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5 Reasons I'm Building My Business

Writer's picture: Kevin BarthKevin Barth

Family and friends want the best for you; however, they want the best for you from their point of view, based on their life experiences. Not yours. When you tell them about the job you've got, they are thrilled. They don't know if you love it or hate it, but their idea of "success" is often security, which is desirable, but not the end goal for many of us. Here are some common objections I've faced and still work to overcome in pursuit of my goals, particularly as it applies to leaving a good job to build my own business.


  • "The company you're with has great benefits, what are you going to do for insurance if you leave the company?"

  • "You know you aren't going to have steady paychecks anymore. How much do you have in savings to cover your bills when you don't have work?"

  • "You're a talented carpenter, you should stay and grow with the company, get more experience, meet some people, and revisit this idea in 5-10 years."

  • "You know how hard it is to run your own business? You aren't just a carpenter anymore; you've got to work 18 hours a day putting out fires on top of being a carpenter. Do you really want that?"


I'd love to present a stone-cold mindset, where these objections, criticisms, & doubts go in one ear and out the other, but I simply am not there yet. These objections initiate reflection, and I find myself thoroughly considering each point, still coming to the conclusion that I'd rather take the risk of leaving this company and starting my own. Here are 5 reasons I'm building my business:


  1. It's always risky, but taking the risk now is worth it - I'm in a stage of life with no wife, no kids, no mortgage, and almost zero debt. Starting from zero, using savings to make ends meet, and working 24/7 to bring awareness to my business, then delivering on each promise is risky, but should be faced and overcome when the other sources of stress in life aren't also added to the mix.

  2. I don't feel proud putting my name on the product my employer builds - Challenges happen on every construction project, but when we can predict them, and count on a poor-quality project turning our work from building something great to fixing problems every day, something is wrong. Winning projects as the low bidder, hiring the cheapest subs, and employing laborers and carpenters to come behind fixing problems is a business model, not an accident. I know it can be done better, and I'm willing to take the leap as an example of what this industry should represent.

  3. The adventure of trying is more appealing than the prospect of staying - I am a desirable employee. Disciplined, experienced, & reliable. However, I am ambitious and capable of many things, and staying with the safety of being a good employee does not appeal to me like the adventure of becoming a great business owner.

  4. Building equity by investing in my business - If I work for an hourly wage, there is a limit to how much money I can make, based on the available hours to work in a day. If I work for myself, those long days are worth so much more than the hourly wages as I continue to build the reputation of a great contractor, with the ability to land new projects for customers who desire my unique skillset.

  5. I can learn faster than my employer can teach - Having practical experiences are more valuable to me than having years in the industry because a corporate contractor has a path for you to grow with a 4-year carpentry apprenticeship, then foreman, to assistant superintendent, to superintendent, to project manager... That system is great for retaining employees, not ambitious young individuals who realize that the time invested in growing your wealth, could produce a life I truly desire by investing in my future.


I've wrestled with the idea that I'm an unrelenting employee and must be too immature to have overcome this dissatisfaction as the people around me seem to have. Over time, I realize I am not wrong, simply different. To some, maybe most, the benefits of the company, the product they build, and the life it produces are exactly what they desire, allowing them to show up for a career of growth with this company. I am not one of these individuals. There is a dream life I have envisioned, and rather than lament this company for not making it a reality, or accepting it as just a dream, I started Lucid Development to Build the Dream.

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