Road Trip: Sacramento to Portland

Small business owners are some of the most passionate individuals I have ever met. During three days of doing a case study and SWOT analysis on another Design/Build company and reporting to and working with 10 other remodelers from all corners of the united states I can tell you that if I were a car I was simultaneously standing on the gas and the brakes. I was both dog-tired physically and mentally my head was spinning.

I find that when I am conflicted, DOING something helps get all the kinks out. Kristin is the most amazing wife in the world. After three days of fabulously intense meetings I walked out of the hotel in Sacramento to a wife who had brought me a 2006 Ford Mustang. Silver paint, black ragtop and leather. What a way to work out stress!

20 hours over two days we snaked our way up highway 1 and 101 from coastal vistas, into the redwoods, back out onto the coast. It was absolutely a trip of a lifetime. We met up with friends in Portland, stayed with them three days, and experienced one of the Northwest's finest cities. Wine tasting, fabulous dining, a massage, farmers markets, climbing waterfalls, and time well spent reconnecting with close friends.

I mentioned that small business owners, especially us remodelers who invade our clients homes, put on the full mantle of deconstructing and reconstructing their homes, constantly under the microscope...well, we're passionate about the work we do and you don't make it in this business if you don't like your clients. Intensity needs to be balanced. Rejuvenating ideas gained from peers who have walked many miles in our shoes and a few days of rest and adventure keeps my motor running.

Prev: Road Trip: Michigan to Washington, DC | Next: Road Trip: Ft. Myers, FL