[Hirsch63]

ygolo these are a good set of questions...I'll be watching to see if you get any meaningful answers since this subject interests me as well. I love what I do...I love the history and raw materials or else I could not sustain my drive. For me this is a vocation rather than a strict business.

I began my career choice late and decided to get the best information I could from the top practitioners in my field. I also took a job at a retail outlet that was focused on my industry, both to learn and network. I left that job after 6 or 7 years to go to work at two separate entrepeneur run business. The first I spent with a restoration/repair shop that had been recently opened by a graduate of a 2 year technical training program...I left that for the greener pastures of a recently relocated craftsman with a more established track record in custom work and repair, where I stayed for a year until a very nice workspace near my home became available. I leased that for two years, which were tough not the least because the phone book had neglected to list me under several headings that I had requested. Ouch.

My initial plan was a five-year plan to get the business up and self sustaining. The main engine of this would be restoration of wooden furniture. I prefer to build what I like...but that is pure speculation and a gamble. People usually always have furniture that needs repair, though I tried to limit myself to fine antiques, you take what comes through the door. Towards the end of my lease I was seriously considering supplementing the shop income with a second job to keep things afloat.

There was no seed capital. What I made went right back into the business. My five year plan was suddenly ended when I had the opportunity to move 600 miles away and work in a well established shop (my dream job) that specialized in my area of interest...so I closed down my shop. In retrospect, this was a mistake. I have my own vision and it is a challenge to work for others when you have developed your own methods and philosophies. That lasted about a year and I moved on to another shop 100 miles further away from my original home. That went about a year as well and then I returned to Michigan where I had begun; my machinery and supplies gone, scattered or in storage far away.

The most significant adjustment to my plans was decideding to utilize my skills on behalf of someone else rather than in realizing my own compositions for speculative sale. Early on I also added teaching to my bag of tricks which has been very helpful in a number of ways. The last few years have been a number of fits and starts that would hobble anyone....I should have stayed the course in my own shop where I had already begun to create a presence in the local market and build a solid reputation. oh well. 20/20 hindsight.

Lack of capital for marketing and supllies really hurt. I could only be reactive when finances allowed. I could not take a proactive approach when an opportunity arose without ready funds.

Now here I am rebuilding again, in another place. Not making a living but selling a few things. Teaching a bit to help things along. It's a challenge, but I love the work.

I often test IStj, IStp, ISfj and I am no expert on these preferences. But I found that as long as I work alone or am in charge, things go well. When I work for another, it is challenging. I cannot accept authority from someone I do not trust as reliable. This field is very subjective. There is no standardization for results it is always opinion alone rather than true objective criteria tha decides quality. I trained up to work in a fairly rigorous high quality method and this is not the way most people run their shops. And of course all shops differ in sometimes suprising ways. I tend to want to work alone with my tools and space undisturbed. I am not too communicative when focused so I tend to alienate employers and co-workers who tend to feel that I am being aloof or condescending, which lead to suspicion and ridicule on occasion. I am first to admit that I have a lifetime of learning ahead of me, and I am always grateful to learn something that adds to my understanding of the craft. Trying to remain open to improvement while working for people who are needlessly anal, neurotic, insecure, immature, irresponsible, possibly criminal or just plain assholes is distracting from my work. In that situation, developing a meaningful dialog about the work is difficult. It is best that I run the shop for everyone and every object involved. I am often too rigid and this has a price in business. You need to be flexible in many areas so you are able to respond to opportunities and changes. And no matter how well meaning everyone is, this sort of thing is hell on a marriage. Open honest communication is necessary. Hope that helps a bit.