The Apprentice……….you’re fired!

It was just over eight years ago when I had this brilliant idea to install an above ground pool at my home. After attempting to work on it evenings and weekends and as the summer started to heat up, I finally took a week off work so we would at least get to swim in it the first year. Like always, never taking the easy route, I had to build it down a hill and with a seven-foot deep end, this had to be the worst week of my life!

First of all being a guy, not wanting to follow directions was not an option this time around.  I’m not sure having a master’s degree in engineering would have helped either! They made every section of the process absolutely frightening, stating in bold letters; “If your pool is out of level by one-inch it WILL collapse!”  Reading that over & over isn’t real comforting.

So, upon arriving back at work everyone kept asking me how my pool project went? My standard answer was this; “I just finished building my first & last pool ever!”

At our 2005 annual planning session with the Board of Directors, I stepped up to the plate and agreed to be the project manager to re-design our website. As project manager if I’m unsuccessful, I will be guaranteed a trip to the Boardroom where I may here those dreadful words; “You’re fired.” 

For the past ninety days the research and long hours has been a bit overwhelming at times. At the end of every day, in bold letters this frightening thought kept going through my head; “Will we finish on time, is the navigation going to be easy, will it have everything our members need and more, will the membership like it?” 

So, upon completion, if you really want to know, my standard answer is; “I just finished the re-design of my first & last website, ever!” 

Although appearance was important and we think it came out absolutely stunning, we knew that content and navigation was our first priority. We have added many new areas and a lot more new content that we feel you will enjoy. If you do nothing else, please read the employee bios. Each employee was asked one question along with their own personal bio, without sharing their answer with each other it was completely heart warming to read about how much they “love this membership.”

In closing, I want to thank my marketing assistant Susan Jenkins. We worked so hard to bring together our new website design and I appreciate all her hard work. For Susan though, the bad news is if the Board of Directors and membership isn’t happy with our completed project I will have no choice but to bring her in the Boardroom with me where one of us will hear those two dreadful words, “You’re Fired!”

Yours truly,


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