Every Christmas I asked for a week off to see my family, and every year my boss at Atlas Strategies refused. This year I requested the time six months early, but he approved four coworkers with kids instead. When I confronted him, he told me I should be a “team player” since I “don’t have children.”
I quietly accepted a new contract elsewhere and prepared to leave. Then the CEO of our biggest client, Crestwood Global, met with me privately—he also heads a foundation that investigates workplace discrimination. He’d learned about my situation and wanted to help.
I resigned and sold the financial models I had developed on my own time—critical IP—to Crestwood for a six-figure sum. Because the models underpinned major accounts, Atlas now had to license them back, and my boss was fired for losing essential IP.
I used the payout to start my own consulting firm, work remotely, and finally spend holidays with my family.
The takeaway: if your employer undervalues you, take your talent somewhere it’s recognized.
