My Life Before I Scrapbooked...

Tonight I have dinner with the old execs from Ingram Micro.  This is making me think about my old life.  The life before I was a home mom and was really into photography and scrapbooking.  A me before I found great joy in taking swims at the beach at the Montage with two little squealing girls.  A me that spent 10 hours a day indoors being bossy and didn't know how to "stop and smell the roses".  A me I didn't like very much... As I used to put it: I was a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. So here is my story, and I warn you, it might get long.   

I went to High School in Fallbrook California.  I'm not much of a country girl and I hated it. We lived out in the boonies four miles from general civilization and I didn't drive. So as soon as I graduated, I packed up my belongings, put them into my mustard colored Pinto and drove up to Orange County to make a life for myself.

I moved in with my brother and his wife for a few months while I figured things out.  I found a job at an insurance company making $750 a month and started going to night school at a local junior college.  After a few months, I saw an ad for a job opening in sales at a company called Micro D.  I wanted this job badly!!!  I still don't know why, but I was one determined girl.  I called at the same time every single day for a month from the pay phone in the office where I worked.  They finally called me back one day to say I wasn't qualified for a job in sales, but I could interview for a job in customer service.

I remember that interview well.  I was told there were over 50 very qualified applicants. All I had on my "resume" was 2 weeks at May Co, a fast food fish place and a few months at an insurance company.  Within a week I was hired.  I later heard the manager, who was a single guy, thought I was cute and wanted to date me.  Ha (it never happened)!

I remember being scared to death the first day I had to answer the phones in a very unorganized office with two guys who desperately needed help with an office make over. The company did about $1 million a year and had 50 employees.  The CEO would walk around the warehouse helping to pack orders.  The same CEO that will be at dinner tonight that I met 27 years ago!

After eight months of getting things in order in customer service, the sales manager came to me and told me she would now put me in telemarketing.  I was thrilled!  No college education and no sales experience.  Those were the days!  I spent a couple of years in sales and then the VP pulled me off the phones to do cold calling on some new products we had.  It was torture, but gave me a chance to prove myself.  I wore colored nylons and the most outrageous clothes.  I didn't have a clue.  But I worked hard and loved my job!

At the age of 22, I was promoted to Sales Manager.  The poor telemarkers weren't too happy with having such a young female boss, so they would sling rubber bands at my back as I walked by.  They also stole one of my shoes one day and I had to go to school that night in one shoe. I eventually got rid of my colored nylons (actually I hung them all over my bosses wall one day as a tribute to him hating them, but that is another story). At 25 I was a Sales Director.  The company was growing by leaps and bounds and we had moved to three different buildings since I had started.  We soon merged with Ingram and became Ingram Micro, the largest computer distribution company in the United States.  

I continued working at Ingram Micro for 17 years.  I went through lots of personal changes during this time, but my job remained the stability in my life.  I continued to progress in the company and kept working on my degree until I had Thane at age 28.  It broke my mommy heart to go back to work!  A couple years later, I went through a divorce.  I was now a single mom with a full time nanny raising my little boy.  I was promoted to Vice President of Sales and Thane and I moved to a cute little cottage in Laguna Beach.  I have to say, life was good.  But I wasn't really that happy.  I was living in a world I didn't want to be in.  I wanted to be home full time with my boy.  I wanted more children.  I wanted to be an artist.  I used to sit at my desk and make lists of all the things I would do if I ever got to stay home.   

Ingram Micro grew to be a $20 billion dollar company with over 10,000 employees world wide.  I learned how to dress for success finally and wore suits every day.  I felt smart and successful, but I didn't feel complete.  Then I met Tom (at work no less - only guy I ever dated there!).  Two years later, we got married and then I got pregnant with Sophie and quit my job.  Finally I was going to live my dream!  And that is what I have been doing ever since.

The me from the past 10 years is a very different me then people from my Ingram Micro days knew (even the name - I was Suzy Hanson then).  I've traded in my expensive suits and high heels for my new "uniform" of black shorts, white t-shirts and flip flops.  I'm way more laid back.  I don't give people orders anymore.  In fact, I'm probably too relaxed of a mom, just wanting to have fun in this awesome life I lead.  Life has NEVER been better. I wish I could freeze time.  I love everything about being home, making art and living in this amazing area!

So tonight I get to join all the old execs I sat in Senior Staff meetings with for years on end and try to pretend to be some what of my old self.  I can just imagine the conversation ... "So Suzy, what have you been up to for the past 10 years?"  "Well, I scrapbook."  And that will be the end of that conversation!  I miss some parts of those days: my confidence, my very skinny body (haha), my wardrobe, my income, and many of the people.  Oh, and the constant pranks I used to pull on others.  And most of all, my amazing assistant, Lana, who took care of me in so many ways (including going and buying me diet cokes when she knew I needed one because I had a headache!). I keep trying to hire her to manage my personal life now, but she has moved on to better things. 

This story might explain to some of my current acquaintances why I am so scatterbrained and forgetful and seem to want to just have fun every day.  After Ingram, I threw out my watches, my Franklin Planners and all my suits (actually they are in a box in the attic for no good reason at all!).  My sister says I live life with wild abandon!   

So with that very long story of my past life, here are some photos from those days.  This was me in my office (I was single at the time, so flowers were a regular accessory on my desk!):

Here is the press release photo of me when I became a VP:

Me in my dress for success clothes.  I bought this pink and black suit in New York while on a business trip.  I might be able to get it over one thigh now if I put my spanks on. Check out my suede shoes - I loved them:

In my Beetle Juice jacket, posing in front of our building:

I have to put this one up because the hair is just soooo funny!  This is me in an outfit that I wore to our annual Christmas party.  I'm with my mom and my sister.

And just for comparison reasons, here is a picture of me in my office now:

I guess I better go get busy finding something to wear tonight.  Scary thought!  Maybe I will just show up in my mom "uniform" and see if they recognize me.  Happy day!  Suzy

Comments

[annie]

I say Beetle Juice outfit for sure!!!!!!!!
Oh the 80's.....good times.....that was the 80's right???
As much as you have changed sounds a lot like the Suzy that us blog readers/friends know and love....office pranks have now turned into multiple glasses and adhesive stuck to your face....deep down you are the same!

And by the way, you look great just the way you are....don't want to grow old and look like a scarecrow now do you???
Have fun tonight.

[susan weinroth]

this is AWESOME suzy!
i love the story of you.
& the hair styles are classic.........
i love that you are so happy now and that you can truly appreciate how far you've come :)
xo.

[Karen]

Thanks for sharing your story. Pictures are classic! So happy for you. You are now living your dream. Go ahead. Life is Short and I bet you wouldn't have it any other way.

[suzielyons]

I absolutely LOVED reading this about you, Suzy! The pictures are great. I am so happy that not only are you living a wonderful life but you are appreciating it!! You are blessed!

[laura]

i don't think you have changed that much - not in your appearance, anyways! but i dig the suzy that you are today. wild, fun, reckless abandon - sounds good to me! ;) what a great (and insightful) post about you. hope you had a great dinner. i'll bet you looked fabulous! xoxo

[dawn rusick]

I love you suz then and now! You are my "special" friend. Live your dream!!! xoxo Dawn

...and yes she was center of attention and looked absolutely fabulous!!!

[Lisa VanderVeen]

LOL this is FANTASTIC. Those pictures!!! I love them :) You looked great then but you look SPECTACULAR now.

xo

[pickles]

You were a cutie patootie back then, now you're just gorgeous (don't think we could be friends).