Why I Have My Own Business

There are many reasons I chose to go out on my own so many years ago.  Here’s just one story that illustrates why being my own boss had appeal to me.

When I was in my early 30’s, I worked in corporate communications for a fast growing real estate services company.  I had been talking with an editor at BusinessWeek about a story on my company’s recent purchase of a real estate investment trust. It was beginning to become evident that all wasn’t as it seemed with the state of this REIT’s finances and we were about to experience some fallout.

I thought I’d done a good job of convincing the CEO that he needed to agree to an interview with BusinessWeek, to take the offensive and explain the company’s side of things, instead of retreating and refusing to comment, which made him look bad, like he had something to hide.  So he agreed and we arranged for a time and place out in California for a reporter and photographer to meet with him.

On that day, when I returned from lunch on the east coast, I had several “urgent” messages—from my boss, from the BusinessWeek reporter and the BusinessWeek editor.  Everybody accused me of screwing up: The magazine was furious that I’d “led them on” about this interview, because when the reporter and photographer got there, the CEO insisted he knew nothing about it and refused to see them. The company bigwigs wanted to know why I had “sicced” this reporter and photographer on the CEO.  My direct boss implied my job was on the line for pulling such a stunt.

Of all these people, the CEO knew the truth. But he lied—to the reporter, to his management team, to my boss, to the magazine.  I was made out to be the bad guy, even though I’d done nothing wrong.

It wasn’t the first or the last time that someone higher up in the corporate world betrayed me or treated me essentially like refuse. But it’s certainly one of the most memorable. This wasn’t some mercenary guy working his way up the corporate ladder by stepping on others’ toes during his climb. This was the guy already at the top!

That experience certainly did nothing to enamor me to the world of corporate politics.  I love knowing that my boss is honest and loyal and will never stab me in the back! That’s one of great things about being self-employed.