posted
Hi everyone. What I'm posting here is an email I was writing to Dan, but I think I'd like to share it with all of you:
Hey Dan. How's life up north? All is well down here, Nice cool weather (68F at night ), had a great week last week doing boat graphics & this one seems promising. Had a great weekend with my wife & son!! Dan I've been thinking about emailing you because although I haven't had much time for the BB, I always remember how you post stuff about your family. I recently met some very successful people that I got disgusted with... & the more & more big $$ people I meet the more frustrated I get. Not because of envy or jealousy or anything, but because for these people money is more important than family. One of them kept referring to his kids as his Ferrari payment, because he could buy a Ferrari with what he pays in child support. "Look at this" he said. "Here we are sipping this good whiskey on this $1.5M dollar boat. What did it cost me? My marriage." (Seems to me like he lost more than that) It sometimes makes me think that you'd have to be that way to be successful. Well you know what? I'm going to find a balance between work & family , & I AM gonna be successful! I mean why work so hard when you're not even going to see your kid grow up? I had this same conversation with a good friend of mine the other day. He comes from a MEGA wealthy family from Boston. He says, "Well, Felix, I remember growing up I didn't get to do much with my fathah, because he was always working. We never needed anything, we got a good education, etc. When my son was growing up, I didn't get to see him either for the same reason... its just the way things are..." (His son is now a big time architect... wonder how often HE sees his kids.) Its real sad, you know? I mean, I'm looking at this guy telling me this, I could see he regretted not spending much time with his kid, but even so, the almighty dollar was more powerful. I for one refuse to let money take charge... but I'm going to make it, & my family is going to be there with me!!
Talk to you soon, bud! Felix
-------------------- Felix Marcano PuertoRicoSigns.Com Luquillo, PR
Work hard, party like a tourist! Posts: 2274 | From: Luquillo, Puerto Rico, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
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What I tell my family is 'You have to work hard, but You have to Play hard too"
-------------------- Sam Staffan Mackinaw Art & Sign 721 S. Nokomis St. Mackinaw City, MI dstaffan@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1694 | From: Mackinaw City, MI | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Felix, You already are rich in family. The family that does alot together is much better off than the "Well-off" families. Don't be intimidated by the big spenders and their lifestyles. You get to do the same thing, only when you leave the boat, it's THEIR payment, not yours! Plus, how many people can go on a Cat-A-Ma-Ran whenever they want to. You got beaches, Coors Light banners, and beautiful scenery everywhere.....Enjoy it~~!!!
-------------------- Mike Meyer Sign Painter 189 1st Ave n P.O. Box 3 Mazeppa, Mn 55956
We are not selling, we are staying here in Mazeppa....we cannot re-create what we have here....not in another lifetime! SO Here we are!!!!!!!
posted
Nice post Felix. I'm guessing you probably mean Dan Sawhathisname (don't worry, a lot of us don't remember how to spell it) ... but there are probably a lot of Dan's "up North" of you. If you do, I agree, he seems to have that balancing act down well.
I like the reminders of how others find the business/home balance. I need work in that area myself.
I think a lot of it has to do with being self employed vs. being a business owner. There may not be a difference by everyone's definition, but I read a book that inspired me to try to build my business to the place where it can run without me.
I'm not there by any means, but have been taking steps to learn the role of employer & shift the way my business is set up to accomodate that role. I've made some progress & it has moved me in the direction of greater financial gain with somewhat more flexability of my time committments to my work. I still give more time then many would want to, & I hope to be able to give less time in the future... but having quality help allowed me to attend my first Letterhead meet last year, & allowed me to get time off for family occassions while the business still maintained regular hours.
posted
Balance between family and our jobs is something we all struggle with, especially me. And like everybody else I know I would love to have the mortgage paid off and the money pressures gone.
I dream big dreams too and that means I have to work very hard to achieve them.
Along the way we have made deliberate choices in my career to include family. My business is home based. It always has been. When I must travel I include my family as mucvh as possible. I try to have a loose enough schedule to be able to do family things during the day in between business. This works except when we are fighting the major deadlines.
We have managed to do the type of work where we don't have a lot of competition over the years which means I can charge what I need to allow us to do most of the things above. This means although we are not rich we certainly are not starving by any means. We have been able to realise many personal dreams and live a lifestyle in which we are comfortable.
Even so if you ask those who know me, they will say I work very hard and very long hours. Too long and too hard much of the time. Thankfully I have a wife who understands my passion and why I do what I do. But when it gets out of control she lets me know in clear terms that I have to adjust things. Janis is a full partner in our businesses and is very involved too. When we are busy she is right there with me pulling her share too. In lean times things are the same. We are in this together without a doubt.
Through it all my kids grew up with me around most days. Now I get to spend a great deal of time with Phoebe, my grand daughter. Our employees are good friends. I do what I love every day. I live a lifestyle I love and don't really have a job. I don't have to commute to work, and we want for little in life.
We are rich beyond what any words could express. And it has little to do with money or things.
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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That's my favorite quote regarding this post. Since my wife travels a lot, we decided years ago that I'd work from home and be here when our daughter returned from school every day. I don't make a ton of money, but we do OK and I never missed a ball game or a school event. At the Friday morning tennis matches, I was usually the only father there.
When I look back on our decision, I don't regret it at all, and I wouldn't trade with the million dollar boat guy for anything.......
-------------------- www.signcreations.net Sonny Franks Lilburn, GA 770-923-9933 Posts: 4115 | From: Lilburn, GA USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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There is a balance between work and family but the real deal is "Work smarter, not harder."
Targeting projects with higher profit margins so you have to spend less time on each one yet make more income means you have more time for family and either the same, if not better, financial comfort.
Maybe you find a dependable employee like Doug has and shift the business so it can operate without you there.
Maybe you target more projects that require less of your time, like finding reliable vendors to use for production, thus making your time more along the lines of strictly design time, administration, management and less labor. The jobs that I've outsourced have been great experiences for me. I got paid for the photography and design services, then get paid again to provide the final product yet have none of my own time or materials involved in production - just mark it up and send it out the door. Doesn't get any better than that.
If you can find a way for the sign business to provide you with regular residual income every month without having to do extra work to scrape it up (ie: maintenance contracts, employees/managers, web hosting, etc.) that's a way to go as well. I have a customer that runs a web hosting company and all his income is residual. All the accounts are automated and maintenance is done by the company that houses his servers. In fact, he lives in my town and his servers are located 3 hours away. He gets to spend most of his time doing whatever he wishes and he makes a killing. I buy him lunch on a regular basis and pick his brain for ideas because when it comes to making business easy, he's got it down.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
I chose this so I could stay home with my daughter and come and go as I please. I'm keeping up with bills (barely) and sometimes the headaches make me start to rethink this sign gig.
But then I take off at 2:30 to go pick my daughter up from school and see her smile. I wouldn't change a thing. Like Sonny, I haven't missed a field trip or a soccer game (well one field trip when grandma was in the hospital, but even then my hubby went).
I am far from having monetary riches but I have a great family. My sister is the rich one but she is also real depressed half the time.
[ February 21, 2007, 03:52 PM: Message edited by: Amy Brown ]
-------------------- Amy Brown Life Skills 101 Private Address Posts: 3502 | From: Lake Helen, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
Hiya Felix, Success can be measured in many ways, but it depends on what you value and how you measure it. Family and friends are golden in my book and will always come first. There are too many times where they've made me feel like the richest person in the world. Others measure success by the size of their bank accounts and/or by the toys they have. I've known and worked with quite a few "successful" people that weren't wealthy because they didn't have anyone to share it with. The sacrifices they made to achieve that material success came with a price, and it sounds like you're dealing with one of many. There is a happy medium out there, but it is difficult to find. When you find someone who has achieved it, make time to listen to him or her. One of these days I hope to find that balance. In the mean time, I am happy with what I got
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Felix, You are already richer than most for just realizing that family is so important. The remarks written so far are all very wise.....let me add some of what life has taught me.
If you don't have love, you have nothing. All the material things and money in the world cannot buy real love. All you really have in this life is your family ( and maybe a couple of true blue, close friends). Ask yourself these questions: Who will be at your bedside when you are old and need care? Who will miss you when you are gone and why?? Praise, hugs, respect, love, caring, consideration, trust, guidance, understanding, kindness, communication, undivided attention, juggling and compromise, and so much more are the glue that makes a family stick together.
I choose to bring my business home when my husband got sick and have never regretted the time we share. Now we have grand kids that I happily schedule into my work days. We come and go as we please, never rich in money but happy in life.
Happiness is not always having what you want, but being happy with and appreciating what you have. What you have now is the base to which you can add to, stiving to accomplish great happiness and accomplishment in your life (and in your heart).
It doesn't matter what the pattern is on your dinnerware as long as you enjoy the company.
I work some long hard hours as most of us do, but it allows me to pick and choose how I live. We take time for each other every day, sometimes help each other with our work so we can have some play time. My family all have hobbies of their own and are off in different directions but we talk every day...and take several hours a week to visit and catch up with each other. We hug, we laugh, we cry as families evolve...we discuss, debate, advise, listen and try to learn as we go.
As life goes on, we discover that material 'things' mean less and less. All the 'things' we have saved to pass to our kids (be it an antique table or special nicknacks) our kids they don't want ....they have created treasures their own.
We get joy in giving away the stuff we once thought we couldn't live without, but no longer enjoy dusting or storing. There is so much more to life....life a Letterhead meet or a gold gilding class.
Love is what you feel in your heart. Do what your gut tells you to do. Just learn to take time for those who mean the most to you....you are not making a living, you are living a life. Enjoy the journey cause the bus only comes past your door once.....Don't worry! Be happy!
Life is good!
-------------------- Susan Banasky Source Signs Nanaimo, British Columbia sourcesigns@shaw.ca
When in need....go directly to the "Source"!
Proud Supporter of this "Knowledge Network"! Posts: 1323 | From: Nanaimo, B.C. Canada | Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
Felix, good points, and good attitude- my story is like Sonny's! Years ago I was studying Engineering. After three years I opted out, and registered a business name ane became a signwriter, self-employed, and have barely had a spare $ ever since! However I look at my two best friends from that time, who qualified as Engineers- they're really-well paid, have nice houses and cars, but they're married to their jobs, and their children barely see them, while on sporting days etc, their fathers are away at work. What's more, the kids are only average at sport, and only average, academically (while their fathers were pretty brilliant, in comparison). Our kids are well balanced, top of the class in various subjects, and pretty outstanding sportsmen & womes too, and we're there for them. I obtained my athletics coaching qualifications a few years ago to be able to help coach kids at school, to just try and make a difference. It seems to be appreciated, and worth it! On the other hand, we make do, financially, and it's a slow trek, but we get there, however we have the ability to make the choices, and I regret none of them. I am glad I have not followed that common path trodden by so many friends...though I wouldn't mind their pay packet at times!
Perhaps those financially-rich people may be able to retire by the time they're 50, but their children will have grown up by then...reminds me a bit of "Cat's in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin...!
Just follow your dreams, and don't look back except to check your direction!
[ February 21, 2007, 07:49 AM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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I make a list of some of the higher values in life that I serve, then arrange them in the order I believe proper. Whenever things get out of kilter I can almost immediately spot where I've allowed something to slip into a higher slot than planned.
I serve God My wife My kids My work My church My community
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6714 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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), had a great week last week doing boat graphics & this one seems promising. Had a great weekend with my wife & son!! Dan I've been thinking about emailing you because although I haven't had much time for the BB, I always remember how you post stuff about your family. I recently met some very successful people that I got disgusted with... & the more & more big $$ people I meet the more frustrated I get. Not because of envy or jealousy or anything, but because for these people money is more important than family. One of them kept referring to his kids as his Ferrari payment, because he could buy a Ferrari with what he pays in child support. "Look at this" he said. "Here we are sipping this good whiskey on this $1.5M dollar boat. What did it cost me? My marriage." (Seems to me like he lost more than that) It sometimes makes me think that you'd have to be that way to be successful. Well you know what? I'm going to find a balance between work & family , & I AM gonna be successful! I mean why work so hard when you're not even going to see your kid grow up? I had this same conversation with a good friend of mine the other day. He comes from a MEGA wealthy family from Boston. He says, "Well, Felix, I remember growing up I didn't get to do much with my fathah, because he was always working. We never needed anything, we got a good education, etc. When my son was growing up, I didn't get to see him either for the same reason... its just the way things are..." (His son is now a big time architect... wonder how often HE sees his kids.) Its real sad, you know? I mean, I'm looking at this guy telling me this, I could see he regretted not spending much time with his kid, but even so, the almighty dollar was more powerful. I for one refuse to let money take charge... but I'm going to make it, & my family is going to be there with me!! 
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