this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2024
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Anecdotal, but my brother does tree maintenance. His minimum callout fee for a day's work is $2,000. And he often earns more than double that for one day's work. He does have relatively high costs, but his income is way better than what I earn writing code.
We're both at the stage in our career where it's time to stop being an employee and start running our own company and believe me, his company is more successful than mine. Early days still but my money's on him earning seven figures per year very soon.
He's so much more successful than that if my business fails, there's a good chance I will end up working for him. I'd be on minimum wage for several years while I learn the trade but I think it might be worth it long term and I can eventually pull my connections (the boss being my brother) and get promoted to being a manager with a cushy job driving a company car between job sites.
Sounds about right.
Tree work is dangerous, be careful with yourself. There's a tiny, tiny voice that warns you when you're about to do something dumb. It only sounds for a second, small and faint, and then it disappears. Learn to seize and amplify it, come to a complete stop and listen, and then adjust what you're doing, instead of continuing on "it'll probably be fine."
Oh I know that voice!
It was the one that told me to "stop torquing now!" When I ended up breaking a crossed bolt off in an awkward blind spot on the side of my engine....so now the VTT solenoid is held in by a little epoxy. Because otherwise the engine would have to be removed and a machinist would likely need to just destroy and rethread that thing.
Oh, the shame...
No I'm not a mechanic, I'm just not "pay a mechanic $600 to install a $40 part" rich. :D
But this is exactly why I won't get into something like electricianship or other dangerous stuff. ADHD sometimes just squelches that little voice and I'm left asking myself why I did something so stupid and wishing I could go back 10 seconds.
If the consequences were life or death? Yeah no way I don't need a sudden brain-lapse killing/maiming me or someone else.