Taking the Leap

Before I give you the official 10-cent tour of my Workshop, I would be remiss to skip right over the bit about what even got me here. I won’t rehash the already riveting backstory currently on the About Me page of the site, because what this post is about are the things that pushed me to be one of those people who leave the corporate world to work for themselves. It’s a prospect that is both terrifying and liberating. And for me, it is a dream coming to fruition.

I have worked almost as many jobs as years I’ve been alive, ranging from many corners of the trades (construction, carpentry, paint, tile, countertops, door installs, handyman services), to fast food & retail, to production & safety, and to upper-management-level positions. I’ve worked for a brewery and a distillery, and have been a contractor at a meadery and a winery. I am a landlord. I’ve even wrestled an alligator. It’s been a hell of a journey.

Not unlike thousands upon thousands of other fine hard-working folks, the global pandemic last year rendered me jobless. I polished up the ol’ resume and hit the internet hard to find a new gig, but the squeeze was on. I was not the only person suddenly finding themselves job-searching in the midst of a pandemic, where companies were sloughing off positions and hiring slowed to a crawl.

How’s that old adage go, again...something about life pelting you with lemons…?

So I got to work making lemonade.

I made the very deliberate decision to take all those many many years of work experience and my extensive range of skills and decided that this is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. Now is the time to leave the corporate world behind and embark on building my own business.

Holy shit.

It was no small decision, and not one that I came to immediately. I have a wife and a home and some very demanding chickens, after all, who depend on me to contribute to sustaining us today, and help in building our future. I knew I could do it - and I was damn sure I wanted to do it, but at the end of the day when you’re self-employed, the buck stops with you. It’s a hefty responsibility. One that, luckily, I found to be outweighed by my determination to make this work.

But I know that grit, intention, and belief alone are not enough to bring something like this to life & make it sustainable. My passion for Wood and Metalcraft is the fuel for this massive undertaking, but they will be inevitably choked out without the proper management. I needed a business plan, financial planning, and a marketing strategy. If I was going to make a serious go at this, I needed to make serious decisions, and have a blueprint.

Did I mention Holy Shit?

I began by taking on handyman jobs, and as my name got passed around and work became steady, I began investing in all the equipment and marketing tools I needed to get Ram Fire off the ground. I made inventory to sell. My wife built my website. We made plans and wrote them down. We got this business launched.

I am proud and excited, yet determined and realistic. I have a long road ahead of me to build upon the foundation I’ve laid for myself, and undoubtedly there will be challenges on the road ahead. But I’ve done it; I’ve taken the leap. Here’s hoping for many years that lie ahead of me in my workshop, hands on wood and metal, building & shaping some beautiful handmade items for many fine folks to enjoy.