For twenty years, my bills got paid the same way most people pay their bills. I worked for various companies, spending a specified number of hours at a specified job site, performing specified tasks in a specified way, and I received a specified sum of money after a specified period of time (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly). Like everyone else, sometimes I liked my boss, sometimes I didn’t. Sometimes I liked my co-workers, sometimes I didn’t. Sometimes I liked my work, sometimes I didn’t. Sometimes I liked my pay, sometimes I didn’t. My work world was created, governed, ruled, regulated, maintained, and directed by someone else. Sometimes my dislike was rewarded by an opportunity to find a new scenario.
It was just such an event that opened a door into the world of self employment for me. After about 1 ½ years as an apprentice/helper learning how to hang wallpaper, I asked for a day off during the week. In response to my boss’s query as to why I was making such a request, I said I wanted to look for another job. He responded “Good, I was going to ask you to.” It’s called a falling out.
I found another job right away, painting vacated student apartments at UVA for a quick turnover. That turned into an opportunity to do one fairly large project hanging wall paper for my new employer, which then turned into small side jobs on nights and weekends outside of my regular day job, which then turned into a small list of potential clients that wanted me to do a project for them right away. So, in June of 1984 I resigned my position as a painter and took the leap into self employment.
“Self employment is a powerful vehicle for personal growth, and often the greatest value comes from the skills and self knowledge you gain along the way.” Steve Pavelina
I wouldn’t trade my 21 years of self employment for ANYTHING, ever! It gave me a view of life I couldn’t obtain any other way, and the learning and growth process from self employment is absolutely priceless.
