Are You STILL?

A few nights ago I was having a pleasant conversation with a friend I hadn't talked to in several years.  It was nice catching up, he has a few children that are older than mine and it was nice getting some tips on the things that happen as they get older.

The conversation started with the typical....What have you been up too?  Or, Are you still (insert line of work here)?

Well..to recap several years of what have you been up to over the last several years would take hours. So it's always a fairly awkward answer.  I think so anyway.  I would love to take hours and talk about the last several years of life.

But the thing that caught my thinking...was the "are you still...." question.  Usually about work.  And while it's never implied, I don't ever want it to be implied.   Or maybe it's just me.

I guess you could say I've been painting when I was 14.  I started one summer painting for my grandfather.  I'll never forget that first paint job.  For one main reason.  At the house we were painting, there was a stack of playboys in the magazine rack in the bathroom.  No joke.  He never made any mention of it, and neither did I.  I didn't continue my painting career that summer, but moved on to part time jobs, and a light duty home remodeler for a year or two after high school.  But for the past 15 years, it's  been solid painting.

I know how to paint.  Am I the best?  Nope.  Do I claim to be?  Nope.  But you'll get an amazing paint job from me.

Just this past year or two I've raised my prices, considerably.  I guess you could say I finally brought my costs up to fair market value.  Some would say I'm still too cheap.  I never really imagined myself as a professional in any field.  But I guess you could say I am a professional house painter that specialized in interior residential repaints.   It's still hard to imagine myself being successful.  I've never been celebrated or rewarded for any major success.  I've never been the best at anything.  I've never been a professional status of anything.  I've always felt like an imposter.  That there is always someone critiquing my work and that they'll find something wrong.

But I am professional in my field.  I just don't really know how to run a business.  Nor do I know how to charge people.  I don't know what people will pay to have their house painted.  I wouldn't pay anything.  But I'd pay to have someone replace the transmission in my car.  I'd pay to have someone install kitchen counters.  I'd pay to have someone repair my hvac system.  And I never really question the costs to do so.  I trust that they are being fair and honest.  So why wouldn't someone else pay to have their house painted?  

I guess what I'm saying is...if you pay for a service and you question the cost.   Could you survive on that?  Could you live off of what you are paying the one man show to do the work in your house?  If not, I'd say you are getting fair price.  That is their career.  It is their profession.  It is what they do to feed their family and pay for a house.  It also involves all the costs of running a business.

So don't ever be ashamed if you are "still" doing something.  That's usually a pretty good sign that you are really good at what you do.

I'll leave my big corporate greed/minimum wage post for another day or someone who's a professional in that field.

Oh.  AND NEVER ASK A PROFESSIONAL HOUSE PAINTER TO COME TO A "PAINTING PARTY".