As a business creator, I get to do it (as Frank said), my way. I have to develop leadership skills, be insanely motivated, and be willing to suffer when things don’t go right. I have to develop good instincts, surround myself with great people, put them in a creative space, nurture them, and reward them for great work. If I can do all that well, I get rewarded with business and do a bunch of good in the world.

The Risk

The risk is what I am willing to put on the line to get what I imagine I want. It turns out that the cost was high. Learning what works and what doesn’t is sometimes incredibly painful and discouraging. There is no one way to do things, so you must look at what works for others, evaluate it all, and sort through it to find your way through the wilderness.

I was not going to let the dream of a highly functioning remodeling company that does excellent work and builds a solid reputation wither and die on the vine.

The Reward

The reward is the fruits of my labor and sacrifice: surviving mistakes, being resilient, and building on a vision and a good foundation. The fruits of my labor include a successful business, friends and family who love me, and occasionally hearing “good Job, Joe.” The most recent payoff is the ability to make new, strong relationships and not be surprised when things go right.

The Guiding Light

I learned the golden rule and received the Scout oath, Law, and Motto at an early age, and they have served me well. Several years ago, I adopted the Rotary 4-way test. I had faith that things would all work out, and I had dealt with emergencies all my adult life. What could go wrong?

What I Thought I Was Getting Into

Superman

Reflecting on my remodeling journey, I felt I was embarking on a brief trip that would be fun, adventurous, Interesting, and collaborative. I had a shallow goal of figuring out the business side of things, which was the challenging part. The rest of it seemed to come naturally. I loved being a Paramedic, and I was great at it. I had turned a failed restaurant into a hugely successful one. I was Superman. I knew that figuring out how to be a remodeling entrepreneur would be something I could do on the side. My dad had done well and shared his passion with me. He loved what he did. Naturally, I would find that love, too.

What I Stepped Into

My remodeling peers harshly criticized me as being a hobbyist. I hired some unsavory folks, I was taken advantage of, I was lied to, I pissed some people off. I let clients down. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I had risked everything financially and lost the confidence of my former wife. My inner wildman came out.

I realized I had some issues. I did self-harm by being a unilateral decision-maker from a bad place. I enrolled in a peer group and got my head spun around. I met some fellow remodelers who cared about me and were determined to help me get a handle on things. I was stubborn. No amount of Hopium (My drug of choice) was going to get me through this. I saw my dad doing it, so it must have been the right way. I doubted myself for the first time in my life. I got depressed. I was on the brink.

The Guiding Light

There was a moment in time that I will not forget when I was at my lowest. Then my sense of self blossomed as I pulled out of a seemingly terminal nose dive. As we used to say in the helicopter business, “If something catastrophic were to happen, I would be the first at the scene of the crash.” (I nearly did) An old friend and bookkeeper returned to help me out temporarily. She said that it was all going to work out and that I needed to find and hire the right person to help get me back on my feet again. We wrote an ad together, and lo and behold, I got a response that led to an interview. I had to pinch my new hire literally to make sure she was real and not someone I conjured up in the movie (Weird Science). This was the beginning of a beautiful ride. Now celebrating her 7th, nearly 8th anniversary, we pause to be grateful.

Friends and Family Came Out of The Woodwork

I am 10 times the man I was. Uncaged by a failed marriage left in the dust several years ago, I have started to see the me I used to be: confident, charismatic, booming, warm, and loving. Don’t get me wrong,  Its been difficult shaking the old version of myself that was beaten down. Transitioning to being back on top of my game has been fun and exhilarating.

Your comments are welcome. To ask questions or get more information about remodeling, click here to email me directly, or call 208-947-7261

If you or someone you know is considering remodeling or just wants to speak to a trustworthy remodeling contractor, please contact me. You’ll be glad you did.