Why I left Product Management for Drywall Repair

As many of you know, I’ve been vocal in the product community with ProductCamp Atlanta for over a decade.

Many of my colleagues in product management keep asking me why I moved from product management and product marketing to…owning a drywall franchise.

Grab a chair, this might take a minute.

By the time I was let go from my second of two product jobs in a row — one product management; one product marketing — I realized I was burned out.

In my last PM role, I reported directly to someone I can describe as nothing but an abusive, toxic jerk. I blamed him, but overlooked myself.

In my most recent PMM role, I couldn’t have picked a better team. But I was still ineffective. The common element was me!

I had run out of gas.

In a way, I was fortunate to be in counseling for another area of life - as I worked through related issues, those shared some common threads with my professional struggles.

Makes me wish I’d slowed down to understand my own #mentalhealth decades earlier.

I’ve known since high school I had #anxiety disorder(s) of some sort.

I overcame public speaking anxiety via Toastmasters in my 30s. Not to say I became good at it, but good enough..

But I discovered something MUCH more profound.

What did me in was fear of authority.

Two symptoms in particular formed my ceiling—limiting my advancement:

1. avoidance of difficult conversations.
2. deep anxiety with setting direction among those who outrank me.

In my most recent role, I was tasked to drive two major business initiatives forward to support the executive leadership team.

There were other factors, but I wasn’t up to it. And it hurt.

By the time I talked to a therapist about these issues; I had already cratered. I was let go again.

I decided to become an entrepreneur - but being a tech startup founder didn’t resonate with me.

I bought a franchise… but why?

After 15 years of product, I wanted to execute. I didn’t want to work to discover market problems and drive solutions to those problems — been there, done that.

I wanted a business I could operate where demand was already plentiful.

And because of my anxiety issues and symptoms, I had no interest in convincing high ranking executives of my ideas.

I’m great interpersonally; but I want to sell a solution to a problem the buyer *knows* they have, and which they want fixed.

Not corporate politics.

I considered 2 industries — Senior care and home services. I have deep empathy for seniors after helping my parents with quadriplegia and Alzheimer’s, but that field felt too heavy.

So I chose home services.

Why drywall? Not because of a previously secret love for drywall..

The franchise serves an underserved market and the revenue numbers I saw fit my goals. And as a PM, the clear market segmentation and market problem definition weighed heavily.

Plus, I can potentially out-earn my previous corporate salary in a matter of months. (Yes, I was underpaid)

My important conversations now are sales conversations— with a homeowner, understanding the damage they need repaired; and selling the best available remedy.

They want me there.

Even with a homeowner who’s an executive; in that context, I'm still dealing with a person who has a problem and wants me to fix it.

Easy.

There’s a whole lot more to dig into. Why did I move back home? How did my parents’ situation impact my performance and my relationship? What other mental health issues were at play?

I have to keep some answers for future posts!

I have 2 regrets….

1. not taking more time off. I kept pushing through everything and burned myself out.
2. I didn’t take my own mental health seriously. I’ll elaborate on that another time as well, there are reasons.

As I open this new chapter of transparency, I have a lot more to share.

Will I ever go back to #product? Doubtful.

There are bigger and better-fitting mountains to climb.

#productmanagement #mentalhealth