Blog

Mike Rowe is one of my heroes. I love watching Dirty Jobs. In fact, we have some of the seasons of DVD, and for me, one of the worlds greatest cheapskates to buy a season of a TV program says something.

I think one of the things that Mike Rowe does that is amazing is championing the labor jobs in this country. He champions the jobs no one else will do, the jobs that require skill, talent, and lots and lots of hard work. And, sometimes that the catch, the hard work.

Some days it feels like fewer and fewer people are willing to work hard. They want something for nothing. They want a paycheck without the work (to be honest, I would too, but that’s not how it works). Mike Rowe champions people who get out of bed every morning and do the jobs that makes our lives better, and the rest of us just don’t want to do.

Of course, this has grown. Mike now offers help with job training, encouragement and assistance in helping people learn skills. But he also offers his S.W.E.A.T pledge (Skill and Work Ethic Aren’t Taboo). I have read this, and assure you, especially in a 3% unemployment economy, that if you follow this pledge, you will pretty much always be able to find work!!. Here it is for your enjoyment with a link to some videos that go into more detail below.

1. I believe that I have won the greatest lottery of all time. I am alive. I walk the Earth. I live in America. Above all things, I am grateful.
2. I believe that I am entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Nothing more. I also understand that “happiness” and the “pursuit of happiness” are not the same thing.
3. I believe there is no such thing as a “bad job.” I believe that all jobs are opportunities, and it’s up to me to make the best of them.
4. I do not “follow my passion.” I bring it with me. I believe that any job can be done with passion and enthusiasm.
5. I deplore debt, and do all I can to avoid it. I would rather live in a tent and eat beans than borrow money to pay for a lifestyle I can’t afford.
6. I believe that my safety is my responsibility. I understand that being in “compliance” does not necessarily mean I’m out of danger.
7. I believe the best way to distinguish myself at work is to show up early, stay late, and cheerfully volunteer for every crappy task there is.
8. I believe the most annoying sounds in the world are whining and complaining. I will never make them. If I am unhappy in my work, I will either find a new job, or find a way to be happy.
9. I believe that my education is my responsibility, and absolutely critical to my success. I am resolved to learn as much as I can from whatever source is available to me. I will never stop learning, and understand that library cards are free.
10. I believe that I am a product of my choices – not my circumstances. I will never blame anyone for my shortcomings or the challenges I face. And I will never accept the credit for something I didn’t do.
11. I understand the world is not fair, and I’m OK with that. I do not resent the success of others.
12. I believe that all people are created equal. I also believe that all people make choices. Some choose to be lazy. Some choose to sleep in. I choose to work my butt off.
    On my honor, I hereby affirm the above statements to be an accurate summation of my personal worldview. I promise to live by them.

Mike Rowe Works website can be accessed here

OK, so the title isn’t entirely accurate. I do enjoy the game of politics. I enjoy watching the strategy, one side fighting the other. One side making an attack, and then feigning surprise when the attack backfires. I have to admit that it is kind of entertaining.

However, it is also a fact that it affects us in our every day life, and this includes in hiring. President Trump announced that there would be a crackdown on deportation. It remains to be seen exactly what that means, but one thing we can be sure of, deportation is in the center of the political stage right now.

IF you are a business that uses a temp company, DO NOT hesitate to ask if your agency uses E-Verify for EVERY new employee. You do not want to be a part of any unpleasantry should something happen. A reputable agency should be able to answer that question easily and quickly!!

I don’t know about you, but I tend to be on the side of not borrowing any trouble. I stay as far away from it as I can. And running E-Verify correctly on every new employee is critical to staying away from trouble!!!

Who knows where this political chaos will end, but in the meantime, don’t get caught in the chaos!!

I have a friend who just bought a house, and man is he excited. He is a single guy, and it is a small 2 bedroom house, with an unfinished basement. And, to say it is a “fixer-upper” would be an understatement.

As best I remember, the basement needed to be fixed so it wouldn’t leak, part of the wiring needed to be redone, the paneling in the basement needed to come down, the toilet in the basement needed to be fixed, and so did the sink, the sump pump needed to be put on its own circuit, as did the furnace, the toilet in the bathroom leaked, the water pressure in the kitchen wasn’t very good, the kitchen sink leaked, and the wall unit for the air conditioner needed reinforcement. That’s just what I can remember off the top of my head. I know there was A LOT more. But, he was so excited about this project.

I stopped by to see him the other day, and he showed me all his progress. It was, to say the least, remarkable. He has done a LOT. But, it seems like each thing he has started, he has found 2 more things that need to be fixed, from minor things, like re-hanging closet doors, to major re-working of electrical lines. Fortunately, he is good at this stuff and is doing a great job. But what impresses me most is his attitude.

You see, here in the KC area we have gotten A LOT of rain, and he thought he had the basement leak fixed. In fact when I was there, he was showing me how dry it was. Well, a couple of days later we had a STORM that came hard. And, guess what, it wasn’t. There was still a place that it leaked. I expected him to be pretty discouraged. Why? Well, because I would have been. All this work, and it still leaks.

But what surprised me most was his text to me.

I figured there was an area that might need more sealing…This amount of rain is a fantastic way to figure that out before I finish the basement. Plus, the water helps me get the mud off the floor, so that’s a positive. And, there is nothing there now that it can damage. Plus, it might help loosen the glue on some old floor tiles.

He went on to tell me that how this really helped him find the leak. So, I am sitting here reading his text, thinking to myself how discouraged I would be, and yet my friend is all excited, because now he found his leak, and can finish his basement.

How do you approach your job. Do mistakes, failures, missteps, mishaps, and oopsies discourage you, or do they help you see what you need to work on, so you can improve. May be all be more like the employees who see mistakes nd unfortunate circumstances for what they really are, guides to help us improve, not indicators of failure!!!