After almost 20 years on the fast track to success in broadcasting, I hit the roller coaster known as "over 40 and overqualified." I'd grown accustomed to having a high-powered, high-profile career, and when the bottom fell out for me as a result of downsizing in the industry, I wasn't able to find another job with the same salary or status.
At first, age wasn't a big issue for me, but as the months and years went by, I became concerned that it was getting too late for me to find the kind of position I wanted. Temporary assignments and short-term jobs provided income, but I wasn't able to secure one of the power positions I thought I deserved. I bounced around the fringes of the broadcasting and communications industries in Southern California for the next six years, trying to land that one big job that would put me back at the top.
At one point during this search, my son became quite unhappy with the school he was attending, and shared his desire to attend a private school in another part of the country. He felt this school would be a huge improvement for him, and my wife and I agreed. My wife would be able to teach at the school, but my options for work would diminish even further, because broadcasting opportunities in that part of the country were slim. But we took a leap of faith and moved to the new location.
