This was my first position out of college. I learned a lot, but my self-esteem and confidence suffered. Founders Jennifer and Connie were very hands-on in educating me about the business and the industry, but they were unforgiving. Leniency is not something I ever expected, but at times I left of the office absolutely shaken as a result of a comment made by Connie or Jennifer about me or my performance, sometimes in front of my then-coworkers. On my final day, I exited the office questioning my career path and my own competence. Jennifer and Connie use negative reinforcement and the fear of (very frequent) layoffs to spur performance in their employees. It works for some, but not for me. I took their negative feedback very hard. When I decided to leave and found a new job with very similar responsibilities, I was amazed to find that I was not incompetent. I was amazed to find that coworkers could be a support system, rather than the competition. That said, Jennifer and Connie and my experience at Happie taught me a great deal--lessons that still benefit me today. Was it worth it? The verdict is out.