The Dream Boss...

It has been a busy week with the new job. I have been reconnecting with old customers and reaching out to some new ones. Over the next few weeks everything should begin to gel and something resembling a routine should emerge - or at least as close to routine as something like sales can be.

I can't express how satisfying it is to have a boss who supports you and wants nothing more than for you to succeed. I spent too many years working for someone who didn't understand that if I was successful, so was he. Too many years wasted working for someone too thick to realize that when you're selling a good or service your customers are essential and need to be treated accordingly, not as a nuisance that must be endured.

My new boss built this company and knows firsthand that if I do well, he does well. He has said to me, "Any thing you need - any tools you require - any resources you have to call upon to be successful - just let me know."

A friend of mine - Diane - said, "Cool, you're working for Hank Scorpio!"

Hank Scorpio is the guy on the right. (I guess that kinda makes me the guy on the left, huh?) In case you don't know him, Hank Scorpio is the Bondesque, kind-hearted super villain who hired Homer to help with his world domination scheme. Scorpio's organization boasted full dental and health benefits, profit sharing, stock options and 3 weeks paid vacation to start. Hank rewarded results. "Thanks, Homer. Good job. When you get home tonight you'll have an addition on your house." That's the kind of thing Hank Scorpio throws out for a little effort.

Now I'm not saying I'll be getting the Denver Broncos as a bonus (Homer did, though he complained they weren't the Dallas Cowboys), but real rewards for real results sounds pretty good to me.

Writing has not be zipping along so well. I have started to rewrite Small Town Secrets, decided to start over with the new handwritten first-draft thing. I also just looked at the date and I need to polish The Platinum Ticket a bit for submission to Jim Baen's Universe before the end of the month.

I received a notification from the 3 Day Novel Contest informing me that the manuscript for Patriot was received. Now I just need to wait until January to see how I fare.