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DAY 18: How did this happen?~Part 3

This is continued for DAY 4 & DAY 8:

Now here we are, it's 2011. The good news is in 2010, Joel got a job working for the City of Stockton in the Water Department and I lost 30 lbs using Medifast. The bad news is, I just got fired in September 2011 and we have lost all 3 of our properties. Let me just say that losing our properties was really hard, but it happened slowly over a period of time so we were prepared. However, being fired is one of the worst feelings EVER. I didn't see it coming and I had never been fired before. It was awful.
After we short-sold our residence, we found a rental only slightly smaller than our previous home. Our oldest son Craig had moved back home so we needed a four bedroom. It was convenient to have a built in sitter! After being fired, I applied for unemployment and was turned down. The employer said they had proof I used the computer for personal use. However, my contract stated that I would receive commission on any closings that I had generated, for the next 60 days. They did honor that. So, I had a little bit of money coming in but needed to start looking for a job. For the past few years I had been selling jewelry, on the side, for a network marketing company called Lia Sophia. I loved their product and the discounts. Plus it was fun doing home parties. I decided to pick up the pace on my Lia Sophia business while I looked for part time work. I was planning on doing both. I actually did pretty good that year, selling lia sophia jewelry. I made $4000 plus I was able to have additional tax write offs. Then December 2012 I was offered a part time position as a counselor for a Medifast Weight Control Center in Tracy. Around this same time, my sister in law and her boyfriend bought a bigger home and were planning on renting their smaller place. They gave us a great deal and we took it. It meant downsizing about 1000 sq ft but it had to be done. It also meant that my oldest would have to move on. The place was too small for the five of us and he was 24 years old, it was time.
Since I had been a Medifast client and I knew the program worked, it seemed like a great fit. But there was a small commute and the pay was minimal. I saw opportunity and I wanted to work. The part time hours quickly turned into full time and in just under one year, I was promoted to assistant manager. I decided to focus solely on Medifast and let my Lia Sophia business go. Late summer the ownership at Medifast changed. Before we were owned by a local chiropractor. Medifast is a franchise and he owned three. He sold all three to another franchisee(his cousin) who already owned 8 Medifasts in the San Diego area. Once he bought ours, he opened 5 more in the Sacramento area. We now had a District Manager and an Area Manager. Things started to change. At first I was truly excited, I knew this meant more opportunity and I saw myself making a long term career working with Medifast. I don't really know what happened but somewhere, someone in management decided that I was a problem. My center manager was really bad at conflict resolution with her employees. She had a hard time telling them when she was not happy about something and just handling it at the center level. Instead she would complain to the higher ups. Even if it was a generally small problem, going to her boss made it seem like a big one. And I was told I had an attitude problem. When asked for an example, they could not give me a clear one. Only that I should work on "my tone". I tried my best but, when I got written up for "disagreeing with my center manager", my spirit was crushed and I decided I was just going to do my job and not give a care anymore. Maybe that was my mistake, I cared too much, I spoke up, I asked questions. And look where it got me. After a few months of just doing my job, ma'am, I was fired. Being fired the second time around doesn't get any easier. I hate even typing those words, or telling people. Usually I say, "I was let go" because saying I was fired, sounds so rotten and it makes me feel like a loser. Even though I know I am not.
That was July 2013... to be continued.

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