I was reaching out to some San Francisco “A-Players” last week for the “The 5 C’s Of Why An A-Player Takes A New Job” article and one rising star, Mackenzie Mee-Lee, responded right after deadline about why she joined a new business (The Lions) recently.
Here are Mackenzie’s own words on the career move (it’s cool how she’s honest about taking a pay cut!).
“Here are my reasons for joining The Lions in order of importance:
1) Being a part of something entrepreneurial, something I can help grow
I joined The Lions because the founder inspired me and sold me on his vision. More than anything I want to feel inspired and that my efforts are going toward helping build something, rather than helping a massive corporation who already has immense power and is financially dominating.
2) Creative ability, contribution and value
The Lions brought me in as the first woman in the company and made it clear that I would be integral to the growth and development process of the company.
I felt inspired by the fact that they needed my ideas and input in order to make the company successful and it was clear (and is even more clear now that I am here) that they value my opinion and welcome my ideas.
3) Happiness, working for people I respect
Overall, I respected the founders of this company. A huge part of my happiness is dependent on whether I feel like an individual, rather than just an interchangeable part of a massive machine.
The Lions gave me an opportuntity to work with people I respected and ultimately gave me a higher quality of work by eliminating anxiety that I felt at my last position whenever I had to interact with my superiors.
Just a side note – I left for all the reasons above and not for money. I took a cut in pay (just slightly) in the hopes that this move would be a long term pay-off. It was a risk, but I enjoy having more skin in the game and the uncertainty of what lies ahead.”
Mackenzie’s reasons play right into “The 5 C’s Of Why An A-Player Takes A New Job” that we mentioned last week…which, as a reminder, are:
- Career Development
- Culture
- Creativity & Calling
- Convenience
- Compensation
Mackenzie’s 3 reasons above center around Career Development, Culture & Creativity; and like other A-Players we talk to, she was willing to take a small step back on Compensation in the short-run, which can pay off in the long run .
