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Thread: It's been a while since I posted so here goes...

  1. #1
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    Smile It's been a while since I posted so here goes...

    Hi All,

    Wow, I didn't realize how quickly time passes and that I haven't been on this forum in ages. My senile old mind gets the better of me. Many things changed and many things stayed the same since I was last here. I won't go into the low-lights - hell, they're over with and life goes on. Things are good on the whole and I am forging ahead in a sort-of new direction which is extremely exciting to me. I truly love what I am busy with and I feel a passion burning in my soul. I can't really sleep, all I want to do is get on with it no matter the obstacle.

    OK, so you must think that I am off my head and I have stated a weed farm or something like that. Hell no, it is way more exciting (for me at least) I got two sets of metal spin casting equipment. It's a bit of a long story howcome I ended up with two sets but it is all good. I spin zinc in the one and White Metal in the other. As you know I've been doing 3D cad / cnc / laser / 3d printing / resin casting for a long time (as an aside - I got a frigging huge contract to do food safe molds for an international food supplier- but I digress). Being able to do metal casting in-house has always been one of my out of reach goals.It was always too complex, expensive, difficult, not enough cash or whatever other reason why I could never get to it. Then one day by chance, a set of events started to follow on one another to lead me right down the more than perfect path into not only having one set of equipment but rather, having two and a half sets, full access to wonderful people in the industry and also full access to electroplating. Now look, it took a long time and it certainly wasn't easy, but I am saying that I feel truly blessed that I am in the position that I am today with the gear and contacts at my disposal.

    You know, I must really be getting old...or wise..or just learning the way of the world after being a blind idiot for 51 years. You might think that I am speaking out of my butt but hear me out (no I am not drunk or stoned - I stopped doing drugs at 17 and drinking at 48). Ok, so I spent a lifetime trying to know everything about everything and trying to do everything myself. I worked my ass off, went down many dead ends and wasted a lot of time an energy learning to do stuff (rather badly - I might add) that I really shouldn't have at all. My business was really doing badly and I was really not happy at all. It all came to a head and I close the formal business and moved it all back to the house. I got rid of the staff, the adhoc work and started to concentrate on very specific things. I really cleaned house (and still am) and got rid of a lot of stuff. Physical clutter drives mental clutter and of course the reverse is also true. As I started to become more focused my mind became clearer and I was able to take a longer term view rather than just bouncing from one shitstorm to the next. It slowly dawned on me that my problem was not that that I am not innovative, clever, creative or any of those things, it was that I was an island. I suppose that extroverts think that this is a totally absurd thing to realize but for me it was an epiphany. I spent my life being the mad professor hiding in the corner tinkering with some odd shit. Anyhow, I go very involved with the development of a product for a client and it led to a long term contract. It is strange to say that I will bend over backwards for a client - people say shit like that for PR and and for the money but I got to doing it out of absolute respect for the guy. Lets call him the project manage for a national project. He works is ass off and he takes a lot of flack but he understands that everybody involved are on a steep learning curve. We developed a national product and we re busy developing another international product. Anyhow, I enjoy working with him. That relationship led to another great relationship with another customer in the food industry. But...my relationship with them led to other relationships and of course they have connections that solved some of my problems. I found myself becoming more and more connected with other people who are connected to others who can solve my problems and of course I could do the same for them. There came a time when I really needed to lay my hands on cash and I tried to sell one of my machines. There were no real takers but out of the blue I got a offer for one of my other machines. In the past I would have taken the cash and run but this time I go more clever. The guy has amazing connections and he also has amazing abilities but he lacks cash and he doesn't know how to do the cad for the machine. We struck a deal whereby he buys the machine over time but I do all the CAD for payment at my hourly rate. I've known him for a very long time and I am happy with the arrangement. This way I get to solve my short term financial problem and also get to earn money in the long term by enabling him to operate the machine within the boundaries of his abilities. I win and he wins. I am putting another deal like that together at the moment where I allow a person to operate one of my machines and I take a percentage of profit.

    The lessons that I learned is that doing business or life for that matter is not only what you know, but more importantly, becoming a part of a web of interconnectedness that shares resources openly and fairly. When you are a part of a web that can say "don't worry, I know guy who can solve that problem" then you are halfway on your journey to success. To get three quarters of the way there you need to be THE GUY and to get one hundred percent there you need to focus on doing only the things that THE GUY does and let others focus on being THE GUY in their field and use their services fairly.

  2. Thank given for this post:

    AndyD (21-Sep-17), Dave A (20-Sep-17)

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    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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