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Being your own boss versus working the “day job”

There is a pride associated with working for yourself. The idea that you’re self-reliant, self-made, and answer to no one is enticing. Trust me, I love the concept. There’s a romanticism attached to it, and while you hear and read about the successes of individuals who make it work, for every triumph there is a situation that doesn’t quite work out … or if it does, the cost is higher than the value of the reward. I think it’s important to know what’s on the face of both sides of the coin.

People often ask me, “Do you do this full time?” in regards to Brown Dog Welding. I put full-time hours into BDW, but that’s not why they ask. They want to know if I can support myself and my family on my own, because the perception is that answering to no one equals being the man, living the American dream.

I also have friends that have tried to convince me to quit my “day job” for other reasons. They argue that you aren’t at your best or your most creative as an artist until you’re hungry; that you need desperation to push you to your ceiling and maybe through it.

People are unique, and so are circumstances. I’m not going to call out any individuals, nor do I want to make absolute statements. I don’t want to say one way is wrong and the other right. I will, however, lay out my position and why I’m sticking with working for the man for the foreseeable future.

I’ve worked for some great employers over the years, the result of luck mixed with busting my ass. I’ve been a UAW member since November of 2002 while collecting paychecks from Chrysler and General Dynamics Land Systems. Joint company and union training has been available to me and I’ve taken full advantage. This is an education I would simply not have been afforded working on my own. From going through an apprenticeship and becoming a millwright at Chrysler to my current job as a driver/mechanic at GDLS, “the man” has provided me with a steady paycheck, continuous training, and excellent benefits.

While health care has become mandatory over the last few years, good health care is still simply out of reach for most of my self-employed friends. So many of them have taken a huge risk and gone without health insurance. For me, that isn’t an option.

Since 2013 the cost of my four major arm surgeries and recovery time was way beyond six figures, and that’s not considering the two sinus operations and constant thyroid monitoring my wife has endured in the same time-frame. I see Go Fund Me campaigns and other fundraisers for self-employed artists and small-business owners that are, at times, ironic when the person in need has been outspoken against the 9-to-5 grind and/or unions. Heck, as I’m sitting here, I’m waiting for an MRI on my knee, hoping I didn’t tear something. But because of the company I work for and my UAW representation, I can afford the medical care and, if it comes to it, the time off.

While I read a lot about those who never regret leaving their secure job, I often hear firsthand a different story. Over the last year, I’ve had a number of conversations with self-employed friends and acquaintances, and in some instances their families, who feel the sacrifices they’ve made have not given them freedom; it’s just bound them to different “bosses.” Late or unpaid bills, zero family time, unreliable employees, and clients that either don’t pay or need hounding to even put a dent in their ledger are common. Their health insurance, if they have any, has ridiculous deductibles so they end up ignoring sicknesses or injuries until it’s time to go to the emergency room or, in extreme cases, ask for donations.

The hunger and subsequent desperation that for some fuel output and push creativity also may serve as reasoning and justification to do things you’re not proud of. I’ve seen artists take on projects that cheapen their image because they need the money. I’ve also seen countless small-business owners screw over the people closest to them because of financial miscalculations or other unique money-related circumstances.

Of course I’d love to be my own boss. I’ve had to pass on many unique opportunities for my personal work and travel because I’m tied down to a day job. I spend a lot of creative energy on tasks that aren’t my own, occasionally toiling under management I don’t always see eye to eye with, and my life is unpredictable with the number of last-minute road trips I have to do for General Dynamics. While I mostly enjoy what I do, the people I work with, and the projects I work on, admittedly there is a lot of unrealized potential.

But I’ve never been someone who needs external forces to put out my best work. My ego won’t let me grow stale or produce work that I’m not satisfied with. It doesn’t hurt that I’ve enjoyed my work as both a millwright and a driver/mechanic, and I’ve never been afraid to put in whatever hours are necessary to make both sides of my work, work.

I also have a clear conscious and access to the best health care I can find. Both can be difficult to find and even harder to not take for granted. I don’t want to tell you to stop chasing a dream. Just don’t ignore reality to do it.

About the Author
Brown Dog Welding

Josh Welton

Owner, Brown Dog Welding

(586) 258-8255