Musings from Dennis #264. We talk a lot about joining a company, but rarely about the quieter, harder part - leaving one, bringing a familiar song to mind.
Joining a company is one thing - the interviews, the
negotiations, the final offer letter. But settling into the rhythm of work,
building trust, and turning colleagues into friends is something else entirely.
That’s the part that makes leaving difficult, because you know a piece of you
stays behind. At least, that’s how it has always felt for me. Call it a
“boomer” mindset if you like, but I’ve always believed that work-life balance
isn’t about drawing strict lines. It’s about embracing the continuum. When you
stop treating work and personal life as two competing worlds, you often end up
enjoying both more - with less stress about which version of yourself you’re
supposed to be.
That’s why leaving Fun Characters Int’l in early 2013 was
emotionally tough. FCI gave me a most memorable and lavish farewell dinner at
Dempsey Road, complete with an album and scroll of work memorabilia gift that I
still keep today.
A decade later, when I left Paramount at the end of 2023,
the goodbyes took on a different shape - more personal, more intentional.
There were many meals, heartfelt conversations, and even a surprise CP Zoom
farewell with teams dialing in from Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Beijing and
even London. What moved me most was how people beyond CP reached out as well.
And to top it off, our key retail and mall partners did the same.
Two years on, those relationships remain. The conversations
never ended; they simply became commas instead of full stops. And so this post
is written with gratitude for the people who made leaving so hard - and worth
remembering. Goodbye to Love, indeed.
