Lessons

I have had to face many challenges over the past 6 months but through these challenges, many lessons have been learned.

I have learned that it is okay to ask for support.

I have learned that most people really want to help.

I have learned I can do many things that I never knew I could do.

I have even finally accomplished growing zucchini! (Thanks to the help of friends of course.)

But I have also learned that people will take advantage of loss.

I will admit I do not know much about Steve’s business.

Running a business is not in my wheelhouse.

I am not part of the business world.

What I DO know about Sea Schor is that Steve treated his clients, friends and employees like family.

He would take calls at all times of the day and he never thought twice about dropping everything to help a client or friend in need. (Even when it wasn’t fish tank related.)

He always made sure to connect with everyone on a very personal level.

He knew his clients’ children’s names and where they went to school or what they did for a living.

If there were small children in the home, he would make sure to bring out the Donald Duck voice that always got a smile.

Unfortunately, I have learned that not all people in the fish business hold those same high moral standards.

I have learned that lesson from Dave and Sergio.

Dave was Steve’s friend. He owns Marine Concepts which could be considered a competitor of Sea Schor but wasn’t while Steve was alive.

Steve and Dave supported one another.

Dave rented a small area in Steve’s store for a minimal rate because Steve didn’t have the heart to charge him more.

Dave often called looking for advice regarding his own fish tank business.

Marine Concepts and Sea Schor consulted each other as needed.

Although Dave and Steve could have fought for the same accounts, they didn’t. They respected each other’s “space” and left each other’s accounts alone.

UNTIL NOW.

Sergio was Steve’s employee for many years.

Steve paid Sergio a nice salary.

Steve made sure to take good care of Sergio.

When Steve got Covid, one of his first concerns was that he gave it to Sergio. Even while he was coughing and could barely breathe, he was calling Sergio asking him to go get a Covid test because he was so scared Sergio may have caught it from him.

When we knew the business needed to be sold, we offered it to both Dave and Sergio.

Dave and Sergio each had their own reasons for declining to purchase the client list.

So we had to find a another buyer. We decided we would only sell to a company that would keep Sergio and pay him a good salary.

Sergio was a priority for us.

We were lucky to find Aqua Moon.

Aqua Moon offered Sergio a nice salary with benefits. We were ecstatic that we found the perfect fit for Sea Schor!

Sergio turned down their employment offer. I couldn’t understand his decision.

Dave decided he would no longer rent space from Sea Schor. He opened up his own shop for Marine Concepts not far from Sea Schor’s location. Suspicious right???

He assured us that he was using the warehouse for storage and that it was not going to be competition for Sea Schor.

We naively believed him and continued discussions to sell the client list to Aqua Moon.

Then, Sergio abruptly quit without giving 2 weeks notice.

We no longer had anyone to service our tanks.

That left us in a really hard spot. We had living creatures to take care of!

That’s when I learned that Dave and Sergio were not loyal to Steve, Sea Schor or my family.

Dave hired Sergio for Marine Concepts.

Instead of purchasing the client list when they were provided the opportunity, they went behind our backs and contacted Sea Schor customers to try to get them to sign on as Marine Concepts clients.

So here is the hardest and newest lesson I have learned:

While I have a wonderful tribe of friends and family surrounding me during this difficult time, there are still people who will do whatever it takes to get ahead in this world.

Steve considered and treated Dave and Sergio like family.

They didn’t even think twice about stealing clients from a widow with two children.

Marine Concepts is openly soliciting Sea Schor clients. This is unethical on so many levels.

Sergio is presenting himself as the face of Sea Schor and this is the furthest thing from the truth.

Right now, I am so disheartened and saddened by the lesson I’ve learned from Dave and Sergio.

I guess in the business world, you can’t expect loyalty.

One of my oldest and dearest friends used to always tell me to stop expecting others to treat me the way I treat them.

I guess I never really learned that lesson.

I will always treat people with respect and dignity.

I will always fiercely protect the people I love.

I will always choose to be loyal and honest.

That’s probably why I am a kindergarten teacher.

I teach kindness and I practice what I preach.