What was your Profession before entering into the P/W Industry?

[newlook 265]

Thought it would be interesting to find out what everybody did professionally or non-professionally before they entered into the power wash industry?

I for one used to work in the Direct Marketing during the .com era (if you could call it that) ~ our company barely made it through the 1st round investors.

Prior to that I was a firefighter in Northern California.

[squirtgun 122]

8yrs building passenger tires for a Tire and Rubber company.Prior to that I was skilled tradesman in the cabinet & furniture building industry.Night club security before I learned furniture and cabinets.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

How many years do you wanna go back? I was in the restaurant biz for 8 years, 2 as management. Military for 3 years, Security for 5 years, and School District Maintenance for 8 years.

No I am not a old timer, just started working at 14, and had overlapping full time jobs.

[CCPC 26]

Cook, Waiter, shift manger, barback, waiter, barback, lawn man, furniture delivery guy, waiter, locksmith, sous chef, antique dealer/salesman, pressure washer. In that order with a few more cook and waiter slots.

[newlook 265]

CCPC

What is a barback?

Alan, what branch of the military...I was Navy for 5 years

[squirtgun 122]

Lance,

Do you remeber Papa's on Beach Blvd in Jax or TBirds at the Landing or Baymeadows?Maybe CJ's on Arlington Expressway?

Barbacks help bartender keep the bar stocked during the night.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

Alan, what branch of the military...I was Navy for 5 years

U.S. Army Combat Engineer

[newlook 265]

Thanks Scott

[CCPC 26]

Lance,

Do you remeber Papa's on Beach Blvd in Jax or TBirds at the Landing or Baymeadows?

Scott, I've been at the T-Birds on Baymeadows a few times a couple of years back, but don't get over to Jax Beach that often. Never been to Papa's. That's one of the problems with Jacksonville; its to spread out; it takes forever to get from one side to the other. That's a long drive home at 2:30am drinking or not.

[squirtgun 122]

I know what you mean Lance....I have been away since 1991 and Jax has grown alot since then, there isn't a lot I miss about the big city and all the traffic.My parents live there still and that's the only reason I still visit.I know CJ's and Papa's are closed now and TBirds at the Landing as well.I work security at all of them in the late 80's and early 90's in the days before kids and family responsiblities.

[PressurePros 249]

While still in school I was in retail. After I graduated I went to work for Squibb as a marketing manager. Stayed there for 6 years and became a financial officer. I left Squibb because numbers and offices started getting tedious. I went to work as East Coast RM for Tweeter when I finally decided "enough of the corporate structure, I'm sick of making money for someone else"

[CCPC 26]

"

enough of the corporate structure, I'm sick of making money for someone else"

Here! Here!

[Tim McCulla 14]

1) clammer in Barnegat Bay from really young through first year in college.

2) cleaned windows in summer, Sided & roofed houses in winter during college.

3) Resident Assistant in college housing for 7 semesters. By far this was the easiest gig with the best side benifets (girls).

4) Stock brooker for two years in NYC. I hated "smiling and dialing".

5) power washing for my 13th season, good thing I'm not superstitius (where did I put that rabit foot anyway).

[Cleveland Mobile 14]

Was what they call an application engineer for Ingersoll-Rand pumps and compressors. What that means is I could look up specs in a book...lol...after that I did siding and windows for a couple years

Andy

[tidyjet 14]

"

Here! Here!

HERE, HERE as well. I'm out of work. What I have proven is that by doing the same thing over and over again I've gotten the same results, out of work. So I've been researching this "service sector" thing for awhile now and I think I can sink my teeth into it.

I've been in the aviation/airline industry for over 25 years doing everthing from ops, cust service, mechanic and finally pilot). I've been laid off since May and I'm NOT going back.

I tried retail after my furlough (major home improvement store, management) and worked my ass off for often 55 hrs a week. It was sucking the life out of me. The thing I loved the most at "major home improvent store" however was providing great customer service (at least I did). What would be the harm in me putting 55 hrs a week into my own venture doing essentially customer service. It's got to be more rewarding.

paul

"success is not guaranteed but death is"

[newlook 265]

tidyjet,

Good for you......go for it. Do you have a fax #? If so, I would like to fax you something if you don't mind.

[reed 500]

Retired from the Air Force in 1994, 20yrs 2 months and 18 days. Hold a certification and Registry in Ultrasound Imaging of the heart, which I have 27yrs experience doing. Superintendent of a CardioPulmonary Lab with 3million in equipment and a 1/2 mil budget per year. Managed 33 people in the lab while in the AF.

Built decks with step son.

reed

[tidyjet 14]

no fax #. If you can't email it (gainsback@yahoo.com), let me know and I'll get my wife's # at her work.

thanks,

paul

[charlie 14]

Pest Control for a national company. Now I own 2 businesses. Pest control and Wood restoration business. Nice thing about them both they go hand in hand.

Charlie

[aph111 14]

Asplundh (trimming trees)- Prism (selling restaurant supplies)- Union Boilermaker (welding water towers and storage tanks for oil refineries)

[Mathew Johnson 123]

Dishwasher, cook, restaurant manager, Paramedic, Nurse, Nursing Instructor... THe coolest of all... running my own property cleaning business.

[Celeste 341]

I was: scuba instructor, paralegal/law student , mortgage broker & still frazzled mom of 4 - just love trading all of that in for cleaning toilets!

Roger: Former marine, General Electric x 12 years when he gave up all of those bennnies to work for us!!!!

[newlook 265]

All this talent out there in Power Wash Land...who would ever have thought?

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I for one am not surprised. I love hearing about the prior chapters in folks lives. Everyone switches to something new from time to time. Just because you may be new in a certain field doesn't mean you don't have skills to help make you a seasoned pro going into it. Now I don't mean field time, I mean other professional business skill or similar trade skills.

I spent 14 years in the software industry, in sales. Went from inside sales, to account manager to regional sales manager, and have also been in charge of channel distribution for one of the three companies I worked for back then. I set up resellers, trained them, etc., help them sell.

I think I'll never leave software completely. Its one reason the bbs's are such a part of me. I like technology, and I believe in education.

Add in very proud mother of 2 to the picture. Miles is 14, Madison is 10. Both are Honor Roll students.

Prior to software I did restaurant work, worked for a family run florist doing accounting work (mom thought it would be good practical expereince and she was one of the owners), and tutored english to foreign students in college. I have also built web sites for folks. My major in college was considered a double, Management and Marketing. I love Marketing!!!

In my spare time I like to go dancing with Rod, or go outside and garden if the weather is nice.

Beth :)

[bill3752 14]

Chem Engr/Finance dude; worked for chemical companies as engr, engr/quality/production mgr, and plant manager.

[Big Bill 14]

For the last 24 years I have been in the offshore oil business. I started at the bottom scrubbing the deck, what we call a "roustabout". I have worked my way up the ladder over the years, & have been the Offshore Installation Manager (Toolpusher in oilfield lingo) for the past 6 years. I have worked all over the world, the persian gulf (Saudi Arabia, Oman, Abu Dhabi), Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Singapore), West Africa (Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea), North Sea (England, Scotland, The Netherlands, Norway, Denmark). I am now back home working in the Gulf of Mexico, hope to stay here, had enough of the international flights & airports for awhile. This job has given me the oportunity to see the world, been to 29 different countries, having lived in a few of them. I only work 26 weeks a year, so I have alot of free time (well I used to before I got married 3 years ago). My wife will soon be finishing school to become a school teacher, so doing this pwing thing while I am home from offshore keeps me busy, gives me much needed exercise, and every time she writes another check, I have something to put into the account to cover it. She likes me doing it because "I am not bothering her all of the time".