What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

Spencer Johnson asks this question in his book “Who Moved My Cheese.”  For 6+ years I have listened to this book on my way to work after the start of the new year. This past year, the quote become all too real. It’s a saying I remind myself of as I am faced with critical decisions. 

2020 was a year of change for my family and I. It was a year for the history books, with so much hurt and pain felt throughout the world. It will be one that won’t be soon forgotten, though many wish that it was just a dream. 

For me, 2020 forced me to live the quote I admired and listened to year after year. Like so many of my friends and colleagues in oil and gas industry, on June 3rd, I received the call that my time at TechnipFMC, located in Houston was coming to an end. I was in shock to say the least. That feeling was quickly followed by a sense of disbelieve, then panic, and finally a burst of energy came over me as I realized I needed to begin networking and positioning myself to get me and my family back on our feet! 

I began to make phone calls and send text messages to those I knew who could help make connections. The outpouring of people who contacted me after news spread was incredible.  Just 40 days after I received the call, I was blessed enough to have started my first day of work at Onex in Erie, PA. 

Onex has been the change I needed and was searching for after I finished business school. It’s a small business where decisions are made quickly, ideas are put to work, and skill sets are tested often. It’s a company where I can grow and thrive! 

Relocating to Pennsylvania from Texas was something my family and I had often discussed but seemed like an idea that would simply never come to fruition. I wonder if I would have ever taken the plunge had I not been thrown for a loop in June? It will be a time in my life that I wont soon forget. From receiving the news, to hopping on a plane, to the interview, followed by the offer email, and the phone call to tell my wife back in Texas the news… the rest is somewhat a blur as it all happened so fast! 

As I reflect on the previous year and set personal and professional goals for 2021, I cannot help but ask myself ‘what would I do if I wasn’t afraid?’ 2020 pushed me out of my comfort zone, and now I am granted the opportunity to learn from it and apply that mentality moving forward. The future is bright at Onex and I couldn’t be more excited to be part of this team. Together, we will make things better together!