It is hard being on the road over 200 nights a year...away from your family, isolated in many ways. It definitely isn't for everyone. This blogs represents the thoughts of just one such person. Read along and find out if the road is for you.

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United States, Georgia, Gainesville, Unity of Gainesville, English, John, Male, reading, RE Investing. :)

Wednesday, August 14, 2002

 
Trust your intuition...the universe is guiding your life.

It's been awhile since I was last blogging. Not your fault. Not really mine either. Time is the one thing in my life that I am definitely lacking. Just to bring folks up to date...

Last Friday, I went to my least favorite client with the firm intention that this would be my last visit. That was the only thing regarding this client that I was looking forward to. Life is strange the way it plays tricks on you. I met with their accountant and system administrator for about 4 hours. Then I met with the Managing Partner. When it was all said and done, he indicated that he wanted me back for 4 more months. I tried to talk them out of it, to no avail Oh well!

Saturday was the funnest day I had in quite awhile. As much quandry as I have had in my life regarding where to live, what to do with my life, etc., I decided if I was going to put an offer on the house in St. Augustine, FL, that I should check out what things like a new pool liner, new flooring and other house items might cost. That really got my creative juices flowing and I was beginning to think that is where I would end up at.

But then Sunday came along and once again, life took a strange twist. There is a lady at my church who has been trying to sell me her house. Overall, I really like the house. My challenge is that I wanted to buy a house that was going to need some fixing up, so that with some work, I will make some equity. Her house is not a fixer upper in any way, shape or form. It has things that I want like a hot tub among other things. I have told her what my goal was along with the fact that I wanted to get my coffee house started. She came back and said if I bought her house, she would invest in my coffee house. That has me thinking.

Monday and Tuesday, I was just outside of Harrisburg, PA doing a system review. In plain terms, that review every area of a business and find things that could use improvement. When it is all sait and done, you provide a thorough report that highlights the areas that need improvement. I usually talk with the owner along the way to let them know the issues I have found and what they are going to need to correct the situation. (A form of preselling so to speak.) Not that these folks were a bad group. But the reality of the situation is that this is an area that I really wouldn't like to come back to. I tried to tell them that we have other consultants who could do the job that when you consider travel costs and all, would be cheaper for him. He wouldn't hear of it. I know where I will be going regularly for the next 5 months now.

And today! I am in Birmingham, AL today with my favorite clients. I originally did a system review for these folks as well last year. I sold them 9 months of consulting. Two months ago, they added 2 months and are about to add 4-8 months. Just like my client in New York, I am getting a real opportunity to "re-invent" this company in both large and small ways. I went out to dinner with the owner and operations manager tonight to discuss current issues and future plans. I am starting to put all my clients on MS Project to track the tasks we want to accomplish. These clients make you love your job! You plan the work to be done, they honestly try to accomplish it during your absence and want to do the right thing. What more could you ask for?

It sounds like this last week has been a walk in the park, but it hasn't. I am defnitely tired. I look at some of my fellow consultants who are both more senior and much smarter than me and my schedule is much fuller than theirs. I wonder why that is. In some ways, I am jealous of them. Not always, but they have some time to be at home and attend to their life. I don't (Although, tomorrow when the monthly bonus comes, I will be a little happier than they are)

I guess that is my motivation for the coffee house. This life on the road can't and won't last forever. One of the consultants who I respect alot is sending resumes out. She has been at it about 2 years more than me, so maybe I have a little more time before I get to that point.

I do call home everynight, but I can't say I always talk about things of substance. How does everyone else handle this? If I were at home, would it be any different? I wonder that as well. Just another thing that puts uncertainty in my life. Which is the better evil?? The one you know or the one you don't?