Tales from Work: The Good and the Bad

MC2 5678F589 wrote

Also, there is no fucking way that any business meeting in any form is as good as skiing sidecountry (I guess I'll add "for me" to this sentence).

This thread just reads like sad justification to me. "I'm important!" he says as he sits in life-numbing traffic on his way to a life-numbing business meeting that may make the numbers on his computer screen go fractionally higher at some point.

I just feel like I have different ideas of what constitutes "the good life" than you guys.

I respect your POV, MC.  Absolutely do and would love to live your ideal lifestyle on a daily basis myself.  But, I have mad respect for small, private sector businesses.  People who employ others and, in doing so, have to bring in thousands of dollars every month just to keep the lights on.  So I understand Harv's excitement.

BTW, top on my list of small businesses are small farms where the farmer (and family) have to be CEO, vet, mechanic, businessman, weather forecaster....

D.B. Cooper wrote

People who employ others and, in doing so, have to bring in thousands of dollars every month just to keep the lights on.  So I understand Harv's excitement.

We do employ about 25 (counting me and my partner).  

I don't know if I would call it excitement. I do feel a lot of responsibility.  I certainly worry more about company finances than my own, although with an LLC they are basically the same thing.  We had a tough year last year and my partner and I were due refunds as a result, but chose to forgo them and apply the money to quarterly taxes to help with our cash which is very tight now.

I'm more excited about skiing, NYSB and a future life in the mountains, but I have responsibilities that I took on willingly and I have to do my best to fulfill them.

I do like my work (SEO and Content Strategy), running the company is not as interesting to me.  Not bad, but I wouldn't call it excitement.

I actually fell into the ownership in an odd way. The old owners, looking for someone to sell to, asked me if I would like to be a minority owner.  I really didn't want to do it, but felt that if I said no, they would view me in a different way. I borrowed $50k against my house and here I am. I would say that the investment has paid off better than any mutual fund.  For one thing we laid off a bunch of people in 2008 and I wasn't one of them. That was worth a lot, especially when you consider the current value of the stock I bought (401k) in 2008-2012.

Its the fucking Mario fucking Cuomo bridge

In the mid-2000's I decided I didn't want to go to an office anymore and started thinking about how..
I figured I use my 20+ years in IT in a Tech Sales company.  Since then I work from home - which is awesome.   Where people in an office go to workout at lunch..  I snowboard...

Recently - After working for Tech/Security Startups and being treated like a piece of expendable shti..  Expected to do every fucking thing for companies where the higher ups roll in cash and we get shti...  I started with SalesForce - A large CRM company that's super socially responsible.
I have a better salary
I have better compensation.
I have up to 7 days a year to use on volunteering. - They will also match up to $2,000 of money I donate.
I work with a cool team doing security evangelism for healthcare..
Full 401k(matching) and I got a ton of stock.
No vacation restrictions - take as many days as I need.

This is the perfect place for me to finish out my career and start the next one - which will be all about making art..
At 55 I can start retiring in a few years after I pay off my house..

Stoked..

I was referring to your meeting in Wilton.

D.B. Cooper wrote

I was referring to your meeting in Wilton.

Re the excitement, thanks for clearing it up. I was pretty pumped, having my work recognized.

Things are getting exciting around here --- we're only about 14 days away from moving into our brand new state of the art facility. Not only is the place an absolute diamond but it's 6X the size, which is desperately needed.  

Movin on up !  Still in Cortland proper ?

Pics!

Yep, it's only 1000 feet down the road.
I'll grab some pics once we're in there.

Will management have higher expectations once you move in?

We've forecasted at 25% increase the first year. Honestly I feel that's very doable. Daddy gonna get some new shoes

campgottagopee wrote

We've forecasted at 25% increase the first year. Honestly I feel that's very doable. Daddy gonna get some new shoes

PeeTex wrote

campgottagopee wrote

We've forecasted at 25% increase the first year. Honestly I feel that's very doable. Daddy gonna get some new shoes

Ha! That’s awesome. It’s amazing how you can watch some people deteriorate when they get into sales. It’s certainly not for everyone. My own gig has gotten bad enough that I’m considering looking around for the first time in fifteen years. Still barely a gray hair though.

LOL
Pressure is on, for sure. But I love it! That's when we're at our best.

campgottagopee wrote

LOL
Pressure is on, for sure. But I love it! That's when we're at our best.

I hate brown nosers at work.
Business is cocksucking and cocksucking is a business.

Hate to break it to you, but this.....

MC2 5678F589 wrote

True.

....is as much a sad justification for some bohemian lifestyle as you believe this entire thread is for some corporate sellout existence!  “I’m noble!” He says as he sits in his overcrowded Quonset hut, fashioning his own hemp garments before riding his bicycle to the welfare office for a quick stop on the way to his minimum wage job.

You do have some slanted views on corporate life and careers.  It is possible for corporate types to commute to well paying jobs where they make meaningful contributions that allow businesses to conduct the important work of building roads, bridges, and rail systems, doing extensive environmental, water, and power work, engaging in important disaster recovery work, and enriching communities through public spaces and greenways.  They do it while exploring, skiing, enjoying meals with friends & family, playing music together, putting their energy into their passions, laughing, hanging out on beaches, drinking on their deck, walking their dogs in new places, traveling and exploring different countries, playing sports, creating art, and doing all manner of fulfilling things.  Sure, who wouldn’t want to ski the sidecountry all day instead of work...but that’s not how productive societies thrive!

JTG4eva! wrote

Hate to break it to you, but this.....

MC2 5678F589 wrote

True.

....is as much a sad justification for some bohemian lifestyle as you believe this entire thread is for some corporate sellout existence!  “I’m noble!” He says as he sits in his overcrowded Quonset hut, fashioning his own hemp garments before riding his bicycle to the welfare office for a quick stop on the way to his minimum wage job.

You do have some slanted views on corporate life and careers.  It is possible for corporate types to commute to well paying jobs where they make meaningful contributions that allow businesses to conduct the important work of building roads, bridges, and rail systems, doing extensive environmental, water, and power work, engaging in important disaster recovery work, and enriching communities through public spaces and greenways.  They do it while exploring, skiing, enjoying meals with friends & family, playing music together, putting their energy into their passions, laughing, hanging out on beaches, drinking on their deck, walking their dogs in new places, traveling and exploring different countries, playing sports, creating art, and doing all manner of fulfilling things.  Sure, who wouldn’t want to ski the sidecountry all day instead of work...but that’s not how productive societies thrive!

Actually Matt and I are on the same page here (who the fuck would expect that). Long commutes are evil, not only are they expensive but they suck the life out of you.

Now I do agree with you in that there is more to life than skiing. I enjoy skiing back country and side country, but I enjoy solving a natty problem at my work better. I view skiing, hiking, biking, chopping trees, or cutting the grass as a fun way to get exercise and a healthy diversion from my work which I love.

JTG4eva! wrote

Hate to break it to you, but this.....

MC2 5678F589 wrote

True.

....is as much a sad justification for some bohemian lifestyle

I disagree.

Mr Money Mustasche is about gaining freedom by saving and reducing consumption of things you don't need.  I believe that following his example is good for America and the world.