Leap of Faith: My Resignation Letter to Fox Sports
About two and a half years ago, I quit my job at Fox Sports. It was an awesome job, at an amazing company and I really think if I stuck around, I could have risen through the ranks and made a very comfortable living in an interesting field. I liked my job, I enjoyed who I worked with and being on a world-renowned studio lot every day was pretty awesome.
But two years in, I realized I wasn't passionate about what I was doing anymore. So, after much deliberation, considering all the amazing perks I'd be giving up, I decided it was time for me to leave. I thought I'd share my resignation letter with you all:
"When I told my mom I was thinking of quitting my job with Fox Sports, I expected an outpour of support and “follow your heart” type remarks. Instead, I got this:
Oh no Roycito… Por favor… No es good idea... Eberybody want to work en Fox, is a berry beeg company… Ay dios mio!
When I told my dad I was quitting my job with Fox Sports, he laughed. Upon realizing it wasn’t a sick joke, he told me I should be ashamed of myself, yelling profane things in Spanish about my life decisions.
But after __________(A - thoughtful consideration; B - flip of a coin; C - two 40oz bottles of Steel Reserve), I say with a heavy heart that today will be my last day with Fox Sports.
I wasn’t going to write a goodbye email because when I Googled “best resignation emails ever” I realized that “best” meant “who can articulate how much they hate their jobs while throwing as many people under the bus as possible.” I figured since I don’t have much to complain about or anyone’s reputations to desecrate, it wouldn’t be worth anyone’s time. But I'm doing one anyways.
I ask myself why I’m leaving Fox, I think of how awesome my boss is, how amazing and hilarious my coworkers are, how satisfying it is telling people where I work - and I can’t help but question if I’m making the right decision.
When I was 5 years old, I decided I wanted to be a scientist. I loved bugs and bubbling test tubes and the thought of curing diseases. When I got a C in my 6th grade science class, I walked in to my room, packed up all my test tubes, science kits, and lab coats, and walked about a mile to the closest thrift store, crying my eyes out the whole way. Then I decided I wanted to go to Harvard. I started studying a lot more, going to tutoring, and hanging out with the smart kids. But being in a punk rock band and having a subpar GPA wasn’t a recipe for Harvard acceptance. So I didn’t apply.
From entrepreneurial ventures to a career in soccer, I've failed a lot. As a result, I've grown to avoid failure and learned to disguise my ambitions to avoid further disappointment. At Fox, I've found a place where I could be around phenomenal people, grow, and maybe 20 years down the line, lead a department. Most notably, I've found a place where I've stopped failing.
So contrary to what logic and my pissed off dad says I should do, I'm leaving Fox to fail some more. But this time, I'm failing ‘til I get it right. I'm taking a marketing job at American Youth Soccer Organization to get back on track to achieving my dream of becoming the GM of a professional soccer team or a high level marketing executive.
In addition, I'll be finishing up my semi-autobiographical book about my journey to overcoming my deathly fear of public speaking titled "Scared Speechless" and looking to charm my way in to getting published.
To my friends and those of you receiving this email wondering "who the hell is Roy Rosell?" I thank you for two of the best years of my life. You may be thinking... "Best years of your life? HA! Your life sucks!" To that I say this: When you get to spend 40 hours a week with good friends and some of the most hilarious people on the planet, devouring boxfuls of donuts almost every day, all in one of the most beautiful places to work, it's hard not to have a good time.
This was my first job out of college and I never thought I'd find a place where I could truly feel at home. Thank you everyone and see you soon.
Roy"