After 12 years, I am moving on.
Probably going to dox myself, but here we go.
I started at Michael’s in 2014 as a seasonal sales associate. I was working for Verizon in their customer service support center, and couldn’t tolerate working full time due to my mental health. I needed a part time job so I applied to AC Moore and Michaels. And here we are 12 years later.
In my time, I helped open a brand new store, worked as a part time CEM and then a full time CEM. My Rewards numbers were so good I was asked by my DM to relocate to another store in the district so I did. I left the company for a little while to try a “grown up job”, hated it, and returned to Michaels as an Ops Manager. As an OPs Manager I did it all… I would work in my store then drive across town to help close another store. I acted as coverage for our replenishment manager and our store manager (at the same time) during peak season. I did two acting store manager positions. One in my district and another outside my district. Eventually I took a store manager role up state where I had been for almost five years.
In my time as store manager I flourished. The first two years were rough, but I built a very strong and reliable team. We ended number one on the scorecard for our district and in the top 50 of the company. We were selected to try new merchandise like the miniature kits we carry now. I helped develop the balloon bundle program. I was an inventory captain for the district. My DM was trying to get me added as an MCX store to help alleviate the high volume of training put on our other MCX stores. And then the A-Volume store happened…
An A-Volume store in our district had major management turn over. It happened while I was there helping them through their freight right before Christmas. And I stayed for almost five months. During my time there I struggled immensely, but I had endless support from my district and my store was being run by my Replenishment Manager who I trusted implicitly. It was never meant to be a permanent solution, but I had connected deeply with the team and was encouraged by my RVP to take the role as Store Manager. See, when I took my store manager position originally I relocated for it and I made it known I would eventually like to get back home. My RVP told me I could do the A-Volume store for 12-18 months at which time she would ensure I could get back home and Michael’s would cover my relocation back. Or I could return to my original store and Michael’s would not cover my relocation. So I agreed to take the Store Manager position in the A-Volume store.
Michaels offered me $78,000 to manage the A-Volume store. I asked for $85,000 which I didn’t think was outrageous when we were talking about a building that not only needed a lot of help, but was easily making $8M that year. And then I waited. And waited. And waited for a response. Not only did I not end up getting the job my RVP recommended me for, but I was put on a final written warning for editing a timesheet without verification from the team member. With that, I was asked to leave the A-Volume store and return to my building. To clarify the timesheet issue - I had an ASM who was being investigated for stealing time and I added a lunch punch in for her on a day where she went to the gas station next door and did not return for at least 30 minutes. I never had any previous disciplinary action. I was told I was “lucky” because I could have lost my job. The ASM was fired for time theft. I was also instructed to fire my Replenishment Manager for a 15 minute time clock discrepancy on an overnight they had worked. This left the A-Volume store with a Framing Manager and a PT CEM. A coverage manager from out of state stepped in and then I returned to my original store.
About a month later, I was able to relocate back home which Michaels did not help fund. This was in May of this year and as we all know, all Hell broke loose in the company. In my personal life, I lost both my grandparents to an act of self-inflicted violence. I was trying to adjust to a new store, a new team, and a new district. The workload became so overwhelming that I couldn’t get my footing. My depression and anxiety were so bad I was having panic attacks in the bathroom between answering pages on the radio. I truly felt out of control of every single aspect of the business. And now I’m leaving. Yesterday was my last day and I didn’t hear from my DM at all. There were no attempts made to retain me.
Michaels was a place that brought me joy. Working there was what I was known for and I was proud of that. I have met and connected with some of the most amazing, creative, and hard working people I’ve ever known. I felt sad yesterday as if I was leaving a part of me behind, but I also realized the place I loved being a part of doesn’t exist anymore. We say we’re the destination for celebrating joy and creativity, but the joy and creativity has been stripped from us. I felt no joy. I had no energy for creativity. And now that my time is over, I hope to get back to being a person rather than a Michaels Store Manager whatever that may look like.
If I had the opportunity to work with you - I hope I made an impact on you. I hope I taught you something worthwhile. I hope I made you feel seen, valued, and appreciated. I know I am walking away having taken so much from all of you and I will forever be grateful for your patience, understanding, and acceptance. The teams I’ve had the absolute pleasure of working with gave me something invaluable - the opportunity to grow. So thank you and I am wishing you all the best.