Private Show Today - Photos added

Nice to see your work Stacy.
(love the granates, but they will be illegal in Europe)

I was a salesman in the IT-world end 1990's early 2000's and made more money then I needed.
Ran in to serious health problems, but worked myself up to a job making/repairing/altering orthopaedic shoes.
No where near the IT-money but love doing the work I do, and still hate computers.
Lesson learned: doing what you enjoy is worth way more then big money
 
Fabulous looking work Stacy....hope you did well at your show. When I was a young lad of 21 or so I had a job servicing and installing digital measurement systems on machine shop equipment. This was basically the dawn of the CNC age, and the Bandit control was one of the first controllers that could be retrofitted on existing machinery. After about 2 years of doing this I was offered a "promotion" into the sales department. More money, status, and potential ulcers. I didn't last 6 months in that job....hated it. I learned at a young age that when you like what you do to make a living, you never have to go to "work" a day in your life. I've held to that philosophy ever since and it has served me well.
 
Totally agreed.

Those who know me and my jewelry work personally know that I could work for any high end jeweler at a great salary, or own my own business and make good money.
I owned my own jewelry store for many years, and working for yourself often means you have an a$$ ho!e for a boss. I then merged my business with the major source of my trade and custom work. That was good for both of us. I put a glass walled booth inside their store, did their retail and custom work, and took care of my trade customers as well. It was a good arrangement for a while. Then the owner of the other store started feeling it was benefitting me more than her (not so - I grew her business from a small shop into three stores and made her a millionaire during those years). I told her to pay me a fair salary with insurance and an IRA and all the business would be hers. Best thing I ever did. She is long retired, the three stores turned into two, and they became owned by separate people. Now, I work at only one of those stores for the nicest boss a fellow could have. I take off when needed, do what I like to do, and am respected by my co-workers and customers. I am the only original employee. I get a bit more than the original salary, but not a lot. I am quite content with it and have a job I love. I turn down offers every year at twice my salary ( one time almost three times my salary) from big companies ... because I know I would hate the bureaucracy and policies of corporate stores. I plan on retiring someday, maybe in the next five or so years, but there is no rush ... because there is no need to.
 
Damn Stacy, that's an awesome story on your career path--and result--I also turn pens as well as my knifemaking ventures, I really like the one Keltic knot pen you have shown. I am always overwhelmed by the vastness of your knowledge in metallurgy and such, perhaps that was part of your jewelry learning cycle? At any rate congrats to you and your situation--

Best regards--Don
 
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