In July of 2007, I received the best news I could have ever heard: "Babe, I'm pregnant."
A wild series of emotions swept through me.. happiness and anxiety are the two that stand out most. Not once did I tell myself, I don't want to go through this... Everything inside me told me that I would have to become a father.
At the time, I worked for a boutique firm just coasting through work... I wasn't growing at all, I was making enough money to have simple luxuries but not enough to support a family the way I want to live life.
So I made a phonecall to my friend, John who worked at the firm where I first became a broker, First Republic Group and I had myself set up with my old team who originally had screwed me over to begin with but I gave them the benefit of the doubt since at the time, I felt it was my only option.
A few months went by and I was doing exceptionally well, I was actually doing better than I'd ever done in my career in years prior. I remember the night of the firm Christmas party, instead of joining in the festivities and leaving work early like all my colleagues, I sat at my desk and I dialled the phone. Party started at 8, I walked in at 9:30. So here I am with my beautiful wife who was at the time 7 months pregnant and everyone from the bottom to the top would chat up my wife and tell her how well I was doing...
January came about and there was something going on at the firm... people were being taken to back rooms to work out "new" deals. When one person told me what was happening, I offered my advice and that person went back to the scumbags who ran the team who in turn, fired me.
This is now 3 weeks before Kim was scheduled to give birth. So out of fear, I spoke to a colleague of mine who I have great respect for, Tom Kelly. He was furious at what had happened and called his friend who was a recruiter for brokerage firms who immediately linked me with Chicago Investment Group.
I started off on a great note, I was moving clients over and opening new accounts and after about a week there, my son was born, Tyler Beckham.I would spend time in the hospital with Kim and Tyler and tell them everything would be okay and that I was in a good place.
A few weeks later, I received a call from the same kid I helped in the first place who caused my termination. He was out of a job as well so he said. I immediately brought him in since I felt bad and worked out a great deal for him. While i was sitting in meetings discussing his deal, he was outside in his designated seat right next to mine. I walked back to my desk and saw that he wasn't there and that my desk was empty! He robbed me!
Immediately after that, I received calls from people at FRG telling me that the kid was back there and was sitting with the scumbags in a closed door meeting. My new firm started receiving phone calls from lawyers threatening to sue and press charges against me and because of it, CIG let me go. Their words exactly, "These guys are vindictive and want you out of the business. We can't deal with corporate espionage and have to let you go but we will refer you to another firm." From there, I went to a small shop called Rockwell Securities.
This place was a tiny little mess. The guys who ran it thought they were masters of the universe and could run their midget firm better than anyone else. It was hell but regardless, I did well in the short time I was there.
About three weeks after starting at Rockwell, I received a call from TK, "we left First Republic, we're going to a place called National and we want you on board.. you in?"
"i'm in."
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