Amazon Driver to Bible Designer
From Obscurity to Designing Experiences for Millions
There are plenty of horror stories through the pandemic that, though feeling like lifetimes past, happened just a handful of years ago. I had taken a giant leap of faith after finishing The 12 Rules for Life in a Microsoft cafeteria in Redmond, Washington. I was in one of two places on the Microsoft campus. Either in a giant mostly empty warehouse with a tiny desk comically placed by a wall, or else at another building sandwiched between the outdoor dumpsters, the humming of a server room, and surrounded by a chain linked fence; no heat or air conditioning. Just the wafts of waste every now and then being carried through the loading dock by a gentle breeze. To close my office, you just needed a padlock to slide the metal together and lock it. If you’ve seen the show Silicon Valley, it was where a former CEO was sentenced to as a form of punishment, except theirs was nicer.
I always worked these type of jobs because I convinced myself that this was simply the life of an artist. Work jobs that allow flexibility because the jobs that took 40 hours a week were just the side job. The real job was before the shifts at a cafe and a bit of night writing at yet another cafe, (Seattle is full of them open early and late). Yet, I always felt like something was desperately wrong. Of course, the paychecks did not add up at all and I was now the primary provider for our family of three. Mostly, I felt as though my potential and aspirations never matched my surroundings. I began to openly wonder why God would allow me to always make the bare minimum as success within the arts mirrored the illustration of a donkey chasing a carrot. I’d get close but something outside of my control would ruin the whole thing. I had made more sacrifices than anyone I had known. I worked a great deal harder than many around me. I was consistent, determined, and willing to put myself out there but every day I’d return to an empty warehouse, a graveyard shift at a hotel, a coffee shop, or retail. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with those jobs in the slightest and I have the upmost respect for those who make a career out of it- but I was trying so hard to work outside of work and nothing seemed to actually… work.
When I read Peterson’s thoughts on consequences it dawned on me that I was choosing this path that I was so frustrated to travel on. There’s a consequence to everything. There’s a consequence to staying and there’s a consequence to going. My entire life I felt a victim to a story that I was in rather than a story that I was actively writing. I didn’t have to be surrounded by a chain linked fence by the dumpsters. Perhaps I could convince myself, “Well, you didn’t choose this. Who would choose this?” I knew internally though that this trade between my time in these jobs that made me bitter and my aspirations would continue forth. I could fast forward and see myself still on a loading dock if I didn’t do something I’ve never done. I laid down my badge, emailed my manager, and with the droning hums of servers as my outro music- I exited a pattern of putting myself last.
Perhaps you’re thinking, “Wow, that’s a great story and then you made it huh?” Well, no. I failed miserably. My start up’s servers crashed, I had to start over for the 18th time, and a little thing called Covid 19 hit. My plan was to launch my start up, write a couple more books, and then live a life on my terms. If anything turned bad, I could always return to one of the countless jobs I had done before. Like so many times in life, God had other plans. We were now running out of money. We didn’t have money for my wife and I both to work because our baby’s caretaker would swallow up the money one of us had brought home. It didn’t make sense to do that so we switched. My wife worked at a school and I raised our child while attempting to get my business off the ground. Credit cards began piling up and I’ll fast forward through the chaos of Covid in a state that shut everything down. I couldn’t go back even if I wanted to and I wanted to. It was a time of intense wrestling because my act of faith was supposed to be an inspirational story that encouraged others around me. Once again, I attempted to control the only thing I could control and act within my realm of responsibility, but it was the exterior things in life that ruined my plans. Though it was a hard time, it was a time that produced the most change within me.
I ended up finally taking a job as an Amazon driver because our debt was getting extreme and I had never been in any serious debt before. Each route was different. I’d one day be running around multi million dollar mansions that made up the tech scene in Washington. Other days I’d be in the literal mountains with deliveries miles apart. To make matters worse, it was also wild fire season so Amazon required for their drivers to wear two N-95 masks on top of one another- one for the fire smoke that would block out the sun and the other for Covid. I lost eleven pounds in maybe 10 days and it was a rather miserable pursuit. You’ve probably heard of some of the crazy stories and conditions of the drivers and I’d probably nod in agreement that they are true. Six weeks later, I decided that I couldn’t do it anymore. Right there in the parking lot while waiting for my shift to start, I contacted a tech bootcamp and started a course towards a certificate, (I have advice in this so feel free to reach out if you need any).
I finished the program and ended up applying to 333 jobs in just a couple months. I was desperate. Our financial situation did not improve and Washington had no plans in fully opening up the state. Out of those 333 jobs applied for, (and yes- sprinkled in there were plenty of graveyard warehousing jobs) I received one offer. I’m no math wizard but that’s a .3% success rate but that’s all you need when it comes to life. All you need is .3% of an opportunity. I cannot chalk this up to my incredible resume or set of skills. It felt straight from a Biblical story and I was the runt out managing the sheep in some pasture no one cared for. The recruiters would look at me and openly scoff, (to those pursuing careers- do not be discouraged by these scoffers… I can write an entire blog on them) but I was given an opportunity the size of which would never fully dawn on me. The scope of work was enormous. The audience was in the millions. The topic? Well, just a little book called the Bible.
With just six dollars left in credit, I landed a job that would change the trajectory of my life. Perhaps later, I can speak on how quickly things had changed. It was two or three years after I had left the loading dock, pushed through Covid 19, went through a bootcamp, and applied to 333 jobs but just in the nick of time God had given me a .3% opportunity. A half year later, we sold our one bedroom condo, paid off all our credit card debts, moved across the country, and increased our living space by four times.
What are you willing to leave behind with no proof that it will work out? Perhaps it will cost you everything but maybe more importantly- it will give you a story worth telling.
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