I'm back, girls!
Hello girls, after a month-long absence, here I am again to chat with you for a bit! This month was atypical. I really wanted to come here and write and tell you about my state of mind, but whenever I wanted to do it, I thought twice because I was so angry that I would probably write things I shouldn't. Today I'm only doing it because, no matter how many twists and turns life takes, love is truly the most important thing!
I worked for over a month without a day off. After 22 years at the company, I found myself alone in December, which no one could have predicted, and without even time to organize myself or find someone to help. You're left stranded overnight, with no warning of such a scenario, at least in my mind. The truth is, it's common knowledge that it's increasingly difficult to find employees. We are in an era of pampered, sensitive children with no responsibility. The lack of empathy is notorious, common sense has disappeared, and so has respect. When you get along well, they confuse friendship with trust and overstep the boundaries between employer and employee.
They say it's my fault, that I don't know how to set boundaries, but the fault lies with this new era that does whatever it pleases, and there's always someone to stroke their ego. I was raised to respect those in charge, whether they were older or my age. There was respect. Even today, I maintain friendships from my previous jobs, and in all of them, I receive praise, a sign that I left a positive mark. Nowadays, no one leaves marks because this new era doesn't even know what that is. And I'm only talking about values. Where are the moral values?
This was a conversation that would lead to a debate, where many are against it, others in favor. One thing is for sure: work has never scared me. I'm the first to roll up my sleeves; no one has ever called me lazy. I'm 51 years old and I often work 10 to 12 hours a day. When we work with love, it's not just work, it's pleasure.
Despite my age, I am a creative, innovative person with an enormous desire to learn. This year, I dedicated myself to studying my field more; we started a new project. Inside me, there is a giant desire to grow and expand, and I feel trapped, cornered by the lack of skilled labor to work, in all areas. It's not always a bed of roses; often, we are under pressure, and at the first difficulty, they abandon ship. It's a sadness…
Believe one thing: this generation may open businesses, but lasting 20 years like my generation, forget it, they can't. At the first difficulty, they close or say it no longer makes sense. It's sad, but it's the reality we have!
Carla Valente is a small family business that grew due to online sales. When we try to hire an employee, many of them look for street-front shops because they are tired of shopping mall hours, not having weekends, and constantly being tested. That's the reality. They are just a number in those companies; if they are absent, someone replaces them; if they go on sick leave, someone takes their place. The big difference is that. For us, they are not just another number; they are THE number, and they act unconsciously without thinking about the damage they cause. In our company, employees have names; they are not number 27 or 510.
In our company, we listen, we make them comfortable, even a little too comfortable. I work alongside them, I'm in the warehouse as well as in the store, I lead by example, I'm one of the first to arrive and one of the last to leave. We have days when nothing gets done, we have other intense workdays, and that's when they feel more pressure. They think that by doing a little more, or what should be normal, they should be compensated more. And for the days when we were idle, who compensates me?
Not to mention they have a voice. An last-minute appointment comes up, the company adjusts the schedule. I need to leave earlier, the company facilitates. Today I had a bad night, Carla opens the door. And then they want to grow. How do you grow in a company where the boss is the biggest worker, where you can't be late, can never have unforeseen events or last-minute appointments? Worse, not even go to already scheduled appointments because someone had a bad night and can't come in that day.
Growing only if it's towards the roof. Otherwise, how do they grow if they don't make others grow? Do you know where the best place for these employees is? It's really in shopping centers or large companies, where they are just another one. And when they grow, they are given another €50 and double the responsibility, and they are happy that way. Even better, they can't complain or get sick because they don't know the real boss, and so it's harder to speak to the heart. So they put up with it or leave and are easily forgotten, because there really is no closeness, no affection, they are just another one who was very good but is gone now…
Do you understand what I mean? Attention, affection, a good environment, and freedom of expression are priceless. What would be the value they would have to give us? Have you thought about that? I don't think so, because nowadays no one puts themselves in someone else's shoes. That's why we live in a country of subsidies, where the greatest effort a worker has to make is to work for six consecutive months and then collect unemployment benefits.
Amidst this whirlwind of things that make us think the fault is ours (it's almost laughable).
With an open door and a very extensive client base, I see that I'm not crazy and I'm not alone in this struggle. From the dentist who needs a receptionist and they disappear, hairdressers who are left in the lurch when they need it most, restaurants, civil construction, even my next-door neighbor with a chain of stores has over a third of his employees on sick leave. We're all crazy, the fault is ours. Different areas and all with the same common problem, but the fault is ours… No comment…
I swear I didn't want to write this blog about this, because I'm genuine, transparent, and I would just let my writing flow and not be able to stop.
This is my blog, where I am myself, the real Carla, with countless flaws because I am human, but with the certainty that I am an excellent professional and human being, no matter how much they try to make me look crazy.
Anyone who doesn't relate can simply choose not to read it 😉 and that's perfectly fine. After all, few follow but all read, if only to snoop and criticize or chat with colleagues or suppliers 😂😂😂.
I would like to thank Our Lady of Health, who protects entrepreneurs with incredible strength, as if it were a vaccine to help us sustain our small business amidst so, so many daily setbacks.
I wanted to thank my family. Yes, family, mine is the best (like yours). Christmas is this, it's that, oh because it's all hypocrisy. No, my dears, Christmas is also love, it's noise, it's laughter, it's small arguments. Christmas is love!
Every Christmas is special, but this one was even more so. After an exhausting, angry month, I stopped on the 24th and love took over me…
No place in the world is better than with our loved ones, and there is no money in the world that can buy that. I'm a millionaire, did you know? Many people talk about envy this and that, but what can really cause envy is not a business, not material goods, because that is within anyone's reach, you just have to work… But when we talk about love, my friends, no money in the world can buy that. It's a fact. And that's where I believe in envy, because being well-loved is not within everyone's reach, some because many of us cannot have what we do not give.
Anyone who knows me and has worked with us knows that we are a family, strange to many, lol. At work, we sometimes argue endlessly, everyone wants to be right. Working with family is not easy, but it's only possible because of the love that unites us.
My husband, as you know, recently suffered a small accident, breaking his heel, and who do you think was with me there in the store for hours standing, afternoons, Sundays, Saturdays? It was him. Every day our love grows through patience and companionship. He is comfort.
Christmas is an explosion of love, with my mother, my dear sister, my nephews, children, granddaughters, mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law, everyone! At Christmas, I forgot the whole month of December, all the people who don't make sense, because there in that room was all the meaning of life and undoubtedly the best gift one can have. I love my family.
These two days at home were a breath of fresh air; they did me so much good. I came back full of energy, and yesterday working was easy, even with exchanges, even with less friendly people, but it was light because I refueled for the next challenges. Yesterday was also a special day; two clients/friends I hadn't seen in a while came by, and it was fantastic. I missed our conversations, laughter, smiles, and tears; it was so good. Thank you, Delfina and husband, whenever I'm with you, I feel richer and smarter 🧠.
We always have to look at the positive things in our daily lives, and December also brought wonderful things and people ❤️ thank you universe!
I believe I'm being a bore to some people reading this today, but so many days without writing leads to this 😂
I'll be back next year with decisions made, a lot will change, and I promise, you'll always be the first to know 🥰 because you are part of my life.
For today, I bid farewell, not forgetting to thank you for all the affection and patience you have with me. I apologize to the more sensitive ones, I promise to control myself more in 2026 😂😂😂
A huge kiss to your hearts 💕
With affection,
Carla Valente
