Everyone has a space for rent; the schedule and rates are up to us. People come by, they enjoy themselves, and we all finish with more than we started with. It’s not about the money. Sometimes it is.
I have a rotating tenant list, as do many of my peers in the trade. Collectively, there are places in our lives that FNGs (framebuilder new guys…) want to visit. Some stay for a moment (that can seem more like an eternity…) and others do stay for an eternity. Why? Because we have the intellectual property with the best views.
It takes time, lots of practice, and at least a small degree of self-reflection, to be in this business. You can’t shouldn’t be here after knocking out that first frame in some class you took. Or making the next thirty in the wood shed. With all the FNGs now having sites, Instagrams, ABOUT pages, or worse yet – drop downs with prices and terms, I wonder what some see in their reflection.
Folks want to build frames. I get that. What I don’t understand is why so many rush to bring them to market. Or even their need to blog about what little they know. The viral activity and page visits often seem more important to them than the actual process of learning. Doh.
There are many rental units listed online. That’s where I and my pals come in. We’ve got a hospitality suite where doors are never locked. Some cats actually take advice, and then come back for more. And there are also those who ask, and keep asking until they get the answer they want. It’s an unusual way to learn. But that’s the state of things.
We get the community and the niche we deserve enable. And most of us still have the We’ll keep the light on for ya’ attitude. Sharing benefits us all, but free advice comes at a price. If you want to have your own space, do the work, and then do some more. And then keep working. Spend enough time working and someday you may see a framebuilder when you stare back at yourself.
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