Today is my last day at the company for which I’ve worked the past nine years. So much in my life has changed during that time, and I wanted to take a moment to reflect, and honor the amazing place which has been a home for those nine years.
First, I should mention that I am terrible at goodbyes. I completely fall apart, because in that moment of realizing I am saying goodbye, all the wonderful memories flood my brain, and I just think about how much I’m going to miss someone, and how much there is to say, and how I can’t say it all in just a couple minutes.
I expect today will be a roller coaster. As sad as I am about leaving, I am also very excited about my new position at SQLskills; completely opposite emotions. Sometimes it is overwhelming.
I had many thoughts about how to thank everyone. I have a lot of people to thank, and so much for which to be thankful. I want my colleagues and friends to know how much they are valued, and the traditional goodbye email didn’t quite seem like enough. I don’t think I can ever truly put it all into words…
I met with my VP on Wednesday, to catch up and say goodbye. He was the only person that interviewed me all those years ago, after a quick chat with someone from HR. The company was one fifth the size of what is now. When I interviewed he asked me where I saw myself in five years. I answered, “Development.” He hired me anyway 🙂
I have had three managers in those nine years, and I am thankful to each for the unwavering support and the countless opportunities provided. All three pushed me to get better, backed my every decision, and were right there if I stumbled. I hope that at some point in every person’s career, they have a management team that empowers them to make decisions, and then stands behind those decisions, no matter what. I have had that management team, and I am grateful and appreciative for their belief in me.
I have worked with amazing people here; people who inspired me every day and challenged me to become the best that I can. My colleagues have made me laugh until I cried, and have picked me up when I needed a lift. Special thanks to those who offered encouragement when I felt lost, and whose belief in me never wavered. And thank you to those who worked through the toughest customer issues, on little sleep and a lot of stress. In the end, we sorted it out.
I also want to take a minute to send out a huge thank you to my husband, Nick. Our “company”, if you will, is the Stellato family. My family and friends are a great source of inspiration and comfort for me, but Nick is the one who has been there every day; the one who has seen the very best and the very worst. And he just rolls with it. Thank you, Nick, for supporting me. Thank you for saying, when I called to tell you that I won the SQLCruise contest, “Of course you did.” Thank you for every time you’ve said, “I got it” when I told about my next trip for work, or for a SQLSaturday, or the PASS Summit. And thank you for being a great dad to our kids. I love our life.
Finally, this is not goodbye, this is see you later. I’m not moving, and since I will be working from home, I plan to have lunch out in the “real world” once a week. Let me know if you want to meet up. To everyone who’s been a part of the adventure these past nine years, thank you for what you’ve taught me, for your patience, for your humor, for your trust and for your respect. I wish you all the best on this journey of life.
