Ten years in and still going

On Monday 2nd November 2015 I started work properly on my own jobs, no back up to fall on by sub contracting and doing bits on the odd day off, no security of another company doing the hard work of finding me work, just me now. 

I had two weeks worth of work in my diary and had just enough of site work and all the unnecessary drama that comes with it. The back stabbing from fellow painters, the snide site agents asking you do to do one thing then lying when you do that thing and the rubbish plots they give you then rip to pieces once its all nicely lit up and heated. So I decided I wanted to try alone. I'd been slowly building up a online presence for 18 months or so prior to taking the leap and had the odd job come in, each one giving me the taste of trying it but not having the courage I needed to do it. The push I needed came when I was off work for a couple of weeks after a minor operation and I found that I really didn't want to go back on site travelling miles and miles on the motorway each day. It was while I was off those weeks I had this initial work come in. Just two weeks work and many I knew expected me to be back on site in two weeks.

It's now Monday 3rd November 2025 (actually it's a few days before as I write this now!) and ten years have passed. Those first two weeks have led me to now and what an amazing, eye opening, rewarding but often stressful journey it's been. I have worked for so many wonderful customers, many who I still work for now and some bad customers who have caused me stress and anxiety. I've done jobs that I would never thought I could have, jobs that have tested me and shown me I can come through it with flying colours and pushed me on to new levels.  I've also made mistakes on jobs and let some people down, not lived up to previous standards I set and had to deal with the fallout from that. I've learned when to walk away from situations and jobs instead of carrying on like I did at the start. Like everyone else, got through covid when I couldn't work. I was married, got divorced but found someone new and became a single parent working around the school runs, fitting in jobs and quotes around the kids which I still do now! 

I became a member of Dulux Select not long after starting, through that I've won an award and had nominations for others for my workmanship. Met some exceptional decorators and great people at various events, put myself on courses I'd never have done before and generally got out of my comfort zone. Never did I think I'd make ten years on my own yet alone ten years with Dulux Select too, so I would like to just thank everybody who has supported me over the years. It really does mean so much to me and I wouldn't have been able to achieve any of this without that support. 

Here's to another ten years!

Thanks

David