along with the fact that I can see some end of the tunnel of corporate office work. I am glad that I was able to see the "fluorescent light" before I woke up one day at 42 hating the life that I had been living.

88 comments:

Matt said...

Good post. I remember the Quixtar (Q*) life all too well. It's no wonder people go nuts working in that kind of an environment, or, after 40 years, become incredibly embittered people who load up a shotgun and go “hunting” one day.

Yeesh

Anonymous said...

I was thinking about starting an IBO. But then My sister in law said it used to be Amway.

I thought it was an online out of office experience.

They make it sound so good.

Anonymous said...

I think she meant that she worked at the Quixtar Corporate office, rather than what you are talking about, which would be different, and possibly harder.

Anonymous said...

I don't believe any of you have the fortitude to use the Quixtar (Amway) business model to it's full potential. Remember this: The business model didn't fail you, you failed to properly use the model.

It's a very simple business. You do not have to over complicate it. But like anything in life, guess what, it takes work. You won't build the business on the couch watching TV, hoping you'll win the lottery.

The truth hurts. Anybody who disagrees with me, I encourage you to mail me your thoughts, as well as your addresses, so that I can hear what you have to say and so that I can send you a post card from the Virgin Islands.

healthcultureinc@hotmail.com

Take care

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

I am a current IBO. I know one thing about all of you ex-Quixtars, all you are is a bunch of quitters. To be honest, I am not ashamed that Quixtar is part of the same parent company as Amway. You know what, I could care less about qixtar and their bottom line. I dont work for quixtar, they dont tell me what to do, and I am not controlled by their goals. I am an IBO an idependant business owner. My business is my business not quixtar's. Like in the Mcdonalds franchise quixtar, like Golden State Foods to McD's, is only my supplier. They give me a vehicle through which I can be free. I run my business like I want to, strong. I am currently a 2500 pin. I am absolutely tearing it up because my team is unified and strong. I have the next level identified and I will get there. No one, not even you negative drop-outs, is going to shake my tree. I have seen the results and I am pressing on. I am too strong for you negative BROKE people. Sorry to say, but I am going diamond, no Crown Ambassador. Good luck at your JOB! God Bless.

Anonymous said...

guess what mr. 2500 pin, you'll quit eventually too. hahaha

Anonymous said...

I already have 6 legs interested, and I have been an IBO for 3 months. Honestly, I am a college student who has done his research. To elaborate on previous comments above, you failed, because you thought it was a get-rich-quick, sit on your couch and do nothing activity. Is that how you treat work? I don't know about you, but I will get rich quicker than any of you dealing with a 9-5 job, and I am a business major in college. To anyone who is young like me, wake up, and realize the oppurtunity Quixtar lays out for you. It's really a simple concept, you just have to do some work. To all of you who think this is a pyramid scheme, half of you probably don't even know what a pyramid scheme is, so get rid of your ignorance. One more thing...to those who don't seize this amazing opportunity, good luck working the rest of your lives, you won't be receiving social security.

Anonymous said...

to retract that last comment...I meant 3 weeks...just seeing what you doubters were thinking

Anonymous said...

Wow!! I didn't know this would get so much feedback. Actually, Chris is correct, I was not an IBO. I worked in the Quixtar and Amway offices - thus the reason of the title. Anyways, I thought that this was pretty obvious, but I will make sure in future blogs to put more specific points.

Anonymous said...

Also, if you want to make you statements more impactful, I would suggest not making them anonymous.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Anonymous 2500: From one IBO to another, if you don't break your habit of calling other people "losers" and "quitters" your business (and that of the rest of us) will suffer.

Quixtar is not for everyone. It is a sales and marketing business that requires hard work and dedication. Some people characterize it as a "get rich quick" deal, it is not. Some people say "You don't have to sell anything", but that statement is not the truth.

Being a successful IBO requires hard work and perseverence, as does being successful at owning any other business. Not everyone is willing to expend that much time and effort to own their own business (whatever it may be), but that doesn't make them losers.

Not everyone is willing to take the risk of owning and promoting a business, many prefer to work for someone else who is willing to take those risks. There is nothing wrong with that.

Not everyone is comfortable with sales and marketing. Though anyone can learn the methods the business still requires one to take the risks of rejection which accompany any sales effort. The barrier to entry is extremely low which means that almost everyone can get involved, but many will find that they simply don't have the personality or perseverance required and they discontinue what, for them, is a non-productive effort. That doesn't make them "quitters" in the derogatory manner in which you use it. They simply find that it is not for them and move on. It would be foolish and illogical for them to do otherwise.

Some people are "natural" salesmen, most are not. Some people can learn to sell, with varying degrees of success depending on their motivation to do so. Others never will or can, no matter how hard they try.

These people could become customers (Clients, Members) but they will never do so if you alienate them by calling them "quitters" and "losers", whether in a publicly viewable forum such as this or onlyin the confines of your own mind. People can feel your attitude towards them, if it is negative (as you display here) their reaction will also be negative.

There are many more people who buy things than there are people who sell things. To alienate them by disparaging them is to cripple your potential income.

The hostility you may provoke in other people just by your attitude towards them (even if you never speak it) is bad enough, you provoke a negative reaction which affects not only *your* business but those of everyone else as well, but to make such statements in a forum which can be viewed anywhere in the world, by anyone, is completely irresponsible and reprehensible.

Your action here does no one any good, not even yourself. It damages *your* business, and it damages *my* business. If it were up to me, I would suspend your priveledges for six months, if not revoke them completely.

I suggest you change your attitude, I doubt you'll go very far with the one you have.

An apology to the people you have insulted, and to those of us whose businesses you are damaging, wouldn't hurt either.

We sell good products and provide a good service. If you don't care about *your* business that's fine, but don't screw it up for the rest of us. For many people, their only contact with Quixtar may be *you*, that makes you an ambassador not only for yourself, but for the corporation, all of its employees, and all of the other IBOs. As such, you represent everyone and anyone involved in the business, in any capacity, with everyone you meet and every word you write. Remember that before you denigrate anyone else, for any reason.

Anonymous said...

My husband has been hooked on this business for three years. He has made nothing. We are worse off today than yesterday. Every day that goes by, he makes a purchase that takes away from our below-poverty financial status. It has come between our marriage and livelihood. If only there was some recourse for spouses.

Anonymous said...

My husband has been hooked on this business for three years. He has made nothing. We are worse off today than yesterday. Every day that goes by, he makes a purchase that takes away from our below-poverty financial status. It has come between our marriage and livelihood. If only there was some recourse for spouses.

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