What I've Learned....

...from being a painting contractor.
1. There is always a way. Its our company motto but its good news for life. If you want something bad enough you can get it. There's always a way. There have been some tough spots Ive been in and some tough decisions had to be made but I always figured it out in the end.
2. Don't be afraid to ask for help. I couldn't make a way without help. My painters help me, the owners help me, I help my painters. Everyone helps each other. Anyone who knows how hard it is to move an upright 32 foot ladder knows that sometimes its best to ask for help.
3. The sun shines through the clouds. This has a double meaning. One, you can still get sunburnt even with a cloudy sky. But more importantly, things turn out alright in the end. You can always find the good in something.
4. What goes around comes around. Integrity has its price, but it sure buys a lot. I just did a rather small interior job for someone and things didnt go so well. We were working really late to try to finish the job on a Saturday and we made this guy like 2 or 3 hours late to a party he was going to. Anyhow, he goes to this party and give my business card to a guy who remodels homes, and one of his customers needs a paint job. Bingo! I booked a HUGE job out of it! Even though I didnt make any money on the smaller job, Im going to make a LOT on the bigger job. It all comes out in the end.
5. Sometimes you try really hard, and it doesn't come out Yeah, its a bit contradictory, but you arent a superhero, and no one is perfect. I guess I should rename this one "mistakes happen". But I wont. Mistakes happen all the time. If customers knew how many mistakes we made and what they were they would never hire us. Our mistakes are many, but we get the job done, fix what we can, make the customer the happiest we can, and move on.
6. Selling ability takes you far I dont care who you are, you can learn to sell, and you could do it in your own way. Im the #1 sales person in Denver right now for my company. How do I do it? I have no clue. It mainly comes down to competition and challenge. Nobody really gives a damn if Im #1 or not. A customer just cares that you can get the job done right at a reasonable price. Most people arent willing to pay for quality despite what they say. Some of them wouldnt know quality if it hit them. ha. Those people actually like Wal-Mart. enough said ;-)
7. You make your own choices Now more then ever I realize I have choices to make everyday. Some are big, some are small. Most choices dont change much even though we think they do. As many wise people have said, its better to make a decision then none at all. And no decision is still a decision. You choose your own destiny in life. You're in control. Use that power. Dont make a no decision. Decide what you want to do with your life cause its yours. Sorry for the double negative.
Ill stop now cause seven seems like a good round number....even though it isnt. Im off to watch The Aviator. If its not good Im going to bed. haha.
Rest well all you cool cats....

Complimenting Commenter

I knew there was a reason I endlessly searched the blog sites. I would come upon one worth talking amount, one worth adding to my list, one that would provide continual entertainment or if not entertainment, then insight, and if not insight then at least something interesting to read every once in awhile. Go now or forever hold your pee. ;-) http://www.complimenter.blogspot.com/

Wanting to give up...

I just put in a 14 hour day. I dont think I can take much more of this. The sad thing is I like it a lot but its a bit rough. I dont know if its worth it all. If I can make the same amount of money elsewhere with less hours and less stress shouldnt I do it? Ill be straight forward with you all. In the next year or two I will be doing one of four things. Going to school to be a teacher, or to be an architect. Going into the military to fly helicopters, or going to China and eventually getting my PhD in Chinese history or something. Feel free to make your comments.
Even though Im good at sales I dont forsee me doing it for much longer. Ive gone far enough to realize that if Im going to do business it has to be MY business. Only then will I care enough about it to stick the hardships out. I need a job that has to do something with other then the bottom line. Teach, transport, design, learn. I dont really care much about money and I dont want profit to be engrained in me. I dont think any of you that read this could understand cause all of you have jobs outside of business or indirectly related to it. All I do IS business.
Enough of my gripes. Here is something positive. A guy that we did an interior job for referred me to a friend who booked with us. A lot of things had gone wrong on this job and I asked him why he referred me cause I was surprised. He said, "Even though a lot of things went wrong, Jeremy always did the right thing" I appreciated his comment. I like doing the right thing, even though it hurts at times. Its so easy for me to do the right thing for other people, why cant I do the right thing for myself? ..................

Blog-Tacular

Well I figured I should keep blogging away considering Im on a role.
Update:
1. The 'rents are coming in this weekend. I cant wait. Im excited to show my parents my new house. My dad said it was a wise thing to do. Im happy to hear that. He told me he was 29 when he bought the house they live in now. Im almost 25 and I think I was crazy insane to buy a house at this age with my proclivities. yeah go look THAT up in the dictionary.
2. I am also running a marathon this weekend. ESTES PARK MARATHON
3. We just bought $200 of groceries. Gosh, living is expensive. Maybe its just our living thats expensive. We have a kid to feed ya know. we named him jason. well, he actually came with that name. anyhow... :-4. Speaking of expenses, growing up is scary as hell. But the sooner you do it, the better. Mortgage payments may mean death, but its nice to live in a place rent free 30 years down the line and not have to worry so much anymore.
5. I dont know if I can deal with the commision jobs anymore. Thats what makes things even scarier. Its all me. Not only do I have my own life in my hands I have all my employees lives in mine. Indirectly of course, but they are living paycheck to paycheck just like me. The checks came in late this week cause the mail forwarding system is slow. (sidenote: if you forward your mail expect it to take at least 3 days extra for it to get to you)
So my one painter couldnt make his insurance payment that was due, therefore he couldnt drive his van. (Well he could, but he already got busted once for driving without insurance) Therefore, he couldnt get all the supplies we needed including the ladders to the job site. Fun times.
And Ive run out of jobs for my guys to do. Which means they dont get a paycheck, in fact it means I dont get a paycheck either. Its kinda like getting laid off except in my case Im still working and not getting paid. At least not yet.

In conclusion, Im just not sure if I have what it takes. But I sure am developing it. That ability to overcome your own fears and stick with it and make things happen despite all costs, overcoming laziness and procrastination.
But like I said I have my proclivities and I am constantly tempted to break free. Its a vicious cycle.
Time to try and get away from everything to be alone with myself for just a bit. God knows I need it.

Im passing it around, a Library vacation!

I havent exactly found anything out. But you know, its a personal journey anyhow. I can only give you encouragement to not give up. I found this interesting website that you should read. In it the guy explains how a Library Vacation can help you to discover what you want to do with your life. The basic concept is that the library has lots of info. about many different industries. You just let your interests take you where they may lead. Once you find those things you dive deeper into them until..., and I quote, "The only rule is that you must drive your interest until it dies, or until it gets you to your destination." - Nick Corcodilos
Its a good idea that I am actually to DO. Ive been meaning to get back to the library to read an old article of Time anyhow. Until next time, adieu...

Convinced and Convicted.

two very similar words. This is todays sermon. Ephesians 4. The body of Christ, how we are all part. Each has his own fuction. Why do some of us try to do it all? Why dont we just find our niche and stick with it? How do some find it easy, and others hard? I dont know.
What I do know is that I try the best I can to do what I can. Ultimately, I know my gifts. I just gotta use them. I know my passion, so why do I run away from it? Why is it so hard to give up one think for another, yet its so easy to stay uncommited and lose out on both? What path am I following? How did I end up here? Did I just catch the next gust of wind that came by? When this one dies out, do I move on to the next or am I left stranded? The questions I ask myself that you know nothing about. Yet can gather something of their existence and what they mean.
I try yet if its not my place, why do I strive so hard to make it that way? Am I really an escapist or just someone that has an absolute need to be where they need and want to be? Yes I wrote had instead of has in that previous sentence. Does that say anything? Have I lost my absolute need? Have I settled? Can I go back? Why are these dreams being reawakened? ha, does that make sense?
Why now, why all at once? What is God trying to tell me? Is it anything? Has it been there all along and I havent been listening, or is it new? Blessing or curse, I dont know. But its late and I need rest. So Goodnight...

It might be chronic

Yes my condition that never allows me to stick with anything. Im an escapist. I like to put myself into situations so I can escape them. I dont know if thats entirely correct but its close. At least close to what I think I do. Its the perfectionist and the thrill junkie in me both working toward making me completely unstable.
Its like Ive tasted this, there has to be more. So I move onto the next thing, and then the next. Hell, its a great ride, but man will I ever find what Im searching for. Am I searching for nothing, or is there SOMETHING out there. Am I even searching at all for anything or am I just wandering and restless?
Do you ever feel like you arent living your life? Like its living it for you? Or you arent being yourself? I know we all have, but its mostly temporary. Im talking permanent. Permanent as in you changed your whole life because of other people. Became someone you originally werent because it wasnt acceptable or right or best to be who you were. Have we all changed like this or am I alone?
Ive always been drastic in my actions. Do I have a need to be? Different? Yes. But... sometimes I feel Im just wrestling with myself. I cant tell.
Which leads me to my dreams and thoughts when I was young. For most of my life I wanted to join the military. Ive thought about it off and on, but just the fact that Im still thinking about means its something I should do so I dont regret it. Ahhh. Regrets. Such a harsh word. Such harsh things. All encompassing they are. I dont wanna live with them and you probably dont either I imagine. Who does? Regrets=not following what we believe is true and right at the time. Ah, I wanna scream out loud. Frustrating this thing called life. Ecclesiastes 8:15

Local Band the Fray

You gotta check this guys out. http://www.thefray.net Cable Car is such a good song. Its so rhythmic and addictive. Im getting more and more in the mood to create music. I think its my fiddle class causing that, which by the way is going well. Im learning some little diddies.
Fathers Day is coming up. Its one of those weird holidays very similar to the b-days people dont want you celebrating. Mothers Day is all special with flowers and everything but Fathers Day is never big. Dad gets the grill, the golf clubs, the tie, etc. Its like a 2nd b-day for Fathers.
So Ive bought a house, guess the next step is to get married and have kids. ha! I was talking to a friend last night about which is more grown-up, buying a house or getting married. She thought buying a house was more grown up. I guess its because of all the people we know who are getting married. Guess in our society the order should go as follows: Get married, buy a house, have kids. What do you think?

Sometimes you just feel like a...

I was thinking yesterday that sometimes I just feel like a zombie. Maybe its the lack or sleep or nutrition, but something tells me it could be something else. I feel some sort of disengagement from what Im doing sometimes. Call it day dreaming. Call it what you will, but it scares me sometimes. I wanna connect to what Im doing but sometimes it feels so hard. Im having trouble explaining what I mean.
I guess Im running myself too hard and I just need some rest. Im letting myself be pulled in too many different directions that I dont even feel like I have time for myself. Maybe Ive officially joined the rat race. Going after the American dream of a beautiful wife, 2.5 kids, a nice house, and a retreiver that plays in the back yard.
I yearn for accomplishment but what does that mean? What am I trying to accomplish? Does it all spring from envy of my fellow man, or is it more internal? Or do I just not know what Im talking about? As Always, WSS.

We're good to go

So Im finally getting settled in the new house. We now have internet! Yeah! Its great. Now I can do business stuff again. You dont know how dependent on the internet you are until you dont have it. You also dont know how dependent we are on the weather till your job depends on whether it rains or shines.
Anyhow, I cant complain. My life is full, sometimes a bit too full of things that keep me busy. Im having fun, but Im starting to feel too wrapped up in my job. Im here Saturday morning typing on my blog, but also doing payroll stuff. If it wasnt raining Id be out helping my painters get a job done. *sigh* such is life.
I NEED to go camping soon. Or just get out for a weekend. My social life has been slacking. I need to get out more. I missed my friends grad party more or less because of work. So much to do, so little time.
Ok. enough ranting. blah. i hate it...