they say, EVERYBODY LOVES A GOOD UNDERDOG STORY!!!
Is that true?
I'm not sure. but I do know this much, WE ARE UNDERDOGS... I started out as an underdog, working at 19 years old, just outta job corps and fresh out of a CAST on my right upper arm, for 4 months. I broke my arm, arm wrestling one of my best buddies since we were 14.. (but that's another blog post )
Back to my point. I started in the union at 19. I had a few bosses, but my FIRST BOSS was the most memorable. they called him, "sarge" and he was about 5 ft 5 in tall, but walked about 5 feet off the ground. he said he was a marine corps drill Sargent for TWENTY YEARS.. here's what I can tell you, he taught me how to work, how to KEEP a job up against grown ass men. He taught me that if I could work faster, do a better job, than those grown men, I'd always have a job! and he was right. he did give me a lot of CRAP.... but you know what? I needed to get used to that if I was ever going to make it in this field, right? I worked for Sarge until the school was built. took almost two years. I was able to use him as a reference, but then thru the years I lost his info. I've looked for him a few times on facebook.
I often wonder what he'd say about me, or what I've been through, more like what I've overcome to be here, and have a "seat" at this table. I would tell him THANK YOU if I could. thank you for teaching me, and convincing me that I had just as much right as anyone else, to be on these jobs, and to make as much as a man, doing them.
Now, I'm just trying to pay it forward, teach someone ELSE how to do this job, and not only do it, but be the BEST AT IT.... to not take mediocrity. but to constantly strive for better.
Our crew is back to LaNae Long, and I.... we have a very large siding job we are doing right now. we are booking work for the month of August, right now. and if you remember, we've been working together now, 3.5 YEARS... so we are definitely getting AWESOME at what we do!! well, we were always AWESOME but now, we are REALLY GOOD. ask anyone.
I will continue to be OPEN to hiring someone with at least a LITTLE BIT of construction experience. it is a HUGE INVESTMENT to teach someone this trade, and it's an even bigger investment to teach EVERY SINGLE SKILL necessary to know this trade (like use a hammer, a stapler, load nails in a nail gun, use a caulking gun, use a screw gun, know what forti flash is and the difference between that and flashing/drip edge) and I just don't have the resources or deep enough pockets to teach someone every single skill necessary.
What I can promise the right person, is a good job with a great work culture. I'm in NO HURRY though,and I feel like the right person will come along some day. I'm going to trust my GUT to tell me who it is. And LaNae and I can handle everything until then. (just as we have, for 3.5 years)
Being in charge is a funny thing sometimes. not "funny" but IRONIC... I used to be on the other side of this coin, and boy oh boy do I remember it. I think that makes me a good leader. I'm not any different than the person I'm leading. we are a team, and a TEAM only works when everyone has the same goals in mind.
our goals are always the same,,,,, give the customer a great end product, and make money doing it... you know enough money to move OUT OF ALDER MANOR and into a REGULAR HOUSE!!!! we are going to make it happen, I swear if it's the last thing I do.
I digress....
if you've made it this far THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US!!! MY TEAM!!!
Stay tuned as we make more progress, finish more jobs and hopefully move out of this mobile home park!!!
Next week we are on VACATION!!! LaNae is going to spend some quality time with her 10 year old son, and Me, I'm taking my husband and kids down the coast to have some fun!! stay tuned for pictures of that!!
BACK TO WORK JUNE 20th
Life is SHORT, take the VACATION!!!!
Thanks again for your support.
