Tania

There are jobs where you bond with your teammates based on wins, successes, outcomes and a host of positive experiences, and then there are jobs where you basically trauma bond with your teammates, all of you likely developing some kind of professional PTSD along the way, based on the unbelievably bad things you all go through in a toxic environment. In all honesty, those may actually be the stronger relationships, because in the moment, you rely upon each other so much to maintain sanity (“it’s not me, this is nuts, right?”), you cannot help but develop deep friendships along the way.

That was how I met Tania.

I’m not naming companies or names, not even formal roles, to protect the not-so-innocent, but let’s just say that I joined a company and from day one, it was clear I had made a mistake (you won’t even find it listed on my LinkedIn, it was that bad). We’re talking seniorist executive leadership being so drunk at a team dinner that a waitress had to help him to the bathroom. Us hiding in a hotel room while the worst manager ever texted us nonstop because he wanted to “come party with us.” Senior leaders in the company sleeping together when their spouse WORKED FOR THE COMPANY ALSO. And that doesn’t even get to the issues with the products and QC, globally. But I digress.

Tania escaped first, joining a competitive company. Clearly, since she’s my girl, I was happy to help her with whatever was needed. I connected her to a web developer and a designer, and that email was sent through my bad company work email. Two weeks later, I was asked to come to SSF for a meeting with my supervisor (a peer recently promoted after said “I wanna party with you dudes” manager was dismissed). I walked in and sat down. He came in and sat down. Then HR came in and sat down. Next thing I know, my email is slid across the table to me and I am told I am now unemployed for aiding and abetting the competition.

Thank freaking god.

I ended up doing contract work with Tania after that, and more so, our friendship grew with Chris and I spending time with Tania and John, and of course, their chocolate lab, Kona, who came everywhere with them. Tania knows, if I started a company, the first person I would call, is her. She is the perfect blend of SoCal cool and Canadian country. If you know her, you know EXACTLY what I mean. Business casual = Guatemalan pull over shirt, jeans and boots. LOVE this woman.

The next, and close to final piece in my series is entitled, “Tania.” This picture is from her wedding (OMG, how had I not seen this picture???) and is the epitome of her constant level of cool. There is a giant white rose that represents the white roses surrounding her in the photo, with a background of rose textured glass. Her veil is a combination of white glasses and her cool gold glasses are Fremont Antique Glass. Her face has pink and green glitter, white pressed flowers and the words, “There is nothing better than a friend unless it is a friend with chocolate” (heh heh, T knows this to be truth!). Her wedding dress is pressed fabric with chocolate lab doggies on it, to represent the love of both she and John’s life, Kona.

Love you T!