This time of year has been special for as long as I have been in the hobby. Well, at least on a personal level. April brings the Spring Toronto Expo, the resets of the NFL collecting year with the draft, and ramp up to the National starts too. However, this time last year, I was making one of the biggest decisions of my life. Leaving Beckett wasn’t easy, but it was something that I had to do for myself. Here’s why.
Let me start at the beginning, a great place to start. When I was hired at Beckett, I was the Coin Analyst as they had just acquired one of the leading coin magazines in the country. Full disclosure, I did not know a thing about coins. I still don’t. However, I was getting my foot in the door and that was all I needed. With time, I would become the Hockey Analyst, host of the FatPacks, and later the Social Media Manager. All of which I was eager and blessed to do.
I grew up at Beckett. To put this gently, I was not a professional when I started. Some may argue that I’m still not, but those early days were rough. I tended to speak when I should have been listening. That would always lead to trouble, and in turn, frustrate me. I was my own worst enemy. It took years to correct that.
Well, it took years and three or four solid leaders to correct it. However, when it finally clicked, I started to love my job. I saw the best sides of the hobby and why we all enjoy it in our own ways. I was trusted with more, and given opportunities to succeed. If I failed, I learned from that and tried again. The coaching and mentoring worked wonders for me over the next several years.
On the whole, my time at Beckett was wonderful for the first nine years, comparatively speaking. Because the last 7 to 8 months were a challenge. It was then that new leadership was brought into the company. All the trust and relationships that were built up previously went out the window as changes started to be made. The writing was on the wall, and something had to give.
This is typically the point in a story when others may lay out what was happening to make them feel that way. However, I have the convenience of social media and modern history on my side, so I don’t have to. What I will do is just point you, the reader, back to the 2023 Mint Collective. That is when the Beckett I knew and loved died.
Yes, there were clear indications before this point in time, but the fumbled rollout of the new grading scale was just embarrassing. So much so, that I knew I couldn’t be a part of the company moving forward. It was then that I truly started looking to make a change.
Unbeknownst to me, there was a major shift happening at Panini as well. That’s not my story to tell, but it allowed for a door to be opened that I had previously knocked at. When I knocked this time, it was answered. Even so, the choice before me was difficult to make.
One doesn't spend the better of a decade with a company without understanding the magnitude it has had on one's life. Even with all the changes that were taking place at Beckett, starting over wasn’t going to be easy. I was comfortable there and had built up some professional equity. Leaving meant I would not be afforded that same level of trust and commitment from a new company. Not without earning it.
Now, one year later, I’m still finding my footing at Panini. Going from price guides and grading to product development is a huge change. There is plenty to learn and it was a bit overwhelming at first. However, I’m blessed to be able to work with some great hobby minds and it has been a real joy to see collectors react positively to some of the products I have worked it. Most recently that was Zenith Football, which was the first product the team had a meeting about when I started. We have had countless meetings since then and it’s exciting every time
I always thought I when I left Beckett I would write a tell-all article, or record a three-hour podcast airing my grievances. However, looking back on my time there, it was filled with more good than bad, and I was blessed to be able to call it home for so long. So, here’s to Beckett. I hope your ship is righted and you regain the respect that was worked so hard for. A company doesn’t stay in business for 40-plus years without out.
Thank you for the memories and the time I was allowed to be a part of your organization.
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