by Jim
So today I want to explain why I am so adamant about not getting a J.O.B. In order to do that I want to give a brief description on what I have done since leaving the military.
Corporate Executive Chef – Right out of the military I scored a great job with a very well known corporate restaurant. They were in major expansion mode. With my Culinary degree along with my Hotel/Restaurant Degree, plus my time as a NCO in the military, I scored 1 out of 4 positions in the company. This title was just a fancy title for saying I was in charge of opening restaurants. I was in charge of training all of the managers along with being in charge of about 75 Corporate Trainers. Reason for leaving: I was gone three weeks out of four, and my then fiance didn’t care for that..
General Manager – Stepping down allowed me to take on the position of being in charge of a single restaurant. It was a huge pay cut, as well as had me working a lot more time in the opening year. Reason for leaving: Decided to move back home.
Traveling Manager – When I came back home, I immediately started to work with the company, but it was much different as this was a franchised restaurant and not a corporate restaurant. Because of my experience with this particular restaurant, I believed that the franchise used me for all I was worth. I basically travelled between the five restaurants they owned and was just a regular manager. Reason for leaving: It was so different then the corporate system that I had instilled in me.
Restaurant Employee – For the next umpteen years I was just a regular employee. I did everything in a restaurant. Bartender, Server, Cook, you name it I probably did it. Reason for leaving: not enough pay
Inventory Specialist – After moving back to my hometown, I took up a position where I could travel again. I basically went to all the WalMarts in the northeast and did their inventory. After about a year of doing this, I decided I had enough travelling for a time being and went to the local district level. Reason for leaving: At the local level, you just never knew when you were going to be finished for the day.
Back to the Restaurant Employee – When they built a well known restaurant in my town, I knew that it would be my best chance at getting back to my roots. But it turns out it was just a franchise and not a corporate. I want to give you a picture of what it is like. I got hired at $10/hr. Within the opening month, the owner of the franchise saw my skill, and I received a $.50/hr raise. For the next year and a half I worked my butt off and it really didn’t go anywhere. I knew I wasn’t going to get a raise since I was already making more than the managers (which they begrudgingly reminded me quite often.)
My girlfriend at that time was moving away from the area and I decided to go with her. Transferring to another restaurant. Where in the next year I got numerous raises and even made manager. I was now up to $15.50/hour, which is pretty decent in my area. During this time, my girlfriend and I broke up and I tried to make it work staying up in the area for the next year. But I grew depressed during this time and my family and I decided it was best to move back home. So I transferred back to the old restaurant. All my raises were taken away and I became even more depressed. (Note: During this last time is around the time I started doing independent contract work… As well as started looking into how to make money online.)
My Best Friend Opens A Restaurant – So I was unemployed for about a month… Well not technically unemployed as I signed a contract with Yellowstone National Park, where I would become a Manager for one of their restaurants. I was set to leave in about two months, when my best friend approached me to help him open up a restaurant. As I knew this was a dream of his, I decided to negate my contract and help him start up his restaurant. I worked with him for about two years.
Last Job as an Employee (Server) – While working with him, a new corporate restaurant was starting to be built about 15 minutes away. I decided to go and get a job. The General Manager was impressed with my resume and cursed me for not applying two weeks ahead of time, so he could have made me a manager. He straight up told me that they couldn’t afford what I was asking for as a line cook. I was ok with that, I knew once I got into a corporate restaurant I could move up. I decided to become a server that worked four nights a week, while working with my friend. In less than six months, I became a corporate trainer. And in less than a year I was up for management.
I didn’t get the position, and the lady that did held a grudge with me. It was because of this clash that I was let go.
This was the time that I decided to go take what I was doing part time and make it full time. I also took on a paper route. I remember the beginning of last year on Saturdays and Sundays were really tough on me. I was helping my best friend start late nights for the bar crowd (I worked 9pm – 3am), went immediately to do my papers, and came home to sleep for about a hour and a half. Got up and traveled to do brand ambassador and traveled home. By the time I got home it was between 6 and 7. I would get another hour and half of sleep, then do it all over again.
The Reason
Except for the first three jobs I listed, I made on average between $10-$15/hour. Back when I first got out of the military, this wasn’t that bad of a wage. But now with minimum wage going up and with all the other variable costs This amount is still considered borderline poverty.
All of my contracted work I do, the least amount of money I will accept is $15/hr. And that is for more on the lines of one-three days. My long term contracts, are more toward the $20. Even the newspapers, basically pay me over $20/hour if I average it out.
Oh I forgot to tell everybody, I heard back from the one contract. Even though I thought I tanked it, they loved my video! Next week I have a training meeting, and will start later in the month. This pays $25/hour. Even though it is for a few hours each week, it meets my requirements. Nowhere around where I live would I be able to make this type of money, with my history.
Now I just want to state that for the last four months I have had no contract work besides the newspapers, this tends to happen, since a lot of budget gets used up toward the holiday seasons. I could take on more merchandising work, but it seems as the threshold I hold out for… Well it is not being met lately.
What I make from just my newspaper route and my online stuff is actually a few hundred dollars more than actually working 40 hours a week at a job. Except for the first two jobs and now, I never had health benefits.
Who here is self employed? I mean can I get a shout out for tax deductions? When my business scales, I can see adding on another $50k (at the very least) and still pay the same taxes as I do now. I can’t possibly take all the deductions that I legally can. Plus that isn’t even counting once I start retirement.
So Let’s Recap
- Spend More Time With Family
- Make More Money
- Health Benefits
- Tax Deductions
Umm… so yeah, I will be staying self-employed. Hope that explains enough for everyone!
