Thank you for joining me for another episode of the corporate Cowboys podcast my name is Alex I’m your host today’s date is Thursday February 16 2023 as you know this podcast is geared toward professional developments a professional audience I hope an aspiring professional audience that aspires to be professional always
To improve their mindset going in to corporate learning to work with corporate not just for corporate and that’s for business sake because when you take care of business I always say business takes care of you right these episodes have been about 30 minutes long every time and I treat them
As free consultations of sort now if you are interested in a not-free consult our rates are more than reasonable we can help you plot and plan some corporate strategy some moves for you personalized to take into consideration in the process of developing yourself professionally be it that you’re angling for better
Compensation an increase in salary maybe more responsibility more access to knowledge a training class of some kind maybe you want reimbursement for training for having traveled or for school tuition what have you maybe you want to get promoted maybe you want to leave and start gunning on your own nothing wrong with that
That’s the way of the corporate cowboy in any position you find yourself in you want to move professionally always taking care of business taking advantage of opportunities available in order to create better opportunities for yourself and you do that by investing in yourself today’s question comes from our slash career guidance it says
New owners want to cut my pay by more than half how to respond leave period end fiend finito [Laughter] what some new owners are going to come in and reduce your lifestyle your livelihood by half of what it exists as now what would you do it sounds like a threat to me really
Sounds like an all-out threat short of [ __ ] you in the ass and then throwing you to the street what does a 50 reduction in compensation do for you I mean I imagine I imagine with this concept dropping of owners and cutting your pay by more than half that
You make at least more than minimum wage you make at least minimum wage but regardless whatever lifestyle you had whatever livelihood you were growing trying to secure now cutting cutting your drive by half what would that do for you I mean that’s that’s motive that’s motive the body reads
The company that I’ve worked for for 30 years is on the on the process in the process I guess it’s a typo is in the process of being sold I do not have Equity but I have a contract oh okay okay there’s hope there’s hope even though they don’t have Equity right they
Don’t have any power to veto uh by having equity in the company they don’t have power to exercise that might put a stop to this sale that’s in it’s in the process of being executed but they have a contract I’m hoping as a professional you The Listener read
Every contract you enter into right any contract that might have the likelihood any likelihood of taking advantage of you the user of you the executor of you the professional of you the actor it says one part of the contract is a non-compete which would become invalidated in the event of a sale
This is good this is actually good news typically in a non-compete agreement when you enter a non-compete agreement if you leave the company for whatever reason and typically the reasons might be outlined along with this provision they would say that you cannot work for anybody else in a similar industry or
Anybody else in the in a in the near within the region right some type of geographical boundary they don’t want you stepping or or stepping on their toes or dipping into the business on their quote Turf right I mean this business is war business is war I’ve said it before right
Just like business is personal business is war and if you have a contract and you agree that you will not compete well then you’ve got to abide by that contract fortunately fortunately some jurisdictions some states some countries do not or will not enforce non-competition agreements non-compete agreements why because
It’s believed that these non-competes these these agreements to have you stop working are literally not productive they’re not productive to society if anything I might argue they’re counterproductive but that’s why you read what you sign before you sign you read what you’re about to enter before you even sign on the dotted line
That’s logical that only makes sense that only makes sense right you know what you’re getting into before you commit to entering it all right now continuing it says the perspective they use the wrong perspective says you’re the prospective buyers want to talk to me tomorrow but I
Was told that as part of the acquisition it’s assumed that I would stay on with a three-year contract extension but at less than half of my current pay I might come back with a counteroffer have them have them take that agreement have them take that assumption of the extension right have them take
Their Assumption of you staying on three years more for half the pay and sticking it eating it right because why on God’s green earth would you agree to that it’s their assumption it’s their belief but they could be wrong they are wrong because at no point in time was it negotiated with you
You have your own agreement with this company right fortunately your contract has the provision within the non-compete agreement that states if the company is to be sold you are free to compete so that non-compete becomes invalidated and you can you can run with the Wind be running and gunning like the
Professional you are granted granted you are 30 years in the same regimen right so to some extent you may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks or you may have certain patterns of thinking or certain patterns of action patterns of action that are just too far ingrained
To be trained away it happens it happens but it’s possible but it happens understandably right you’ve done something for so long a certain way you’re bound to continue doing it wherever you go now if you’ve taken those 30 years and become complacent have settled those routines are even further ingrained
In your way of being in in your way of conducting business professionally I mean if you’ve been on top of the game for 30 years staying abreast of new ideas and Innovations within your industry because again we don’t know if this hypothetical client we don’t even know what industry they are in
To have been employed for 30 years getting paid extremely well from the looks of it because they’re just assuming you’re going to take this pay cut of more than half to your pay and uh you won’t you won’t reneg on this agreement that you were never even a
Part of really like what what what’s the industry stand what’s the industry average look like are you getting paid an absurd amount something that’s unreasonable I doubt I doubt it especially if you were never included in this negotiation to cut your own pay right so they want they wanted to cut your pay
And if it continues here if I refuse the offer it could impact the sale what do you mean what do you negatively like the sale won’t go through that’s a good thing right [ __ ] don’t agree don’t agree don’t have the sale go through don’t take the
Pay cut that okay that should be the end if I had to give this hypothetical client uh my opinion because nothing I say nothing that we promote or put out there in terms of content should be construed as legal advice I got to give that legal disclaimer
Most every time I make an episode none of what I say should be taken as legal advice unless I’m representing you unless our firm our organization any one of my associates are representing you as a client you should never and and even if I was take whatever I tell you with the grain
Of salt why because anything that I come up with as far as informing an opinion if I had you as a client we’d be going back and forth in interviews as I collect information in order to give you a well-informed opinion I’m still giving you this opinion with a
Grain of salt if it were right if it were legal I’m giving it to you with a grain of salt because I don’t know if you’ll act on it I don’t know if you’ll execute on anything that I give you in terms of plans strategies plots ploys approaches and angles opportunities to take
Advantage of anything that I identify for you simple identification whether or not you want to make moves that’s whether you want to make moves or not that’s on you okay it should end there them just refusing to take the offer because that doesn’t sound like an offer it sounds like a
[ __ ] offense it sounds like a threat to me right it says if I refuse the offer it could impact the sale in fairness if I look elsewhere I’m unlikely to start somewhere new with my current pay but I’m confident that I could do better than half of what I make
Now right so they’re over here contemplating leaving for another new place that they’ve got no history with granted they’ve got 30 years experience but then they would move to a new place and what hope to negotiate for anywhere near what you were making at your current pay rate
Come on come on just refuse the offer don’t let the sale go through the the choice looks rather obvious but I mean there’s more to the body maybe maybe there’s maybe there is uh some information that we’re not aware of maybe there’s an angle we’re not seeing that’s why we would as
With an actual client we would have follow-up questions for all of this and as as we do it says also also continuing free of the non-compete I could be a disaster for the new ownership if I’m elsewhere I mean granted that sentence is written shittily right what they’re trying to say is that
If the sale goes through it invalidates the non-competes and they could leave right [ __ ] whatever assumption they got cooking you’re not taking half your pay rate you could take uh 75 percent of your current pay rate right at some other place if you could manage with whatever livelihood or lifestyle you’ve become
Accustomed to or whatever debts you’ve got lingering if you have a family if you have uh dependents that rely on your income for whatever you know for for whatever maintenance and support yes you could you could then become not a disaster oh you could become a glory to somebody else elsewhere and become
The ultimate competition to this new ownership you could potentially if you’re walking away with the knowledge and know-how Trade Secrets you might say anything that you have developed this non-compete waves all of that it becomes invalidated at the point at the point of the sale of the business and now you become more
Valuable than just half of what you were earning if if again because we don’t know what competition what competition exists in this particular industry because we don’t know what industry they’re even in to begin with but if they are if the op if the if the hypothetical client
Is well if they’re not aware of any competition they could start there by informing themselves on what competition exists and where they could take their expertise in order to extricate some value like a real capitalist come on don’t don’t let don’t let these phony corporates this capitalize on you you capitalize on corporate
That’s the point of capitalism but that’s another episode that’s another episode that’s pure capitalism not cronyism not corporatism right it’s it’s it’s being a corporate cowboy it’s not being a Raider it’s not being a blue chip whale a slow-moving no adaptability no flexibility have an ass no it’s moving like a corporate Cowboy
Running and gunning and doing it righteously okay I’m not even done with the body I’m sorry I’m I’m kind of fleshing it out as we go along but I find I find instead of reading the entire thing and then addressing it piece by piece as I read through the box and in some
Episodes I might do that right but in others like this one as I read I’m fleshing it out why I’m giving you if you listen to enough of these episodes we are giving you the blueprint to how to evaluate your own life your own circumstances your own professional development the
Livelihood you want to have what we’re giving you are building blocks for it we’re not going to hand you your livelihood I mean that would be [ __ ] beautiful if it were just handed to us right I wouldn’t have to work today I wouldn’t have to work tomorrow
I would never have to work if it was just handed to me what I appreciate it I mean you give something some you give something to someone for free and you see how long they appreciate it unless you have some type of special bond outs handouts do not cultivate loyalty
Unless you have a special relationship I’ll repeat that handouts do not cultivate loyalty only Alliance right let that sink in they do not cultivate loyalty only Alliance Alliance is temporary I mean you look at modern society who’s aligning with who for what purposes for what agendas for what uh
I almost want to say I’m not gonna say it for what motives for what reason for what purpose third subvert culture right for what cultural reasons for what political reasons for economic Financial for what geographical for what for what interesting reasons could there be an alliance
And many times you just need to follow the money many times other times it’s not so simple but that’s higher level thinking where as a corporate Cowboy we’re looking out for our own development in relation to corporate we are improving business in our corner of the world so that corporate Falls in
Line otherwise what you expect us to just follow corporate you’re expected to follow corporate everywhere corporate leads you and they’re not much of a leader let’s [ __ ] be honest they’re not much of a leader it says I could be I’ll continue because I was ranting there my apologies
I could be a disaster for the new ownership if I’m elsewhere provided they aren’t offering Equity I’m planning to decline the offer but it’s scary to go looking for a new job for the first time in 30 years I applaud this person I applaud this person why
Because they are going to make the right choice and that is to refuse the offer don’t let the sale go through now they’re still planning on looking for a job which is smart it lets me know that they haven’t that they may not they may not right I’m
Making the inference here I may be wrong but it’s I guess highlights for me it uh it causes me to recognize and again I may be wrong but it causes me to make the inference and I believe it’s a reasonable one that they have not kept up with the industry
Like they should have been right I mean obviously they’ve been employed for 30 years so they’ve been doing a a decent job to remain employed and make good money really good money if if this one company this one uh if the new owners believe they can cut somebody’s pay by
Half and what still keep them still have them on board [ __ ] they’re assuming that they’ll just accept it if they think they can cut somebody’s pay by half this person must be getting paid well right that’s that’s my assumption that’s my inference but recognizing that it’s difficult to now
Try and make a move when you haven’t been active or when you would you have not been you have not been flexible you have not remained flexible you’ve not continued learning or developing certain skill sets for over 30 years now okay maybe not over 30 years I might be
Exaggerating but for approximately 30 years now it’s difficult I mean Beyond 30 years it’s I guess it just becomes more difficult right but it’s difficult nonetheless it says I’m well paid now but half would really impact My Lifestyle yeah no duh no no I said that early on
Early on man if if you’re making I mean [ __ ] if you’re making minimum wage half is illegal right if uh uh half in in half of reduction in pain a reduction by half is illegal and that’s just if you’re making minimum wage now after salary and they cut your [ __ ] in half
That’s impacting that’s a that’s impacting you adversely very negatively and then it says thoughts question mark question mark I’ve been giving you my thoughts this whole time if I had this hypothetical client I might persuade them to say [ __ ] no [ __ ] no don’t let the sale go through easy as that
But they include an edit here I would imagine they included the edit afterward maybe they’re coming back to give us an update it says I had the meeting yes it’s an update I had the meeting with the perspective again the wrong wrong uh wrong use of perspective but the perspective buyer
And thanks to tons of great advice here and a quick re-read of my contract I’m pretty sure this deal will not go through I realized I didn’t have to participate and without my support the deal will not continue my boss is going to get me a new contract that incentivizes me
To help him sell and find a new buyer man that sounds like the best possible outcome we don’t know what took place behind the scenes what was said in terms of negotiation but it appears that that they’re looking for a new seller no I’m sorry that they’re looking for a new
Buyer right because the seller is his boss is this manager but now they’re looking for a new buyer because apparently the uh the the one buyer who wanted to cut this person’s pay by half is got bummed I guess as I couldn’t [ __ ] somebody over the way they wanted to right
Very good very good I I like these types of outcomes sometimes sometimes I think the very few and far in between but uh I I think in in our case it has to do more so with the Comfort level that a 30-year professional has in one company I think
30 years 30 years is enough time to have read your employment’s contract once or twice and and know what it says it’s good that they were aware right off the bat that they had a non-compete right and it’s good that they knew right off the bat right off rip that if the
Company were to sell the non-compete becomes invalid right essentially liberating them freeing them as a professional to Take on the World to take on the very company that is letting them go that they that that is freeing them right so that that all becomes dependent on
On The Facts of Life on the facts of this person’s life the realities of the market whether or not they’re in an industry that has many players that has substantial competition some other significant entity that could put in the kind of work to attract our hypothetical client with more money
Right in exchange for their services now that they can compete they can sink the old company but no no we haven’t gotten there yet we’re jumping to conclusions we are foreign we are fantasizing but what’s good what is good is that now that they have reviewed the contract and that’s where
You should start it’s what you agree to going in to this agreement right it’s which it’s the terms that you signed on for when you engage in this corporate War as a corporate Cowboy you need to be cognizant you need to recognize you need you need to recognize your duties your obligations your
Responsibilities that’s that requires a a complete analysis of yourself and at times you may require a second opinion a professional opinion from an associate right someone you can balance these kind of ideas off of back and forth and help you form plans strategies help you plot professionally as a corporate cowboy thank you
If you’re in a position like this if you have an associate who needs some assistance we could set something up individually or in a group right because we’ve seen we’ve seen groups move together it’s not unheard of you can find us on Instagram that’s at corporate Cowboys with a z
On patreon that’s the patreon the corporate Cowboys podcast having multiple tiers some of those which have q a opportunities also exclusive content we’re on Rumble we’re on YouTube you can’t miss us you know what the profile pic looks like we don’t miss we could be anybody you could be us
Just move like a corporate cowboy and that’s what we’re here to do as Associates incorporating Associates we’re in the business of creating corporate Cowboys because that’s how business ought to be done creating better professionals inspiring professionals to be better and in that way business is conducted better now that requires a lot of
Self-regulation it requires discipline it requires work at all levels CEOs to entry level from entry level to CEOs and I say this time and time again everyone is entry level forever don’t let your position get to your head don’t let your compensation get to your head
Don’t care if you make minimum wage or if you bring in millions in compensation and Benny’s no no no one gives a [ __ ] no one gives a [ __ ] right there’s haters on both ends but when you when you learn to assimilate that hate simulate that hate incorporate it to better yourself
When you start moving like a corporate cowboy have yourself a good one I’ll catch you next time
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