My newest employee drives a Raider 

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 06/29/2018 at 23:43 • Filed to: None

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This job is just getting better and better. Well... Minus the newfound anxiety revolving around my phone, and the number of people who try to contact me 24/7 using a wide variety of communication methods. 2 months in—new(ish) job update below

The company uses Voxer—a chat app—and those distinctive *BEREEEEP*’s tick up my stress level by small, but noticeable amounts. I go in to work at noon, but hearing that chime between when I wake up and when I’m actually physically in the office... Oh man. It’s like a deep—but unexpressed—loathing towards the world. I’ve grown to dread that beep. Then there’s the constant email barrage back and forth between management. I now have a personal Gmail account, a sepperate work email that’s spliced onto that Gmail account somehow (Idk), a spam/burner account, and a super-duper official work email that I’m still unsure as to what I should be using it for. Gotta stay up to date with those. And Google docs update notifications. Always with the shared docs. Then we have a scheduling app where management can make the schedules, and crew can clock in/out and ask for time off. Then there’s a job app that lists out the jobs each crew is doing, among quite a few other things. It’s very apparent that the company owner comes from a Microsoft background. I’m in charge of all equipment, from the paper in the office printers to the Diesel medium duty rigs that contain the sodium hypoclorite roof cleaning system. So there are many calls as well, between repairs, sourcing parts, trying to troubleshoot broken things over the phone when my guys are on a job. I’m also in charge of training, so if anyone doesn’t understand how to best utilize everything above.... They come to me, and5i pretend to be asleep until they leave and bug a different manager. And finally.... There’s my personal communications added to the mix. I feel like it’s too late to switch to a work phone. gaaaaaaah.

LOVE the job, I really do, but I finally understand what it felt like whenever I heard people complaining about work taking over personal life at times. I’m trying to get in the habit of shutting off my phone at a certain time each night, or turning airplane mode on.

Anyways, some of my largest organizational projects are coming along fantastically. Box truck has been de-rusted and painted (it looks surprisingly great for rustoleum spray paint). HQ shop is in the process of getting usable—good god it was SO BAD when I arrived. There was no way in hell you could do any work. And the crew section of HQ—the areas that crew go to to gather supplies for each job—are in much better shape, with much of the chaf cut out and only the essentials put out to facilitate a much quicker morning routine while minimizing the chances of making mistakes in choosing gear.

Prior to this setup there were 9 different socket sets, all of which were missing 60% of the sockets. And the socket sets were allllll over the place. Now they have a spot and life is good.

Brought in razor scrapers so the guys can stop relying solely on steel wool. I almost cried when I heard that a team had been sent to a new construction window job and they removed over a hundred stickers without a blade. Probably could have cut their job time in half....

One of these days I’ll make V2 with the smallest wrenches on the inside. But as with the sockets, there were many unfinished wrench sets all over the place. Now they’re all here. Notice each screw is long enough to hold 3 or 4 duplicates

Saw this thread checker/gauge at homedepot and immediately ordered a better version for the shop. Little things like this will go a long way towards increasing efficiency

Getting paid to devise efficiency-increasing systems is a dream come true. I already do this for free, I’m OCD about that kind of thing. It’s nice, barring calamities (which do happen) I can basically do... Well. Absolutely whatever the fuck I want day to day. Total freedom to work as I see fit. Company owner is available to answer questions, but for 99% of it... He's stepped back and left the company in the hands of myself, the crew manager and the office manager. And it works! Profits are soaring, spirits are high, the company is growing, our workers are getting more skilled. 

“We will have a lot of problems. Everything will break. Systems will fail. You will find solutions to these problems, using absolutely whatever methods you like, and design more robust systems with the overall goal being to increase $/h on jobs.” - bossman

Within a year we’ll need to relocate to a bigger workplace, likely buying a large warehouse. For now... Little things like building a pressure washing station (you better believe I painted it) help keep us from outgrowing our current place TOO quickly.

Also on my list—go through and completely overhaul our box truck’s storage usage, figure out the best way to build out our pressure washing flatbed to be able to do other jobs besides pressure washing, sell our old pickup while simultaneously buying a brand new pickup, and a bazillion other tasks that get added to daily. Busy, but enjoyable. And I can honestly say after just two months I’ve learned so much that will benefit me should I ever start another business, not to mention the new home services that I can now perform, and the experience I’m gaining repairing all sorts of machinery, plumbing systems, acquiring regulated chemicals, etc. So much learning. New job was a good choice, it’s been nerve-wracking at times, but it’s helped me realize that I had gotten way too complacent with where I was in life.

arl > AestheticsInMotion 06/30/2018 at 00:22

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Someone needs to hire you as a senior manger/director of operations s at like, 2 to 3 times your salary. You are are a smart,driven, and enthusiastic young man. Qualities good companies look ok for. You might want to start researching PMP certification for project management - you seem cut out for that type of work.

Career advise aside - sucks your car got broken into. Those guys are animals  

Good luck!

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > AestheticsInMotion 06/30/2018 at 00:36

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I hear ya man. went from hourly to manager a few months ago and the only part I don’t like is the days my phone rings constantly when I’m not at work. I can’t just leave work at work any more. But then again I’m making almost double the income I was so it actually does payoff. And of the subject of cool co-worker driven Mitsubishis I get to see this about 5 days aweek now. I can’t believe he got it back on the road so fast. New battery, and alternator, new pcv valve, he replaced every single vacuum line, found 2 badly cracked ones, and replaced the radiator hoses , he also had a  wheel bearings replaced. I miss this car so much but I didn’t have the time or money to do what he’s done .

gmctavish needs more space > AestheticsInMotion 06/30/2018 at 01:24

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I’m just here for the Raider content 

AestheticsInMotion > gmctavish needs more space 06/30/2018 at 01:46

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I was wondering if you’d show up!

Know I have the dilemma of choosing between the Raider and the Samurai as my Japanese boxy offroader of choice

gmctavish needs more space > AestheticsInMotion 06/30/2018 at 01:59

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Raiders/Monteros are much easier to find with less terminal levels of rust, and must be more tolerable on the highway than a Samurai. Also I’d rather get in an accident in the bigger, heavier Raider. Still, Samurais are really cool and I want one.

NojustNo > AestheticsInMotion 06/30/2018 at 04:53

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Awesome that the new job gives you valuable experience and autonomy! Rare tbese days. Sounds like the owner is awesome. Youll learn to multitask better and less stress as you get comfortable with your new skills and finish some of the major organizational tasks.

Bonus fuse chart

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > AestheticsInMotion 06/30/2018 at 06:43

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Kudos on him for driving awesome! :P

MM54 > gmctavish needs more space 06/30/2018 at 10:27

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A friend of mine has a completely stock samurai, it’s scary sometimes.