The craziness that is . . . PART II

When I signed up for this new managers job, at the new building I knew it was going to be a lot of work.

Leasing up a vacant building is going to be harder than filling a few vacant apartments. I knew that I'd be giving up my summer, long weekends, and even day trips for the job. This building became my life and basically my third child, but it was only going to be for a short while.

I was/am stressed most of the time and felt constant pressure from my bosses to get this place full. But the economy is horrible and no one really wants to pay that much for an apartment. It's basically like your average apartment but in a great location and it has an underground parking garage. I felt like it was my fault that the building wasn't filling up faster, but the prices were too high. One day my bosses actually worked the building and they swore people were going to come back with applications. A week later . . . nothing. So I knew it wasn't just me, it was the prices.

So boss man started to lower the prices and even threw in a move-in special. A few applications came in but nothing major. About 4 weeks into the job boss man decided that people couldn't figure out how to get into the building. This place is all secured so you have to have key cards and door codes to get in. Plus there is no 'leasing office' that you can visibly see. And our signs hadn't come in and our front door looks like the vacant retail spaces next too it. The solution- have Emily sit out on the sidewalk with a table and chairs. People would surely see me and want to take a tour. This became a major hiccup. Mainly, I have kids and I can't just sit outside for 6 hours a day while they run around the building or my apartment. So I told boss man I would sit outside at my "bistro table" when the girls were napping. This turned out to be 1-3 per day and I gave tours but I wasn't bombarded with people. People came and toured and we got a few applications, things were better, slightly.

On my day off boss man had his daughter sit at the bistro table for 5 hours a day and randomly she had two busy days (just my luck). So boss man wants me at the table more often. But really it's not happening.

Then seven weeks into the job (last week) boss man asks me to come to his office for a 'strategy meeting', this happens about every 10 days, nothing unusual. So I go and this time the strategy turns out to be "You're a great manager when you are without your kids". After 15 minutes of more talking they asked me if I could look into arranging some childcare for the girls. If not, thing would have to change. I was so shocked and taken aback (I really didn't want to move again), that I said I'd look into it. Then I cried as soon as I got home.

Robert said there was no way we were going to put the girls in daycare and when I looked into the pricing it was going to be $1100-1200/month to cover them. At that price I could go and rent my own apartment and not work at all. So I called up boss man and told them that I wasn't going to put the kids in daycare and what ever consequences came from it I would understand. He didn't have time to discuss things at that moment so we decided to talk after the weekend.

I thought for sure that I was going to get fired on Monday. I started looking for other jobs, made plans to live at the Danny's while inbetween jobs, etc. So Monday came but I left my phone in the car and didn't get to talk to them, I thought about it all day. I've never really been fired, except from the Gap but I knew that the job was only for the Christmas season. I didn't like knowing that I was going to be fired, I just wanted it over with. I wanted to start planning, to know how long I had until we needed to move out and if I had to work still.

Tuesday morning we finally got to talk and guess what, they didn't fire me! They said, that they really wanted me to stay on with the building, they are going to bring on other managers (from other properties) to sit out at the bistro table. Then I'll relieve them while the girls nap and they can take a lunch. I'll be the ring leader of all these 'helper managers', I'll do all the paperwork, cleaning, etc. But I don't have to stress about not sitting at the dang bistro table.

Plus they dropped the rent on a bunch of apartments and started offering the first month rent free. And while I was gone this weekend they got in 3 new applications. So things are looking up.

If I was shocked when the asked me to put the girls in daycare, I was even more shocked when they said wanted me to continue running the building. I'm glad I stood up for my values, my children are more important than this job! And I feel extremely valued that they thought I was so good at my job that they'd do what it took to keep me here. In the end, it's still going to be stressful but I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. So that's the update for now.

And if things don't work out I've already got the plan B set up!