Lesson learned 20 years ago...
I sort of lived this story long ago...given the opportunity to become the creative director at a large family estate winery here on the Central Coast of California, I dove in with both feet and was determined to do my best! Following the owner’s directions, I managed to make an enemy of the owner of another long-term family-owned business in the area...introduced me to the local “good ‘ol boy network” right quick! As an outsider, and then “low man on the totem pole” I was sacrificed to keep the peace between the two family businesses! It still hurts...at the time, it was the highest paying “job” I had ever held, at a beautiful, peaceful, sprawling winery, with an awesome short commute through beautiful scenery! I wanted nothing more than to retire from that business! Years later, I ran across that other local business owner, as he attempted to take over the sign shop I managed as my next job...😡 I HAD by that time “learned my lesson”, and was able to help block that guy out from destroying the sign shop!