Anyone here ever regret turning their hobby into a job?

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Nomadsto

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I was just wondering if anyone here has gone Pro, decided it wasn't for them and returned to civilian life. Maybe you've gone back to Just working on friend's & family's cars. I've had many inquiries about doing neighbor's & co-worker's cars but have always turned them down, for many reasons. Such as liability, lack of knowlage experience skill, and fear detailing would become a grind, and not my enjoyable pass-time.....ok obsession. Anyone out there make the switch and love it? Or hate it? Feed back please
 
It's only been a few years for me, but I still love it. I also like money.
 
Not doing this, as I do very few paid details.

But in a former life, not long after the beginning of the micro-brewing revolution in North America, I became a pretty advanced home brewer. After about ten years of learning how to get really good at a really enjoyable hobby, I spotted an ad in the classifieds one day for a "brewer" to join the team at my favorite microbrewery, and applied. At the time, the production side of the company had a brewmaster, three brewers and about 70 full and part time employees in bottling and distribution. Two of us were hired from a pool of 600 applicants and almost a hundred interviewees.

At my final interview the other four brewers all said it's unlikely I'd ever brew another drop at home and I scoffed at that notion. And they were correct. I ground it out for almost two years and it just wasn't any fun at all; my hobby became a drudgery and I lost all passion for it. I quit and followed a different path. I haven't home-brewed a drop to this day, 16 years later. Sad.
 
All good points... LLC, Insurance, all starts to a business, get the good stuff; STEAMER, extractor, HPW. The basics as I see... More? On request...Jeff,
 
SameGuy said:
Not doing this, as I do very few paid details.

But in a former life, not long after the beginning of the micro-brewing revolution in North America, I became a pretty advanced home brewer. After about ten years of learning how to get really good at a really enjoyable hobby, I spotted an ad in the classifieds one day for a "brewer" to join the team at my favorite microbrewery, and applied. At the time, the production side of the company had a brewmaster, three brewers and about 70 full and part time employees in bottling and distribution. Two of us were hired from a pool of 600 applicants and almost a hundred interviewees.

At my final interview the other four brewers all said it's unlikely I'd ever brew another drop at home and I scoffed at that notion. And they were correct. I ground it out for almost two years and it just wasn't any fun at all; my hobby became a drudgery and I lost all passion for it. I quit and followed a different path. I haven't home-brewed a drop to this day, 16 years later. Sad.
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Thank you for the input.
 
It was a some-what hobby for me, but something that I felt I might enjoy a little more almost 10 years ago when I started in this business. I can honestly say that each year I like it more and more and the further I go, the less I want to do anything else. I feel like I have more of a passion for detailing than I ever came close to before I started this. (It doesn't hurt that there are WAAAAAY better tools and products at my disposal than there were 10 years ago too).

It really comes down to being a personal thing. You could very easily go either way, has a lot to do with you, how you feel about it, and what you want out of it. Good luck with it either way!
 
I tried to turn a hobby into a paycheck as I took a job in reconditioning at a new car dealership. it was my first attempt at full time detailing and figured a dealership would always have work. I found out the hard way that a dealership is not the place for a detailer. Cars have to be slammed out the door as fast as possible. Not my style. After about 5 years I stepped away from detailing, but still do it on the side for money, but more for enjoyment and therapy.
 
i think it has to do with there being a disconnect between your expectation of production and someone else's.

any self-made business you set the pace. anytime you work for someone else, even doing something you love, its for someone else's pace
 
I love it and I would have it any other way. It's has given me more than I could have ever imagined.

Is it easy? No way!

Is it fun? You bet!

Do you have to put your heart and soul into it? Yes!

To do it right though you can't just go out and expect to make it big right away. You need to have a plan and goals with out either what are you really doing? You want to grow your business and maybe even one day sell that business.

All in all love what you do and you will never work a day in your life but remember to get paid for what you love doing!
 
:iagree::iagree:
Evan.J said:
I love it and I would have it any other way. It's has given me more than I could have ever imagined.

Is it easy? No way!

Is it fun? You bet!

Do you have to put your heart and soul into it? Yes!

To do it right though you can't just go out and expect to make it big right away. You need to have a plan and goals with out either what are you really doing? You want to grow your business and maybe even one day sell that business.

All in all love what you do and you will never work a day in your life but remember to get paid for what you love doing!
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Evan has pretty much nailed it. You need to have reasonable expectations, but keep your eye on the big picture. I'm still very small potatoes in the detailing world. I've been doing it for over 20 years as hobby / side jobs, but just opened my business last March. I'm well over 300% of last years numbers, but still have so far to go, and so much to learn. My goals? Training with Renny and Mike P., be able to detail full time and have a couple of mobile units running out of a shop as well. Ultimate goal? Detailing on Air Force One! - I'm less than an hour away from Boeing Field.....just sayin :)
 
I actually enjoy detailing even more now that I do it full time. It can get tiring but what job cant? I just think of my retail background then happily return to steaming carpets or polishing paint!
 
i personally enjoy it as a side job. i don't do it too much to where it kills me, much like playing a musical instrument. you want to give it a break so when you come back it's not stale and menotenous. but at the end, seeing the customer's face and expression is always rewarding to me.
 
Evan.J said:
I love it and I would have it any other way. It's has given me more than I could have ever imagined.

Is it easy? No way!

Is it fun? You bet!

Do you have to put your heart and soul into it? Yes!

To do it right though you can't just go out and expect to make it big right away. You need to have a plan and goals with out either what are you really doing? You want to grow your business and maybe even one day sell that business.

All in all love what you do and you will never work a day in your life but remember to get paid for what you love doing!
Click to expand...

:props::dblthumb2::xyxthumbs:
 
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