The Year of Four Jobs and Workplace Chaos
In early 2017, I found myself in my accountant’s office, laughing my ass off with her.
In 2016, I had four different jobs, which meant I had a pile of W-2s to hand over. Each job told a story—a journey through toxic workplaces, unexpected career turns, and ultimately, personal growth.
Chasing Career Growth—And Finding Toxic Workplaces Instead
It all started with an awesome agency on the Connecticut shoreline—a place I really enjoyed working at. But I left for an opportunity in New York City, lured by a better title and a bigger paycheck. That job turned out to be a nightmare. Colleagues yelled at me on the work floor, and the role was nothing like what the VP had promised. I walked out on the spot.
From there, I landed at another agency in Connecticut, which was even worse—absurdly toxic. One of the defining moments? People literally laughed at me while I was giving a speech to the company. That part didn’t even bother me—I was getting laughed at all the time back then. But what did bother me? The CEO was corrupt.
(This is the company where I secretly recorded the CEO with a hidden camera. I still have the footage, and I mention this experience in my upcoming book, The Courage to Leave: Breaking Free from Toxic Workplaces.)
Quitting the Toxic Job and Hitting the Road
When I handed in my two-week notice, the backlash was immediate. The resentment, the passive-aggressive behavior from coworkers—it was all because they were miserable but didn’t have the guts to quit. It was completely outside their frame of reference that I stood up to the CEO, called him out, and left.
After that, I had enough. I got in my car and drove from Connecticut to Miami Beach—one of the best decisions of my life. The trip was mind-blowing, and I met countless people along the way.
As a millennial, I had spent years absorbing the boomer mindset: “The key to success is staying at one company for your entire life.” By the time I hit Miami Beach, I was questioning everything. I used the time on the beach to reflect, connect with my core, and process these challenging workplace experiences.
Turning Workplace Trauma Into a Mission
When I returned from that trip, I funneled all my anger and frustration from toxic workplaces into writing. The result? I published an award-winning book and started speaking at schools across America.
Students began reaching out to me—some emailing, others telling me in person—that my message helped prevent them from dying by suicide. Suddenly, all the chaos, the toxic bosses, the dysfunctional workplaces—none of it was wasted.
From there, I landed at a bigger company in Connecticut, which turned out to be a much healthier work environment. They even let me work remotely from The Netherlands in 2017—which was unheard of for them.
Finding Humor in the Struggle
So there I was, sitting with my accountant, telling her all of this. She started chuckling. I started laughing. The laughing grew louder. Then I completely lost it—laughing uncontrollably.
Up until that moment, I had been deeply ashamed of what happened in 2016. But this is the power of laughter. Suddenly, it didn’t seem like such a big deal anymore.
They were just data points. Just W-2s.
A Message for Anyone Stuck in a Toxic Job
If you, like me, have had awful experiences in the workplace, I hope this post makes you feel less ashamed.
Your career is a journey. Some jobs will be toxic, and some will be transformational—but no experience is wasted. And sometimes, the best way to move forward is to simply laugh it off and keep going.
Jeff Davis is an award-winning author, most recently publishing The Power of Authentic Leadership: Activating the 13 Keys to Achieving Prosperity Through Authenticity. Connect with him on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter. For three free books (The Power of Authentic Leadership, Reach Your Mountaintop, and Traveling Triumphs) in exchange for being added to his email list, email his Executive Assistant at meg@jeffdspeaks.com. Learn more about his story on his About page and feel free to check out his author page on Amazon. Also feel free to contact Jeff directly via jeff@jeffdspeaks.com. What Jeff does best is sharing his work experiences in a way that adds real value to others. Consider bringing him to speak as a mental health, authentic leadership, and/or resiliency expert at your next event. He’s also available as an Executive Coach.
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