Tonight, I spoke with a friend who faced a deeply personal loss during his first year at a major airline. On top of that, a standards event didn’t go well, and he soon found himself unemployed, unsure of his next steps. It was a crushing conversation, but not untenable.
He’ll be fine—I’m connecting him with excellent resources and introducing him to my longtime mentor, who has an incredible track record of helping people rebuild their careers.
What’s the takeaway? If you’re dealing with personal loss or challenges, talk to your friends. We’re often terrible at evaluating ourselves objectively, and self-diagnosis can lead to bad decisions. Reach out to friends and mentors—they may offer insights or resources you hadn’t considered. Hop on Zoom on a Saturday night; I don’t know anyone in our circle who wouldn’t lend an ear. Whatever you do, don’t isolate yourself. There are few “new” things in the human condition and someone has gone through and made it out the other side of whatever your challenges are.
I lost my father during my first year at SouthernJets, but I was fortunate to have people looking out for me. The LAX chief pilot at the time told me, “Here’s a ticket, go home, take as much time as you need. Don’t worry about SouthernJets. Let me know if you need anything.” That support made all the difference. In fact, he went to bat for me, as Regional Director, when Comair tried to have me fired and a few other potentially career-altering events and encouraged me NOT to walk away from Jetcareers. This is Captain Levis on the right during a trip to Toulouse, France about 3 years ago.
If you’re struggling and don’t know where to turn, message me. I’ll give you my number, and we’ll talk. At the very least, you’ll have me. I may also have—or know of—resources that could help. And please know this: You are NEVER bothering me, especially when your message starts with “I need help.” Even if you’re in the “I THINK I **might** need help”, reach out to your friends and colleagues, or JC, or me.
He’ll be fine—I’m connecting him with excellent resources and introducing him to my longtime mentor, who has an incredible track record of helping people rebuild their careers.
What’s the takeaway? If you’re dealing with personal loss or challenges, talk to your friends. We’re often terrible at evaluating ourselves objectively, and self-diagnosis can lead to bad decisions. Reach out to friends and mentors—they may offer insights or resources you hadn’t considered. Hop on Zoom on a Saturday night; I don’t know anyone in our circle who wouldn’t lend an ear. Whatever you do, don’t isolate yourself. There are few “new” things in the human condition and someone has gone through and made it out the other side of whatever your challenges are.
I lost my father during my first year at SouthernJets, but I was fortunate to have people looking out for me. The LAX chief pilot at the time told me, “Here’s a ticket, go home, take as much time as you need. Don’t worry about SouthernJets. Let me know if you need anything.” That support made all the difference. In fact, he went to bat for me, as Regional Director, when Comair tried to have me fired and a few other potentially career-altering events and encouraged me NOT to walk away from Jetcareers. This is Captain Levis on the right during a trip to Toulouse, France about 3 years ago.
If you’re struggling and don’t know where to turn, message me. I’ll give you my number, and we’ll talk. At the very least, you’ll have me. I may also have—or know of—resources that could help. And please know this: You are NEVER bothering me, especially when your message starts with “I need help.” Even if you’re in the “I THINK I **might** need help”, reach out to your friends and colleagues, or JC, or me.
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