| I was fifteen minutes from reporting to my first | | | | cut!". I was breaking down the table over his |
| day of work as a minimum wage dishwasher | | | | protests and briskly walking it back to the storage |
| early one evening in June, 1979. It was my first | | | | bay that Sue had plucked it from the day before. |
| summer living out of my mom and dad's house. | | | | Table tucked away, I smiled at the Pres. and |
| Things had started well enough--my intention was | | | | thanked him profusely. Then I turned on my heel |
| to sell wholesale T-Shirt printing services, pumping | | | | and ran close to four minute mile pace back to |
| out the jobs myself on a freelance basis. | | | | my flat, a remorseless 22 year old flush with |
| The first week, I sold a gross of shirts to a local | | | | success! |
| pub, making a gross of dollars. Considering that | | | | Now I admit that I'd pulled a fast one on that |
| rent for my summer sublet was all of $60.00 per | | | | guy, but I am hardly the only college kid to ever |
| month, I felt flush! But I hit the wall after that. | | | | make a quick bundle of cash bootlegging a few |
| Despite hanging flyers all over Amherst and | | | | T's. The moral of the story, such as it is, goes like |
| environs (including the enormous University of | | | | this: If you've got the BoHo self employment |
| Massachusetts campus), the fact was that my | | | | stuff, you know it, because you have an |
| client base (dorms, student clubs, and the like) had | | | | anecdote or two a lot like this. Normal, sensible, |
| departed for the summer and no one was buying. | | | | thoughtful people do not take risks like this, they |
| Having spent most of my last $20.00 on a book | | | | do not engage in such brazen behavior. They |
| that caught my eye (I'd convinced myself that | | | | want "security"! You and me, we'll take the risk |
| this was practical through some alchemical | | | | any day... for those who prefer the living death of |
| equation), I was ready to throw in the towel, and | | | | the secure government job and pension, they can |
| signed on for a dishwasher job on campus. | | | | have it! |
| UMass hosted an odd assortment of conventions, | | | | Is BoHo Self Employment for You? |
| seminars and crackpot camps in an attempt to | | | | Are you an insubordinate scalawag who hates |
| pay the bills over the slow summer season. I was | | | | being a cog in a hierarchical organization? Do you |
| to be washing dishes in the campus dining | | | | enjoy simple accounting? Then BoHo self |
| commons for a group of several hundred | | | | employment may be the designer lifestyle of |
| Transcendental Meditation practitioners from the | | | | choice for you. |
| west coast who were convening a seminar on | | | | I was a paperboy from the age of thirteen until I |
| levitation. I did mention it was the Seventies, | | | | was fifteen. I wasn't particularly ambitious about |
| right? | | | | adding new customers, nor was I the best |
| I was filled with despair at the bleak prospect of | | | | accountant/enforcer I coulda been, but I was |
| washing dishes. I'd done my time as a dishwasher | | | | conscientious and punctual about getting slightly |
| at a fast food steak house in high school where I | | | | over forty households their morning Springfield |
| was required to wear a polyester cowboy outfit. I | | | | Union for two years. |
| had no desire to return to the low rent glory of | | | | I really enjoyed the earnings--at first, it enabled |
| the dishwashing pit. | | | | my Marvel Comics habit, which transformed into |
| At fifteen minutes to the 7:00 pm diswashing | | | | an album buying binge when I got a bit old for |
| shift, a bolt of lightning struck. Of an instant, a | | | | superhero comics. Finally, at the grand old age of |
| fully formed scam literally sprang out of absolutely | | | | fifteen, the gig supported important early forays |
| nowhere and announced itself to me. The | | | | into the enticing worlds of beer and weed! I didn't |
| underlying message was clear: YOU ARE NOT TO | | | | give it much thought at the time, but apparently |
| REPORT TO THE DISHWASHING JOB! | | | | having a paper route is a good indicator that you |
| I'd recalled that an acquaintance, Sue, who | | | | may have the right stuff for entrepreneurship. |
| worked in the campus center building, had | | | | That may well be true, but the ultimate test is |
| mentioned to me that she had a list of groups | | | | probably more like this: Have you ever been hired |
| who were holding events in the concourse of the | | | | for a job (probably one you desperately needed) |
| campus center that summer. Sue had actually | | | | only to find yourself really depressed at the |
| produced a list of the events for me. She assured | | | | prospect of looming indentured servitude? Yes? |
| me, if I was to set up and sell T-Shirts at these | | | | Now there is a swell indicator that you have the |
| events, she would look the other way; not charge | | | | right stuff for entrepreneurship! |
| me for the space. It seemed risky and a bit | | | | Okay, that's only part of it. Where lies you |
| scurrilous, and I'd forgotten about it until fourteen | | | | passion? Do you obsess over something that can |
| minutes to dishwashing. | | | | translate into a product or service? Can you see |
| It was a Thursday evening, and that very | | | | yourself building a business around this passion, |
| weekend, the New England Camera Club was | | | | this obsession? If you have an intense focus, if |
| hosting their annual convention in the campus | | | | you naturally bend your will to doing something |
| center. I determined that I would grace the show | | | | about it, bingo! You are ready to put yourself in |
| with their official (bootleg) t-shirt. The first | | | | the driver's seat in your life. Lemme warn you |
| problem to conquer was lack of capital. I knew | | | | though, you are in for one hell of a bumpy ride. |
| where I could score some blank shirts for a dollar | | | | You gotta want it BAD! You will know: You are |
| a pop, which I could print and mark up to the | | | | literally compelled to work for yourself. |
| princely sum of four bucks, but since I was down | | | | Seriously, it is easier for most normal humans to |
| to $3.00 on hand, it didn't seem much of a plan. If | | | | just get a job and have a hobby on the side. |
| I had a hundred bucks, I could buy a hundred | | | | Stare yourself down hard, look in your heart and |
| shirts and turn it into four hundred over the | | | | do a gut check. |
| course of the weekend, enough to finance a | | | | Ready? OK, let's go! Disclaimer! I can only tell you |
| month of summer living! | | | | about my experience, what has worked for me. |
| Did I mention it was the Seventies? Very | | | | Take what resonates with you and dump the |
| fortunate, as it turns out you could hitchhike | | | | rest. I am no business genius, but I am very |
| anywhere in New England back then within the | | | | canny about producing an income for myself. I |
| course of a few hours, a day tops. | | | | have been able to do so in adverse |
| I elected my mom as financier and was on the | | | | circumstances. In the midst of the devastating |
| road by five minutes to seven with my thumb up. | | | | recession of the early 80's, fresh out of college |
| As my folks lived about 70 miles away, I figured | | | | with an ART degree (not a lot of hiring going on |
| I'd get there just before the summer night | | | | there!), I created a job for myself out of thin air |
| settled in. I got a ride out of Amherst towards | | | | (more about that in a bit.) Right now, at the age |
| the western burbs of Boston just about the time | | | | of 47, I'm running a business that grosses about |
| my dishwashing shift supervisor probably started | | | | $130,000 a year. It pays me about 35K, and my |
| wondering where the hell I was. | | | | two part time workers last year made a total of |
| Okay, so mom definitely raised an eyebrow at | | | | about 21K between them. Mind you, I'm working |
| the plan, but recognized my desperation and | | | | an average of about 30 hours a week... part of |
| fronted the bucks. By early Friday afternoon, I | | | | my pay I take in TIME. Say what? That's right, I |
| was back in Amherst at my drawing board | | | | pay myself in time to do what I want. That's the |
| putting together a cute little cartoon logo featuring | | | | BOHO part. According to my handy American |
| a guy who had a camera for a head. Somehow I | | | | Heritage Dictionary, Bohemian is defined thusly: "A |
| managed to rustle up the blank shirts and get | | | | writer or artist who disregards conventional |
| them all printed by eleven that evening. | | | | standards of behavior". |
| The next day, I set up bright and early on the | | | | I'm an artist as well as a businessman, so I've |
| campus concourse with a table that Sue | | | | always been willing to trade potential earnings for |
| scrounged up for me (she was slightly horrified | | | | time to do what ever the heck I want. In my |
| that I'd actually taken her up on her offer!). By | | | | case, I write and draw "literary" graphic novels. |
| noon I'd made Mom's stake back, and was up to | | | | Yes, I make some money from the comics too, |
| $250.00 by the end of the first day. By just past | | | | but not enough to keep the wolf away from the |
| noon on Sunday, I hit about $430.00 (having | | | | door. |
| managed to get the shirts for .89, I had a few | | | | I've managed to keep myself employed during |
| over 100 pieces). | | | | three serious economic downturns since I got out |
| At that point, an obnoxious fifteen year old (who | | | | of college. I've been able to buy a house (I went |
| had been flirting with me earlier) returned. With an | | | | in on it with my wife and sister in law, a very |
| attitude of scorn and derision, she asked if these | | | | economic way to buy real estate). By virtue of |
| were the official New England Camera Club | | | | re-investing a lot of my earnings back into my |
| T-Shirts? I said that indeed they were! A pale and | | | | business, I pay pretty darn low taxes. |
| disheveled fifty year old sad sack with caved in | | | | I'm no Donald Trump (thank god!), but I'm |
| shoulders stepped forward and introduced himself | | | | reasonably content with the job I've created for |
| as the president of said club. I handed him the | | | | myself. |
| four remaining shirts, and barked "Here's your | | | | |