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Better Together, a Myth?


  My name is Erica Stein. My name is rather common, but I am definitely anything but ordinary.

I live in NYC with tiny dogs that dabble in acting, modeling, and being really cute.

Until recently, I was living my most fulfilled life as a guide and a chat coach for WW.  *formerly known as Weight Watchers*  The company formerly known as... always made me think of The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.

On May 14th 2020 at 4 pm I had an audio only Zoom call that was an important business update at WW.

The business update was short, and not too sweet: A script was read to myself and countless others that informed us we were terminated effective immediately.

The call abruptly clicked off, while I was still processing that yes, this actually happened.

During this pandemic I fielded calls from those in the front lines, face to face with Covid-19, who needed someone to talk to about their eating choices at the end of a very stressful day. I felt valuable, in some unexpected regard. Like I was helping during this hard time, in my own way.

I certainly have not felt too valuable after my abrupt Zoom firing! I loved my job, the members, and the program of WW.

I planned to stick with them for the long haul, like some of the team members who had been with them for decades.

A lot of those people who were there for decades were terminated just as I was. The script,  those hearing the script muted.

 The program was life changing for me. Now the phone call was, too.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/weight-watchers-layoffs-zoom_n_5ec6e426c5b6426f5d6ffedd

This is an article that tells some of the story.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/business/weight-watchers-firings-zoom.html

Here is some more.


And more-

https://www.thelayoff.com/weight-watchers-international



And here is a support group full of amazing WW team members who are left without the team. If that is you, please check the group out.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2744225169152180/?fref=nf

This says a lot too:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bruceweinstein/2020/05/23/why-wws-group-firings-on-zoom-were-unethical-terrible-pr-and-bad-for-business/#4c90937d5c0b

Thanks Forbes!

I am not saying WW did not help untold numbers of people on a journey to health and wellness. I am saying that as part of their WW family/team, every one of the dismissed team members was slapped in our proverbial faces. WW is better (or I believed them to be) than this. It is hard to fathom you put your all into company that not only does not value you equally  back,  but throws you aside like you never mattered.

  This is my blog. Am I better alone? I think we were better together, now what?







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