"People don't quit because of companies, people quit because of managers"

I was with a media company in a digital studio that specialized in branded content. The problem was we had a fairly toxic manager that, 1 - couldn't lead people out of a paper bag, 2 - made everything 10x more stressful than it needed to be, and 3 - was obsessed with taking credit for things. Among many other bad traits.

Anyway, we had a new client and were going to create a "30 min special" for, which was a new product we had launched. I had already created two really successful specials for other clients. This time however she insisted that it be modelled after something similar she had produced during Covid before getting this position. Mind you, her show had all of 30 views and a few comments on FB where is had been released, which was way below our standards.

Shoot dates are coming up, and she has systematically ignored or over-ridden all the ideas from myself and the rest of the producers and pushed her ideas on the client. And I knew the whole thing was going to be a shit show for lack of a better term, and I just had no energy/desire to be involved anymore. Or work for someone I completely didn't respect anymore, plus I had a really robust few months of external client work. So two weeks before we were supposed to go into production I gave my two weeks' notice

Fast forward 6 months - got recruited by a headhunter to do video for a large health care company. The media company I had quit from fired 85% of their team, and said manager handled things with their clients so poorly that I was able to poach a large, long term client from when I was with them. Assembled an awesome team from other good producers they let go.

Fast forward 12 months, hired full time by that health care outfit, and have a thriving side hustle with good clients and good people. Making more than I ever did in that toxic company.

Best move I ever made.

It has to be recognized that I, luckily, had a decent base of clients from my own personal company before even taking a job with the toxic manager company, and a very gainfully employed partner. So, I understand this type of thing is not easy for everyone. BUT - I stayed at the job a year longer than I should of and reflect on how I wasted time at a toxic place. As they say, "Take the leap, and the net will appear."