Bee Dee Bags

Well for all you guys who like to read the details, here's my kuwento on how I got myself a new job in Oz.

Sometimes I wonder what crazy thought went into us to make this big, bold move to Australia... Every so often I have to remind myself that it is for the kids...

It hasn't been easy looking for a place to stay and job searching at the same time. After so many years of being so complacent and being secure... I suddenly realize that I'm no longer used to dealing with so much uncertainty in my life. But somehow things are falling in place. I've never been the religious type but suddenly I'm just very aware somebody up there is still in charge and watching over us.

When I arrived at Sydney I knew that I had to go to Wagga Wagga as soon as I could because everyday spent in Sydney was a day that could have been spent looking for work in Wagga. But it was tough even looking for a temporary place to stay in Wagga. I didnt want to spend weeks in an expensive motel. Like I said, my guardian angel must be working overtime because my contact here, David Bardos, approached his neighbor and was able to convince them to let me rent a spare room.

On the job front, I'd been applying for jobs but there hasn't been that many for marketing executives considering that Wagga is a small city with limited jobs for executives. But as fate would have it, David Bardos introduced me to his boss, Colin Taggert, the publisher who is also a recent migrant from Scotland. Colin could only offer me a sales job which he felt wasn't really along my line. So he suggested that I make a call to Bruce Dicker who is noted to be quite approachable. Bruce is a 67 year old entrepreneur based in Wagga who runs Bee Dee bags.

So that's what I did. I made a cold call to his office, spoke to a lady, and dropped Colin's name. Next thing I know, Bruce is on the other line agreeing to have coffee with me. The powers of networking! Bruce has a great story to tell. He joined the air force in Wagga in the 50s as an aircraft mechanic and after leaving the military, he decided to work in a hardware store and eventually decided to make it on his own. He started selling freezer bags loaded into his car and went for weeks on end selling his bags to groceries in the region. Eventually his business grew. But he really became "the bag man" when he boldly went off to China to seek out the source of the paper bags he was buying from middle men. Eventually he invested in the Chinese factory in Jiamusi, in the north east of China where he now gets all his stock. He jokingly calls his Chinese wife, the secret of his success in doing business in China. I think Bee Dee Bags sells over AUD$12 million of shopping bags a year.

Well, Bruce and I seemed to hit it off over coffee last week. He fondly remembers his one and only trip to Manila in the late 80s and could still recall the standard "Mabuhay" and "Salamat" salutations. Not a man to mince words, he asked me what I did for a living and if I was looking for a job. And again as fate would have it... Bee Dee Bags does need an executive who can help put more structure into the fast growing company. They need someone who can help them professionalize their marketing and operations. I could not have asked for a better fit.

The next day I was having lunch with his management team. Exactly one week from the day I had coffee with him, Bruce made me a job offer. One side of me wanted to jump up and down and give the team a group hug... but I played it cool and told him that I would give my answer on Friday. Not that I think it will take me that long to read and examine his 3 page job offer. Just wanted to make sure I'm not making any rash emotional decisions. It looks likely though that I'll be signing the offer and starting work this coming Monday.

Too me, all of this is unraveling into an amazing story of coincidence, destiny and grace from the Almighty . I hope and pray this story continues to be a happy one.

Now to find a house.