Episode Transcript
Hi Israh. Hi. How are you? I'm good thank you. How are you?
Speaker 1: Yeah really good thank you. Israh thank you so much for joining me on the Employer Bland podcast. So close to Christmas. We've tried to get diaries to align a couple of times and we are finally here. Finally. But no thank you so much.
I know this time of year it's just completely mental and finding a slot is difficult. So Israh today we are going to be talking about your personal story and before we go into that I just wanted to really brief introduction for anybody listening that doesn't know who you are. So Israh Koka social media and employer branding specialist from Manchester.
Worked with some very cool companies on some incredibly exciting projects. But more importantly we're not here to kind of talk too much about that side of your world. It's more your kind of personal story and your personal story regarding recovery and also how recovery and employer branding and like recovery and professional life kind of intertwine and what life is like for you navigating that whole journey. So look without further or do Israh if it's okay. Can you just give us all a bit of background to you who you are really. Can you get into your kind of personal story give us all an insight to who Israh is.
Speaker 2: Yeah of course. So I'm Israh. I am 34 years of age and from Manchester and I got into recovery when I was 31. So I'm literally just coming up to my three years clean birthday. So yeah a little bit of background regarding my addiction and recovery journey. I think I'll always say this is that with my addiction I personally think it's something that's with me from my whole life. The drugs and alcohol just became a solution for me because when I was really young like my earliest memories I used to always think I just I felt like I was in the kitchen looking out of the window seeing all these kids play just living their lives and I just never understood how these kids were doing life. So I was always looking outwards really and always felt like I don't know a bit of out of place just not really in the group or anything like that and that continued like throughout my whole like school journey. I was quite chaotic from a very young age very distracting.
I think even in my year two report the first sentence was like Israh could do so well if she stopped talking. Had that continued throughout my whole education. So I was always a bit of a what I could say it's a bit of a misfit. Yeah and I was another thing as well as like I was seen as a social butterfly because I didn't understand these social norms like I didn't understand like the public kids were over there and the the geeks I would say were in another group. I just thought everybody was like everyone's the same. So yeah so I was kind of a bit of a social butterfly but I think my mind was always so busy that I was always having to like converse with other people because I just couldn't sit with myself. Like I couldn't sit still at all because sitting with myself was just too much. So then when I got to high school and I think at this time my parents had split up as well. So I've come from a really like nice background as in like yeah I've had quite a nice life and when my parents split it was quite a toxic divorce I should say. Nothing on them it was just how it was.
Speaker 1: High school ages for us maybe like what 12 13.
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah yeah yeah. So sorry no so they basically thought when I was in primary school but we left my dad's house when I just started high school. So then when I started high school I was in lived with my mom and then my dad's house obviously I would see my dad. So it was all like so much change happening at once. So like change of house, change of school, change of friends, change of teachers, change of parents houses, living situations like it was just all happening at once. So for somebody who like didn't really understand my mind with it was a lot and I know like obviously so many kids go through their parents divorce and everything like that but yeah it's just I think it really did a to me and as well as that I had my dad's Muslim and my mum's English so I have two separate cultures now like my mum was very she's loved going out and stuff like that so her culture was very the British culture I would say and my dad's culture so when I would go to my dad's it was quite strict learning Islam and stuff like that so it was like worlds apart and then whilst trying to navigate new schools, new
Speaker 1: friends, so much going on elsewhere, so much going on and then I think it was by
Speaker 2: 11 I started drinking and then like drink at the park with my mates like everyone does but I remember like never I've never ever been able to just drink normally or I was always the one that would drink too oblivion even from such a young age and that just carried on and then I got introduced to weed, loved it, was just like it just shut off everything so it was like and that's when I say about how I find addiction is within you but the drugs and alcohol solutions was it just shut off everything so I was able to be like right I can do this you know I mean but I would smoke like till I pass it out it was never just like oh we're just having one and then slowly but like from my high school years just getting more into party drugs pills, coke, care, etc and then I got into acid, loved my psychedelics,
Speaker 1: I just take you into a complete world, because that was what I was looking
Speaker 1: for, just escapism, exactly like I was just looking for me to just get out of my reality, like I could not have my reality so at the furthest I could go from my reality is that is what I was trying to achieve but then with my psychedelics area, so I would say like my drugs area, I would focus on a drug and I would get really addicted to that and then I would ruin it for myself and then I'd go on to the next and then I'd do that and that's what I did with psychedelics and definitely if anyone's listening and they're trying out with psychedelics, I would say just be careful with them, don't ever like think you're better than them because yeah so I ended up yeah just taking too much and I ended up having psychosis and that was a very very scary time for me because
Speaker 2: I was so scared that I would be taken into like a psych ward and stuff like that so I didn't tell anybody, I was just going through it myself and it was, oh I was terrifying, like just hearing my own like negative thoughts about myself through conversations, through my friends, through my family members, like I was hearing like everything that I believed about myself which was that's just self-hating, yeah it was just coming through so it was making everything that I was thinking about myself so
Speaker 1: believable, yeah
Speaker 2: and everything's while all of that's happening, I'm going to my dad's and acting like I'm this good Muslim girl and having to like cover everything up with like just being this other person so I was learning all of those behaviors of lying, being manipulative and then also obviously getting the guilt and the shame and all of that stuff was just building up and building up but I was learning a lot of bad behaviors because I had to live this double life so I was able to like push put that into my work life as well like when I got into work after high school like because I worked from when I was 16 I was able to do that just switch on this like another person and look out like another Israh really easily because I'd been doing it for so long with my dad but yeah so with the psychosis it was like I was able to act like I wasn't hearing it, it was so mental like and I went through that for eight months yeah and then when I then basically I discovered which is what I was class as my drug of choice which is ketamine and that was the drug that really stopped all of that stuff happening but then because that was the case that became my clutch like I couldn't go out without it
Speaker 1: like at that point it almost became like medicinal
Speaker 2: yeah yeah yeah because I always say like I would say this to my mum like now like if it wasn't for ket that then I generally think I would have like lost it like completely and because I wasn't having like therapy or I didn't go to the psych ward or I didn't go anywhere where I could have actually got medical help yeah I actually I did self-medicate I completely self-medicated on ketamine but I did that like another 12 years of my life which was just like that's all I all I wanted like if I had a sip of drink it would be the first thing you need that if I was going out I needed that I would wake up and I would have a line and then that would for me would be able for me to function yeah ketamine's a horse rank lizer like it's so mental when you think about it
Speaker 1: you actually think about it in a cold like a day yeah you're not processing stuff in the cold like
Speaker 2: they are you not at all and it was just it just became so normal and like as well like my friends that I hang out with they are like I love them all too much but like our whole group was very much like that yeah so it was it was seen as normal it wasn't seen as a bad thing so it was that like lying to yourself that denial and everything like that yeah so that was just currently carried on for 12 years but whilst all of that's going on I went to uni and I went and I lived in another four years and so I lived in Lisbon eight years worked there came back I got a degree in graphic arts and design and then I I was like obviously working for out and then when I came back I got a job in recruitment because I didn't do anything with my degree like anyone does yeah
Speaker 1: because that would be good wouldn't it for
Speaker 2: anyone and then yeah but I was it was able to just work because I've learned so many of those behaviors from having to act a certain way yeah I was able to just get in with work do what I needed to do and because of this like ego that I had and this loves a denial and all of that I was recruitment was probably the best role for me because I don't know if you know but a lot of recruitment agencies there's a lot of ego
Speaker 1: yeah well look my background previous to where I am now is basically 15 10 to 15 years in that world israh so I'd be lying if I didn't know exactly what you were talking about and beyond the ego as well let's face it yeah goes on in those worlds and what's acceptable what's not acceptable to be honest the not acceptable list is really small
Speaker 2: actually so small
Speaker 1: what's acceptable is basically anything and I know exactly what you yeah you're preaching to the choir
Speaker 2: no I know so it was like the perfect role for me um so I could be I could kind of be like both and I was really successful in recruitment and then the more money that was coming in it was just that was just spiralling because the more money I earned the more stuff that I could take and the more in denial I was because look at me I've got a job I've got losing money like what are you going on about I'm not I'm not addicted there's no way you know what I mean and and then yeah when I was 31 um basically it was New Year's Eve I had done like a month long session and I um came to New Year's Eve and then that lasted like another I think two days um and yeah I just everything and I mean like everything came crashing down like I was emotionally mentally physically just I don't know can I swear no I can't swear yes you swear away basically um yeah I was absolutely fucked um and I was I was six stone at that at that age I'm 31 six stone I was just like just barely surviving but on the outside I had a flat and ankle so I had a nice car I had a job do you know I mean all of these things that everybody on paper would say oh she's doing really good do you know I mean but internally I was just oh I was completely gone is um so then I went to a recovery meeting on the second of January with my brother um because my brother was in recovery at that time and it was just such a like I don't know universal moment where he was in recovery and I like I don't know it just felt like it was meant to happen that day and yeah I've just never looked back I've literally done recovery from second of January 2022 2021 and we say my brother
Speaker 1: 22 that's amazing is it and look congratulations on um on that you know length of clean time as well but yeah I don't want to stop before you finish telling your story
Speaker 2: um by the way I've got like 2% battery can I put a charger in
Speaker 1: yes put your charger in yeah you did that at a great time as well because we kind of just got we just got to the end of a little segment there okay good sorry no don't be silly you're fine
Speaker 2: right why don't they have it on the side it's so
Speaker 1: annoying unholy is isn't it
Speaker 2: I'm like it's the way side
Speaker 1: they do it with mouse mouses as well I've got a um an apple mouse and they do it underneath the mouse so like you can never like one of them really like if they put it there you could use it there
Speaker 2: why underneath the mouse no
Speaker 1: you just like I can't use it then um so yeah I'll let you carry on wherever you want to let you know leave off but you um basically
Speaker 2: yeah so I've obviously got into recovery at 31 um and I went to um narcotics and um so which is NA which is a 12 step fellowship and they basically like a suit where I remember my first meeting and they just is for two seconds
Speaker 1: sorry since you unplugged in I think it might be is your phone did it go off wifi and come back in or something or is it you it just the um just the we'll let it catch up because it's been it's been perfect the whole time and um and and you just went in and out as you were talking there and the uh but I reckon yeah sorry if you could just do that last bit again you amazing
Speaker 2: yeah of course um so yeah so I've gotten to recovery at 31 um and then I went to um my meeting with my brother which was for a 12 step fellowship program which is NA narcotics anonymous um so what they do is basically yeah 12 step program um and I've done the lap the 12 steps in the last two years but it really like helps you like go through all like you can't your trauma like your just any secrets that you may have regarding like the things that you've done in your addiction um that you think oh god that's so bad that I've done something like that like you bring everything up to the surface and it's it's it's hard but it's so like beneficial for you because I think if I hadn't done the 12 step program I would still behave behave where I was just sober um whereas this now has allowed me to see those patterns so see the patterns of when I'm going chaotic there's something going on um within me or when I'm looking for chaos why am I looking for chaos um when I'm like when I'm trying to manipulate a situation I'm very self-aware of that um and I'm able to like counteract those now with what I would see is like good behaviors so I don't have that guilt or shame anymore because I am acting in the way that my values are
Speaker 1: um that must be so freeing you as well is right yeah you know the person that you actually are ultimately that's what you know you are now like this is and it's like that must be such a great thing
Speaker 2: yeah and I think well like it's really allowed me to see me as yes I am chaotic and yes I have befriended everybody and I speak to if I need to speak to a tree um I'm like do you know I mean I'm all these types of like different characters but I'm still that makes me me and that's not a bad thing and I used to always think that was a bad thing um and actually it's not like I'm able to be like I'm just I'm I'm just Israh do you know I mean and I'm Israh um and that's what's really helped me because before I just hit like I hated myself do you know I mean I absolutely hated I wanted to be everything other than Israh where it's like now and me um yeah I love it best thing ever it's very hard some days very hard can't lie but it is what it is it's better than what it was
Speaker 1: yeah 100% I can imagine and and look firstly Thank you so much for sharing that. And I'm so sure that so many people can kind of relate to so many different parts of what you're talking about there, whether they're in a position like the one that you're in in recovery or whether they're just struggling with their own demons, which so many of us are as well. It's a good move to hear from you so honestly and so vulnerably.
I just massively appreciate it. And like you said towards the start of your story, like the drugs and the alcohol, they you know, they just doesn't sound at all like they're not the addiction. They're kind of they're fueling the addiction aren't they? But all of these things that you've been dealing with in the last two to three years that have come through all of this like, OK, what's this stuff that's got to come out and stuff I've got to deal with in my own mind? Like that's the stuff, isn't it? Like tackling that stuff for you, I suppose that's been the been the critical thing. And then you do that, obviously.
No, I know. So so from your personal journey and all of these things that have happened in all of these different chapters of your life, Israh, I just wondered, you know, if we can kind of look at, you know, a workplace kind of impact, you know, and and how do these experiences, how have these different chapters in your life kind of affected, I suppose, your professional life? So so just to kick off with, you know, how, you know, especially in the earlier days and even now as well, though, but how did your struggles with addiction affect your professional life? You know, I suppose more recently, more than anything, and well, in the last five, six, seven years, you know, on your lead up to recovery. Yeah.
Speaker 2: And I would say like, what within recruitment, and because of the industry and because of how, like it's such a party environment, and it did quite, it did fuel my addiction a lot. But I think my own self knew deep down that that industry wasn't right for me. Like I had to get out somewhere and other. So when I did get approached by the company that I'm with now and was asked for an internal to go internal, I snatched it.
I like a snap up because I knew this, the agency and that sales and business development and all of that. And the three, obviously it's fast paced where I am now, but it's just different. But I knew I had to get out of it. But when it comes to my actual roles, like I was in my roles for a long time, like I did really well. It was like, it didn't affect my income or anything like that. Yeah. The only reason why I changed jobs before my current job was because of COVID and the whole business closed down.
Speaker 1: So that's like almost like these higher powers working.
Speaker 2: Yeah. So it was like, and then when I got into the role before, that's when I was like, I need to start, I need to start making changes. And then I get a call at like literally two months into my recovery. And it was like, yeah, I generally think universe looking out for me. I know there's people that will obviously think, no, it's not like that. But I just, I can't explain it how it was all done. Like when I look back at my like, everything was done in the perfect timings.
Speaker 1: There was something, I totally understand and agree with that.
Speaker 1: And I also like, I massively relate, you know, when you talk about the culture, the agency culture, I've kind of grown up in that as well. And all of my 20s, first, you know, early part of my 30s, we're in that world, drink, drugs, as long as you can turn up, doesn't matter how you look when
Speaker 2: you as long as you sat there and make some calls and whatever, everything's kind of acceptable, isn't it? And I'm not saying this, look, you know, I'm not going to not going to tarnish an entire industry.
Because the industry has so many, there's so many positives, so many good companies, great, you know, things. But, you know, I think like you've mentioned, it is a taboo subject. And I think it's a subject that's not talked about enough. I also think there'll be other people listening that are like,
Speaker 1: I've worked in that environment or that culture, I'm currently working in that environment and culture. And because it is so widely accepted, I think that makes it so much more difficult to even begin to want to get out of it. Because, like you said earlier, I'm earning some okay money and I live in a nice house and I drive a nice car. And, you know, things are going okay. But, yeah, inside things can just be falling apart, can't they? Because that stuff and, you know, I've kind of, you know, been in this world to a degree, you know, things can fall apart quite easily inside. But yeah, it's cool. Is it? Sun-side.
Speaker 2: And I think like, this is why I want to speak about this stuff is the fact that because our society and how addiction is seen as a lot of people think when they think about somebody who's suffering from addiction, they think of somebody who's homeless, somebody who's from a really poor background or something like that. But the reality is, is that anybody can be suffering through addiction, like anybody. And so I think when people are more aware of what addiction is, then hopefully they'll be able to see it even in those environments and not say, oh, well, I've got money.
I've got a house. Yeah. You know what I mean? Because I think because of our look on what addiction is, that's why when we're in that environment of having money, of having a house or having all of these external things, we don't look internal at all because we put it put, we like measure our own wellbeing through our external things. And like that's something that needs to change. And I think when that changes, that's when people, I think, no matter what industry you're in or what money you're earning, you'll be able to say like, look, something's not right. Do you know what I mean? Earlier on. So yeah.
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, that about. I think as well, like when we look at the topic of employer branding, like so many people, Hatter Greys employer branding is like, yeah, it's content and it's attracting talent.
Yeah. I think there's a big part of employer branding that gets forgotten about, which is like, how do people that work in a company feel about working in that company? Are they genuinely happy?
Yeah. They feel like they're working in an inclusive culture. Do they feel like they belong?
Yeah. Because that, ultimately, how all of these people feel inside the company, that truly defines what your employer brand is, even when you face it out externally. Because if this isn't going well, that will fall apart at some stage. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, this employer brand, the internal employer brand. So I was quite keen to understand from you, Israh, that, you know, circumstances where you feel like you've been kind of really helped from a supported, you know, during this recovery process.
Yeah. And what are some of those processes that, you know, you've maybe had individual people in work or a function or might be this job, previous jobs, whatever. But I think for people listening, it'd be quite nice to understand, you know, from maybe some of the good things that have happened in your recovery journey, what they can maybe adopt inside their own companies to help people that are going through the recovery process.
Speaker 2: Yeah, of course. And I think I would say like, from my own experience, I have had a couple of managers that have really like, I could tell that they've definitely researched into addiction and recovery. And they've really taken the time to like listen to me and understand like how I work.
For instance, there was one manager who she really like, she just knew when I was going a bit chaotic and I was distracting the team or I was, I was up and down. She just, a little bit of the wild one. She knew something was up because of how I, because of what I told her in the past.
And like in our one to one, she would talk to me like on a level and I was able to open up to her. So it's stuff like that is actually researching into it and not thinking. I always say like, I am not diagnosed ADHD, but every single diagnosed ADHD person tells me I'm ADHD.
Speaker 1: Probably better than the diagnosis.
Speaker 2: Yeah, isn't it? So you know how like kids who had ADHD problems, they were always the naughty ones. And then they would just put away, put in a different room or do you know what I mean?
Like that's just not the way you can, you should treat anybody. So it's, it's kind of similar to that. Like if you understand and if you research addiction, you'll be able to like help that person and really understand how they work. And another thing that she did with the way I work is I get really hyper focused on things. And I ended up and I get addicted to really having to find out the solution out of a problem.
So she gave me loads of projects to work on when it came to reporting, analytics and stuff like that. And I, because of my, the way my brain is wired, I was just, that's, that had me for like a week. Do you know what I mean? So it was stuff like that. It's like, if you learn something, you can give the person certain projects and really upskill them in those, in those areas. Yeah. All from just doing a little bit of research.
Speaker 1: Yeah. So, so like managers just having the empathy and taking the time. Yeah, definitely. To really try and understand what might be going on in your world and yeah. Yeah. That's, that's, yeah, I love that.
Yeah. And what about, you know, because let's, let's face it, like there, there is a lot of taboo around the topic and which is kind of, I still find really ironic because I don't think I've met many people that in some way, shape or form haven't been affected by addiction or come into contact with recovery or whatever. But strangely, there's a taboo subject around it. So there might be people in organizations out there that are looking, you know, they're hiring and they're, you know, potentially looking to hire people that are in recovery.
Yeah. There are question marks around this topic and there are gray areas and there are unknowns and there's people that are on educating and what's going on. But what, what would you say to people that are in that position where, you know, they've got a bunch of CVs, interviews have gone well and they've just realized that, you know, one or two of those people in the process might, might be in recovery. You know, what's your kind of word of advice to, to those employers? I think just hire them.
Speaker 2: Because I personally think people with addiction problems, they actually have so much to them and they have skills. It's like a superpower if it's used in the right way in a way. So yeah, I don't think they should just, don't think they should be discriminative, discriminative over them being in recovery. And the fact of the matter is if they're in recovery, they have gone through something so traumatic and so hard to get out of addiction is so hard. Hence why there are so many people, unfortunately, that will just don't, can't get the help. Because so mentally, like telling you, that's the only way to get out of it. That person must have so much resilience, which is obviously very beneficial for a workplace. So yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1: And you're working with somebody that's dealing with their stuff. Yeah.
Speaker 2: They're not hiding away from it. They're not hiding, they're not trying to get away from something. They're not trying to get away.
Speaker 1: There, it's out in the open. It's like, I want you to know about this. I'm dealing with it. I'm high functioning. I'm dealing with my stuff. I own my stuff. Yeah, exactly. You're going to get someone that kind of wears their heart on their sleeves and needs to do. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2: It's like, like that basically I would always say now because of the stuff that I've learned in recovery, I take accountability of like everything. And so if I make a mistake in a project or or some or whatever it may be, I'm straight away like, yeah, that was me.
Please tell me how I need to learn better. Do you know what I mean? Instead of like my old self would hide from that and be like, you know, do you know what I mean? Like don't say anything. Yeah. Do you get me? It's not things like that. Whereas and I want to learn. Yeah. I mean, whereas my old self would shy away from that. Yeah.
Speaker 1: Absolutely. Absolutely. And how as your kind of experience shaped your outlook on work, teamwork, leadership, like as you're growing and you know, I see I see your career kind of unfolding almost externally and it's amazing to see by the way projects involved in the impact you have like you're on an amazing trajectory and you know you are. But what about you evolving as kind of as a leader because ultimately you're you're you're moving very quickly in that kind of direction. But all of these experiences, what kind of leader in the future do you want to become when it comes to kind of just fostering your own culture within whatever business that you're kind of building.
Speaker 2: I don't know about a leader. Yeah. Having a leader is like somebody who's got more responsibility or less.
Speaker 1: It's such a good point. That's a good point. But even if it's leading like whatever you want to. But even if it's projects functions, not necessarily people or whatever. Yeah. You know, because because I've seen from afar and you are whether you like it or not, you're doing some amazing things. And you know, things are obviously going very well in your world professionally. And you know, it's just, you know, trying to understand the type of I suppose person that you're growing into. That point of view.
Speaker 2: And I think well what I want from like my career is definitely I want to get another apprenticeship. Yeah. About I want to get educated in the field I'm in now.
Yeah. And then I definitely want to for so work life. I want to carry on with within the field that I'm doing and then really like get properly specialised in it and lead that from within my company because we don't we've never usually had that as well. So I am I am in a really good position where I can grow it really and make it my own. So yeah, I'm in a good position with that. But education is definitely something that is that where I want to go with that. However, personal is talking more about this topic.
Yeah. It's something that I've always wanted to do. So I am so grateful by the way for you asking me to do this. Because it's something that I really want to do. Like I just think there are so many people out there that are suffering or silently suffering or have a family member that are suffering and they just don't know what to do.
Don't even know where which way to go. So I like if I keep speaking up about it in on my profile like LinkedIn like LinkedIn is meant to be a professional. So it's not a way to speak speaking about addiction on there is a bit like taboo in itself. But it's stuff like that.
Like I want to make sure that I'm really like very vocal about it. Yeah. Yeah. I just I would hate anybody to go through like what I went through mentally. Yeah. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Yeah. So it's like that.
Speaker 1: Yeah. And I must say is I mean this like the pleasure is all mine completely and I'm so grateful you've shared your story and it's because of those stories that you shared on LinkedIn. I think probably towards the earlier part of this year. Yeah. You know, I think the first types of posts on LinkedIn I'd seen like that and they they I related to so much. You know, it really close family members of mine have died through addiction. I've had my own personal battles. Yeah.
Wife and I think I think it'd be really unfair of me to like hide away from that on this conversation. Yeah. Related to what we've been talking about today. Yeah. So just your just one or two, three of those posts that I consumed.
Yeah. They helped me just like probably get a bit of weight off my shoulders or I can kind of reflect and I was really compelled. I didn't want to do it, you know, really quickly because I was like actually let it uncover but yeah, that's when I reached out to cover times to say, look, you know, your post have struck some real chords with me and.
I appreciate it. There's a real irony with LinkedIn as you know, that look, this is remember this isn't Facebook. Yeah. But from an employer brand point of view, like it's your personal stories that I've kind of that have struck a chord with me via LinkedIn. Yeah. That if I'm completely honest with you, like it's this particular story that and knowing you and talking to you about these topics that if I was looking to work, you know, maybe become the that you're in at the moment. Yeah. In a team that you're in.
Yeah. Story and that connection that would probably draw me closest to the company than a, oh, we're hiring for an XYZ and we don't actually know much. I don't know much about the person knowing your story and who you are and what's going on. From an employer brand perspective and what LinkedIn should be kind of what's designed for that slide is creating connections and these are professional. We're talking about quite a taboo topic, but it's creating really important professional connections. Yeah. I don't think he's happening anywhere near enough. Is it? No, definitely not.
Speaker 2: And I think as well, like when I first started where I work, it was like, I did take over and I did say because I was still in. Old behaviors, but they had really no choice of the matter when I told them about my recovery and addiction. But over the over the years, they've really helped me grow as a person. Like, like I said, that manager who provided me with those certain projects to really hone in on those skills that I have.
I didn't even realize that I had. So it's stuff like that where I know that I am in a safe environment and they allow me to speak freely about it. Yeah.
So yeah, I think I think from that point of view, if anybody was in my situation and saw my profile, hopefully they would see like, actually, it is a good place to work. Do you know what I mean? Because yeah, I'm allowed to. They are very like much. They love it when I speak about it now. Do you know what I mean?
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah. So they should. So they should because it's so, it's so refreshing. Like it really is. It's like cuts through all of the BS that you see.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. And it's like, it's not all, it's not all rainbows and butterflies. No, exactly. I think that's what a most companies should be like. Like it doesn't need to be all, yeah, everything's amazing. Like life is tough.
Life is so hard sometimes. Yeah. So yeah, just being real on, I think the platform like LinkedIn instead of this professional way, which is to get me like, it's the same. As soon as you put your like professional hat on, it's like, oh, you have to be pay-affect. It's like, well, that's not human.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's not human. And again, you know, these topics are hard hitting and they're like thought provoking and, you know, painful. Yeah. I mean, talking about it in the setting of like, you know, whether it's LinkedIn or whatever, but you know, relating that to, you know, you're working in a place that is supporting you is kind of working with you through the process.
You'll have to be, you feel like you belong there and stuff. Yeah. Like, that's a really amazing story, isn't it? Yeah. Positive story.
Yeah, that's it. And there's so much to be taken from it. So, um, Israh, I'm so grateful. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart, like, I, you know, it's such a personal story. Um, one that really kind of hits home with me.
Yeah. And I think we'll hit home, strike so many chords with so many people listening. So, so grateful that you've shared your story. And, um, yeah, thank you so much. Thank you.
Appreciate it. Take care, Israh. Bye. See you. Bye.
