All Good Things Must End
The next step
Last week my tenure at Rackspace ended. I knew - we all knew - that a “workforce reduction” was coming. I didn’t think I’d be one of the nearly 200 local Rackers impacted1. But I was. It was certainly shocking. But I understand and agree with the need to shift resources to the areas of the business that need them the most. I still support Rackspace, and think they’ve got a bright future ahead.
But while I understand the rationale, and support their decision in the abstract, this still leaves me looking for that next step in my career. I’m looking forward to finding out what it’s going to be. As I see it, this was the gentle nudge to get me to take a leap I wouldn’t have taken otherwise.
In the four and a half years since I started with Rackspace, the tech community in San Antonio has blown up. Dozens of startups have been founded - many through Geekdom and other coworking spaces which barely existed when I moved here five years ago. The opportunities to launch the next phase of my career are so much greater than they were only a few years ago. I’m extremely optimistic about the future.
While I’m working toward that next step in my career, I’m also taking a little time to work on projects that are important to me, and which align with my skillset. I’m working with ComedySportz San Antonio to implement better website analytics, and to introduce a more targeted social media strategy. I’m collaborating with other content creators to launch new podcasts, and share our knowledge and thoughts to a wider audience. One thing that will not change is my “#BeHelpful” attitude.
#BeHelpful was our motto on the Social and Community Teams at Rackspace. It was a guidng principle. “Is what I’m doing helpful?” We might not always have the answer that a customer/collaborator/friend needs, but we can help get them to that answer.
I’ll take so much with me from Rackspace: Friendships, knowledge, skills; but the most important thing I’ll always have with me is the resolution to always #BeHelpful.
Anyway, if you’re looking for someone to help build a culture of helpfulness and customer success, hit me up. My resume is over here at resume.albush.com.
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Every Racker was impacted. Those who retained their job, lost long-time friends and collaborators. Their teams were reduced in size, while their workloads remained the same. ↩︎