Walking Away

I was shopping food my weekly food needs yesterday and I saw someone I knew and we had a brief enjoyable conversation. We talked about others we knew each other knew, but to give a positive update. He told me he no longer held one of his positions and that he was now freer to pursue another career goal more aggressively. They call on him to be next at the counter and we departed to continue my shopping.

 Later in the store he came over to me and started up another conversation, but though it was still trying to appear casual I saw the smile. He asked if I was still a general contractor and real estate broker. I told him I was and he informed me that the agency he works under was in need of a contractor because they had a lot of work to do. I told him I was busy but thanked him for considering me. I also started to leave, until he asked for my card. I told him I didn’t have one with me so he reached in to hand me his. Then we parted.

To some that may have looked like a nice opportunity to make money, but at what cost. He asked me to place my contractors license and skill under the control of someone who ones his agency or himself for the sake of them getting their tasks transferred to me and them taking a healthy cut from the earning for accomplishing the task.

Once you have established yourself as an independent or self employed it is wise to make certain the opportunities which are presented to you for considerations are opportunities for you and not for the person or agencies offering them. If the agency remains in control or remains a party in the negotiations you are surrendering your independence to another. Sometimes the best thing to do is walk away. If that is not possible then say no. Then walk away.

Note: Images on this blog site are from a free source or taken by the author. No image or group of photos is intended to represent the people the author serves. The author does not care about Race (that is a politically correct term that he does not like because we are all of the same Race, the Human Race. He prefers the term ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender, marital status, disability, genetic information, national origin, source of income, Veteran or military status, ancestry, citizenship, primary language or immigration status.) He is a service provider for all people. We will all rise together when we band together and help one another. Joseph Erwin is a Real Estate Broker, DRE # O2131799, and a CA general contractor # B 696662. He’s a member of the CRMLS and The East Valley Association of Realtors located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California.