By James Durand
I used to think I was irreplaceable at my old job. I was so integrated into the position and did so much of it myself that I felt if I left, it would take years to fill my position if it could be done at all.
It turns out when I did leave, my former assistant stepped right in and not only did a good job, but I’m pretty sure he made some improvements. Hmm, who knew?
We used to have a kid named Greg working at Swicked and he was a great mechanic, hard worker, and way smarter than his years. Sadly, when he graduated high school, he wanted to move away and start a different career. I didn’t actually replace him, I just took more on myself and gave up a bit of my work/life balance. It’s hard to find someone with passion, skills, and work ethic to match my crazy expectations, so at that point, Chenoa and I just kept it simple for the next few of years and did everything on our own.
Then, seven years ago, a guy named Jon walked into the store and after chatting for a while about random stuff, I discovered he was looking for work. On gut feeling alone, I hired him on the spot.
He had no bike industry experience, but his passion for riding and all things mechanical had me convinced he’d be a good fit. And if you’re a good worker, smart, and driven, I figure I can teach the rest.
Not long after he started, he proved me right, and I had a replacement for Greg and myself on the tools. He was fixing anything and everything quickly and efficiently. He’d jump up front when we needed help in the showroom, and anytime he ran into something really old and confusing, he still had me to lean on. We made a great team.
Even though my experience told me that anyone could be replaced, I wondered about Jon, he had become a big part of Swicked over the years. Then last year, Jon announced that he wanted to follow a dream he’d had since high school, and was pursuing a career in policing.
In typical Jon style, he gave us a full year’s notice, so no need to panic on my end.
We planned and organized on how to move the business forward after Jon, while at the same time trying to avoid me working 70 hours a week again.
And then, out of nowhere, I got an e-mail from a highly experienced mechanic. He’s been in the industry almost as long as I have, we know many of the same people, have similar backgrounds, and he had just moved to Campbell River. PERFECT!
So, as Jon was winding down and getting ready to move onto his dream, the new guy started. He is also named James (this might get confusing, so we’ll call him “New James”) “New James” got to work alongside Jon for a couple of months and learn the Swicked flow, and he got dialled in very quickly.
So it turns out we are all replaceable after all.
Nonetheless, Jon will be missed for his work ethic, his unending mechanical skills, and his ability to crush me on climbs and descents at will, but more importantly, he’ll be missed as a great teammate and friend.
We wish him all the luck in the world in his new career, and we hope with everything we have that he ends up back on the Island after training, so we can still ride together.
New James has settled in really well. With all his experience, his attention to detail, and his drive for perfection, we haven’t missed a beat. And I have to admit, It’s great to have another set of eyes with so much history in the bike biz to help keep us sharp.
Wait a minute … if he’s New James, does this make me OLD James? Ouch!
I’m OLD James and I’m Goin’ Ridin’…