Since Im here to stay, id love to get to know some of guys better. What did you guys do before pressure washing for work?
I work in the maritime industry up in Alaska. Not the biggest fan of my employer and thats why im trying to start working for myself. At least then my boss will be an A-hole but i know him really well 
I started off in law enforcement, that lasted less than a year. Built hosts for a few years. Was a fireman for a couple of decades. Owned some small businesses here and there. Drove a wrecker a few years. Been washing since 1998. When I grow up I want to be a barber or a tinkerer.
What about the hotdog stand?
Nowhere near as cool as what you did but I am trained for ship firefighting. Such a terrible place to have to deal with stuff as quarters are cramped enough WITHOUT an SCBA.
Have nothing but respect for guys that go into fires and the ones that support them.
The hotdog stand sounds interesting. Did the name include the words hot and buns in there because if it didn’t…it should 
Small engine equipment sales - landscaping equipment, less than 100 HP tractors, chain saws, trimmers, mowers, etc. Did this just I dropped out of college and stuck at it for a decade.
Did some HVAC work for two summers during high school.
Was a Resident Assistant (dorm manager) in college.
Currently a full-time employee at local town working in Parks and Sanitation Dept., and running house washes in the evenings and weekends.
Basically been been self employed my whole adult life, almost 30 years…
Welcome Dallsheep for what its worth to you not a lot cause Im brand new to this forum thing, but I say Welcome anyway. I worked in Distribution for 22 years for two different companies. Last one was 24/7 so long hours and lots of headaches but did love it. Left because I was working ALL the time and I have a big family and my kids were growing up around me. Starting pw as a side gig to see if this was something I could do well and support my family. I LOVE PRESSURE WASHING!!
Interesting idea here… I spent a year or so as a financial consultant out of college, then I went into construction management for almost 20 years. Came into this industry on the business side through a friend who started a company that grew quick, and he wanted to go start some other things… Learning this business, learning how to lead more based on people and less on numbers…
I welded for a few years and then went in the Army for 12. Went back to welding when I got out. It’s one of those skills I highly recommend everyone learn.
Only thing I ever welded was a spun crank bearing. Luckily, I know some gifted welders that would take me 100 years to catch up to, so I simply can’t justify starting from scratch at this point. But I’m glad you guys are out there!
I went to school in Chicago for computer security and ended up in Texas doing IT work. I absolutely despised it and a hilarious chain of events lead me to working up in Alaska for a summer working on a whale watching tour boat. I was poor so figured getting a summer job and bumming around places I wanted to visit might be a cheap way to be able to afford travel.
Alaska got it’s hooks in me and I ended up working my way up from deckhand to captain over the years and eventually moved up here full time probably a little over 10 years ago.
Not really successful in the PW biz as I am brand new to it but I, like most people that are dummies, think there’s money to be made and hope I am right.
I was a garbage man for 25 years. Started out as a route driver, moved to management and when the owners wanted to sell the company they offered it to me.
After managing people for a decade- I didn’t want the headache of 15 employees and their problems, walked away from a once in lifetime opportunity some say.
Started a window cleaning and PW’ing company- doubled my previous annual salary after year 3 in business. Now I get to work every day with my son, made him part owner and loving it. I work a lot harder- but am rewarded a lot more!
A lawyer. Now 4 years in this business and loving life!
If you go with tinkerer you can charge people when they want you to give a damn.
I worked in various aspects of the IT world, from selling computers to fixing computers to maintaining servers to configuring routers for new networks. I enjoyed some of it but hated most of it and was perpetually poor. I started working for a pool store and after 7 years there I left to start my own pool cleaning business which is harder than I expected because getting good employees is really hard. And im here learning from the best to add pressure washing to my pool cleaning business because I go to these houses every week and see the green screens and cruddy lanais.
Travel contractor at oil refineries and pipelines all over the country then went to driving heavy haul then heavy equipment mechanic working on bucket trucks and cranes
Cook at a insanely high volume restaurant on the Gulf. But this year my season hours are cut in half so no more 70 hour + weeks whoo. Been at this particular place 4 years and the pay is quite well and my kitchen manager is amazing but itll be nice to not have to sell 110k+ of food per day if you work a double hah
Went from sheetmetal fabrication to throwing chemicals around strangers homes.
Heck we’re in the wrong industry. We need to start feeding people.
Haha yeah we broke 20 million last year in food sales highest before was 14 the year before last year was the biggest jump seen so far but price inflation helped with that haha
