At the boatyard, we have an 8-10 page report that's prepared daily, to track the progress of the various boats we're working on. We call it a progress report. Updating this report, preferably in real time, is a major function of Crista, the office manager, and John, the production manager. If we were in the the printing business, this essential document would be called the production schedule--outlining the work that has to be done during that day. I like the terminology "progress report" better. It seems more, well, progressive.
I guess we could do a progress report on my first 3+ weeks in the marine repair business. There were times in the first week when I thought I was absolutely crazy for being there and desperately wanted to walk out. I didn't know what I was doing, I didn't know the terminology, I didn't know the names of the other employees and I just felt completely lost and frustrated. But I survived, and week two was a little bit better. It still seemed somewhat overwhelming, but I wasn't dreading waking up every morning, as I had been earlier.
The blue collar atmosphere at first shocked me. It was such a contrast with the some of the high-profile accounts I had been working with all my professional life, that I didn't quite know what to make of it. The smokers, the dopers, the drinkers, the get me through until payday mentality, it was just too much. But you know what? In time, one can get quite used to anything and now I rather like the people. Several, in particular, are quite intelligent, charming and stimulating. Others, alas, are just challenging, but even they have a certain appeal.
Would I be there if my brother wasn't a partner in the business? Probably not. Wouldn't have been hired, wouldn't have stayed. He's a calming influence. But everybody in management has been really cool, from Scott, the other partner to every one of the office workers. There's been a lot of patience going on and I appreciate that very much.
Every day brings new challenges. Irritating and demanding customers, employees who are almost whimsical in their commitment to showing up every morning, sudden rainstorms that complicate job completions, equipment breakdowns, perverse and maddening accounting procedures, the constant barrage of changes, adaptations, complaints, scheduling issues and the relentless ringing of the phone. Yes, I realize these are all typical office-type situations, but for someone like me who has been used to a much more sedate environment, it is really weird. In fact, when answering the phone, I've had to bite my tongue several times not to blurt out "The Rosenthal Group" which was the last real office I worked in so many years ago. Funny how that is still in the memory banks.
And perhaps the most challenging thing is the pay. While I'm probably getting paid more than I'm worth right now. it has been a huge adjustment compared to what I've been averaging over the past decade with my own business. What I used to earn with just a few phone calls now takes me two weeks of solid work. Wow! But I'm actually not complaining. The situation is what it is and it's all for the good. Discipline, a challenging environment, learning new skills and interacting with a diverse group of people is worth more than money and is probably just what I need right now to build up my confidence and hopefully inspire me to greater things. Who knows what the future may bring.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Onward and ....
Warning: Stream of Consciousness ahead--has not been edited for content.
For those of you able to add 2 + 2, it will probably come as no great surprise that I have been working at my brother's boatyard for the last couple weeks, sort of trying it out. It was set up to be a part-time job, with hours from 730am to 1230pm, four days a week (Fridays off). My brother Tim and his partner Scott, were kind enough to offer me the gig, as it has become apparent that the prized printing position I've been seeking for more than six months is simply not going to materialize. At the boatyard, or so the theory went, I would at least have a real job with regular paychecks, and because, ostensibly, it was only about twenty hours or so a week, I would have plenty of time to pursue the invigoration of my print brokerage business (see previous post).
Well, the invigoration of my own business is not going so well, and because the boatyard is so busy, or simply because it requires so much attention right now, I've been putting in longer hours than expected. Which is fine, as Lord knows I could use the money.
What do I do at CSR Marine, the name of my brother's company? Well, the last 8 days have pretty much been a straight-up learning curve for me, trying to get a feel for the company and helping the office manager in any little way that I can. Just learning the names of the 15 or so employees has been tough, as has been adapting to all the intricacies of the boat-repair industry. Terminology. New computer systems. Payroll. Dealing with blue-collar employees and blue-blooded customers. Trying to massage a billing system that makes what we had 25 years ago seem like state of the art.
But I think that's probably part of the reason they brought me in--to help get their technology a little more up to date. Right now I'm in the "paying your dues" stage, where even the greenest employee probably knows more about the boatyard's operation than I do, and where the veterans are muttering under their breath, "Well, if he wasn't Tim's brother...." But no matter, I do what I do, which is mostly try to help with the phones, help with the billing and payroll, do a little scheduling of the boats coming and going and try my best to sweep up the pieces when something goes wrong. I thought production management in the printing business was a lousy, though lucrative, way to make a living. As I watch other people running a boatyard, I keep seeing a runaway locomotive, with the engineer desperately trying to keep it under control. For a newcomer, at least, it is totally crazy, all the time. Give me printing, which is at least in my comfort zone. But then again, printing is dying away, and "custom marine fabrication" (as it's called) is booming. Tough choice.
But there are good parts. Some of the people I'm working with are really excellent, with great personalities--some even have a sense of humor, which I crave. The whole atmosphere of the boatyard I find personally challenging. It's probably the toughest thing I've had to do in more than ten years, which tells you what a comfort zone I've been in. Just the whole work thing, punching in and punching out, has been an incredible adjustment, and believe me, I've had to check my ego at the door. I guess I used to think I was on an even footing with most people, but the past six or seven months have completely disabused me of that notion. I've come to realize that I'm just another schmuck, slithering through life, in possession of few real-world skills and with no more motivation than would fill a pinky thimble. It would be easier of my brother were around more, but he's needed at the main yard--where I'm at is one of their auxilliary operations. It's probably best, for now, that I'm just one of the pawns and don't have him around to bail me out.
What has happened, where exactly have I gone wrong, or has it all been just meant to be? That has been my trump card to despair for so long: things will work out, things will get better, this is just how it has to be for now. Well, the ripcord on that philosophy has finally been pulled and I just hope the parachute opens before I hit solid ground at about 200 miles per hour.
Unbelievably, even after writing that last paragraph, I do believe that everything's going to be OK. Am I completely stupid? Or am I so prideful that I can't admit to any failings? Will Frank Ryan Ink be anything beyond a cute logo? Will I grow to love the boat repair business, or will I sink into a sea of frustration at the inability to work as someone's "employee" after being self-employed for so long? I don't know--I guess my real character will come out now, for better or worse. Either I make the very best of the current situation, or I let it depress and frustrate me into the abyss, ever deeper.
For those of you able to add 2 + 2, it will probably come as no great surprise that I have been working at my brother's boatyard for the last couple weeks, sort of trying it out. It was set up to be a part-time job, with hours from 730am to 1230pm, four days a week (Fridays off). My brother Tim and his partner Scott, were kind enough to offer me the gig, as it has become apparent that the prized printing position I've been seeking for more than six months is simply not going to materialize. At the boatyard, or so the theory went, I would at least have a real job with regular paychecks, and because, ostensibly, it was only about twenty hours or so a week, I would have plenty of time to pursue the invigoration of my print brokerage business (see previous post).
Well, the invigoration of my own business is not going so well, and because the boatyard is so busy, or simply because it requires so much attention right now, I've been putting in longer hours than expected. Which is fine, as Lord knows I could use the money.
What do I do at CSR Marine, the name of my brother's company? Well, the last 8 days have pretty much been a straight-up learning curve for me, trying to get a feel for the company and helping the office manager in any little way that I can. Just learning the names of the 15 or so employees has been tough, as has been adapting to all the intricacies of the boat-repair industry. Terminology. New computer systems. Payroll. Dealing with blue-collar employees and blue-blooded customers. Trying to massage a billing system that makes what we had 25 years ago seem like state of the art.
But I think that's probably part of the reason they brought me in--to help get their technology a little more up to date. Right now I'm in the "paying your dues" stage, where even the greenest employee probably knows more about the boatyard's operation than I do, and where the veterans are muttering under their breath, "Well, if he wasn't Tim's brother...." But no matter, I do what I do, which is mostly try to help with the phones, help with the billing and payroll, do a little scheduling of the boats coming and going and try my best to sweep up the pieces when something goes wrong. I thought production management in the printing business was a lousy, though lucrative, way to make a living. As I watch other people running a boatyard, I keep seeing a runaway locomotive, with the engineer desperately trying to keep it under control. For a newcomer, at least, it is totally crazy, all the time. Give me printing, which is at least in my comfort zone. But then again, printing is dying away, and "custom marine fabrication" (as it's called) is booming. Tough choice.
But there are good parts. Some of the people I'm working with are really excellent, with great personalities--some even have a sense of humor, which I crave. The whole atmosphere of the boatyard I find personally challenging. It's probably the toughest thing I've had to do in more than ten years, which tells you what a comfort zone I've been in. Just the whole work thing, punching in and punching out, has been an incredible adjustment, and believe me, I've had to check my ego at the door. I guess I used to think I was on an even footing with most people, but the past six or seven months have completely disabused me of that notion. I've come to realize that I'm just another schmuck, slithering through life, in possession of few real-world skills and with no more motivation than would fill a pinky thimble. It would be easier of my brother were around more, but he's needed at the main yard--where I'm at is one of their auxilliary operations. It's probably best, for now, that I'm just one of the pawns and don't have him around to bail me out.
What has happened, where exactly have I gone wrong, or has it all been just meant to be? That has been my trump card to despair for so long: things will work out, things will get better, this is just how it has to be for now. Well, the ripcord on that philosophy has finally been pulled and I just hope the parachute opens before I hit solid ground at about 200 miles per hour.
Unbelievably, even after writing that last paragraph, I do believe that everything's going to be OK. Am I completely stupid? Or am I so prideful that I can't admit to any failings? Will Frank Ryan Ink be anything beyond a cute logo? Will I grow to love the boat repair business, or will I sink into a sea of frustration at the inability to work as someone's "employee" after being self-employed for so long? I don't know--I guess my real character will come out now, for better or worse. Either I make the very best of the current situation, or I let it depress and frustrate me into the abyss, ever deeper.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Play-time
It's nice having a blood relative in the theatre business. That's because she can me free tickets. And everybody knows how the theatre was my first love.
The only hitch in this scenario is that to get the free tickets, I usually have to with my sister Sue and her husband Greg. That's not quite as bad as it seems--they're actually very good company and often help me understand the plot of the play.
A couple weeks ago we saw a play that the undergraduates in the UW's Drama Department (where Sue works) put on. It was the rock-opera "Tommy" and what a rousing production it was. I enjoyed every minute of the musical and was very impressed with the play's professional production values and the skill level of the players.
Two nights ago (Sunday), the three of us went downtown to the Intiman Theatre at the Seattle Center to see "Rounding Third," a two-man, one-set play depicting a season in the life of two Little League coaches, ala Felix and Oscar in the "Odd Couple." The team's veteran manager, who lives to coach baseball, acquiring the fleeting perks of his delusional importance along the way, is joined by a naieve, first-time coach from the neighboring city, who's the father of the team's most incompetent player ("Frank"). Along the way, each coach gives into his personal demons, and the actual team, once so important, takes its rightful place as just a diversion. It's an inspiration little comedy and I enjoyed it very much.
The only hitch in this scenario is that to get the free tickets, I usually have to with my sister Sue and her husband Greg. That's not quite as bad as it seems--they're actually very good company and often help me understand the plot of the play.
A couple weeks ago we saw a play that the undergraduates in the UW's Drama Department (where Sue works) put on. It was the rock-opera "Tommy" and what a rousing production it was. I enjoyed every minute of the musical and was very impressed with the play's professional production values and the skill level of the players.
Two nights ago (Sunday), the three of us went downtown to the Intiman Theatre at the Seattle Center to see "Rounding Third," a two-man, one-set play depicting a season in the life of two Little League coaches, ala Felix and Oscar in the "Odd Couple." The team's veteran manager, who lives to coach baseball, acquiring the fleeting perks of his delusional importance along the way, is joined by a naieve, first-time coach from the neighboring city, who's the father of the team's most incompetent player ("Frank"). Along the way, each coach gives into his personal demons, and the actual team, once so important, takes its rightful place as just a diversion. It's an inspiration little comedy and I enjoyed it very much.
Ten and One
Going into the last week of the regular season, the Little League team that I've been helping to coach, if you can call it that, has a record of 10 wins and just one loss. Although my memory of the game is fading, the one loss occurred about a month ago against just an average Queen Anne team and was rather inexplicable in many ways. We could tell almost from the first pitch that it just wasn't our night. It was cold, the kids weren't into it, the pitching was shaky and we just could not string together any hits. The baserunning was lousy, as was the defense. I guess that's just my way of saying that we should be undefeated (which would have been sweet!).
My nephew Sam is one of the better players on the team and has just been a really, really solid part of the team with his good hitting and excellent play at first base. He has also had some overpowering appearances at pitcher. At over 6 feet tall and with his long, brown hair, he cuts quite the striking figure on the field.
Sam's dad, Don, is the real star of the team. The commitment of this man is amazing. He has made it to every practice and every game, oftentimes having to arrive an hour early with all the team equipment, and usually not leaving the dugout until everyone else is long gone. How he's able to keep up with the demands of the team, as well as the demands of his high-powered job with USBank is a total mystery. I have enough trouble making it to most games and by the end of the seventh inning, I am more than willing to go home and eat dinner. His patience with the kids (and the other coaches) and his deep knowledge of the game has been a real inspiration and a learning tool I can use with my softball team.
I'll post some pictures later.
My nephew Sam is one of the better players on the team and has just been a really, really solid part of the team with his good hitting and excellent play at first base. He has also had some overpowering appearances at pitcher. At over 6 feet tall and with his long, brown hair, he cuts quite the striking figure on the field.
Sam's dad, Don, is the real star of the team. The commitment of this man is amazing. He has made it to every practice and every game, oftentimes having to arrive an hour early with all the team equipment, and usually not leaving the dugout until everyone else is long gone. How he's able to keep up with the demands of the team, as well as the demands of his high-powered job with USBank is a total mystery. I have enough trouble making it to most games and by the end of the seventh inning, I am more than willing to go home and eat dinner. His patience with the kids (and the other coaches) and his deep knowledge of the game has been a real inspiration and a learning tool I can use with my softball team.
I'll post some pictures later.
Speaking of Branding
I mentioned in the previous post, that my new-ish Fuji road bike is heavily branded, with twelve logos all told, appearing on it's frame and fork. In another shameless attempt at brand-leveraging, I've changed the name of my flailing print brokerage to Frank Ryan Ink. The old name (Trailhead Grafix) had a lot of meaning to me when I started the business more than ten years ago, but it never seemed to click with my clients. Maybe I needed new clients. Anyway, afte being asked dozens of times about the genesis of the name, I just started explaining it away by telling people that all the good names had been taken.
I've been around the printing business long enough though that most vendors and all customers can at least relate to my name, hence the change. A designer friend of mine did the logo and another buddy is printing up some new stationery. I think it looks pretty sharp, though I haven't had time to create a good web version yet (the one you see is still a little blurry). Anyway, it will give me a chance to reconnect with some old clients and possibly eke out a few more orders while I'm waiting for that truck driving position to open up.
I've even run a couple newspaper ads and finally, after all these years, have a company website. It's not the best, but since I created it in less than 90 minutes from to finish, I'm reasonably happy with it. My free trial web-authoring software expired shortly after I uploaded the site, so don't expect much in the way of improvements. You guessed it--FrankRyanInk.com.
Logo-mania
I was just out in the garage working on my bikes. In so doing, I noticed my ten year-old Trek 1000 has two Trek logos. Conversely, I counted twelve logos on my two year-old Fuji. I guess they call that "branding."
Monday, May 08, 2006
Where Have I Been?
I can't believe it's been since April 24th that I made my last post. Lots of personal things have lately damped my enthusiasm for writing. I need to try harder to keep this blog going--and I will. I have lots of things I can discuss, including my nephew's terrific Little League team, the beginning of softball season for my kids, a couple plays I've gone to and some work I've been doing at my brother's boatyard. All that (and more) to come!
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