Makes me wonder. My interest getting into this business was:
1. Needed a change in life from previous job. Worked 75-110 hrs per week as National Transportation Mgr for Coca-Cola. Home 1 day per week if lucky. (Need and frustration established)
2. Use to hire Carpet Cleaners to clean our carpets, but tried a rug doctor one day, thought not too bad. Kinda fun. (New career analysis and interest peak)
4. Used to see 3 - 4 truckmounts headed to my town as I went to work. (Market opportunity study complete)
5. Studied business on internet for 6 months and talked to many many people. (Can I make enough $ to pay my bills and retire study)
6. Worked my tail at Coca Cola 6 more months, took a $40,000 performance bonus and walked. (Ready, Set, Go Done)
7. Next week purchased a brand new 2005 GMC with
Prochem Peak and a ton of accessories, $50000.00 spend. Keep in mind, zero customers at this point, never seen up close touched or even ran a truckmount at this point. Experience cleaning carpets was only using rug doctor twice in my home. (Now I really needed a check up from the neck up study!)
8. Two more months and it will be 10 years. I never looked back nor worked another job to supplement my income. The lifestyle I had when working for Coca Cola was great, but I have surpassed that and it is so much better now.
9. Successful I believe because 1.) I studied this business extremely hard before I started 2.) I have a Marketing Degree 3.) I feel that I will work harder than anyone to learn something new and to get the job done. 4.) And most importantly, my wife Kim has been by my side and supported me all these years. We started dating when she was 14, I was 15, both have college degrees, and we married at age 23. I'm 45 now. (Jeepers Mark!)
10.) In 2014 we received the 2014 Entrepruener of the Year Award for the entire Moshannon Valley. Quite surprised and humbled to say the least. (Pictures below with Award and a nice letter from the US House of Representatives Congressman Glenn Thompson. Worth expanding and reading I think!)
Oops, just realized my college degree wasn't all that great (still can't count to 10, I missed bullet point #3 above) Oh well, forget the college degree advice it was just a four year party anyways - no real learning involved!
The point I believe is this: You can do anything in this business you dream, but you are likely to fail, if not once, many times over. Always have faith, gain tremendous knowledge because it will save you years of working hard, but then start working harder than those around you if you want that dream.
GOOD LUCK KIRK CHASING THAT DREAM AND YES I AM HOLLERING
AT YOU TO NEVER EVER QUIT LEARNING FROM THE BEST!