“I’m burning through the sky, yeah. Two hundred degrees that’s why they call me Mister Fahrenheit.”
The year is 2014, Paul Rudd is on Jimmy Fallon show having a lip sync battle, his final song Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen. Fast forward to 2017, Shannon gets a promotion at work and Larry picks her up with Don’t Stop Me Now blaring from the stereo of that badass BMW.
Larry and I really try and celebrate and recognize each other’s accomplishments in our own unique way. When I first went full-time and then made the transition to Home Office I surprised myself with just how much ambition and drive I still had. Larry was not surprised, he knew it was there all along, just waiting for the opportunity to present itself to me. Well, this was it, moving out of DC life and into something new was just what I needed. The team I moved to was small, less than 10 of us, but we managed all the new hire forms for the whole company. When I say “whole company” I mean all of it, the multiple DC’s in Columbus and every Bath and Body Works and Victoria Secret store in every mall and strip mall in the whole United States. In just over 2 years I proved myself enough to get promoted to a senior position in the same group and not long after that took over the auditing of the payroll group. Every step of the way Larry was there cheering me on and making sure I didn’t let anything stop me now, especially myself.
Imagine, if you will, a young woman who got married and had two sons at a very young age. What I mean by that, is any other dreams are either put on hold or fade away as time passes.
I can't say enough about how fantastic a mom Shannon was...and continues to be. I also can't say I was completely in tune with what life was like for her during those first years of being home alone raising our sons. But through (believe it or not) corporate education, self-reflection and music I believe I had moments where I tried to understand. I literally could quote a hundred songs that helped me see outside myself and "walk a mile" in her shoes.
When someone spends their existence doing "that one thing" (in this case, being a mom), they can lose themselves. And it was my job the make sure that didn't happen.
The other "one thing" for Shannon was working in a DC (Distribution Center). As an hourly associate, there aren't a lot of glamourous or challenging roles. And Shannon cycled through a lot of them over the years. So again, career stagnation where you can lose yourself.
Every year approaching the holiday season, Lbrands hired THOUSANDS of store associates across the United States. And although those local stores selected candidates, they all had to be processed (payroll, e-Verify, etc.) through the one and only corporate headquarters in beautiful Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
So the team that supported the stores had to expand their headcount, so they would post internal seasonal job openings that anyone could apply to...which I supported Shannon doing. And she did do a few times.
In January 2015, she was finally paroled from DC life and was hired permanently onto the home office compliance team. And a little over two years later, on 03/27/17 (seven years ago today) she started a promoted role of Senior Compliance Auditor.
I couldn't have been more proud.
First, after all the years of her tormenting me for "going corporate", I was about to turn the tables in my favor and pay her back.
Second, I know this did wonders for her personally. She was no longer "just a mom" or "just an hourly associate". She was doing something she truly enjoyed and challenged her daily.
At the time, I was working a four day Monday to Thursday schedule, so every Friday I would take her to work and pick her up.
So on Friday 3/24/17 they announced her promotion. And when she walked out of the building, this is the song I had BLARING out of my (I mean her) BMW.
Because I knew there was no stopping her...
P.S. Lots of Easter Eggs in this picture of the Stargazer Lily's I sent her at work.
Ghost of a Chance 