If your work is amazing then you don’t have to run ads on social media. But if you want to because you want to get high end clients then show your work off. I run $1 a day and it gets me $300,000+ jobs. Because I do good work and my customers love the work it’s easy. Do something that nobody else is doing. Get creative! If you want high end clients then do something worth their time. Charge more money so that low end clients will stay away from you.

You have got to be extremely specific with what you want when hiring someone. Words to live by: Hire fast, fire faster. If someone is going to cost you money, let them go. If they are doing a bad job and refuse to make it right, fire them. It’s your business and you don’t have to put up with anything that you don’t want to. You have to be strict in the beginning with employees. You have to say why your standards are. You can relax a little bit on them after being strict in the beginning. But don’t ever be too relaxed. More words to live by: Don’t pay them well until they have proved themselves. Even if they have 30 years of experience that means absolutely nothing. The 30 year construction guy is more than likely tired of doing the work. He will probably do really good work, and demand high pay. You are the boss, he is the employee. Until you are comfortable with him and his work, keep his pay on the lower side. After a month or two (or 6 months) of him consistently showing up and doing a great job you can raise the pay. Young, old, or experienced does not matter in construction. Everyone is taught a certain way of how things are done. They work for you now, they will do things your way. You aren’t paying for a job to be done any other way than your way. I’ll give you an example. I pre-drill for every screw that I put into a deck. Is it annoying? You bet it is. Have I hired guys that refused to pre-drill screws into my deck? Only once. He was older and I had to correct him 3 times. And on the 3rd time he was fired. If the customer is paying for it, then it’s getting done. It’s that simple. I’m not impossible to work with. I tell people how not to get fired. Either they listen or they don’t. Learn this early and it will save you money. Don’t be afraid to fire people immediately. Don’t be unreasonable, teach them your ways and how you would like something done. If they refuse to do it your way then they are working for free at that point because they are fired. It doesn’t matter who’s right and who’s wrong. The business owner know the amount being charged and what it costs. You can’t charge pre drill and screw prices when they are paying for glue and brad nails.

I’ve been doing this a long time. Every big job I do I burnout when it’s over because I am pushing myself to the limit to make sure that I am giving my customers the best service and the best product. When burnout comes, I simply listen to my body. When it’s time to put the hammer down I put it down. I’m no good on a job site if I can’t be of use. And burnout certainly takes usefulness away. It is wise to listen to your body in these moments. Pushing yourself will only kill you faster. The job and money aren’t worth your life. Which till this day I wrestle with. I pour myself I to my passion, but I have to constantly remind myself to rest. I strive for perfection knowing full well that I won’t be able to achieve it. But I want to stay in business so I keep striving. I build art for people. I build my soul into the walls that I construct. People notice it, they feel it. We all know when something is cooked with love, it’s the most important ingredient. This can be said with all things, especially construction. You and I can always tell when a carpenter hates the work they are doing. Your customers will see this in your work. So it is important to be full of love and extremely passionate about why you are doing no matter what it is.

If you’re thinking about grading a card, drop it here (name or picture). I’ll tell you honestly if I’d send it or not — and why. This is where most people lose money, so don’t guess.

That’s not to say that I wouldn’t. I just don’t need them to build what I build. If I’m hiring subs then sure. My method is cheaper than hiring someone to draw blueprints. I get a sense of the people that I am working for. I ask them what they want. I communicate with them and get a feel for what they like. Personally, because I have been making things symmetrical for 20+ years… I’m sick of it. I would like to build more asymmetrical structures. I would enjoy building a one of a kind anything that only makes sense to people on acid. I long for a customer that wants to put my skills to the test. Every time I think I have found one I end up doing the job and they end up liking it. I want the job that drives me insane. I want the one that is so elaborate that I can’t sleep through the night. I want a challenge. Chess grandmasters know the next move because that’s who they are. Musicians know the next note because that’s who they are. I know how to build because that’s who I am. Who am I in this? For certain I can say that I am a builder.