Part I: Truth Hurts

Some people like to wind down from a shitty day at work by drinking a glass of wine, some go for a jog and a power smoothie, the bougie some have a nice bath with a candle named after some existential nonsense - like wanderlust blueberry or serenity at sea. And then there’s the some like me that get high and turn on “Truth Hurts” Spotify radio (while the existential nonsense candle permeates in the background). I’m not ashamed of that, I didn’t name the fucking candle.

 I travelled to Salt Lake City this week because I have a new job and boss that’s also new to the role. Do you have that kind of boss who you jive with? You are both usually on the same page, but when you’re not, it’s still ok, because then it’s like jazz, one idea bouncing off the other until it makes a beautiful harmony of new ideas – does that sound like your boss? Because it sure as shit doesn’t sound like mine.  

I have a remote job, and the irony is my company has the foundations for a culture where women and men truly thrive to their fullest. If our laptops came with a company wallpaper, it’d be Brene Brown shouting “Dare to Lead, Bitches” while riding a Glennon Doyle pega-cheetah wearing a rainbow scarf that says “We can do hard things!!” And the female executive logging into her laptop is wearing a t-shirt that says “Eat. Pray. Slay.” and ripped jeans. That’s the infuriating part, that’d be my dream wallpaper, dream t-shirt, dream jeans.

By all calculations, the culture should make it nearly impossible to find toxic personalities. Much less toxic managers. But I found the needle in the haystack. The manager that’s calling team members on their vacation to work on a project that nobody else thinks should even be a project.  The manager that doesn’t listen to opinions that aren’t theirs. The manager that respects you to your face, but not to your soul.

So, after a week of navigating mind games and airport terminals, I just need to get high and turn on “Truth Hurts” Spotify radio.

Source: The bizarre, yet not entirely inaccurate, renderings of ChatGPT.