Choices, choices

For the past couple of months, the phrase "fork on the road" has been on my mind a lot. Why? Because a few months ago, circumstances and events led me to one. I faced a crossroads in my career and my life. I reached the proverbial "fork on the road" and I had to choose which way to go.

I was faced with a career decision: stay in MTV, the coolest channel in the world, where I’ve been working for 4-1/2 years or accept an offer from a rapidly expanding, enterprising Singapore-based ad agency/PR and events firm with a very interesting name – Crush. While it certainly wasn’t the first time I’ve had to make a tough decision on my career, this particular "fork" did not offer an easy bite. But in the end, I decided to leave MTV and venture into the world of Crush.

What made me decide? The "what if" factor, that’s what.

It’s no secret – and I think it’s pretty evident from my articles – that I have a strong affinity for MTV. MTV Philippines has been my home for a good number of years, having been there since 2001 when MTV launched here and became the first and only 24-hour, 7-day a week terrestrial (free-to-air) channel. The product of MTV is fun and music, and since I like fun and music, it’s very easy to get attached to it. Plus, the people I worked with are great. So obviously, there were a lot of reasons to stay.

But at the same time, how could I not get intrigued with a company called Crush? Like MTV Philippines, Crush was established in 2001. It was conceptualized and formed by the former CEO of Lowe Lintas Singapore, Palani Pillai. In its first year of operations alone, Crush achieved a revenue exceeding $8 million. It now manages some of the top blue-chip clients in Singapore and has consistently been recognized and awarded in Singapore and in other countries. Recently it opened shop in Malaysia and Indonesia. This aggressive expansion led to plans on setting shop in the Philippines. One thing led to another and then they spotted me. And as they say, the rest is history.

Or should I say "future?"

The fork on the road was offering me two choices: the first choice was to take the familiar and enjoyable "MTV Road" – and continue doing what I’ve been doing – or, take the unfamiliar road, explore unchartered territory and check what’s out there. On one hand, I had something that was close to my heart – something that I knew very well. On the other hand, I had something that was new, fresh, mysterious, and untested. Sure, I’m familiar with advertising, PR, marketing, account management, and events management. And yes, I’ve had some experience in start-up companies (IMG). But I’ve never headed an ad agency/PR and events firm before. So this was a new thing for me. This was the realm of the unknown. This required a leap of faith.

I have to admit, this particular decision caused me some sleepless nights. I was torn. If I stayed, I’d be stuck doing the same things but at least I would have the comfort of working in a business that I know quite well. On the other hand, if I left, I would be tackling new challenges – but then, I would have to grope my way a bit and learn new stuff. If I stayed, I could be an expert in what I was doing – but then again, I might get tired of doing the same thing over and over. If I left, I would have to work double time and be a student of a totally new business – but then again, I would expand my knowledge and gain new ideas.

As most self-help books will tell you, the best way to decide on something is to do a pros-and-cons list. Once you’re done with the pros, you list down the cons. From there, you do a process of elimination. Eventually, you’ll end up with an option with more pros than cons. And, in theory, that’s what you’re supposed to choose.

Unfortunately, when you’re faced with choices, doing a pros-and-cons list is sometimes not practical. Each pro and each con doesn’t necessarily have the same weight. Plus, there are emotional attachments for each pro and con. Emotion is very hard to quantify. And sometimes you’re faced with more than two options. Sometimes you’re faced with three or four (that’s when it becomes a real fork on the road – four points!). Also, most of the time, you don’t have the luxury of time to evaluate all the pros and cons. When you’re in a fastfood joint, for example, and you’re deciding between Value Meal A (burger, fries, softdrink), Value Meal B (spaghetti, a chicken leg, and orange juice), and Value Meal C (ginisang atay, puto bumbong, and cherry-flavored virgin coconut oil), the people in line who are behind you will not tolerate your making a pros-and-cons matrix. You have to decide – and decide pronto!

When I was deciding between staying and leaving, there was one particular question that kept popping on my mind: "What if I didn’t try? Can I live with it?"

Personally, that was the one question that tilted the balance. If I left for Crush, there wouldn’t be any "what ifs." I knew exactly what my life would be like if I decided to stay. I could clearly see myself doing the same things I am doing right now. On the other hand, if I decided to stay, I knew that the question "What if?" would hound me forever. I knew that if I didn’t take this option (of leaving), I’d be going "What if?" for the rest of my life. Knowing that I would always have to deal with this question, and knowing fully well that I wouldn’t be able to stand it – I decided that the best option for me was to go.

I know that there is no assurance that I would be successful in my new venture. But if it does fail, I will console myself with the fact that I took the risk of finding out. At least, I will know that at the time I made the decision, it seemed to be right thing to do. And that, for me, is what counts.

Choosing is never an easy task. But that’s what makes life so intriguing and exciting. In life, we have to make many choices. In fact, it seems that life is just a series of choices that we make. We choose, choose, choose – and then we die. From the color of our bathroom curtain, to the fabric of our underwear, we have to make choices. And it’s not always easy. Some choices are tougher than others.

But don’t fret. When you get hit with a tough choice, always consider the "what if" factor. Always consider the consequences of your choices.

When you do that, chances are, your choice will be the right one.

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Thanks for all your letters! You may e-mail me at rondepo@yahoo.com. For those interested to know more about Crush Advertising, you can check its cool website at www.crush.com.sg.

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And to my MTV family – especially Francis Lumen and Jack Madrid – thanks so much for your counsel, guidance, and support! I shall miss all of you! Rest assured, you can always count on me for anything! God bless!