Hi folks! So sorry for the delay, I've been in hiding, licking wounds from severe embarrassment. What happened? I decided to move back to LA, fairly quickly, after the death of my dear Uncle Sherman in late July. Things were looking good, landed a bunch of interviews but the first one *seemed* the best. It was to be a senior level executive in charge of Branding and New Media for a biofuel startup partially funded by Kobe and Joe Bryant, or so I was told by the principal CEO I interviewed with Wirter Franklin Mangrum. He looks like this:
We met for the first time in front of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on Wilshire, that's never a good sign is it? Interviewing on the steps of a coffeeshop...
Wirter made me a great offer and I accepted, who'd turn this down? He also sent a detailed .pdf of the business plan which made sense to me and my mom's way more science friendly than me :D
Then a week or so later, I got an email saying there had been some delays and that our starting salary would be lowered and we'd be contractors to start.
OK. Huh. Well that's a bummer, but I've still cheerfully optimistic, stupidly so.
I tell Wirter, fine I can work with that but I'd like a signing bonus of $3500 as security on future work. I begin drafting docs, doing research and getting pumped for the start of LYFE, the name of the corporation. Each of the start dates gets moved back, week to week, making it impossible for me to committ to another positon as I think I'll begin work at any moment.
Then I get an email saying not til 9/20/2008, and so sorry and if you need to get something else we'll understand. I shoot an email back, what kind of assurances can you give me that this position is funded and will start? Then I get a bank statement back...
PHOTO DELETED AT THE REQUEST OF WIRTER MANGRUM (10/07/2008).
Ok, well millions of dollars seems good right? So I wait another week and email Wirter saying, my savings are running dry and my rental car payment is due, are you sure? He says yes, I'll work to make sure you're good. And on 9/19/2008, I spoke to Wirter for the last time.
Wirter: Hello.
Faith: Hi Wirter, are we still on for contract signing?
Wirter: Yes, you're in Inglewood right now right?
Faith: Yes.
Wirter: I'm just finishing up a mtg, but I'll head over in an hour or so.
{end phone call}
And that was the last of that. I called and left a couple messages, with no response. Angry, upset, terrified and in a bit of financial bind, I was lucky to have friends who could loan me some money to keep my ass in a rental car and keep looking for work. That's been going well, even though the economy isn't -- folks still need websites and project managers. Turns out one of my all time favorite websites, i.e. visited more than once a day, is looking to for a person just like me. Interviews are going well and I'm hopeful!
Resilency is one of my strongest suits, unfortunately trusting naivete is as well. That said, I can recognize my mistake of hubris and willingness to believe in something too good to be true. A humbling experience to be sure. What do you think, con artist? Startup killed by the DOW? All I know is that Wirter Franklin Mangrum Jr. lied repeatedly at the cost of one month of my time. Only one month, but a very important month for me in which my savings depleted and he repeatedly assured me things were in order and he was on his way. Super sucks, but I can get over the hump with friends, family and all the support thrown my way.
I wonder if Wirter Mangrum has affected anyone else's life so negatively? I wonder if he's really associated with Kobe Bryant or if Kobe knows there's a scammer associated with him. I hope Wirter isn't continuing to use my name or my past association with The Duchess of York to bring in new victims. This post is an attempt to leave a written record of this man for the future. BEWARE WIRTER FRANKLIN MANGRUM, JR.
