"Never in my past could I have taken a guess at my future career and known I’d be here today. It all happened so quickly, and I’m still in awe how it all came together.
The journey started just over 10 years ago, I was recently graduated from high school with no idea what I was doing to do with myself. I had contemplated careers in healthcare, travel and trades. I knew I wanted to do something unusual and unique, but I didn’t know what that was. Despite not taking shop class or anything relevant in high school, and having very little hands-on knowledge or experience, I was still leaning toward working with my hands.
On a whim, I decided to enroll in an Aviation Maintenance Engineering program. I learned a vast amount of skills and information, while still feeling the pressure of school and questioning my career choices. After school, I was hired on with a small aviation shop in a town that was a 10-hour drive from home. I accepted the challenge and the adventure while still feeling unsure about my choice of career. But I showed up everyday and did my job as required, until I was unexpectedly laid off only a year into my apprenticeship.
Feeling anxiety to settle into a long-term career, I was more confused than ever. I knew I didn’t want to go back into aviation, I couldn’t afford to go back to school, and I couldn’t find a job I desired. As a temporary fix I found a job with a shipping company in another new city: chucking boxes for a living. While this was mentally unfulfilling, it paid well, the people were nice and the job was secure. I worked for a few years doing the grunt work, while keeping an eye on the classifieds for jobs.
The day I spotted a posting for a locksmith job, I knew I wanted to do it. The job wasn’t even on my radar in the past, but it was everything I wanted. Unique, unusual and working with my hands. The shipping company I worked for wasn’t surprised I was leaving. I was told by several people there that they loved having me work there, but they could tell I wanted something more.
I apprenticed for 2 years with a locksmith shop and worked my way up to management. Things were going well, and I managed the shop for a couple years until I felt the itch to shake things up again. I took out a loan and started my own business. With no entrepreneur training or knowledge, I went for it with an attitude of, “I’ll figure it out." I spent half of my loan on tools and parts, and the other half on a vintage van. There were so many locksmiths in my city; I knew I needed to stand out. The van was my way of standing out. I knew it was a huge gamble, and an expensive start-up, but I thought, “I need to set myself apart.” There are a lot of guys out there who provide “good service with a smile," what more can I do? I needed to catch people’s attention.
Calls started coming in shortly after start up, with lots of people asking about the van. It was working! I’ve been an entrepreneur now for 2-and-a-half years. While the business is still in its infancy, and there are many months of struggle, business is consistently growing.
There have been many unexpected opportunities and hurdles in my search for an occupation. I definitely couldn’t have done it without the support of my family and friends. My parents encouraged all my career changes and even supported my move away. My fiancée has put her life on hold to help me along. She supported me financially when things were tough, and emotionally when I doubted my choices. All my friends have constantly spread the word about my business and didn't shun me when I was too busy or too broke to hang out.
If you find yourself unsure of your next step, keep your chin up and experiment with careers. Sometimes you have to take one step back to take two steps forward. I had no clue what I was going to do, and definitely didn’t foresee this. Here I am now, in a beautiful city, cruising in a vintage van, doing work that I love. Find your own path and create your dream."
