Growing up in Southern Ca in the heart of the velcro valley I always wanted to be sponsored as a professional surfer. I would kill myself for photos so I could amass a little book to show that I will "pull in" Well 2 things 1 I do not have the god given talent needed & 2 at 6'5" I am not the ideal build. But I knew that I had to be in their circles Qwiksilver was in its infancy as were basically all the burgening manufacturers. All right in my back yard. So I found myself as a lacky in the warehouse filling orders and when the trade shows came I was eventually put in charge of their exibit the set up the design etc... That led to me opening up a exibit company STREETLEVEL. It was great as a young single guy it was seasonal work and the season revolved around surfing. So I would work the months prior and then have the months after to go and surf great spots. Hawaii every November, Austrailia, Fiji, Bali, All of latin America From Equador to Northern Baja and every country in between, El Salvador, Nicaraugua, Costa Rica, Panama, All of Mexico, up to Canada, Virgin Islands, Spain, Portugal, France, Morocco, For like 6 to 8 weeks at a shot It was a dream. My work consisted of designing modular displays that can be very elaborate and costly units of VERY high quality.
Then came the family the business grew from the ASR surf market to all the cool guy shows SIA, MAGIC, POWERSPORTS. SO I was traveling for work like... 15 weeks a year. GREAT when you are young and single on the prowel but unfair to a growing family. So I put that aside and focused my shop to custom cabinetry. Took a big hit $$$ wise so I without any expierience stumbled upon a high end, high profile custom residence as a general contractor. At the time I was unlicenced. But I went for it to this day I do not know how I got through it. Only that I told everyone on the job "Please when you talk to me treat me like I am a 8 year old "show me what you know" That job led to the next and so on... I treat my work as art I keep a working schedule and DEADLINES just like in the tradeshow world can NEVER be missed.
Jimmy
poster-J1mmy