When a good friend of mine from college reached out to me earlier this year in an effort to catch up after many years of separation of time and distance, I let him know that I would love to catch up with him again soon now that he was back in Louisville. Days, weeks and months passed, and I only learned of his obituary in the local paper from another friend. He was literally dying when I told him I was “too busy” at the moment to meet up with him, so you can imagine my feelings of remorse and disservice as a friend when I snubbed his invite to reconnect due to my mounting professional and personal obligations.
Brad is not the only important individual I’ve neglected over the course of the last year due to mounting obligations in my life, but it was especially painful to learn of his death. He knew he was dying, but he didn’t and shouldn’t have had to disclose this detail when he reached out to me. With this unfortunate event in mind, and compounded by the fact that I’ve neglected to nurture the many relationships and personal needs and duties as a happily married man and father to a beautiful young daughter, I have decided to resign from my position as the new media strategist at Yum.
My last day is June 13, though I remain a loyal fan, consumer and advocate for Yum’s efforts to make the world a better place. The decision to leave my role was a very difficult one to consider and negotiate, but I know I’m doing what’s best for my family and personal health.
If there are inflection points in life, one of them for me was the winter of 1998 when I got to know Brad and the many people and experiences I encountered while studying and living in Mexico. My time then and there changed my life for the better. Ten years later I find myself at another important inflection point that considers my personal character, and my needs as a father and husband.
I’m not sure where I’ll end up next in these next steps of my personal and professional journey in life, but I am certain the right path will reveal itself. I will truly miss the outstanding people, experiences and learning opportunities afforded to me by virtue of being part of the Yum! Brands organization, though I look forward to a new chapter in my life in which my priorities and perspectives match my personal values, virtues and needs. I couldn’t be more thankful for my time with this incredible company and its people, but I look forward to dedicating my remaining days on this earth – as ephemeral as they may be – to making a positive difference in the lives of those that surround and remain most important to me.
“What do we leave behind when we cross each frontier? Each moment seems split in two; melancholy for what was left behind and the excitement of entering a new land.” – Che Guevarra, The Motorcycle Diaries
If you’ve been trying to get back in touch with me and have been affected by my ‘unavailability’, I would love to share a coffee/beer/conversation sometime in the next few weeks as I consider my next steps. I look forward to contributing again to the world that has afforded me such incredible opportunities to learn, grow and share. While I attempt to figure out what’s best for me and my family, I remain committed to accommodating any request to discuss ideas, opportunities and your needs of me as a friend/colleague/business partner.
Thanks to all for your support and understanding of my decision to hit the reset button on my priorities and planned contributions to the world. I look forward to sharing the experiences and conversations that will transpire in the near future.
My first order of business in this transition: I’m making time to treat my mom to lunch.
