Mikey P
Administrator
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2006
- Messages
- 117,030
If you’ve spent any time behind a wand, you know the feeling. You’re deep in the zone, the porty or the truckmount is humming, and you’re actually making progress on a trashed nylon. Then it happens.
The homeowner starts hovering.
You think they’re checking your work, but then the words come out: "So, Mike, have you ever thought about diversifying your income?"
God help us.
Suddenly, I’m not a professional cleaner; I’m a captive audience for the latest "disruptive" hustle. It’s always the same story: real estate "secrets," some superfruit smoothie pyramid, solar panels, or a credit card processing scheme that’s "guaranteed" to make me retired by Christmas.
The Professional Pivot
These guys have more "opportunities" than I have upholstery tools. They’re always on the ground floor of something, yet they never seem to make it to the second story. They spend their lives chasing the "dream" because they’re too allergic to the reality of a hard day’s work. While we’re out here building equity in a reputation and a craft, they’re printing new business cards every six months.
The "Spiritual" Upline
But the real kicker? When these types find Jesus.
Look, I’m a believer, but there’s a specific kind of cringe when the "hustler" enters the sanctuary. They don’t want to serve; they want to network. They see the pews as a warm lead list and the Holy Spirit as their new marketing manager. They trade the sales pitch for "Christian-ese," but it’s the same old hustle—just with a "blessed" sticker on the bumper to hide the dents.
The Used Car Lot Inevitability
Where does it end? We all know where. Eventually, the social circle thins out. The friends stop picking up. The family stops investing. They end up on a used car lot or in a high-pressure boiler room, wondering why the "big break" never came.
There’s a dignity in a trade that these guys will never understand. In my world, the floor is either clean or it isn't. There’s no "perception" to manage and no "upline" to satisfy. Just the work, the results, and a reputation you can actually stand on.
I’ll keep my tools and my integrity. You can keep the Mangosteen juice.
The homeowner starts hovering.
You think they’re checking your work, but then the words come out: "So, Mike, have you ever thought about diversifying your income?"
God help us.
Suddenly, I’m not a professional cleaner; I’m a captive audience for the latest "disruptive" hustle. It’s always the same story: real estate "secrets," some superfruit smoothie pyramid, solar panels, or a credit card processing scheme that’s "guaranteed" to make me retired by Christmas.
The Professional Pivot
These guys have more "opportunities" than I have upholstery tools. They’re always on the ground floor of something, yet they never seem to make it to the second story. They spend their lives chasing the "dream" because they’re too allergic to the reality of a hard day’s work. While we’re out here building equity in a reputation and a craft, they’re printing new business cards every six months.
The "Spiritual" Upline
But the real kicker? When these types find Jesus.
Look, I’m a believer, but there’s a specific kind of cringe when the "hustler" enters the sanctuary. They don’t want to serve; they want to network. They see the pews as a warm lead list and the Holy Spirit as their new marketing manager. They trade the sales pitch for "Christian-ese," but it’s the same old hustle—just with a "blessed" sticker on the bumper to hide the dents.
The Used Car Lot Inevitability
Where does it end? We all know where. Eventually, the social circle thins out. The friends stop picking up. The family stops investing. They end up on a used car lot or in a high-pressure boiler room, wondering why the "big break" never came.
There’s a dignity in a trade that these guys will never understand. In my world, the floor is either clean or it isn't. There’s no "perception" to manage and no "upline" to satisfy. Just the work, the results, and a reputation you can actually stand on.
I’ll keep my tools and my integrity. You can keep the Mangosteen juice.