Jim said: ============================================= Mine is practical and hands on. I've always thought I would have made a good engineer, as I have this automatic basic understanding of how most things work and I've always had "good hands" . But .... some people just don't get all the talents necessary towards their preferred endeavors. Me? really bad at math. Just couldn't remember the formulas. So I stuck to the technical end, and following the good advice of a mentor, I got into the business end of electronics and used my innate knowledge of how things work to out-shine most of the other people in sales and marketing. Ultimately finding that I had a talent that had been hidden from me ..... the gut's and ability to utilize all the things I learned in big business ..... to run my own business. Took off the three piece suit and have been crawling in attics and crawl spaces ever since. I just have to know how every thing works and can be made to work better or how to fix it. ===============================================
Geezzzz Jim, sounds like you have been plagiarizing my bio. :-) Either that or we are clones. :-) :-) Except for the sound thing you do, almost scary to think.
But, ya know ..... it took me a long ...... long time to realize that I can do things that lots and lots of other people can't do. For some reason, for a good portion of my life, I thought that just because * I
could figure out how things worked and was able to "fix" things ..... I thought that everyone could do that and that I was just sort of average. After lots of years and being able to make money doing what I like to do ... did I finally come to realize how many people just don't know how to do what I can do. And it's not only because they're not interested in it ..... they just really can't do it! People like us are not necessarily unique ... it's just that there are few enough of us to make it worth while.
I realized this when one of my early customers said something to me, just off the top of his head.
I had this kid working for me for a few months and he just couldn't get things straight. Couldn't remember where anything in the van was, Couldn't learn to strip a wire and so on. I was getting ready to tell him I was letting him go at the end of the week because I was begining to get angry at him. While on a job with him my customer noted that I was being abrupt with the kid and when the kid went out to the van, my customer asked me if I was having trouble with him and I used the opportunity to tell him all the things the kid couldn't do. The customer said something, very simple to me that just turned on a light. He said ..... Jim, if he could do what you can do ...... he'd be doing it.
It was right then that I realized that I could do things other people actually *couldn't* learn to do. It's not that they don't want to ...... they just cant do it. I thought about it for awhile and, I guess, up till then I had always thought that I couldn't catch on to higher math, not because I just couldn't do it, but because I didn't try hard enough. With those few little words from my customer, it sort of opened up all the doors in my life from that point on.
Just one of those revelation turning points in a persons life.
I have to agree with you guys I also can build and design and trouble shoot like no one else as well. But I also have all kinds of schooling as well which allowed for the cross training. which includes locksmith, plumbing, refrigeration, electrical wiring and electronics, welding,machining ,fabricating etc. which allows me to figure out things others can not. You also have to have the mind capable of doing the research and study to get the job done as well. So many want to do a cookie cutter approach instead of taking that extra step to really look at a problem and come up with correct solutions . not excuses.
But, ya know ..... it took me a long ...... long time to realize that I can do things that lots and lots of other people can't do. For some reason, for a good portion of my life, I thought that just because * I
could figure out how things worked and was able to "fix" things ..... I thought that everyone could do that and that I was just sort of average. After lots of years and being able to make money doing what I like to do ... did I finally come to realize how many people just don't know how to do what I can do. And it's not only because they're not interested in it ..... they just really can't do it! People like us are not necessarily unique ... it's just that there are few enough of us to make it worth while.
I realized this when one of my early customers said something to me, just off the top of his head.
I had this kid working for me for a few months and he just couldn't get things straight. Couldn't remember where anything in the van was, Couldn't learn to strip a wire and so on. I was getting ready to tell him I was letting him go at the end of the week because I was begining to get angry at him. While on a job with him my customer noted that I was being abrupt with the kid and when the kid went out to the van, my customer asked me if I was having trouble with him and I used the opportunity to tell him all the things the kid couldn't do. The customer said something, very simple to me that just turned on a light. He said ..... Jim, if he could do what you can do ...... he'd be doing it.
It was right then that I realized that I could do things other people actually *couldn't* learn to do. It's not that they don't want to ...... they just cant do it. I thought about it for awhile and, I guess, up till then I had always thought that I couldn't catch on to higher math, not because I just couldn't do it, but because I didn't try hard enough. With those few little words from my customer, it sort of opened up all the doors in my life from that point on.
Just one of those revelation turning points in a persons life. ================================================= Similar here. Not that is was a revelation or anything like that but I had a customer make a comment some years ago while doing a Network/Telephone do over in a car dealership. He was and is a techie that enjoys the latest buzz thingie. He said: "You know Les, I have never seen someone come in and look at all that wiring and grasp what is what and needs to be done. Very impressive."
I have this what I call my inherited troubleshooting capability that just boils things down to their common denominator. What happens most times is that I figure things out on stuff I have little or no background in. What frustrates me is that I have a very difficult time selling those skills that I have honed over the years. So I just sell what everybody else sells and hope that a portion of the people that I meet can see the value in what I offer over the other guy. This does not happen often but enough to keep the food on the table.
I was also told by another customer that was also a business person. I was discussing issues with the local competition when she stopped me and said. "You have no competition." I looked at her and said. "Huh?? But there is...." She said, "Think of it this way. No one can do what you can do the way you do it!! You have NO competition!!" I thought that sounded very cool.
I am sure that others that are reading this will think we are a bit over the top and maybe arrogant in nature. And some(few) others may fully understand because they are reading their own similar traits. We are a rare breed and without us (types) I can't imagine what the world would be like.
I have to agree with you guys I also can build and design and trouble shoot like no one else as well. But I also have all kinds of schooling as well which allowed for the cross training. which includes locksmith, plumbing, refrigeration, electrical wiring and electronics, welding,machining ,fabricating etc. which allows me to figure out things others can not. You also have to have the mind capable of doing the research and study to get the job done as well. So many want to do a cookie cutter approach instead of taking that extra step to really look at a problem and come up with correct solutions . not excuses.
LOL
I wonder what would happen if "us types" were in the same room working on the same project?? Would we get it done or kill each other in the process??
The research thing is something that I do also. Before a job with equipment that I'm not familiar with or haven't used for awhile, I'll download the instructions, study them, get on discussion groups and ask questions. Do layouts and write notes so that I'm not spending time, under pressure, on the job under the eyes of the client trying to figure things out. Do a parts and materials list so I've got all the things I need without having to make runs to Home Depot or a distributor. I've learned to do "production" style installations where I'm doing all the same operations in stages for the sake of efficiency. Every job is a new puzzle to figure out and a challange to complete in the least amount of time and better than the last one.
I don't think we'd be at odds with each other though. I don't know too many people in this world that I can sit down or work with ( and that includes most of the other alarm installers I know) and really get to talk "Tech" with. Most only know one thing and even at that, some of the methods they use .... you can tell ..... are just something that someone showed them how to do .... and they've never improved on it. I categorize them as the " it's good enough" group. When I get a customer that's Techie I really enjoy sharing what I know with them and sometimes I learn stuff from them that they've picked up because of their specialized interest in things I don't normally do. As a matter of fact, I meet more customers that I have techie things in common with, than I do peers.
About a year ago I "borrowed" a worker from one of my friendly competitors. He said the worker had a lot of experience and had owned his own company for 25 years. Great! Well, in a commercial job, I tell him to install a motion detector in a hall way. He picks a place in a corner, above a 6 foot metal cabinet and mounts the PIR about 10 feet off the floor ( by his reasoning .... so the cabinet wont block the view). He never noted that the maximum recommended mounting height for the PIR is eight feet and now there's a gaping hole under the PIR so someone could enter the hallway at the PIR end of the hallway and enter either of two office doors before being detected. All he had to do was mount the PIR above the entrance of the hall, above the door. On the same job, I had him mount the contact on the front (entry/exit) door of the shop. It was summer time and the door had been open all day while we worked. At the end of the day (his day .... that is) I told him to take off, that I would do the final walk through, arm the system and lock up. I close the front door, arm the system, get out side and see that the front door isn't closing all the way and I can't lock it. I try to see what's blocking the door and I look up and he had mounted the switch on the frame, the magnet on the door but never checked to guage the distance between the magnet and the switch and they were hitting one another so the door couldn't close. NOW .... I had to get my tools out of the van, set up again .... try to drill screw holes for the new location of the switch without breaking through the old holes ..... ARRRRRRRG!
How in HELL does someone stay in business for 25 years and do work like that??? As you can guess, this guy is no youngster ... either.
Back when I was working for someone, if I had to stay later on my own time to finnish the job right, that's what I'd do. Ultimately I discovered that that is one of the characteristics that is necessary to be able to run your own successful business. Pride in doing the job right and integrety ..... it's called. .... Yet, I know if I were to ask that worker whether he had those characteristics .... he'd say yes .... so ..... there's something eles that necessary to the mix also.
Thats why he is working for some one else I know plenty of hacks out there and they have such a line of bull shit and people believe them that there experts.
I hired a guy some years back that just got out of the Navy as a ET. I thought that was a good fit. The first major job we worked on was a paging system in a manufacturing plant and office. Had about 20 or so paging horns in the production area. We had already pulled all the cables so I gave him all the materials to mount and terminate the bull horn speakers. Beam Clamps, Speakers, Forked Terminals, Screws, Wire Nuts, Wire Ties, placement map, Ladder, etc. Explained what I could and sent him on his way. At the end of the day I sent him home and I too decided to finish up and then test the system. Keyed the mike and Testing, 1, 2, 3 Testing................ Next to nothing was heard. Tried again and then decided to check the closest speaker. Mounted OK. Wire OK. Forked Terminals on Wire OK. BUT WTF!! He did not crimp the terminals on the end of the wires. Spent 5 hours going around and checking and fixing EVERYTHING!!! What a PITA. Needless to say he did not last much after that.
I don't have any employees any more. I do sub a guy from time to time as needed. I have a hard time with employees putting in time and then they must get paid regardless if they did any work on not. I have been burned too many times. Presently if there is a mistake to be made, it will be made by ME and corrected by ME. Needless to say I minimize my mistakes. They do happen, but not often.
And yes, my guess is that we would work well together. We would most likely break the project down and each would work on certain modules or area until all was complete. The only battle would be to see who turned the last screw. :-)
Nah - the person who wants to implement the solution that is functional, long lasting and esthetically pleasing will get shouted down because that solution will take too much time.
Take a simple little thing like a FS20 low temp sensor silly little $10.00 sensor and all i get is grief when i sub jobs and put them in how dare i spend $10.00 which will save the whole building when the sprinkler system freezes needless to say when i hear this shit I no longer sub for them and the list of who I will not work for gets longer every day. that little temp sensor is required up here by code because of inclement weather but 98% of sprinkler jobs I go on there no where to be found and all you hear on the fire scanner every time the temps drop into teens is fire depts responding to broken sprinkler lines.WTF These ass holes wont spend $10 to save thousands in damage for a customer. and all the good will it brings but then again they do not give a f*ck they are only interested in how much they can make. then they wonder why I get jobs and they do not and why I am always booked solid and almost always bring jobs in on cost and on time and actually make a good profit on an install and there not. Go figure.
Take a simple little thing like a FS20 low temp sensor silly little $10.00 sensor and all i get is grief when i sub jobs and put them in how dare i spend $10.00 which will save the whole building when the sprinkler system freezes needless to say when i hear this shit I no longer sub for them and the list of who I will not work for gets longer every day. that little temp sensor is required up here by code because of inclement weather but 98% of sprinkler jobs I go on there no where to be found and all you hear on the fire scanner every time the temps drop into teens is fire depts responding to broken sprinkler lines.WTF These ass holes wont spend $10 to save thousands in damage for a customer. and all the good will it brings but then again they do not give a f*ck they are only interested in how much they can make. then they wonder why I get jobs and they do not and why I am always booked solid and almost always bring jobs in on cost and on time and actually make a good profit on an install and there not. Go figure.
Nice rant Nick!! Hope you are feeling better now that you got that out of your system. I find it easier just not to tell certain people certain things. It reduces the stress on life. Especially mine.
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