submitted by ghostsniper via comments

Welp, it was 40 years ago today that I started my architectural design business.

Time flies…..

Was living in Fort Myers, Florida at the time, 30 years old, been married a year and a half, had an infant son, and was working at the best job I ever had getting paid more than I deserved, for the largest architecture firm in the state. I was a lead designer and was treated like a king by everybody there. But then, I did work like they never seen before, nor since.

I landed that job in the summer of 85 and they offered to pay me MORE than what I was asking for. I was not yet an architect so my title was Lead Designer and I was doing design work on their biggest projects. Sarasota Justice Center. Tampa Stadium. Sugarloaf Key Elementary School. St Anthony Church restoration (oldest church in Florida), etc.

All of that stuff was a piece of cake and not nearly enough to sate my drive. I was burning hard at both ends and exploding in the middle. Out of our little rented house I was doing side jobs, nights and weekends after working 60 hour weeks at “the firm”. Residential remodeling and additions, single family homes, multi-family buildings, new commercial construction, everything. I turned nothing away and kept trying for more.

Soon, I realized I was earning more money on my own than at my well paid job, so the job had to go. Now I could devote all of my time to my goal.

My wife didn’t work until our son was 5 and started school so she handled the books for my business. It didn’t take long before I realized this wasn’t going to work. Some people can some how work with their wife, I cannot.

I moved my business into an office, expanded my licenses statewide, and hired an accountant to handle all the bookwork. I hired a part time drafter. I aligned (joint ventures) with 2 architects for larger projects. The whole thing was upwardly mobile.

Some of my projects started winning contests and awards. During 1990 I had designed more model home centers in the 3 county area than anyone else and I hired 2 more drafters and a full time administrative assistant and I started attending real estate school.

In 1994 I started getting involved with CAD, Computer Aided Design, and kicked everything into high gear. I was doing some of the largest projects in the area and was attracting some celebrity attention for specialized projects. I did one gov’t project, lost my ass on it, and never did another one.

By 2000 I was realigned with reality, trimming the fat, becoming more specialized. I could pick and choose my projects. I only wanted to design large scale custom homes on islands. That’s where the top quality projects intersected with top quality clients and pay. I was the exclusive designer for the islands of Sanibel, Captiva, Bokeelia, Cayo Costa, Useppa, and Boca Grand. Top shelf material all the way around.

Since 2010 I have slowed down a little, only doing 10-20 projects a year. No office, no employees, just me and some sub-contract associates in Florida. Last year I completed my last commercial project. I will continue to do preliminary design work on commercial projects but all construction documents will be handled by others. I’ll keep designing custom homes too.

Since I was 11 and in 7th grade I had a pretty clear view of what I wanted to do for the rest of my life as a vocation. Design buildings. There have been many challenges along the way. Heartbreaks. Massive frustrations. Months on end of irritable clients, projects, and gov’t overbearance. More than once I wanted to give up. Throw the towel in. Just go get a job and let others be responsible. But after a few brews, a puff of smoke, and a few hours or snoring, and 6 am the next day I was always back at it. Never giving up.

I’m old now, and I want to work up til I die. But the reality of such a thing is not good thinking. In earlier times this had never occurred to me. Getting old is something you do alone, and you learn alone.

Last Sept my mutt Shannon died and I told my wife I’ll not get another mutt and thrust it onto someone else when I die. Similarly, I don’t want to leave my clients high and dry when I die. Uncompleted projects that would probably be locked up in probate to where other people would not be able to complete them. Such a condition could cause problems for my wife. I won’t let that happen.

I learned how to start and successfully run a business for more than half my life and now I must learn the reverse, how to shut it down, and when. How do you stop doing something that has been so good to you for so long?

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