Life Rule: Don't Project Problems In The Future
Lessons learned from my salary "negotiation" at JP Morgan
In 2019, the company I worked for was bought by JP Morgan.
After taking 7 years to graduate college and making $19k at my first sales job, I felt like I hit the jackpot.
Then bad habits took over and I caused an enormous mess in my mind.
A Change In Pay
With the sale, my pay structure was changing from:
$60k base salary with an additional $20-70k potential from commissions and bonuses
to…
mostly base pay with a small bonus
All employees were patiently awaiting “Comp Day”, where we’d be informed of our new salary and incentives.
I’d been at the company for less than 1 year, switched teams and didn’t have much performance history to reference.
But I had quickly established myself as a top performer and, while I made ~65k in Year 1, was hoping to take home $110k+ in the coming year (on the prior pay structure).
Mind you, I didn’t like the job at all and had zero passion for it.
But the thought of making significantly more money made me instantly forget that I wanted to do something else with my life.
People Like Drama
The days and weeks leading up to Comp Day were filled with questions like:
“What’s our base going to be?”
“Have you heard anything new?”
“Are we all getting paid the same?”
“It better be X or else I’m quitting on the spot!”
“I’m way better than so-and-so, I better make more than him!”
It felt like we were all bracing for a less-than-ideal outcome, but in love with the process of dreading it.
It was all talk and I was participating.
I told anyone who would listen - my groups chats, my wife, my mom.
Without realizing it, any time I was asked about work, I jumped at the opportunity to brag about the sale, but complain about the upcoming uncertainty in pay.
Emotional Swings Can Be Addicting
I was moved to a $90k base salary with a $5k bonus.
It was $25k+ more than I had ever made before. And I was pissed!
I pinged my coworkers.
I texted my group chats.
I called my wife and mom.
“This is bullshit!”
“This is so unfair!”
“I should go back in and demand more!”
Naturally, everyone I complained to sided with me. People tend to do that.
I did eventually go back into my bosses office and re-open the discussion, but nothing changed.
I Blinded Myself From Seeing The Positives
In my greedy and irrational displeasure, I failed to realize what really happened.
I was now a sales rep on a high base pay salary. I would be paid the same whether I far exceeded my quota or fell way short.
That’s unheard of!
In the drama of it all, I failed to see that I could now hit my quota and comfortably coast without becoming a Corporate Sales Slave chasing more commission, more work and spending more time at a job I didn’t like.
A few months prior, I started my first side hustle, Toasted Rye.
I was actively trying to escape Corporate America, but temporarily blinded by the allure of a huge, guaranteed paycheck.
I Didn’t Make The Same Mistake Twice
In the year that followed, I hit my sales quota and directed all additional attention to building my business on the side.
I had moved on from Toasted Rye and was building my online fitness coaching business.
My path up the Corporate Sales Ladder was laid out for me and I was up for promotion.
But this time, I wasn’t letting myself get tricked into chasing money.
Instead, I made a lateral move and switched from the Sales to Account Management team.
I got scoffed at by other members of my team and leaders above me in the sales org.
“Did you hear Ryan is moving to AM?!? What an idiot!”
“What is he doing!? He’s giving up the chance to be a manager!”
They had no idea I found my passion outside of work and was on my way to never showing up to the office again.
Adios, Amigos
My move to AM came with lower pressure and easier success.
I hit my quotas, fulfilled my additional responsibilities and slowly built Tribal Training to a team of 12+ athletes.
In August 2022, I put in my notice and went all in on my business.
I felt terrified, nervous and extremely unsure.
But there was a small part of me that felt like it was what I was supposed to do.
And that’s the part I listened to.
3 Summary Lessons
when you immediately label change or new info as “bad”, you prevent yourself from seeing how it might not be
when you complain to other people about your “bad” circumstances, you increase the power that those circumstances have over you
if my pay structure never changed, it would have been significantly harder to detach from work and save crucial energy needed to build my business
Love this! Came in at a perfect time for me personally.
Still very much in corporate let alone in a country with high unemployment rate leaving it would literally lead me straight to depression and debt.
But I love the ending of this write up especially the first two points.
We have a new manager and things are getting unhealthy by the day but if I prevent myself from seeing how it might not be I may not see the good character build for me.
Complaining loves company and if I find anything to complain about people will always be there listening and wanting to complain more and that making the situation seem more than it is.
So I’ll breathe, one day at a time while I work on myself and things will unfold as they should.
Thank you!