Transparent Christian Magazine

Years ago I worked for a technology startup in Michigan. I didn’t foresee the tech bubble bursting or the owners embezzling borrowing our venture capital. That organization, like many organizations at that time who were otherwise healthy, quickly collapsed and I was out of a job. This pushed me reluctantly into my first foray into independent consulting… Frustrated and angry I started looking for consulting gigs right before the holidays.

But I wasn’t alone in this. I had dozens of friends that were terminated, laid off, or had separated from their employers, who were all trying to connect with each other and share projects, resources and sometimes just an ear. These folks were working in pairs or totally independent. Another consultant and I decided it might be fun to have one large inclusive Christmas party. We joked that at this point, we were all a bunch of misfits, and stealing a line from a favorite Christmas show, we drew up some invites for the “Isle of Misfit Toys Christmas Party”.

I knew the idea resonated with folks when I started getting calls from people I didn’t know, asking if they could come!

Because of the frustration and depression I was feeling at the time, I had unintentionally unplugged myself from my network of friends and former coworkers. But the overwhelming interest in this party reminded me of the importance of connecting with others ESPECIALLY when times are difficult.

It was a great night. We called a local sports bar with a big game room and had a section reserved. We were able to share some love, some leads and a bit of grief and frustration. It was the start of the rebuilding process with many of those relationships.

I smile when I think of a group of people uniting under this “misfit banner”. I have written before about how I feel I don’t fit in from time to time, and with this band of renegade employees, unemployed professionals, consultants and independents, I felt perfectly at home.

Merry Christmas to all of you Misfits!

Love,
Jason