It\u2019s a little known fact that tenacity and perseverance are not synonyms.<\/p>\n
Though both words imply an element of resilience, tenacity is the ability to\u00a0endure\u00a0<\/em>tribulation, while perseverance is ability to\u00a0continue acting\u00a0<\/em>in the face of tribulation. While the world\u2019s share of tenacious people is limited, a perseverant person is a true diamond in the rough.<\/p>\n Having battled cancer, financial uncertainty, and stress, all simultaneously, Alex did so with a glimmering smile, and a light bright enough to reveal the gem he is, still reflecting his shine on any that will catch it.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Arriving as a capacity manager in August of 2013, Alex negotiated a steep learning curve, but through relentless persistence, won several sales competitions and collected accolades for his hard work. After proving his talents as a professional people-person, Alex was made a learning and development specialist in August, 2017.<\/em><\/p>\n Today, Alex spends his time schooling his co-workers in the office, and on his road bike. <\/em><\/p>\n —<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> Alex, you have quite a history here at EL. I say that in the traditional implication of holding many different positions, but the word \u2018history\u2019 also typically denotes a culture, and your interactions with people, and the contributions that you\u2019ve made to the culture, which, in your case, have been extensive. With that all being said, tell me a little bit about your history.<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> I started with England Logistics back in August of 2013. The reason I started with England was happenstance.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> I didn\u2019t know that!<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> This particular position was not something that I was seeking. I was coming off of almost a full year of unemployment in 2012. The first day of November, I was diagnosed with leukemia, which threw me and my whole family for a loop. When my doctor said I had leukemia, my life flashed before my eyes. I thought, \u201cWhat does this mean? I barely have any life insurance, I don\u2019t have any life savings, I\u2019ve got two kids and a wife.\u201d But then the doctor said, \u201cIf you\u2019re gonna have leukemia, this is the best kind of leukemia to have.\u201d<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> He said you have the best kind of leukemia?<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> He told me I would likely grow old and die of something completely unrelated.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> At least he was comforting.<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> Right? I had so many other questions, but just as an FYI, I am in complete remission right now. It\u2019s undetectable in my system, but they can\u2019t ever say that it\u2019s gone. At the time, I was working at the Wonder Bread bakery in Ogden. I was a production floorman for them. On the 15th<\/sup> of November, just two weeks after my diagnosis, my boss told me, \u201cDon\u2019t come back to work. There are chains on the doors. Hostess declared bankruptcy and the plant is shut down.\u201d<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> Oh my gosh, it was that sudden?<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> It was that sudden. I went from being a new cancer patient and navigating all that stuff, to jobless and worrying about insurance.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> I can\u2019t even imagine that heavy of a burden, let alone the emotional trauma that would accompany it.<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> It really was. And it all happened within a very short period time. The holiday season was coming up, my unemployment benefits were only going to cover so much, and so we were in a very dire spot.<\/p>\n [With emotion]:<\/em> And it\u2019s really only because of the generosity of neighbors and friends that we had one of the most abundant Christmases we have ever had. It makes me emotional talking about that.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> I can understand.<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> Anyway, we\u2019re still adjusting to medication regimes, and everything that\u2019s going on, and on top of everything, this was still a difficult job market. I could go and flip hamburgers, but I had more responsibility than that would cover. I had a cousin that posted something on social media along the lines of, \u201cMy company is always hiring.\u201d My wife saw it and said, \u201cHey, you know what? My cousin posted this awhile back. Maybe you should see if they\u2019re still hiring.\u201d And so I did! I called [the recruiter] and she asked me to come in for an interview. I went in for the interview and, EL, I don\u2019t know how I got hired.<\/p>\n EL, [laughing]:<\/em><\/strong> It was that bad?<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> Oh yeah.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> Did you know much about the industry?<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> Not whole lot. I didn\u2019t know what this was. I didn\u2019t know what I was going to be doing. But I thought, \u201cLet\u2019s give a try.\u201d<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> What was it like to receive that call that notified you that you got the job when the self-feedback was, \u201cThat was awful.\u201d Was it relieving? Did you feel a lot of pressure?<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> Yes and yes. It was finally something that I could take care of my family with. But at the same time, I felt a lot of pressure because it was my performance that was determining if I would be able to take care of my family. As I look forward from that point and backwards from that point, I\u2019ve learned something about myself. And that\u2019s that when I am determined to do something, I win. I win all the time. And it doesn\u2019t matter what sacrifice has to be made on my part. That\u2019s my personality. I don\u2019t like to lose. I don\u2019t like to feel like a failure. And–<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> Wait. I just need to confirm that. I need to make clear that that is 100% accurate. And you make everyone else around you feel the same way.<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> Thank you EL. I appreciate that. So, this is what I remember from my early days. My trainer was awesome. I mean, I just remember absolutely loving my training experience, and doing my best to soak it up. And then I remember hitting the salesfloor. I remember making mistakes that I thought were career ending. One day, the stresses of life caught up to me. I was sitting at my computer, and thought I had things figured out when I got an ocular migraine.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> I am not familiar with that variety of migraine. What happened to you?<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> The outside portions of my vision got\u2026 sparkly? There were different light variations. I began getting this really crazy tunnel vision where the only thing in focus was right in front of me, right in front of my nose. I was literally freaking out. I stood up from my computer, walked over to my window, and I was very vocal. I told everyone that I could not see. Some other people around me said, \u201cOh, I\u2019ve had that before. That\u2019s an ocular migraine.\u201d And I said, \u201cWell my head doesn\u2019t hurt.\u201d And they replied, \u201cYou\u2019re head doesn\u2019t usually hurt. It\u2019s caused by stress.\u201d So my team diagnosed me, I relaxed a little bit, and my vision returned. And it only happened one time.<\/p>\n That was another pivotal moment for me. I realized that there are things that I can control, and there are things that I can\u2019t control. Focusing on what I can control helped me to lower my stress and be successful. That took me from a noobie to the top paid-out CM in referrals for one year. I was winning March Madness in sales competitions as a capacity manager. And it was awesome and cool, and I got to a point where I said, \u201cI\u2019ve won at this.\u201d But I knew there was more out there for me, but I didn\u2019t know what that was.<\/p>\n I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I went to a career fair in high school and I was like, \u201cYou know what? A veterinarian sounds cool.\u201d Then I got into college and I declared that as my major. My first class of my first semester was a 7:00 a.m. chemistry class. I have never worked harder for a D+ in my life.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> That sounds worthy of an ocular migraine actually.<\/p>\n Alex, [laughing]:<\/em><\/strong> Right? I went undeclared for as long as you could because I just didn\u2019t know what to do. My counselor told me I had to declare a major. Long story short, I took this class that helped me discover what it is that I wanted to do and at the end there was this aptitude test. The results of this aptitude test came back as recommendations for either be a bus driver or a schoolteacher. A bus driver doesn’t sound super appealing, right? So, I thought I could maybe be a schoolteacher.<\/p>\n I was starting realize that I really do love teaching people. Fast forward back to my capacity manager days, and I’m looking for something new. I need something to challenge me. And one of my neighbors at the time was a career counselor at his place of work.<\/p>\n I spoke with him, and he asked me what I wanted to be. I told him I wasn\u2019t sure. He asked me, \u201cWhat are you passionate about?\u201d and I responded, \u201cBicycles.\u201d And he’s like, \u201cOkay, well, what else?\u201d And I thought back to coaching tumbling for 10 years.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> I had no idea we had taught similar skill at one point.<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> I loved that. I loved watching kids learn and grow and progress and get excited about things. And so that that sparked my memory again, and I said, \u201cYou know what I love? I love teaching, but I’ve got cancer. I have to have work for a company that can provide insurance and medicine.\u201d And so it was that moment that gave me the idea that corporate training would be awesome.<\/p>\n I mentioned this to my neighbor, and he asked about how much experience I had. I said \u201cWell, I’ve built cabinets. And I’ve made bread, and I work now as a logistics capacity manager.\u201d He says, \u201cWell, what’s your education in teaching?\u201d I told him I had none, and he replied, \u201cWell, that’s not gonna help you.\u201d I was like, \u201cNo kidding.\u201d<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> Sounds like you were on your way to being a bus driver after all.<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> Totally! He told me that there were two things that I could do. Number one, I could volunteer some time and get some experience. And I’m like, \u201cI already work 40 hours a week, and family life is important to me.\u201d He told me that my only other option was to cross my fingers and hope someone would take a chance on me. And that’s exactly what happened.<\/p>\n Soon after, I saw an internal posting to be an ECS trainer. I applied, and Elias took a chance on me, because on paper, I probably shouldn’t have been the logical choice.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> That’s fascinating that he allowed you the opportunity regardless of your experience.<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> It’s true. I mean, I didn’t have any experience in ECS whatsoever. And they wanted me.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> Do you know why he made that decision? Like you said, your resume wasn’t exactly primed for a career of that nature.<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> I think it was just a gut feeling that Elias got. So when I took over our training, it was, essentially, a blank slate. I got to build and make the training program what I wanted. I got direction from Elias, but he pretty much said, \u201cWell, you’re the expert in this now. So you build it however you think is going to be best.\u201d This has been a pretty significant accomplishment for me, to take a training that was bare bones and reinvent it.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> So no experience coming in, and by mostly intuition, you were able to land the position. And then from there, engineer a program that’s been sustainable, and even internationally acclaimed with the Top 100 Training Awards. It\u2019s pretty remarkable that things happened the way they did. Is there anything that you chalk that up to? Why do you think it all worked out?<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> You know, you hear a lot of gurus say that, when it really comes down to it, it\u2019s a matter of who wants it more. And I really believe that I wanted it more. I knew this was my one shot. I wasn’t gonna let it pass without giving it everything that I had. I would sit in front of the mirror, and I would practice delivering my presentations for the interview. I got feedback from people and did all I could. I think my drive to get the position came across in the interview.<\/p>\n And, you know, if I were to be in a licensed position, and if I were to see two candidates, one probably more qualified than the other, but I could see heart and drive in one of them, I\u2019d go with heart. I\u2019d take that chance every time. It always pays off.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> And in your case, it has certainly paid off.<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> Yeah, absolutely. And it’s been fun. I think I have the best job of the whole company. I love getting to meet new people. I feel like I get to mold them and shape them and start them off in the best possible way. And anybody can be successful here.<\/p>\n The training I provide is just a recipe, but each person is the secret sauce. And no one’s gonna make that secret sauce the same way that you are. And that’s what I love about our culture. We\u2019re not about strict adherence to a process or culture, you figure out the way that works best for you and run with it.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> I think sprint may even be more accurate in our case.<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> It\u2019s awesome. We’re gonna show you the recipe for success, but it’s up to you to modify it to work best for you. That\u2019s why my classes are never the same. I don’t think that there’s anybody else that would be able to look at my program and say, \u201cOkay, I got this, I can take over for you.\u201d That\u2019s because each outline flexes and molds to fit the personality of the class.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> I think that format, actually, the idea of adapting your presentations to suit your student\u2019s needs, is reflective of your history and the person that you are.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve been handed some pretty difficult plates in your life, but you\u2019ve adapted. By sincere belief in yourself and others, you have risen above all that difficulty, and it’s culminated in a legacy of people being changed. And from what I’ve gathered, you have also been changed. That’s pretty remarkable in my eyes. And I completely believe that.<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> Thank you. I mean, it’s, it’s been a journey. But when I first started as learning and development specialist, I looked forward to some point in time when the trainings would have been built out in such a way that I could be proud of. And as I stand at the edge and look now backwards in time, that is where I am now\u2014but it was never what I thought I wanted. The middle of the journey is what gives value to the end, not the vision of the end.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> It also yields the most lasting consequence, but it is hard.<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> It is hard! I look at all my new hires that come in, and they\u2019re just beginning. And all of us, we have a vision of what we expect it to be at some point in the future, but too often, we want to skip the middle and just jump to the end. And it’s when we jump to the end that we lose sight of why we started in the first place.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> I love the idea of being able to hold on to the culmination of everything you’ve become, but the most important part is how<\/em> you became. And if you can remember that constantly, then you will always continue to grow. I think that’s very insightful.<\/p>\n Alex:<\/strong> Thank you. And you know, we also need to look at where we are now. I know that this isn’t the summit. There\u2019s more for me to do and more for me to become, but I’ve got to be okay with the journey.<\/p>\n EL:<\/strong> And with that investment in the everyday, inevitably that summit comes closer. Sometimes we don’t know what the view holds, but we know it’s gonna be worth it.<\/p>\n\n
“When my doctor said I had leukemia, my life flashed before my eyes.”<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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“I went in for the interview and, EL, I don\u2019t know how I got hired.”<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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“That was another pivotal moment for me. I realized that there are things that I can control, and there are things that I can\u2019t control.”<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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“I knew this was my one shot. I wasn’t gonna let it pass without giving it everything that I had.”<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n