Terrified

I walked in the house after work one evening, with my wife sitting on the couch. I could tell something was different by the way she was looking at me. I said, "What's up?" The words slowly came out of her mouth, "I'm pregnant." 42 years old, with 3 kids already, and in a work environment that had become stagnant and unfulfilling, and now I have another child on the way?! Terrifying! Don't get me wrong, I was ecstatic we were going to be blessed with introducing another baby into our lives, but when I already felt like the walls of our home were caving in on us, saying I wasn't READY for another kid, is an understatement. Ultimately, this was the life moment that led me to where I am now.

I have worked in the Water Damage Restoration and Cleaning business for 20 years. I started out cleaning carpets and upholstery on the islands in the early 2000s. Slowly, I moved into doing water damage work. When you see people dealing with having their homes turned upside down, day in and day out, you learn empathy and honesty are important qualities. My wife and I had talked about opening our own Restoration business for years. It was mostly always just talk and dreams. I knew I had what it took to perform the quality service and work, but the thought of branching out and taking a leap of faith honestly terrified me. What if we failed? What if I couldn't make a living to support our growing family? These were just some of the many thoughts creeping into my mind, constantly keeping me up at night. I had a good job already, and I was respected in my industry, BUT I was also burnt out, too comfortable, and without any advancement opportunities available, I knew change was inevitable. With the baby on the way, and the fact I wasn't getting any younger, it was now or never. We decided to make the transition. We hit one roadblock, after another - I won't get into those obstacles now, as that's a topic for another discussion (future blog, maybe)? This led to feelings of defeat and discouragement. However, with my wife's constant reminder of God's faithfulness, we persevered. Slowly, but surely, things started falling into place, and before we knew it, there was no turning back.

Now, in the thick of being a small business owner, I know I made the right decision. Getting to provide the kind of service and communication to customers, in our short time open, has already been rewarding. The support from family, friends, acquaintances, not to mention complete strangers, has been amazing! Being able to give back to the community that we grew up in has always been a part of our vision. We are super excited for the opportunity to serve our residents and local businesses, for many years to come, or unless we have another baby - Then, we may have to move.

Josh