I guess its my turn to write this blog. Since we will be launching another batch of the TL Jacket tomorrow I thought it will be appropriate to share with you that I'm stepping down from my duties as TL's store manager at the end of this month.
Wax wisely told me once that TL is like the Borg, even without a queen it will keep going strong. Therefore I don't think anything will change with my departure so this blog will have more of a self indulging purpose, so please, stay with me as I share this piece of mind for the last time from the perspective of a TL employee.
It's been a very long time - I gave big part of my 20s to TL. Even without bringing any skills I somehow managed to grow into the TL store manager job. I know it sounds like a cheesy awful self help book, but the only reason I progressed is because I loved everything I was doing. If I'm to give one advice for people trying to find a job in esports, all I have to say is "Don't". Don't look for a job, trying to justify what you are doing. Keep doing it, not because you expect something in return, but because you love doing it. That said, I was fortunate enough to do what I love and be paid for it - I've been on TL's payroll since 2011 and spent the last year as a TL fulltimer at the HQ. But recently my priorities have shifted - I would like to focus on writing my thesis and finishing my education as well as progressing my relationship to the next level. So it's time for me and TL to go separate ways.
Even if my job description says "Store Manager" I would like to look at my work as an effort to develop TL as a brand. Like everyone here , first and foremost I'm here because I love TL, and I believe that what we love deserves the best image and presentation we can give it. Weather it was quality merchandise, good looking team site, or simply stream overlays, I wanted to uphold high standards, worthy of TL's fans and community members. I hope that through my work everyone saw TL in a better light.
I believe I'm leaving the store in good shape - over those 4 years we've managed to build robust and professional infrastructure which offers quality customer experience all around. We have amazing store partners that will continue to work with us and with TL's expansion into new games I'm sure we will have no problem delivering awesome new products for everyone to enjoy. I'm also very happy that it will be shiro who will carry the torch and take over the store manager duties, effectively becoming the Queen of Store and Gfx.
I don't know what the future holds for me, but I hope I can stay around and maybe find time to contribute as a volunteer, if I can be useful in any way. I would like to hug everyone I ever worked with on TL and say that I'm truly grateful for the time we spent together, sharing common goals.