The above statement is what started it all and continued on for so long. I've decided to update my blog (after it being on a hiatus for over three years) so everyone knows what I've been going through. To set things straight once and for all, to guide others who are in the same predicament I've been in, and to give this massively belittling, controlling, and emotionally negative phrase (and variants like it) the final breakdown it needs, I need to step in there, close the door behind me, and spray paint my name in it, "Justin was here!," mess it up, open it one more time, step out then leave it wide open so I can FINALLY get the fucking phrase with negative thoughts out of my head and get on with my life!
Reminiscing back as I gather my thoughts as I type this, it's safe to say, it started when I moved down here (to Florida), coming from Queens NY when I was 18 and straight outa high school. The lack of moral support, when it came to what I wanted to do with my life, was all around me as if I was some incompetent fool who couldn't choose what he wanted to do as a career, let alone even try to attempt to set out the goal. That career choice, since I was 10 years old or so (and divulged to my public school guidance counsel) was to become a police officer.
As soon as I told that to my family, it was all jokes when it came to my Grandfather and the scare my mother had in terms of the dangerous career a police officer has...
"You want to be a cop? Ha! You just want to be a cop so you can carry a gun around!" - Grandfather
"I don't want you to be a cop! You like computers, why don't you do something with computers" - Mother (Notice the text in red. We will get back to that later on.)
After stating my case and letting them know I meant business and I wasn't going to change my mind, everyone knew I was going to do what it took to become a police officer in Florida (even though back then I was expecting to work for the NYPD but, obviously, things changed) so my mother took me to the police academy, at that time referred to as the Indian River Academy which was a part of IRCC (Indian River Community College), now known as IRSC (Indian River State College). Now they have what's known as the "Treasure Coast Public Safety Training Complex" for those who are going there to pursue a career in law enforcement and other public safety careers.
We went to see the academy coordinator and I told him a little about me; where I came from, what I wanted to do, what my current status was in terms of driver's license, etc. After saying all that, he suggested I instead go the private investigation route, mainly because I was still new to FL and didn't have a license to drive, which was required to even start the academy for obvious reasons (defensive driving, etc). He also said, if I still want to, after taking some of the classes (and having a license and being a resident for a while), I want to get into the academy, to come back and talk to him again. I said thanks for your time, shook the coordinator's hand, and left.
As my mother was driving us home, I guess we talked about it but I don't recall. I'm usually one of those people who thinks about that stuff on their own, not really brainstorming with anyone in the process.
When I was home that day, I thought long and hard with what I wanted to do. Eventually, I figured it would be best at the time to go through with the private investigator career path. Heck, this was the chance I can follow the role of my idol, Michael Knight and be the more "undercover" person I would rather be versus in uniform.
So, while I was working at Toy's R' Us, I was going to college, taking Intro to Private Investigation, Fundamentals of Surveillance, Intro to Criminal Justice, etc. Eventually, I wanted to be an intern as a Public Defense Investigator for the 19th circuit in Fort Pierce. But, because I didn't have a car or license yet... I couldn't do that. Not that I appreciated my family driving me back and forth to work and college, there was only so much they could do.
Since it was taking forever and a day for my Grandfather to "feel" I was ready to take the drivers test, after driving around in parking lots for so long, I decided to take it on my own part and go behind the scenes to have someone else help me with that task. At this time, I was in my 20's and have been in Florida now for a few years. Time was of the essence when it came to what I wanted to do with my life. So, I phoned a friend and got that all taken care of. After that, I figured it would be easy to finally get a car. But, with the way my life has been going.... I was wrong. Because I haven't been "driving around much," my family thought I wasn't ready to get my own car yet nor did the person in my family I asked for help in getting a car... help me at that time. So, I phoned a friend again who had a contact who was in the car business and made some calls. Then, long story short, I got my first car with my own cash and drove it home and the next morning... all hell broke loose of a while. But, what's done was done and that was that!
You can now start to see how everything was falling into place; a few important life events with either no support, lack of it, or the wait, wait wait, not ready instances. It's OK though, everything gets better... eventually.
Now that I had a car, I was able to drive to work and college and any other place I pleased, to an extent. A little while after I got the car, I was fianlly able to sign up for the Public Defender Internship and put that towards my PI training towards that chosen career path. I did and conquered that, among other things.
That internship is still going on today. Here is a video with more information about it:
If you would like to join, you can go here:The Public Defender Criminal Defense Investigator Training Program
Eventually, being known as the "Man in Black," this is pretty much what I wore at that time (and continued to this day).
During the time I did this, I had moved out of the house I was originally living in when I moved down so I no longer had to hear the wrath of the family saying their typical unsupported banter I had eventually learned to cope with throughout the years. Needless to say, it seemed like everyone could care less. You'd think the family of a man in his 20's would be excited about him becoming an entrepreneur by creating his own business helping people doing what he already knows and loves to do; the best of both worlds. Eh, not so much. It was more of, "Well, I want you do something with computers but... work for someone at a company..." During that time in my life, I was getting to the point where I was saying to myself, "fuck what everyone else thinks! I'm doing what I want to make me happy! Fuck trying to make everyone else around me happy! Fuck everyone else!"
Unfortunately, even though I knew a great deal in regards to computers and such, I didn't know a damn about running a business. Spending over $500 a month or so in advertising wasn't getting me anywhere fast, so I had to find another way to bring some more income in. That meant getting a... "real job." After taking a quick 40 hour state required test to get a license (which followed the same statute as a Private Investigator, 493), I became a security officer. Yep, there goes my goatee!
After working as a security officer at a gated community in PSL from 6AM-6PM, 4 days a week for a few months, I started to lose the small amount of business customers I did have. Also, since I couldn't really take any business calls while being on the "real" job, I couldn't do much anyways in terms of making any new appointments or help. Sure, having 3 days off wasn't that bad but.. most of the first day off was in bed and doing laundry, and the next couple days were shopping, and doing other misc. things around the house. After being at that one place above and getting sick of the schedule and having dust being blown around my face and whole body (I was stuck at the construction area before the main road was built), I left. Eventually, with the help of a family member again, I got another "real" job being a security officer at a manufacturing plant.
Those hours were mostly 10:30P-8:00A which wasn't that bad. Being the night owl I was, these hours weren't that much of an issue until around 6AM came. This also gave me a chance to help my few current customers during the afternoon on some days and return calls since I wasn't at work. But, that was all about to change, for there was so much debt to be paid.
While I was working at my second security job, a new store opened up within my area. It was the lovely big electronics store we all know as Best Buy, a store for the big kids! After going there a few times, I started thinking as I was walking around the computer isles, "My, this is a nice store. There's nice stuff, nice people, it's all nice. Hmm... I won't mind working at a place like this." So, eventually, since my computer business wasn't really coming into fruition anytime soon I realized and because I need some extra cash quick, I decided to fill out an application and... a few days later, I was hired during the season as a Best Buy computer salesman....
Yes, so happy I was there (sarcasm)! Now, I was doing the security job at night from 10:30p-8a and Best Buy from 2pm-10p. I did that for about a year until the manager at Best Buy said they wanted me to work there full-time, even though I was getting full-time hours anyway working during season. However, they needed me to work morning shifts, not just afternoons, etc. So, for a whopping $1 more an hour, I agreed. It was time to let the security people know. Here is a letter I wrote the people I worked for at the security site. This is where I explained, of which is the gist of this blog post, the difference between a "job" and a "career."
To Kelly Porter, Sam Wilson, & Frank White,
The main reason why I got into the security business is because I wanted to use it as a stepping-stone to get into Law Enforcement. After thinking about my life and what I really wanted to do with it, I decided Law Enforcement wasn’t the career I wanted to pursue anymore for reasons too complex to explain here.
A few months after working at the Stuart site, I came across some major financial debt partly caused by a former “friend” who didn’t keep his word like he promised but it was mainly my fault because I had to be one of those guys who always tried to save the world like a real-life Superman, which always led me to get screwed in the end anyways. I knew this “friend” was a jerk (to put it bluntly) but his so-called “badge” (police, not security) clouded my judgment and gave me more than enough reason to trust him. Boy, was I ever so wrong. I have come to realize the saying is true, “Trust No One.”
During the time of financial need, I was looking for another job during the day. After being in retail (Toy’s R’ Us) for 4 years back in the day, I honestly did not want to go back into that field. After going to Best Buy to shop and just browse around in the computer section many times after it opened, I decided to ask about employment. It turned out they needed people in the computer section. Since I already had the isles memorized from going every week, had all of the required computer knowledge and previous retail experience, I decided to go for it. A week later I was hired and started out working 40+ hours a week until the season was over. After season, I was down to around 20hrs for a few months. During the 1st half of this year, a new segment opened in the store, which is called “Best Buy For Business.” Most of the full-time employees in the computer section switched over to that section and some full-timers left the store. We were down to one full time person in the computer section. To make a long story short, I was asked if I wanted to be switched to full-time. I agreed but they needed me to have increased availability. I told them I could not afford to quit my other job but after talking to one of the managers and working out an adjustment in pay, I agreed to give them all availability and resign from my other job.
Even though this is bad news for the Stuart site and all of you at the Melbourne branch, because I know I was probably the youngest and rarest officer here but leaving here will open more doors for a career (most notably in the computer field) I can probably advance in and especially make a big difference in like I have done in my previous jobs, continue to do at this site until the time comes, continue to do at Best Buy, and will eventually do in a career down the road.
As a person, I honestly believe there is a career out there for everyone but a lot of people can’t seem to find it or don’t want to pursue it because they are apprehensive and just get by with just a job.
For example, being an Officer at the Stuart site for a little over a year, I have come to take notice of the people who work here and whether they actually found the career they have been looking for in life. When the people come in the morning and don’t even have the courtesy to say, “Good Morning” after I have said it or can’t even at least wave, I can honestly say those are the people who still have not found a career in life yet. They have just found a job. A job where they rush to punch in, rush to do what they get paid to do while wondering to themselves when it’s time to punch out, rush to punch out, and rush out of the gate more upset when they were in the morning. It’s really sad and it’s sad it happens five days a week, sometimes more. That was just one example but there are more factors as well and people here and elsewhere who do a good job of being courteous and masking their true feelings. As a former Private Investigator, having a former “friend” whom I learned not to trust (even though it was too late) and working in retail, I’m at the point in my life where I’m pretty good at finding out what is really behind that so-called mask.
Having a career is not like having a job at all. The only similar thing is the paycheck. When a person finds the career, which suits him, he actually wakes up early enough to get there early and not just on time. He punches in and does what he has to do and then some. He performs the tasks while thinking about ways to increase the performance of the tasks at hand and think about how the task can be improved. He may use a manual to complete such tasks but usually finds out ways to combine steps or add steps to quicken and improve the end result of the task at hand. A few good examples of this are a computer operating system (Linux is a great example for this), cars with improved gas mileage, and ways to eliminate fuel in cars all together. It’s people with careers who actually “care” and give it their all to make things better for society, not just for a paycheck.
To conclude, I think this was the best job I had until now. My boss, Captain Petkovyat, was the best I’ve had and the people I worked with here were great as well, including the people in the Stuart site. I will continue to find ways to improve productivity at this site (such as with the creation of the “Badge Request Log”) until it’s time for me to move on. I will also send a list of a few things I think need improvement, as far as current forms, logs, and equipment goes. As much as I would love to stay, it is time for me to search for the right career for myself and to develop my personal life, which has diminished greatly since I started working the two jobs concurrently.
Everyone will truly be missed.
Thank you for everything,
Justin Rocque
Site Officer
Pinkerton Government Services
At Vought Aircraft- Stuart, FL
As you can see from the letter, I did some things there to improve the function of the place I was at. I have done that for everywhere I worked; it's just the type of person I am. There I was now, working only one job versus two. Less income going down to one job? Yes. Was it manageable? Sure, to an extent. During the first year, I was actually working in two spots; in the back of the store selling in the computer section and up in the front, in the Geek Squad. Lucky me! However, when I became full-time, I could only stay back in computers because that's where help was needed most.
A year later, I was asked by another manager if I wanted to move on up in the store, literally, way up in the front by the entrance and exits to become the full time loss prevention man, AKA glorified door greeter. Since I had past security experience and a degree in criminal justice (of which I finally obtained in 2006 because I wasn't really doing the college thing full-time), he figured it would be best for the store versus having the two females who were barely 5ft tall and not as intimidating. For another whopping $1 an hour, I agreed. Now I'm making close to $3 more an hour than when I started with the full-time position and the raises in between and then the new position. Things are looking good.... or so I thought!
A year later, I was asked by another manager if I wanted to move on up in the store, literally, way up in the front by the entrance and exits to become the full time loss prevention man, AKA glorified door greeter. Since I had past security experience and a degree in criminal justice (of which I finally obtained in 2006 because I wasn't really doing the college thing full-time), he figured it would be best for the store versus having the two females who were barely 5ft tall and not as intimidating. For another whopping $1 an hour, I agreed. Now I'm making close to $3 more an hour than when I started with the full-time position and the raises in between and then the new position. Things are looking good.... or so I thought!
After being back in retail, and especially working up at the front which consisted of standing in one spot all day, every day for 8hrs, it was starting to take a toll. To tell you the truth, the whole retail thing was. I've realized, what I set out to try to make into a career was just turning into more of a job for me. When I get to that stage in my life, I know I have to make a move and get ready to move on up... to the East Side.
"Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new." — Brian Tracy More Than A Two Weeks Notice It has been a little over three years since I had started working at Best Buy. If you add that to the four years I worked at Toy’s R’ Us, that will make it about seven years total I have worked in retail, as well as seven years spent on my feet standing, sometimes for eleven hours in one day. My days in retail are nearing an end and it is time yet again for a fresh new beginning elsewhere, a job not consisting of retail and standing (or even sitting) in a building all day, until that career I truly desire is found and grasped. Honestly, I did not think I would have made it this long, nor did I think I would be in the position in the store as I am now, which is Loss Prevention. I started all the way in the back as a part-timer in PCHO, yet receiving close to full-time hours because help was needed back there at that time. That was also the time when I was working the security job at night, where I headed right after working evenings at Best Buy. I was working a little over eighty hours a week for a year. I still cannot believe my body is still able to function the way it is now. After that year, I ended up quitting the security job to focus all of my time working full-time at Best Buy because I knew I can make a greater difference helping people purchase the right PC’s and answering their questions they had in the process, considering computers is my hobby and I had a computer business right before I got the job at the store. I also spent some days up in the Geek Squad when needed to repair and set-up PC’s as well, which was fun and something I can never get tired of doing. Dealing with the impatient and rowdy customers is, however, another story. Approximately nine months ago, I moved out of my comfort zone working all the way in the back of the store, to working all the way in the front of the store, in a four foot section right between the entrance and exit doors. I have found out from being up there, customers ignore the signs in front of them and just see an open door and go through it, no matter if it says “Enter” or “Exit” or, most importantly, “DO NOT ENTER.” It is as if they negate all the rules on the road and think being on foot there are no rules of direction to go by. It’s quite sad if you ask me. The main reason why I moved on up to the front of the store to be a part of Loss Prevention was mainly because I knew we needed someone of my statue, to put it lightly, cop-like mentality, and of a more stern and mature character. With being on the sales floor for a couple years before that, I thought I had seen it and knew it all. Boy was I wrong! When I was being trained for the position, I was mainly taught things such as to greet the customers who came into and left the store, watch the cameras for “suspicious” customer activity, and to check and verify customers’ receipts before they leave the store with their purchased products. I do not recall being told much about the dissatisfied customers who bitch at me before they leave the store or about the ones who refuse to have their receipts checked because they feel they are being treated as criminals (not to forget the one who returned his $1500 camera purchase because I asked to see his receipt and he said to customer service I treated him like a criminal) or the many customers who get upset because they cannot go through the door which reads “DO NOT ENTER,” and to be told after telling them to go through the “EXIT” door… “But it says, ‘Exit’ up there!” “You should take that sign down!” “I have never been in a store where the door opens one way!” It still puzzles me to this day, if they can read that up there, why can they not read what is in front of them, “DO NOT ENTER”? And how is it they can read that sign on top of the door but they can never read that big sign, which reads “Checkout”? One big thing I was never really taught but, being the stern, mature person I am, picked up quite quickly, was to watch the employees as well as customers to deter theft and prevent SHRINK. How can SHRINK be prevented in a store if the appliance associate is having a nice chat with the fellow associates in Home Theater? How can shrink be prevented if all of the Home Theater associates are in the Magnolia room, leaving all of the home theater section open for attack? I can go on but I’m sure you get the idea. Best Buy’s philosophy on deterring theft and preventing SHRINK is to make sure all of the customers are contacted (or, in Best Buy’s terms, the “C” in “CARE+”). I’d say it’s a pretty sound philosophy. He who is contacted knows he is being watched and should not try to steal. Yet, there are some, who, even though are contacted for an extended period of time, end up pilfering something anyways, such as a laptop, which is what happened when I had contacted this person (when I was working in PCHO at the time) but ended up helping someone else who actually wanted to buy a laptop instead of just “shooting the breeze” about wanting to get one but didn’t have the money for one. So, he stole it instead. I guess he was born without a conscience or it did not develop enough for him to know right from wrong. Being in retail for so long, and working in security and now Loss Prevention for about nine months, I have come to realize there are some fallacies to this philosophy, considering how I see the behavior of everyone in the store, not just the customers, but associates and managers as well. I’m sure it’s not just our store and Best Buy for that matter. I believe most retail stores have this kind of problem. I have come to the conclusion which has to do with retail and any other “job” for that matter, where people are just in it to make money and have nothing else really to gain, nor do they want to advance in the “job.” Here is an excerpt from a previous letter I wrote to my former employer when I was leaving the security job: As a person, I honestly believe there is a career out there for everyone but a lot of people can’t seem to find it or don’t want to pursue it because they are apprehensive and just get by with just a job.
For example, being an Officer at the Stuart site for a little over a year, I have come to take notice of the people who work here and whether they actually found the career they have been looking for in life. When the people come in the morning and don’t even have the courtesy to say, “Good Morning” after I have said it or can’t even at least wave, I can honestly say those are the people who still have not found a career in life yet. They have just found a job. A job where they rush to punch in, rush to do what they get paid to do while wondering to themselves when it’s time to punch out, rush to punch out, and rush out of the gate more upset when they were in the morning. It’s really sad and it’s sad it happens five days a week, sometimes more. That was just one example but there are more factors as well and people here and elsewhere who do a good job of being courteous and masking their true feelings. As a former Private Investigator, having a former “friend” whom I learned not to trust (even though it was too late) and working in retail, I’m at the point in my life where I’m pretty good at finding out what is really behind that so-called mask.
Having a career is not like having a job at all. The only similar thing is the paycheck. When a person finds the career, which suits him, he actually wakes up early enough to get there early and not just on time. He punches in and does what he has to do and then some. He performs the tasks while thinking about ways to increase the performance of the tasks at hand and think about how the task can be improved. He may use a manual to complete such tasks but usually finds out ways to combine steps or add steps to quicken and improve the end result of the task at hand. A few good examples of this are a computer operating system (Linux is a great example for this), cars with improved gas mileage, and ways to eliminate fuel in cars all together. It’s people with careers who actually “care” and give it their all to make things better for society, not just for a paycheck. If some of the associates would take their job more seriously as if it were their career as I have done since I’ve been working here and other places for that matter, SHRINK would be less and the store would be getting more revenue and happy customers. Loss Prevention and the managers should NOT have to babysit the associates on the sales floor to make sure they are not doing what they are not supposed to. They should be doing what they are paid to be doing, which does not include huddling around departments, using cell phones on the sales floor, saying childish, non-work related banter over the headsets, and other things which need not be mentioned here. Unfortunately, unless the old crew gets removed with a new crew every year or so, this probably will continue on. That’s just the way it is. So, we must resort to a plan B. Plan B should consist of more “eyes in the sky.” Having just two movable cameras on the whole sales floor just doesn’t cut it anymore. It’s sickening to see three really purposeful cameras in the store when a small place like Dunkin’ Doughnuts has up to seven in their little shop of doughnuts. There should be one, even if it’s a non-moveable one, planted in each section of the store, especially in PCHO, DI, Car-FI, and, Appliances. There should also be a few in the front lanes and customer service to help in the investigations of fraud cases. Best Buy seriously needs to consider more video in their stores because it will help a lot. Now, with all that said, like I stated above, this is more than a “two weeks’ notice.” My days in retail are nearing an end but it is not quite there yet. I just didn’t want to leave this place hanging when it got there. When it finally does get there, which could be sometime in the next month or two, then there will be a final “two weeks’ notice.” This is just the beginning. Until then, I hope everything in this letter is taken into consideration and it may be of use to better the future of this place for years to come. Until Next Time, Justin Rocque
After some thought, I decided to go back to do what I did best but with more experience under my belt taken from the lovely squad of geeks..... reopen what I once created, my business but under a new name to get a fresh start.You would have already known that if you checked out that blog link above.
After reopening the business again, I did have some customers from over 10 years ago I continued to help out, one most notably, Ed and his wife Ingrid who had since moved back to NY a few years ago now. However, I still continue to help them to this day. It's customers like these who are no longer customers but become family.
Unlike the last time when I first started my business, I didn't spend a crap load on advertising this time. I learned how to manage my budget. I did try some other forms of advertising but, when I realized they didn't hold much merit anymore, I stopped them. Since I reopened, my customers have been coming to me via word of mouth which is the best form of advertising a business could ask for!
However, a while back when I was still working at Best Buy, I had to move back to where I originally lived when I first moved down. There's that saying out there... "A few steps back for a step forward" or some crap. Well, sometimes you gotta just go where the wind takes you. Of course, with that, came the wrath again.... to where it just continued to piss me off to no end because after all these years, you'd think they would have learned already and stop trying to control my life....
"You need to get a real job!"
"You need to find another job."
"Why don't you find a job in computers or something?"
"Staples is hiring!"
"Here's the classifieds. Look in here for a job."
"Best Buy is hiring!"
Yea, the list goes on but I'll stop there. Unfortunately, these people still don't understand what I'm getting at and where I'm coming from. I do not want a regular damn JOB. I want a CAREER! Firstly, in my area, it's slim to none finding a career which doesn't consist of retail and restaurants. Thanks but no thanks. After being in retail for eight years, I'm done. It takes a special person to work in retail and be able to pull it off for so long. I give these people my respect (to an extent but I won't get into that topic here). Restaurants? That's just as bad, if not worse, than working in retail. Secondly, what are they saying, a person who owns their own business has a "fake job?" Or is it just because having a local computer business doesn't make a person rich and full of money... which then makes it a fake or not so real business? So, now it's as if I'm back to square one again... lack of moral support or any damn support for that matter. Fortunately, I have learned to ignore that negative bullshit around me again and... continue the success my business has started to become. A few years after reopening it again, I did a massive overhaul and not only renamed it but changed my pricing structure as well as added more services as well to, well, get with the times. There's no longer just PCs around us... it's computers which entail smartphones, tablets, TVs, etc. The name went from Dragon PC Training and Repair to Dragon Technology Services.
Eventually, most of that negative nonsense around me subsided but there were still a couple people who still had nothing nice to say every time I was around them. I will just call the one man the "G-father" (a family member, mind you) and the other, his long-time bald-headed bearded friend, "D-baldbearderino." It all started (and pretty much ended) around three years ago...
We all met for a lovely dinner at a restaurant I invited them to of which I was going to take care of as an early Christmas gift to them both. The usual chatter started back and forth until D-baldbearderino had to start opening his mouth with the, "You know, I'm just trying to help you out and tell you what's best. You should put your business aside and get a real job. I can help you get into where I work and you can do IT stuff there. You'll get benefits, steady income, yadda yadda. I'm just helping you out." You think that was bad... nah! Fuck no! The G-father has to chime in to make it that much worse by saying, "Hey, back at the plant we both used to work at is hiring again for security! You can work there again!" I said, "Uh huh..... OK.. I'll get that application started." and nodded and that was that. Eventually the food came, we ate, I paid the $100 bill and we left. On the way home, I wondered why I just wasted my time and money being Mr. Nice Guy just to listen to the typical bullshit I have always tried to avoid.
It's now 2017, a few years after that dinner and I haven't seem or heard from these people since and I don't intend to. Last I (well, second to last) heard, Mr. G-father was mad at me. Sure, why would he not be? After all, he did help me way back when financially and with some cars and such so I'm in his debt still to this day. However, since that last incident at the restaurant by not giving a god damn to back me up, a member of the family who has been through so much bullshit throughout the years, but taking D-baldbearderino's side with the whole "you need to put your business aside and get a real job" and calling me a flat out "Looooooooooooser!" behind my back to a business partner and friend of mine for over five years now? Chhhyeeeaaaa.... ya know what? Uh uh!
- The technician - the main guy who fixes the computers, sets them up, answers tech questions, etc.
- The teacher/tutor - the one who goes to customer's houses with a guide in hand to teach customers how to use their new computer, tablet, smart phone, TV, etc!
- The office manager - the one who answers calls or returns messages, schedules appointments, and gets their name and address along with writing down what they need taken care of. This sometimes turns into a tech call where some customers want some "quick help" over the phone. Another one I will add to that is answering emails.
- The book keeper - Sure, there is Quickboosk for that but someone has to enter in the data and reconcile the accounts, create invoices, etc. And who files away the invoices after they have been sorted out?
- The social networker - I try to do this regularly but sometimes, I just don't have enough time in the day for it. Who's going to keep the business Facebook page and blog up to date?
- The advertiser - Surely a business needs some form of advertising. What kind? What should it say? Who will whip it up?
Those are only 6 things I have listed. Luckily, I do have a friend in NY who helps me create my advertising and has created and kept my website updated but... who created the actual content as far as text goes? Yea, that's right... I did and still do!! This is one of the many reasons why it pisses me off to no end when people tell me in my face to... "Get a real job!" If you take a step back and look for a second, you will see having a business is more than a real fucking job! It's a damn career! Unfortunately, the people who were stuck (and still stuck) with these so-called 9-5 REAL JOBS will never get that!
As you can see, it's not easy having a business, especially when you are the only one manning said business. So, people may ask.... why put up with all of it? It seems like more work than it's actually worth! Well, a wonderful woman who I've been following on Facebook for a while now, by the name of Luria Petrucci summed it up for me quite nicely!
- Don't let anyone control your life when it comes to your career choices
- Know the difference between a job and a career because there is a REAL difference!
- If you still don't know what you want to do when you grow up, ask yourself, "What do I like to do?" "What do I see myself wanting to do every day?" "What do I don't want to do?" It's questions like these which will help you find that career your destiny called you to do.
- Do what Brian Tracy says, "Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new." That is the ONLY way you will grow and succeed in life and businesss. Believe me, I know!
After saying all that and you still didn't learn anything from this, I hope you at least enjoyed the videos and pictures!
Lastly, believe it or not (this is mainly towards the two REAL asshats who thought my company was a waste of time), I'm making more than I ever did with TWO JOBS and I don't have to work 80 hours a week! I even got myself a car, coincidentally, another Dodge so there!
Lastly, believe it or not (this is mainly towards the two REAL asshats who thought my company was a waste of time), I'm making more than I ever did with TWO JOBS and I don't have to work 80 hours a week! I even got myself a car, coincidentally, another Dodge so there!
Feel free to leave me any feedback you may have.
Until next time,
Justin Rocque
