A Team Mission

After my husband accepted an offer from a Silicon Valley company 30 years ago, I never expected our lives would change so dramatically. Within six months, his boss was fired, leaving him without a job as well. We had just bought a house, and our children were still adjusting to their new schools. I felt desperate to find a solution.

With less than two years of defense project experience, finding a job felt nearly impossible. Still, I sent out my resume. One day, a recruiter called me about a company looking for a consultant to fix their balance sheet issues. I had no clue about balance sheets, but I was good at coding, so I decided to give it a try. The consultant fee wasn’t high enough to attract top talent, so both sides felt there was “nothing to lose.”

I guess it was God’s grace. I fixed the issue within two weeks—something the previous consultant had struggled with for six months. They were thrilled and invited me to join the team. The company was in the process of implementing an ERP system, which back then was like today’s AI: a buzzword that many had heard but few truly understood.

It was a privately owned small company that was barely surviving. They needed to impress investors to secure funding for newer technology.

Here we were—the implementation team: four young men in their mid-to-late twenties, one college dropout, and a middle-aged housewife—me. None of us had graduated from prestigious universities or had impressive work experience. We were all trying to make a living, just like I was.

Due to budget constraints, they couldn’t afford to hire consultants from big firms, so our boss decided to send us to UC Berkeley at night for a similar course. None of us were interested, and we all offered excuses. Mine was that “it’s too far and too dangerous.” The others thought it was a bizarre waste of time. To make it more palatable, our boss allowed us to arrive late to work, and others had to escort me from my car to the school. We attended the first few lessons, but soon agreed that the book was sufficient for our needs.

Did we complete the project? Yes, we did. I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a miracle.

Now that I look back, those years were such a refreshing break for me. I was completely exhausted from navigating all the challenges of adulthood. But that group of young men—full of energy and dreams—lived day by day. They truly found joy in the simple things, never worrying about rising housing prices or stock market fluctuations. The company treated us to lunch once a week and they discovered a Mexican restaurant known for its massive Grande Burrito. The restaurant was struggling financially due to a lack of customers, and our group’s mission became trying to save the restaurant rather than just finishing the project.

I left the company right after the project went live, but the life lessons I learned from them stayed with me forever. I miss the charming Irish boy who would say, “For you, anything, just ask” whenever I asked for a favor. I miss the bright computer wizard who quipped, “What’s the big deal? If it’s not rocket science, anyone can do it.” Today, when someone asks me, “Is there anything you can’t do?” I realize I learned that mindset from him.

The steppingstone from my first job in Silicon Valley became a tremendous treasure for my career. But deep down, I realized I wanted the freedom to live the life I had envisioned as a little girl, despite the struggles of my youth and the challenges I faced growing up. I hope that someday I can be as impactful and inspiring as those boys were, touching the hearts and souls of others.

It’s worth mentioning that after the project, we all received a one-year subscription to Guiding Post magazine from the founder of the company. The magazine features inspiring stories and offers spiritual guidance. While some might find this unusual, I found it to be a source of light and hope during a difficult time in my life. Thank God for His mercy and love!