My husband is a very handy guy. He can build or repair just about anything from the family car to the kitchen sink. I am not allowed to touch two things in my house, the grill and the power tools. He is amazing and many times I take his abilities for granted. I am grateful every time I have an epiphany and he never flinches when I ask him to do a task he has never before attempted. Like installing tile in the shower of our first place for instance. He dilligently worked until 2 am and then went to work at 6am the next day. He's my hero. Little did I know my dream guy would turn the tables on me and ask for his own dream.
Working for someone else has its advantages. You never have to worry about where your next paycheck is coming from. You can leave it all behind at the office when you come home. So many little things that go with a business is never a concern when you are an employee. Why is it then that we search out opportunities to be our own boss? Plant our own vineyard and reap the fruitage of our hard work. I guess it is ingrained in our DNA. My husband got to this point about 3 years ago. He was working for a friend and as time went by steadily he grew restless. He worked his way up in the company until he was the vice-president. Salary wages, company vehicle, cell phone, all expenses paid company trips, the works. Sounds good right? Not exactly. There are always strings and stress that comes with great responsibilities. Despite getting some of the perks, none of the decision making was ever available. It just got to be disappointing.
That year he decided that he needed to work towards a change. Instead of taking his bosses kids to school he wanted to be able to take his own. I couldn't argue although I did try to stall him for as long as possible. What wife of leisure wouldn't? I hadn't had to work for years. A girl could get used to that, and I did. However selfish it may seem I did have both of us in mind. We researched and brain stormed for a few months and he felt that he could do so much more opening his own business. Competition in the construction industry in a small town is brutal. We had to be prepared in order to make a clean break and survive the aftermath. He got his license and all progress stopped.
My husband is a very loyal and dedicated friend. He stayed on for 2 more years fearing that if he didn't tie up all loose ends that forever burned into his conscience would be the guilt of leaving a friend in need. He did clean up all the mess his employer was in and revived the company from near death and made it successful once more. He still wasn't sure if the time was right to go. My father gave of his great wisdom and told him "you'll know when it's time to go. There will be no doubt in your mind". Sure enough, he was right. A few months later the business was back on the decline and his friend was spending like there was no tomorrow. It finally occured to us that things were never going to change. We would forever be left picking up the pieces without so much as a thank you from the guy. It was more than we could take and so we left.
During that time we had set up our corporation, purchased websites and designed our logo. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once. I can only compare it to a rollercoaster. First you are confident this is going to be great. Then you're locked in and immediately second thoughts race through your mind. Next you race around the track and have no time to doubt your decision. There is no turning back now. All you know is it's exhilarating and with every new twist and turn you want more. Finally, when the ride slows down you are really glad you decided to go for a ride. Then you do it again. We have made it through 10 months now and we're still going. Despite the best attempts at sabotage from his former friend we are a success.
There are times when I miss the steady checks or not having to answer phones, but I wouldn't trade my husband's emancipation for anything. Instead for waking up alone, except for a large pit bull in bed beside me, I wake up to having him there. He makes me coffee in the morning and I see him off to work. Although there are no kids to take to school that will come in time. When it does, we'll be ready. For now I just enjoy my new benefits this job affords me, a fulfilled husband. He achieved his goal of opening his own roofing company before he turned 30. We have done over six figures in business so far and there's no end in sight. We have had our lulls in work but I have learned one thing living in Florida, you don't worry about your air conditioner until it's hot and your roof until hurricane season.
If you're interrested, our company is family owned and operated. My brother is the VP and does amazing work running the crew and installations. We are looking toward the future and hopefully expanding our company. For now we are keeping things simple and progressive. Check us out on the web at earthfriendlyroofing.com. My husband's dream is now a reality, and so we come to the end of the ride. The coaster pulls back into the station and here I am forgetting all the fear and looking to go again. This time, it's a "coaster" of my design. I'm going to make my dream of R. K. Finch Design a reality. Strap youself in cuz here we go.
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