Mixed Emotions

Today (yesterday actually... It's 4am) was the day.

Today I left my co-worker friends and an amazing boss in pursuit of doing what I love. Understand, this is not doing Affiliate Marketing full-time YET, but I think this is definitely a step in the right direction and will provide me the time and education to pursue affiliate marketing, or possibly even a step up from that :)

But, yes, I was a little sad today saying bye to my co-worker friends. We went out for Mexican food. My project manager payed for my food. They all suggested I deserved a 'drink'. (I rarely decline. I've perfected the art of drinking and befriending co-workers. You spend the most time with these people. You have to like them.)

Shortly after, I was texting my wife, telling her about my lunch outing.
"We had Mexican for lunch." (rubbing it in. She's a bit of a foodie)
"Did you drink?" (she knows me too well)
"Yes. My co-workers made me. I had a margarita and a shot of tequila."
"How did they 'make' you?"
"They said, 'You should have a drink' and I said, 'OK' "

Surprisingly, I DID have a productive day following. I had to prepare documents for my replacement. I feel bad for all the headaches I feel like I'm leaving for everyone. I was the 'go-to' guy for just about anything around the office involving broken computers, slow internet speeds, random pointless conversations, the sole website designer, the only guy that even knows how to use the custom CMS and many other daily tasks that I'm sure I'll continue to get emails about for the next month.

I'm not completely abandoning them. I have offered to train my replacement on nights and weekends, so it'll be good to see everyone as I phase out this part of my life. They all have my contact info and the company is close to my brother's house, so it's not like I'll never see them again. I still maintain contact with at least 10 people I've worked with in the past 10 years.

So, as most people try not to be friends with their co-workers, I've always preferred it. One of my best friendships came from work buddies. It definitely helps with a lot of the stress. So, one of my current fears about going into my new job is my ability to make friends with the group. I've been working for them for about 4 months already. I started by working 4-5 hours on Sat/Sun and a few hours on Wednesdays with them as well as a few hours from home during the week. About a month ago, they added a new product line and my hours shot up to about 20 a week, from home. They would call, text and email me all day about 'emergency' changes or fixes to their sites. It's been stressful, but I love it. I love fast paced work like this. I love making a few small changes and seeing profits raise instantly. (They pay a high CPA to affiliate networks, so we typically have traffic)

From both of these emotions, Sad about leaving my current boss and some Fear about my new work environment, it only emphasizes how much I need to make affiliate marketing work. There's going to come a time, where I can't rely on others for a pay check. None of us can. And if you have employees, you can't rely on them to always be there to make you money. (Especially if they're opportunists)

What's your thoughts on befriending co-workers or changing jobs?