The Picture People - Out of Business

Picture People, Foster City, Californa
October 1, 2001 to September 20, 2007

On Thursday, May 18, my former employer, TPP Holdings DBA The Picture People closed doors permanently.

While it's sad, it did not come as a surprise to many of us who were once employed there. I was separated from Picture People in September 2007 when headquarters moved from Foster City, California to Plano, Texas.

Like my other former employer, The Sharper Image (see blog post November 18, 2017), shut down business operations in 2008. There have several relaunches beginning in 2010, the latest is through Camelot Venture Group in April 2018.

With the recent store closings for Macy's and Sears, traditional retail in malls as we once knew it has changed. It's looking more like a future destination to the mall won't just be for shopping or the movies.

Other than my two rounds of four-year employment with Sharper Image, my six years of continuous employment with Picture People is the longest I've worked anywhere. As it usually is in retail, turnover is frequent. So when one stays for at least three years, he/she would be considered an old-timer. Bonds form and cement into lifelong friendships.

Alumni from Sharper Image recently announced plans for a second reunion this fall. Picture People from the Foster City headquarters held a reunion in March 2014.

It's my hope that those who suddenly lost their jobs will receive some kind of employment assistance.

2014 Highlights

As the end of 2014 arrives later this week, these were my personal highlights of the year.

January 28,2014 - Back to Work
After a 3 1/2 year absence, I returned to work full-time.

Job is very challenging yet fulfilling. The work I do is similar to what I've done in the past, but I now apply my previous skills and experience to a new industry - fueling. The majority of my work career has been in retail.

October 4, 2014 - Moved from San Francisco's Outer Sunset to Lakeside.

What I lost in parking and lack of storage, I gained in a bigger living space (including my bedroom), closer commute to work, and a 44% increase in cash flow because I share the rent of the house with a roommate.










October 29, 2014 - San Francisco Giants, 3rd World Series title in 5 years.

As they did in 2010 and 2012, the Giants were the underdogs against each opponent they faced in the 2014 post-season.

Defense, small ball, and a pitcher named Madison prevailed.





Wishing everyone a warm, joyous, safe and Happy New Year for 2015.

Back to Work

Two weeks ago, after 3+ years, I returned to full-time work.

I am beyond relieved and ecstatic to return to work I've done for the past 15+ years: card operations and processing with a strong emphasis on customer service. I find this area of work very fulfilling.

During the time I didn't work, I got back into writing this blog, took online courses at Treehouse and Google (Google Analytics), explored different career paths, and bowled countless practice sessions.

I had to. They were necessary outlets from the stress of no full-time work. It wasn't the only life event I experienced which compounded what was already difficult. It got so bad I had to consider leaving San Francisco, the city I've called home for the past 30 years.

source: Wikipedia

On the left is a snipped chart taken from the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale. Along with no job, I experienced 2 close family member deaths and an event equivalent to another of the top life events listed.

What has and always helped me is a wide network of family, former classmates, co-workers and current/past teammates from softball and bowling to lean on for support. Especially during a time when my self-worth was constantly in question.

I can't emphasize enough for anyone who's going through a difficult time to reach out to people you know and trust. And don't be afraid to reconnect with someone once close to you but have lost touch. Strength does come in numbers.