I've been looking around a bit in the blogosphere. And I've discovered quite a few very personal blogs, which literally take their readers on a journey into the writer's life.
And of course, some time ago I told you about the blog Petite Anglais. She seems to have a very large following, in spite of the fact that she doesn't write every day. But of course, a pretty woman writing about her job, how she got fired because of her blog, snippets from her break-up, her new man (whom she also lost), and her dating life and even snippets from her sex life, is pretty, well, appealing. I guess.
But, unfortunately for me I'm not a pretty blonde woman who can write about my dating life. After all, I'm a married man. And on the few occasions when I have written about other women, like Strumpette, some readers asked what my wife would think about that.
Then we have the blog Dooce, written by Heather Armstrong, who was the first blooger fired because of her blog, which made that event a new word, to be "dooced." She is in a permanent relationship, and has children, but that hasn't stopped a huge following to her blog and she claims to be supporting herself simply based on ads on her blog.
And that caught my attention.
After all, if she can do it, why can't I?
Especially the part about having an income again sounded very appealing.
After all, I've been unemployed since December 2005, and it simply doesn't appear as if the pharma industry wants me back, in spite of the fact that I had the #1 result vs. budget (comparing product areas with sales more than $100 million) in 2003, the year Pfizer took over and I was pushed to the side.
Truth is, I haven't had a job interview since 2003. Not for lack of trying. I've sent out gazillions of resumes. Oh well, so much for having straight A's and the best results at two pharma companies. I guess, there are things more important than results. Like keeping your mouth shut.
Because, somehow all interviews stopped aburptly after my lawsuit against Wyeth became publicly known. And the few recruiters who called later seemed to be looking for a cheap thrill. They always wanted all kinds of detailed info about me and my salary, and if I was willing to relocate, but, funny part, never, ever had a job. I'm kind of wondering if someone sent them to out to test me, to check if I really was looking for a job.
Oh well, those are some of the reasons I think Big Pharma behaves like the mob. You talk, you're dead. It's called Omerta. The code of silence.
At least they haven't sent any hitmen to shoot me. Yet. But my wife is worried. I guess they figure starving me to death is a better way to set an example.
So, of course, I can't let them get away with that. I mean, since it would make them happy if I starved to death, I need to make sure that doesn't happen.
That means I need to find a way to make money, to pay for groceries. I do have a couple of lawsuits going, but reality is that even when I win, which I feel very certain I will, considering the long line of law firms who fought to take the case, Pfizer is likely to appeal, and so it could take a decade until I receive a single cent.
So I need to come up with a way to support myself. Problem is that I'm a "whistleblower" and as famous whistleblower Sherron Watkins from Enron has repeatedly stated, that means no one in the corporate world will give you a job. Ever.
So that leaves self employment or driving a cab, pretty much.
Of course, someone may propose that I could go back to practicing medicine. If it wasn't for that little fact that my entire career has been in business and I haven't practiced medicine since 1984, over 20 years ago. I'd say that makes it hard to start all over.
So that leaves the cab or self employment. And if you look into self employment, mostly you find jobs like mowing lawns, starting a fast food franchise, or similar. Not the most appealing prospect. Don't get me wrong. I mow my own lawn. I just don't think mowing everyone else’s lawn is the best use of a doctor's degree, not if I can come up with something better to do.
After all, I have a legal obligation to minimize my "damages" so if I settled on lawn mowing, Pfizer's lawyers may claim I didn't try hard enough.
So I figure, I have to try harder than that.
Then it hit me, maybe I should ask you, my readers, what you think I should do.
And I also thought, why not shoot for the stars?
After all, this is a country where anything is possible. Any dream can come true.
So since I've been kicked out the window of the top floor of the pretty corporate tower and the pavement is coming closer real fast, why not have some fun before hitting the ground?
Oh, I forgot, I'm alreay having fun writing this blog. Some lawyers would say it is crazy. But really, it's just fun.
But I need more than fun. I need cash. So I'd like to know which one of the following options you think I should go for. If you like more than one, feel free to vote for all of them. After all, nothing says I can't try everything!
Right?
And then we can have all have some fun following my attempts to make some cash.
And please. This is important stuff. So if you don't feel like voting do it anyway. I need your advice.
And feel free to comment as well. I may have forgotten about a few things. Any suggestions are welcome!
27 comments:
Dr. Rost,
You can always go work for a non-profit organization or the government. Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, etc or Think tanks or hell - come and work for NIH or FDA where I am at now - we would love whistleblowers :-)
Become a consultant - the dreaded profession but it pays well.
None of the above. How about a TV show called "The Unemployables" staring Peter Rost? Can I get a guest spot? People love playing opposite me as it makes them look even BETTER on camera.
But seriously, the big boyz surely will not touch you, but Ma & Pa's Pills and Ointments probably would. Yes, you would probably be working for far less, but I'd try talking them into some decent incentives vs goals. If you know you're the best (no problem there, right? another VBG) you'd at least have beer money at the end of the day.
I'm impressed. Over the last few days this blog has received comments from current and former Pfizer employees and now an FDA employee. I can't wait to see the result of this poll!
Actually, I just came up with one more option. I was just in contact with a producer I got to know at 60 Minutes, who was later laid off when they took 60 Minutes Wed off the air.
He now lives in Mexico, living off the difference of renting out his apartment in New York and what he pays for rent in a charming old town in Mexico.
I guess that's an option, too.
Dr. Rost it is a little bit sad that your scope is so limited. You are now reminding me of when I was making barely over minimum wage as a gopher for a law firm (a major Internatinal Law firm). I did things like drive docs around, make sure the wine and champagne stay chilled (not kidding), and submit to be the scapegoat for all office fuckups.
One day I return from an errand to find six attorneys gathered 'round the fax machine. Scratching their heads, poking at buttons, murmuring. I tentatively approach asking if there was a jam or ink problem and no, they were collaborating to try and send a fax. That's it. They couldn't figure out how to send a fax.
You are seeming very removed from the practical aspects of living. At least it seems like you are not very worried about losing your house, getting enough food, and staying warm (or cool). This is what many of us in even (what used to be the) middle class think about daily. Are you really there?
If you are worried about those basics, then you take the job that will pay the bills and/or 'downsize' your life.
I'm kind thinkin' that you have some investments? You probably have been living on them or could live on them for quite some time (and maybe the rest of your life if you downsize enough).
I recommend reading "Your Money or Your Life". Perhaps you will find out that -BAM- you are now retired and now able to dedicate yourself to a soul fulfilling work.
If you MUST take the conventional approach, at least consider the seeming shallow connection you have to the rest of the world. Are you looking for an income that will help or hurt our ailing world? Can we benefit from your whistleblowing experience? Share it earnestly, don't just exploit it. Write that book if you must, but what are you looking to give or take out the the experience? More money? What?
Have you been more stimulated since Dec last year than while working at Pfizer? Is that making life fun? Is it helping others (yes, by informing us of what we didn't know).
Join the good side. Stop working for big Pharma, erase it from your behavior like a bad habit. You have an education in health and medicine? USE IT! I read a fascinating piece by a woman from Australia doing lecture circuits talking about how the healthcare industry is invested in making us sick (I'll attempt to recover her name and forward it). John Perkins lectures on his CIA/secret ops whistleblowing.
Or (ok, sit down for this one) really change your life and go volunteer in Zambia. Do you think they give a shit how you've been recently employed? Zambians are some of the friendliest yet poorest people in the world. Or you could use your business expertise in fighting on the side of the desperately poor for getting life saving drugs. I bet you might find employment there, but not good pay.
Have you had 'enough' 'good' pay?
I feel like I know you better than I did when I first wrote to you, I get the feeling that you will write this off as some hippy sounding tripe and then move on to find the job to maintain a certain lifestyle level.
Amy
Doctors without borders could probably use your help, right now! That will get you back into medicine. You may have to do your boards and state boards over when you come back. Tkae a computer with you, and you can STILL do your blog and have interesting and up to date things to write about. Otherwise, there are all sorts of other intersting things to do, like working in a Medicaid clinic? Starting a small practice in a poor disenfranchised neighborhood? That would give you excellent ammunition, moreover, to do some really pointed writing, both on where the administration of medical care and medicine lacks. Take your camera with you. You make nice pictures, and use that camera to show the world what is going on in this nation, which is the best and most advanced in the world. But put an added dimension to it, not only criticism, we all need solutions, good ones. Just whining is not going to do it. Otherwise, check back with me once you have gone through a long period of NO FOOD, and no medical care, or dental care. When your money runs out, and you still can not get a job, they will tell you that your situation is "voluntary", because, after all, with your experience and degrees there is something you could do? You are in a rut, Peter, get yourself together already. Geez. Either that, or go back to mom.
How about going back to your very first career?
Yes! Modelling!! Why not???.
Time has been very kind to you, allowing you to mature VERY gracefully, despite all the stress you've had to endure throughout your corporate years.
I am sure many high-end male apparel catalogs would be delighted to have your image on their cover.
Nothing like European refinement to lure hordes of American shoppers!
I can picture you right now in an impecable tuxedo, holding a glass of champagne a la James Bond: "Rost. Dr. Peter Rost."
Would your wife object?
Doc, Doc, Doc....Peter, Peter, Peter, Welcome to my world. After 35 years living on top of the world, and being assured almost daily, I was in the "inner circle" and a member of the rarified club known as the "untouchables" a funny thing happened. One day, I needed to meet with the grown ups giving those assurances, and "Poof," instead of seeing the familiar gray headed 50's and 60's, I was met by a bunch of 30 and 40 yr. old imbeciles, who's first greeting to me was, "We met with our attorney and he informed us that New York is an "At Will" state." "How old are you?" Since my Momma didn't didn't raise no dummies, an involuntary smile broke out on my face (I had just been given a full lipped kiss by the new "Don") so I asked which one of the new diaper boys would hold the basket and which one gets to wield the sword.
That was almost three yrs. ago, and I'm glad to inform you that, after a period of trauma such as what you're going thru now, my life is better than ever. So the bottom line, Don't sweat it Doc, Shooter's on the case, you can go to sleep tonite, with a smile on your face, with the knowledge that "the best revenge is living well." And the only remuneration I ask is a seat on the dais at your first annuual Celebration Dinner.
Stay tuned, Shooter's step-by-step approach to his proprietary "Executive Stilletto" Program is forthcoming.
Are you over 50? Let's write the Survival Guide for Dummies Over 50 Years Old!
"John Mack"......
Just a friendly suggestion John, remove the "View Full Size" link from your picture..........Just Kidding. LOL
Welcome aboard, you'll have to excuse me, I am the designated, "tenured" "wise-ass" on this blog and your backround will certainly be appreciated.
Sorry to hear of your troubles in the employment world. BUT you do have a wealth of information about how the pharma industry works, maybe you could become an expert for all these trials that go on.
These guys get huge amounts of money for what they do for drug trials.
I still like the idea of a Rost Post with ads. Start a conflict to get the readers and thus the advetisers and go for it from there.
Seems like you have some actual options especially with your past experience. Just need to step outside the envelope and see what you can do with them. Attorneys may seem like lowlifes, but they do pay well.
Well I figure you got a professional degree for a reason, but if you quit your practice 22 years ago maybe being a doctor wasn't suited for you.
Was it the just drugs you were good at selling or sales in general? You might want to take a look a other types of sales like real estate there's good money in that.
Writing a book seems like a good idea since you have some name recognition and a story to tell that's been in the news, lot's of others have done it and made some good money. You never know you could get a movie or TV show based on it.
An Angel's Destiny
Argon's Awareness
-Rant on-
Polls don’t tell anyone anything. They’re the ultimate PR tool employed to sway the masses by appealing to lemming mentality. Cheap trick, group think.
And, NO I will not play the game of pick the most likable dot. It reminds me of being subjected to multiple guess (tests) during my school days.
-Rant off-
Besides, you seem like a relatively nice, handsome and intelligent guy. You certainly know a cheap poll will not provide the answers to life’s most complex and important questions. We, your “semi-adoring” (LMAO) fans, know next to nothing about you. However, since you asked -
I’m going to presume (I know, that’s a dangerous concept) that you have real people to whom you can turn to, and in which you can confide. I suggest you make a list of all possible options and categorize them by level of appeal. Pick a handful of the most appealing, then list pros and cons for each course. Additionally, you will need to take stock of your life, your assets, your liabilities, your skills, your hopes, and your dreams. Once you’ve done your inventory and analysis, you should have narrowed the field of possibilities to those that make the most sense, and have the most curb appeal. Then, would be the time to approach those you know and trust and have a good head on their shoulders for some heavy conversation, and input. Here’s where my advice comes into play -
You have an amigo south of the border. There’s nothing quite like a little road trip to help clear the air, clean out the cobwebs, provide some perspective on the whole “what do I want to be when I grow up” thing.
Before you go, you need to prime yourself.
Run to your local video store and/or reprioritize your Netflix queue, rent and watch, the following as “must see” prior to taking the plunge -
Fandango (starring Kevin Costner, Judd Nelson, Sam Robards, Chuck Bush, Brain Cesak - as the Groovers)
Thelma and Louise (starring Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon)
Sideways (starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Chuch)
Vegas Vaction (starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid)
Y tu mamá también (starring Ana López Mercado, Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal)
Easy Rider (starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson)
-----------------------------------
“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.”
-John Lennon
Gotta Wear Shades
MOOOOO!.....Where are you? Come to me Baby. Are you mad at me? Was it the "holstein" crack? I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! The second I hit the "enter" key, I thought, "uh, oh" I think I just made a mistake. I'll make it uo to you, I promise. I will write my Materpiece "Snark Tome" just for you. C'mon out and play with me. All the other kiddies are shunning me, but they would stop with you by my side. They know better than to screw with The MooGirl.
And now, Doc......Anon right above has some great ideas. Let me give you the #1, Shooter jewel for eternal bliss and happiness." When you wake up in the morning, what is the one thing that you would do, if money was not the object, that makes your blood race, your heart jump out of your chest, and forces a stupid looking, uncontrollable grin on your face? That's it, DO IT! The money will come, I promise.
Now, let me put another idea here for you, Doc. Here it is. I think you have gotten a little bit off course! Why was it again, that you wanted to reimport those Pfizer drugs? Yes, of course, it was to help poor people, right? Now, this is what you have been doing lately, Doc. You are busy figuring out what to do with YOUR LIFE and how to *GET* a "job". You are over fourty, and you will not *get* a job. You will have to create one. In The Netherlands they used to say "Life starts at fourty" and you are a few years behind in figuring that out. Instead of being self-involved you have no other way out than seeing what it is OTHERS NEED and focus on THAT. Get involved with THAT. It could lead many places. Medical Appliance Manufacturing? There are still some needs to be met, from implants to devices to get your shoes on. Long shoehorns are already available, but what we really need is long shoehorns which fold and then can be pushed, with one hand, to full length. Hospital gowns with fully opening zippers, sothat the doctor can take a good look at your scar after surgery, without having to look at the rest of your bloated body. That is another one. And then there is a looming oil crisis and a number of people will have to walk to the store. Here is an idea, we need a strong babycarriage-like contraption, with wheels that do not roll off, and which are able to hold a good load of groceries, like a week's supply, plus a 10 pound bag of "taters". You have to be able to hang on it, a little, as well. If you can make it into a folding contraption, to hang on the in- house grocerycart, yet fully see-through, that would be good. Hm, you could make it into a hook-off appendage to a threewheeler? Let us see now, and what about a combination umbrella/fan on top? And we definitely need a lot of built in checkometers, what with Al Qaeda becoming more and more "ingenious". On Hufpo this morning one ddh asked "will woman with breast implants have to check their breasts as cargo? Which made me think of how to ascertain real breast milk and other bodily fluids? After all, they could be implanted and be dangerous gells? See my drift?
This is better stuff than I've heard from most of my friends. Most of them just kind of look at me with a big WHY written over their faces . . .
I like the political thing beeta proposed. Of course, that SHOULD have been part of the poll. Only I hear you need a small fortune to get elected.
And, boy oh boy, I love those movies!
They are right on!
Fandango (starring Kevin Costner, Judd Nelson, Sam Robards, Chuck Bush, Brain Cesak - as the Groovers)Think I've seen, but ordering from Netflix, to make sure
Thelma and Louise (starring Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon) Love it love it love it. Yeah, I guess, that's really my life right now. Driving toward the edge of the cliff.
Sideways (starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Chuch) Oh, I hated it. Hated it. Men were too ugly. And I don't do midlife crisis. I actually ended up fastforwarding the whole movie. Wanted to see ending. Boring ending.
Vegas Vaction (starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid) Can't find.
Y tu mamá también (starring Ana López Mercado, Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal) I ordered and put on top of queue.
Easy Rider (starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson)
Loved it loved it loved it.
Apparently, Vegas Vacation is unavailable at Netflix (I checked it out). It's the "one" simply hilarious flim brought to you by the National Lampoon vacation series.
Also, add - The Motorcycle Diaries (starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo de la Serna)
The beauty aspect of Sideways, is not the people, it's the dialog.
Doc,
What a fascinating subject and how nice of you to ask for our input. I’m here to be your cheerleader. Here’s my 3 cents worth.
I, of course, agree with my evil twin, Shooter. At this point in our lives (over 40), you have to ask yourself what gives you joy. What makes you excited? What makes you look forward to getting out of bed in the morning? Is it writing? Is it maintaining this blog? You seem to get pretty excited about the movie industry. And I love Beeta’s idea about politics.
You just have to get quiet and find your passion. Is this blog something that you’d like to do full time, 10-12 hours a day? Then that is certainly a possibility. People are doing it every day. Matt Drudge, Daily Kos, Media Matters, Crooks and Liars, Little Green Footballs (ugh) to name just a few. These people all started out just like you. They were just people with time and an opinion.
If you love keeping this blog and would like to do it full time and make a living at it, then that is certainly an attainable goal. I have many ideas and suggestions if this is the road you choose to go, as I’m sure would others also.
You don’t want a job. You want to get paid for your passion. I did it four years ago and I could kick myself for waiting so long.
Beeta makes a good point about politics. And you really don’t need your own money. People are fed up with professional politicians. But you better make sure that politics is where your heart is, otherwise I would touch that arena with a ten-foot pole.
You have so many contacts. You know so many people. This already puts you ahead of those of us who started a business with nothing. I’m sure that whatever arena holds your heart, you already know people in that field who could be stepping-stones.
I don’t know where you live, but I suggest you take some time, go somewhere quiet, go to the woods, the beach, go to the mountains, wherever you can get quiet and hear your own thoughts with no interruptions or distractions. You need to get by yourself, no wife, no kids, and no phones. Listen to your heart (I know it sounds corny) but it’s true.
You are at a crossroads. Your very future is at stake. You can only hear your heart when you’re quiet. Shooter asked what you would do if money were no object? I asked myself that same question four years ago and now I’m doing it and getting paid quite well for doing what I love. You really do need to ask yourself that same question. Ok, that’s my 3 cents worth, for the moment.
And Shooter, Holstein isn’t even the worst thing I’ve been called TODAY!
Doc, MooGirl said it better than I did. But too many good ideas will get you to exactly the same place as no ideas....No where! A really smart guy just recently wrote a book, "Blink" where he lays out the prescient value of non-thinking cognizance. Like when a thought or answer that you've been grappling with "just came to me." Or in laymen's words "gut feeling" and "instinct." His contention is, and many, many brilliant students of the mind agree, that rather than flick aside these fleeting feelings, they are actually the best cognitive conclusions your mind can give you. So take Moo's advice, go away, no wife, no kids (a dog is cool) and for God's sake DON'T THINK! You'll wake up one morning, with a smile on your face, and the words, "of course" will come out of your smiley lips, and you'll learn to cartwheel and yodel at the same time as you race home, deliriously anxious to start your new life. Doc, it's like when you have a thought that's "just on the tip of your tongue." The harder you try, the further away it gets. As soon as you stop "thinking" "POP," there it is!
And MooGirl, You've put me over the edge. Tonight I start writing the book you inspired, SNARK!," A Survival Guide For 21'st Century America
I LOVE it! I'll be expecting a signed copy!
MooHoo?..............................LOL
Better than Moo-Poo, but still not as good as Moo-Shoo.
Moo-Shoo made me want Chinese food for some reason...
Ok Doc, it's been about 10 hours...have you decided yet???
(I'm like this at Christmas too)
You've talked often about Sherry Watkins and the non-person status of whistleblowers.
Why not build a business offering around that? You figure out how to help whistleblowers find their next act, get paid for speaking, serve on watchdog groups, etc. Start the Whistleblowers Clearinghouse. Provide a roadmap for future whistleblowers so they won't feel so isolated when they're doing their David/Goliath thing. Think about how tough it was for Jeff Wigand (THE INSIDER starring Russell Crowe). I think he ended up getting a teacher's job with starting salary of $30K.
With your media savvy and contacts, you could help get some of these unsung heroes their 15 minutes of fame that their stories deserve.
You also might make 1/10 your former salary doing this. But - you'd be doing a real service for the world...and it wouldn't be all about you, your brilliance, your beauty, your beefs, etc. Getting out of that endless self-involvement loop is always a good thing.
You are only limited by your own imagination!!!
You are entitled to re-invent yourself!!!
With public office (politics) start small until you acquire the contacts and access to the money.
Think City Councilman, etc.
You might have to move. They are pretty snobby where you live.
Politics is a great gig if you have the stomach for it. Access to unlimited taxpayer dollars and no accountability!!!
It is a license to steal. Like shooting ducks off a lawyers head as Dick Cheney would say.
You like media!!!
Go for it. It is a wide open business. Video store owners make up to a $1,000,000 a year. More if they own a chain.
And all that cash unreported income. It's almost as good as politics!!!
Adult media is a good money making business. Better than drugs. Legal or illegal.
Think about an Internet offering.
I think you are a natural as an advertising guy. Start selling your services as a "media" coach.
Maybe somebody like Paris Hilton would take a liking to you as an image or media coach. She could use it.
I know a guy who was a small-time successful insurance salesman. He was approached by a fellow from Germany
he met playing tennis. The German fellow had a modest inheritance from his family. He could have lived reasonably well
but not lavishly off the income plus some of the principal each year for a long time. He came to America to get rich by
multiplying his fortune and he did. At that time adult media was still an under-the-counter business. The insurance
salesman and the German fellow opened the first adult store in that town. The outcry was tremendous but the money
was incredible. They had 6 stores by the end of the year and were expanding into other towns. Their startup cost was about
$6,000 for the first store. The next 5 cost a little more each. They were going after a more affluent but picky clientele.
A big piece of their revenue came from women who needed things previously only available in Europe. Think about that!!!
You can't get that rate of growth today but the money is still good. If you know the business.
Today the insurance salesman owns the tennis club that rejected him as a member at the start of his new business.
The German guy lives in a castle on an island he owns near England. He likes the cold weather.
They never looked back and no one knows what they do for a living. They just know they are both very rich.
And they didn't have to whack anyone. Figuratively or literally. They just gave people what they wanted. Legally.
Just like politicians and policemen.
The "War on Drugs" is a good place to make money. Maybe as a consultant.
Ask any policeman.
I'm am simply so thankful, this was the best response. Ever. We will continue this. Onward!
Peter, I really enjoy reading your comments, pretty much on anything, however writing a book on what really happened at Pfizer, especially with your wit and vocabulary, would actually be a best seller in my humble opinion.
If you ever need a break and are interested in watching a good comedy, check out my blog sometime... I only have about 4 readers, but the movies are genuinely funny.
http://connerknowsbest.blogspot.com/
Good Luck with whatever you choose, I'm sure it will be a success, although driving a cab would be kinda fun, huh?
Some thoughts on your quest to find “what now after Pfizer”. I guess we have a few things in common. We’re both forty-something ex-Pfizer employees and we’ve both had a rough ride from them.
One of your correspondents advised you to “think with your heart”. That’s what I did. For my part, I was clinically depressed and going through some miserable personal stuff at the time which I won’t bore you with, whilst at the same getting a brand of bullying cr*ap from my caring, sharing Pfizer “colleagues” that you can probably relate to. So one day, at my lowest ebb, I simply jumped with no parachute, no plans and no illusions about ever being able to work for big pharma again.
Most global industry sectors are like Mafia clans; I don’t think that’s just solely a Big Pharma thing. Many industries have become incestuous because the lunatic fad for takeovers and mergers have left a comparatively small number of players on their fields, meaning that “negative news” (i.e. slander) about individuals within a given game carries fast. Big engineering, electronics, banks and media are no different to Big Pharma in that respect. And none of them like folk who dare to hold a mirror up to corporate stupidity, greed, vanity, waste or plain old-fashioned dishonesty at any level. Enron has changed nothing, except to introduce a determination by big corporations to make sure that “an Enron” never happens again – by stamping out “whistle-blowing” or even criticism of any sort.
I don’t have a personal axe to grind with Pfizer any more. I’ve flushed them out of my system, and you need to as well, at least until your law-suit grinds to a conclusion. Me, I’d still recommend Pfizer as a great place to work to any young person. They’ll enjoy great working conditions, facilities and salaries. And if they just happen to be the right sort of person, then a great career will be assured.
I’m not that right sort of person. I would cross the road, maybe even move house, to avoid that right sort of person. They are not people I want to know or be near to.
So hey, maybe my purge isn’t quite complete. But I was lucky enough to find another position straight away in a different industry sector, which has helped the healing process no end. OK, it pays less than half of my former pharma salary, but it “buys the groceries”. I guess it all depends on what your expectations, aspirations and grocery needs are.
Me, I’m happy to be a low-watt bulb these days. I owe money to no-one. My days of plenty at the Evil Empire paid off my borrowings and allowed me to put plenty of cash away for a rainy day. I now have an easy commute to a great little niche company, I get to work with lots of personable, young and clever folk (a disproportionate number of whom are pretty girls, most of whom I would be proud to have as daughters), and I report to an experienced, knowledgeable boss who is a real gent, and who acts as an excellent buffer against the (benign) layer of management above him, all of which suits me just fine. I also get loads more quality time with my family, and my small son doesn’t say “Dad, why are you always grumpy?” anymore. You can’t put a price on those last two.
None of this can last of course, but I’m enjoying it while I can, whilst working towards some new qualifications which I hope will mean that I’ll never ever have to work for big pharma for a living again (I hope) for the remainder of my working life.
But unlike me, Dr. Rost, I have no doubt that you aspire to more. And so you should. You have many talents. You can write. You are funny. You are good at following things up and following them through (I thought the way you torpedoed the HuffPo was inspired genius). Maybe you do have a book in you. Maybe your first book could be a compilation of some of your blog posts. Or an autobiography. I’d buy either.
You have opinions (some of which are even consistent with each other) and you also have principles. I think you’re the sort of person who just can’t stop yourself from saying what you think is right at the time, even though you know, deep down, what the personal consequences may be. You know a thing or two about pharma marketing. Small (as against Big) pharma, or maybe Biotech, are possible options as employers if you don’t need the seriously big pay cheques.
But you strike me as a risk-taker, albeit a reluctant one. A natural and instinctive whistle-blower. Most folk in big corporations with big comfortable salaries just keep their noses brown and their shirts clean (or is it “noses clean” and “shirts brown”? No, that can’t be right: no Brownshirts in industry these days, surely?) and look the other way when wrong things happen around them. But you didn’t because you simply can’t, just like I said above. The concept of “proper channels” never occurs to you. The shortest path is usually through the mud. All that, added to an actual sense of humour, means you’re probably unemployable by today’s miserably corrupt and Politically Correct standards…
That really only leaves two choices. Consultancy or politics. Both are associated with personal dishonesty. Consultants like to con, they like to insult and they anticipate a fat fee for doing so, hence the name. Successful consultants gain repeat business only by telling their customers what they want to hear. Not your style I guess.
So what about politics? You’re funnier than Al Franken, and if a non-Yank like Schwarzenegger can become a Governor, why not you? (yes, we Brits do follow a bit of US politics even if we can’t spell Arnie’s surname – and wow, you even gave our dear old Gorgeous George Galloway some air time in return. Murdoch’s rabid right wing media have pretty much trashed him in the UK, but he’s starting to gain a lot of public support over here for saying what he thinks is right and saying it loud – something you do already). US politics is just crying out for an alternative to puppet government by big corporations. Maybe you could start something. You are in the public eye already. Your blog is well supported and attracts usually amusing comment (I'm in love with Moo-girl)
So stop moping, sign up for the Democrats (sorry, but Republicans really do hate the sound of whistles being blown so I gather), do the glad-handing and the chores, earn a nomination and give it a go. It’ll be a long hard slog. Politics is an Aegean stables these days. Maybe you can do the Hercules thing. You might fail, but just somehow I think not. Just believe.
Think how good success would feel. And the power…
Your blog will be all the more entertaining for it, whatever happens.
I’d even put up with pop-ups if I thought it was funding your campaign…
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