This was the 1st day I was 100% all in with GiaSpace.

Nov 5, 2005 

Was the 1st day I was 100% all in with GiaSpace.  I originally worked for Compaq, then it was acquired by HP.  HP was trying to layoff all the senior engineers and work with a skeleton crew. We went from a Team of 20 to about 8. I just finished 60 days offboarding with HP while they tried to push me to quit to avoid giving me a package. I requested to be released since I was the Microsoft engineer for servers and they told me Linux is going to take over the market and learn it or get left behind. I asked my boss at that moment when he shared those insights, "Do you actually believe Microsoft is going away", after he stated that is what he is told and that is the direction of the company.

The last 2 months when they told me I would be let go as requested and receive my layoff package (6 months salary) They put me on the 24x7 after-hours more than any other Tech to get me to quit. I was working at GiaSpace on the side and doing HP full time and was managing some real estate properties I had. This was a real test and also scary because, I could have stayed at HP and drank the cool-aid, but we mentally did not fit. All the engineers I worked with and became close with were let go or shifted off into other divisions.

19 years later I am here but I DID NOT GET HERE ALONE!! Everyone that is in the company and has been, contributed to our success.  We learned a bunch of hard lessons on this journey and it has made us all adapt and make this a better place from where we started. This is not the same GiaSpace that I walked into. I made a shit load of mistakes but learned from them. I appreciate each and every one of you because you are keeping this journey alive as not 1 man can get where we are now.

Today is my work Anniversary, but it is also your Company's 19th year of existence that each and one of you have busted your ass to get us here. Through the rough patches to the calm days, we never quit!