Isn’t it interesting how transitions can be such terrifying experiences, and yet are such an essential part of living? We’re so often scared of change, and yet change is so crucial for growth and maturity. I’ve never been big on change, and I’ve always loved being my own boss! That being said, I want to share a little bit about my experience moving from running my own contracting business to working as a salary employee for Better Path Homes! I started my business about 6 months after graduating high school. I’d worked with a handyman for the last 1.5 years, and decided I liked the idea of running my own gig, making my own hours, doing what I want to do! I started out painting because I was good at it, and moved quickly to tile work as I discovered that I enjoyed that much more. I spent the next 20 months building a business from the ground up, creating relationships with customers, honing my skills, buying all the necessary tools (some of which are very expensive!!), and figuring out how to be everything from accountant to owner to work crew. It was quite a journey!
I loved it so much I was unsure how I’d like working with a team, being employed, and in general losing some of the freedoms that go along with being self employed. But, when one of the owners of Better Path Homes approached me and offered me a position as Project Manager I decided to take a leap of faith and try it out! So, in July of 2020, in the middle of a global pandemic, I started my first job as an employee. I was no longer my own boss, didn’t set my own hours, and didn’t fully know what to expect. I was no longer working on the job site every day getting dirty and worn out. I was instead building relationships with our contractors, calling the county or the city, running numbers in spreadsheets, and driving around to build sites making sure that progress was moving. The change of working by myself to working with a team that supports and encourages is huge! The relief I found in being able to turn to my teammates was huge. Knowing that I didn’t have to tackle every issue on my own, that the entire company wasn’t resting on my shoulders.
I took a leap of faith and stepped into something uncertain and somewhat scary. But the outcome has been above and beyond anything I could’ve asked or hoped for. My advice to you as we continue to navigate through uncertain situations and events? Take a leap! Don’t be afraid to step into something new, there’s always something positive on the other side!
To find out more about who is on our Better Path team, or to discuss employment options, email us at january@betterpathhomes.com.