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Just Exactly What WOULD You Do For Money?

Female Entrepreneur I've been reflecting on this all morning. It's Sunday morning here in the office and I was here all day yesterday as well. There's a marketing project I'm working on to reach out to the newest members of NAR and it's taking longer to get ready than I had hoped when the project started. Part of the delay is because it's hard to find employees that really want to work hard to make extra money these days.

I offered overtime to our staff here to try and get this project off the "to do" list but not a single one was willing to work the weekend and give up their plans-- even on overtime! It made me wonder about work and balance and whether there's a "change" happening [especially among our younger people] that has them in a "I just won't do THAT for money" frame of mind. On the one hand I Car Crash applaud them for wanting to have a good, solid mental health break from the office. On the other hand, I'm wondering if the world is so completely different from when I was their age-- because I would do almost ANYTHING [note: almost anything!] to make some extra cash and get ahead. Do they want less than I wanted or do they simply have so much now that chasing more isn't that rewarding for them?

I have 4 sisters and a brother and we were a family that lived by the "whoever finished everything on their plate first [including the brussel sprouts-- yeeew!] got the last pork chop. We weren't dirt poor but we weren't well off and the drive to "get more" was a real one. When I was young I was all about making extra cash-- just about any way I could. Things I've done for money:

Carried 8' solid core doors up stairways and spread them to under-construction mountain condo doorways for installation.
Swept warehouses and cleaned toilets.
Folded and delivered newspapers for a penny apiece (400 papers to make $4).
Made pallets from 7am until 3:30pm.
Wiped up messes [you figure it out] as an orderly in a mental facility from 4pm to midnight while making pallets from 7am until 3:30pm.
Drove a tow truck and took accident [and other law enforcement] calls-- some not especially pretty memories [if you add in the suicides].

So what have you done for money [that you're willing to talk about here]?

Chris Hendricks

Posted by Chris Hendricks on 10/07/2007 01:13 PM

Comments (20)

money, overtime, marketing, chris hendricks, initiative, jobs, work

20 Comments on Just Exactly What WOULD You Do For Money?

OCT

2007

Chris--yep and can I add this newer generation is becomming a whole bunch more lazy-- I milked 9 cows by hand morning and night !! I wouldnt trade my work ethic for all the tea in China !! thanks for the post

Chris, Walked 3 miles to school and back each day... uphill both ways !

Chris, was raised on a large farm/ranch and still participate in its operations today. Built fences, chopped cotton in 100 degree heat. I'm actually one of the few living people I know that has actually picked cotton by hand. Not a lot of fun, but it makes working a little overtime on a weekend sound like a gift rather than a burden.

Griff: You and me both!

Bill: uphill both ways must be a Michigan thing...!

Seth: Never picked cotton... but I've led a somewhat 'charmed' life....

OH MY, Chris, what an interesting topic! As I was reading your post, it made me think about my first job--and how I really wanted to make money to help my parents pay for my high school clothes, yearbooks, etc. I actually worked at a pickle factory 60 hours a week at the age of 17! Talk about an awful experience! But it taught me about the value of a dollar.

Darleen: Now there's a thought most people probably never have.... Who makes my pickle and just exactly HOW do they do that? But, hey, someone has to do it-- and chances are it makes someone money! Thanks!

OCT

2007

I think there's a lot of me, me, me out there now and too many handouts. My father is a farmer so we had to work for everything we had. I appreciate a dollar and hard work.

The 2 ways to get rich-be the best at something or do something nobody else wants to do.

I agree with you on the first but I see too many laborers in CA doing what others are unwilling to do (even for more money)-- and I don't see them getting rich doing it!

Glued cardboard boxes for auto parts. I lasted for 2 hours and I could not do it anymore. Luckily I did not need the money, well I did, it was beer money, so I decided to study harder and forgo the drinking for a the weekend! Gosh I miss the days of college sometimes.

Hmmm... glue and cardboard for beer? Sounds harmless enough!

Delivered Sandwiches, ran an offset press... Hey - what's the work and can a person do it online? I've got a free weekend coming up!!! just kidding, but I am a little surprised... folks around usually would want the work, just get off long enough to attend the football game on Sat....

It was 40 gallon vats of hot glue and the gun never stopped dispensing the glue and the belt never stopped. We were supposed to make 90 boxes/minute. Hot glue on on the skin HURTS! It was enough to keep a college boy away from the beer for the weekend, Now thats a BAD Job HAHAHA

Eva: Ran an offset press, eh?

Chad: That yellow hot melt glue is nasty on your wrists and it smells bad too! Lucky for me I had the "cool" job in the factory and didn't have to be near that stuff!

OCT

2007

Shoveling out the horse manure from the barn stalls at the boarding stables was probably the worst thing. Good exercise though it paid terrible money!

OCT

2007

Chris - this is not the best time to ask mortgage brokers what they would do for money............ but I am entertaining all offers :-)

My mortgage professional said essentially the same to me! She's not as desperate as it sounds but the plug has definitely been pulled and the bath water is starting to drain....

Chris,

Somehow the idea of doing something extra is so strange to a lot of people, even if they'd be paid for it. People are more interested in planning their weekend activities than doing a good job at work. The prevailing attitude seems to need an upgrade.

I think the folks we have here are great at doing their work and I don't want you to think I think they aren't. I'm just surprised at how many are able to turn away from "extra" cash when it's available. I was never able to "pass" on the opportunity for something extra-- at that age!

planning weekend activities - wow - sat and sun i am ready to answer my cell or blackberry at a seconds notice..... ( hell, i think my blackberry sleeps closer to me than my wife ) no bankers hours here - it's time to roll up the sleeves and do things the we did in the 90's....... get out and shake hands,, network, network, network that includes nights and weekends..........

Lewis-- What's a weekend?

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