That job on Elm Street back in '09 still sticks with me

I was working on a retaining wall out in Elm Street, middle of August, just sweating buckets. The homeowner insisted on using this old reclaimed brick that was all different sizes, none of them true. I spent three days fighting with them, trying to keep the courses level, and finally just told the guy I'd have to charge double if he wanted it straight. It taught me to never take a job without seeing the material first. Anybody else had a client bring in a pile of junk brick and expect a perfect wall?

4 comments

4 Comments

kai_burns7321d ago

Did you end up walking away from that job or just eat the extra time to make it work?

spencer_gonzalez121d ago

Figured out that walking away actually cost me more in the long run because of how it looked to other people in the industry. Nobody talks about the hidden networking value of just grinding through the extra hours and building that reputation as someone who doesn't quit. Ended up getting two job offers from people who saw me stay late during that project, and they told me later that's why they reached out. So sometimes eating the extra time pays off in ways you can't see right away, even if it sucks in the moment. Just something to think about before you bail...

amy_martin21d ago

You know what, @spencer_gonzalez1, I used to be all about protecting my time and walking away from anything that felt like extra stress. Never thought about how that might look to people watching from the sidelines. This honestly makes me rethink a few decisions I made.

carter.mila21d agoMost Upvoted

Grinding through paid off for me too, totally agree with you there.