During a meeting with a group of young entrepreneurs, (who despised the idea of punching a timeclock), at a local coffee shop, I decided the best and simplest way for me to generate income was to go into business for myself. With little experience, no trucks or uniforms, I showed up every day at that coffee shop looking for people who looked like they did the type of work I wanted to do. After a short while, I got my first break. I landed a temporary contract with the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority doing what we called, ‘Make-Readys’; patching holes and painting apartments to get them ready for new tenants. I made enough money to pay my bills and to finally get some business cards. Shortly, after that I got an even bigger break- my very first commercial contract with Starbucks. I guess a general contractor on the job got tired of me offering to buy him coffee then asking for work so, he gave in and decided to give me a shot and business has been growing ever since.

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I started my drywall business with two drywall knives and a mud pan in the passenger seat of my MR2 sports car. For everything I lacked, I had one thing that sat me apart from every other would be contractor that showed up- “I was Hungry”.

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All these years later, the faces of the baristas and managers have changed but I take great pride when I walk in and look around. No one knows it but I quietly say to myself, “Yep, I did that”