Not trying to brag or rub it in, but I got a college degree and make 6 figures for 20 hours of easy work a week now...I'd rather have my job
what's your degree
kinetika_ posted...
@kayoticdreamz
I own/manage three territories for Flowers Baking Co.. I bought my first route in 2014, when I was 28, and in the beginning of 2017, the company allowed us to not only incorporate (which the other competitors were already doing with their distributors) but gave us the option to own multiple routes. Since I proved myself over the years, they allowed me to multi route, and I bought my second route a few months into the year.
Acquiring the third route was a bit of a struggle, though. This year one of the older guys decided to retire, and I was pretty confident I would get his route and equipment for what I was asking ($80K), but he ended up selling it to some guy who knew nothing about the business for $125K... which was 50% overvalue. Also, soon after, the employee who was running one of my routes quit on me, so I was stuck without a driver for several months. In that time I was taking insane inventory losses because the guys I hired weren't doing the job right... and I'm talking almost $6,000 in total, which comes out of my pocket.
I dealt with terrible employee after another, and I was on the verge of selling one route. But my ego just wouldn't let me. I fought so hard to build the equity up on these routes... and I worked too damn hard to establish the relationships and business that I did and that I couldn't fail my clientele. And for two months I decided to go on my own, working 18 - 20 hour shifts... 6 days a week, and at the same time, trying to close on a house (lol).
I really don't know how I survived all that. Those 8 weeks drained me physically, mentally... and emotionally. Each day it got harder and harder to get out of bed, and I was eventually running on sheer willpower alone. But I'd always tell myself that I'd get through it, that I'd find a suitable employee, and that everything will work itself out... like it always would for me.
Well, all that blind hope and faith did pay off for me: I got the reliable employee that I needed, and another guy ended up selling out, so that give the third route that will eventually give me my vacation time. The bank gave me a $60,000 business loan to bundle all three of my delivery vehicles into one monthly payment that ends up saving me $1000 a month.
That's why I always preach hard work and dedication because that, and my unwillingness to quit, is what got me to where I'm at today -- not some college degree. Yeah, some luck was involved -- I'll admit to that --, but I had to take risks and endure some hardships throughout along the way.
thanks for sharing. It was good story. Sounds like a lot of work, I wish I put that kind of work ethnic into something that gave me that kind of reward. I've had plenty of periods of not working and periods where I worked my ass off. Nothing has quite come from it.