I have to blame Katy Perry for what happened next. Or… Perhaps I need to applaud her? I’m still not sure.
But during the week leading up to the official launch of the company, the radio stations,
On the day of the big launch, everyone was kind of wonky and nervous. The team had heard about Mr. Kimchi’s 11th-hour attempt to change the comp plan, and it got everyone off to a wobbly start that day. But mostly, we were all trying to get up and excited. This was the beginning of something we had all been building for months, and we were finally going to share our plans with the distributors. This was supposed to be a great day full of possibility!
But it was only a few hours before Lou was going to present the newly updated plan to the distributors on a national webinar when Mr. Kimchi summonsed me to his office. I remember sitting at my desk when I got the summons, dreading what I knew was going to happen next. I thought about blowing him off, and looking back, I wish I had. But everything happens for a reason, I suppose.
When I walked into his office, Mr. Kimchi had my printed slides on his desk, and there were even more pen marks and circles scratched on the pages. I felt my spirits completely deflate.
“I need you to make new slides,” he said sharply and without delay. “These slides do not show my sysssstem. You need to show the peeeehpol my syssstem — not Lou’s. Do it now.”
I felt my blood start to boil. He was not only going to ruin the launch, but he was going to sabotage the whole company with all of these insane changes. I felt so angry with him! How could he do this to all of the wonderful people who were counting on him and Lou? I had reached the end of my “make it work” rope in this company.
So… In a very shaky voice, I told Mr. Kimchi I wouldn’t make the changes he was asking me to make unless Lou told me to. I have a very vivid memory of Mr. Kimchi bristling at my statement. He pulled up his posture, and then looked directly at me with that harsh face of his.
Then he said, “You and your husband work for me — not the other way around.”
Suddenly, I felt my head snap back as I absorbed his words. A raspy-feeling roar started to gurgle in my belly, and I needed to shift around to let it out. So I straightened my posture, too, and I replied in a strong voice that didn’t sound like my own:
“That’s where you’re mistaken, Mr. Kimchi. My husband works for you — not me. You don’t pay me a penny for my labor. I only work here because of Lou, not because of you. So, if you want these changes without Lou’s approval, then make them yourself.”
I quickly got out of my chair and fled the room as fast as I could. I actually ran passed Lou’s office because I was sure I’d cry if I saw Lou
However, I am glad I used my words that day.
A few hours later, the big launch presentation started without delay. Emotionally, our entire team was all over the place. And, Lou’s positive energy was completely shot because of fighting with Mr. Kimchi all the way up until five minutes before the national webinar went live. The whole team — minus Mr. Kimchi — was seated in Lou’s office for the call, and Lou did his best to glide through each slide with poise and confidence.
Lou’s office felt like a pressure cooker. When the call ended, everyone gave each other weak congratulations. But it was clear no one felt great about what we had just started.
The next morning, I got into the office a few hours later than usual. I had to drop Lou off at the airport to start his three-city recruitment tour that had been in the works for months. It was supposed to be a continuation of the “exciting call” the night before, but I just remember feeling worried about what Lou’s events were going to be like.
But Lou had regained his positive mindset by then.
He believed in the people he had recruited, and he knew if we could just keep our focus on what he presented on the call the night before, Mr. Kimchi would eventually see how successful the company could be with what he had already built.
As soon as I walked into the office, I spotted Mr. Kimchi hosting a meeting in one of the glassed-in conference rooms. I recognized most of the people seated around the table — they were all long-time supporters of Mr. Kimchi. It was impossible to miss all of the circles and squares Mr. Kimchi had put up on the whiteboard in the conference room. I felt myself shudder.
I was just setting up my laptop in the office I had been using that week when Ivan, one of my co-workers, came into my office. He shut the door, and then took a seat in front of my desk.
Then he said, “Did you hear that Mr. Kimchi ordered the programmers to make a major change to the comp plan this morning? And… I’m supposed to tell you to change the slide show presentation to reflect all of the new changes.”
Lou and Mr. Kimchi had outsourced a group that exclusively works in the MLM industry to create our compensation matrix. Typically if Mr. Kimchi was going to make a change to the comp plan prior to the launch, I was involved as the project manager, and Ivan submitted the request to the programmers. But apparently, not this time. This time, Mr. Kimchi changed things without notifying anyone — including Lou! As I tried to absorb what Ivan just told me, I felt that roar stirring in my belly again.
Then Ivan said, “Mr. Kimchi called me late last night, and he told me he is going to fire Lou. He said Lou is disrespectful and he can’t have that.”
I remember looking at Ivan — who had turned into such a valued friend of mine in the trenches — and I felt myself start to unravel. I even have to wonder if some of my legendary steam started to mist out of my ears, because I was furious! Two bombshells in one sitting was all I could take. So I slammed my laptop closed and shoved it back into my bag.
Then I said to Ivan, “I’m done.”
I couldn’t take it for one more day. Then, suddenly the roar in my belly rolled up my throat, and I remember shouting to Ivan, “F$%^ the system. And F$%^ Mr. Kimchi!”
Then I grabbed my computer bag and stormed out of my office. As I passed by the glassed-in conference room, Mr. Kimchi looked up.
