Ever just up and left?

[Zac]

I've been in Arkansas all my life, and pretty much hate the culture around here. I have big ambitions and an entrepreneurial spirit. Last year I went to California and loved it, however I just went there to get married (big mistake) and now getting divorced. Long story short we were just bad for each other, only lasted 6 months. But now I'm in the best shape of my life and 26, single, and have a ton of experience with signs/graphic/web design (10 years) to either venture out on my own once I'm ready, or just pick a city and find a cool shop to join forces with. I don't talk to my family much or have kids, so I'm just considering my options.

Anyone ever just decided to pack up and get out of their small town one day and make a big move?

 

[player]

Do it!

 

[rubo]

+1

 

[TimToad]

I've lived in four different places in my life and while my less adventurous friends, family or acquaintances might think I'm flighty, but I've stayed in each place over 10 years except the latest move here and we're going on two years already. All four places are easily considered some of the best places to live in America and they all were for me too, while I was in each one.

But life without renewal, fresh perspective, new adventures and interests is just too boring for me and my equally nomadic mate. We've made a positive impact in each place and now have hundreds of friends all the way from Chicago, New Mexico, Oregon/Washington and now California.

Go for it and never look back except for all the right reasons. Life is too short.

 

[TomK]

I've been in Arkansas all my life, and pretty much hate the culture around here. I have big ambitions and an entrepreneurial spirit. Last year I went to California and loved it, however I just went there to get married (big mistake) and now getting divorced. Long story short we were just bad for each other, only lasted 6 months. But now I'm in the best shape of my life and 26, single, and have a ton of experience with signs/graphic/web design (10 years) to either venture out on my own once I'm ready, or just pick a city and find a cool shop to join forces with. I don't talk to my family much or have kids, so I'm just considering my options.

Anyone ever just decided to pack up and get out of their small town one day and make a big move?

DO IT! I did it 25+ years ago and have never looked back. I've built and sold a couple of successful tech companies along the way, and I am semi-retired now and dabble around in signs and decals, because it is fun!

Don't live your life with regrets, you don't want to look back in 30 years and say "...if I had only moved to California", you'll be miserable if you don't give it a shot. What is the worst thing that can happen? You move again!

 

[James Burke]

Wherever you go...there you are.

Just be sure you're not trying to run from yourself, 'cause he'll eventually catch up with you and you'll still be in the same place...only a few thousand miles away.


JB

 

[player]

You can change the colour of the sky, but you can't change the people.

 

[decalman]

Make preparations. If you have a vanity car, or something, get rid of the thing, and get an RV, or a van, or whatever you can afford, just make sure it's something you can sleep in. Make sure you have a passport to get thru the police checkpoints :Oops:

 

[SignosaurusRex]

+2.... If you've got nothing holding you where you are and you want to grow, go for it! If you don't intend to grow along the way...don't go. If you go, Make sure it is for the right reasons and will all count up for the best in the end. 'Moving On' can be a wonderful thing.

 

[Gino]

Remember, many people who tell ya to pick up and go..... are people living their lives through you, who didn't have a set, to go. Be careful, today's world is dangerous and unless you can survive on basically nothing from time to time, you'll just become a drifter. Yes, some get lucky and find something here or there, but it's rare without a good plan. Just like a business, right where you're situated, if you can't make it where you are, what makes you think you'll do better elsewhere ?? Everything needs a good business plan.... even a road trip.

If ya have nothing at all to hold ya back, then just tour this great country of ours and put some fortitude under your belt. See what you can and take everything in and evaluate it carefully. Ya never know what ya might find, right around the next corner.

Good luck................

 

[Zac]

Thanks guys, I did come across as a gypsy but don't really plan on moving anywhere until a year or so, unless a great opportunity came along that I couldn't turn down. I'm not on the run from anything, I just don't have anything holding me here and envy real cities where they're doing big things.

New Mexico/Cali/Colorado is definitely my top 3 right now because of the tech and landscape and people. I'm pretty sure I'd freeze to death up north!

Gino, I've been pretty successful here so it's not a matter of trying to 'start over' or anything. My first real sign shop I started at 5 years ago I was working part time for $9 an hour under the table. Then $10 at the next shop and ended as a production manager at $15, now that's where I'm at here too, which isn't too bad considering I don't have a degree plus all my side hustles. My current shop would hate to see me go because I've really helped them grow this place, and I couldn't ask for a better boss, I just feel like I've never really belonged in this 'culture' state-wise.

 

[rossmosh]

If you want to do this: Setup alerts on various job seeking websites. When jobs that are interesting come, apply. Once you land a sweet gig, you know it's time to give it a shot (or not).

 

[HDvinyl]

airbnb.com

Cheap way to find out where you'd like to live and what kind of people you want in your life.

 

[chester215]

I agree with all of the above comments and advice that say yes do it.

 

[GoodPeopleFlags]

Do it. You'll never have another opportunity like you do now without all the responsibilities of a family. Sometimes we feel pulled to do things; follow that voice! Adventures await!

The other option is to not change. That doesn't sound like a good plan, I bet. And in 10 years you'll be kicking yourself for at least not taking the chance when you could have.

 

[signcrafters london]

I'd stay in Arkansas and try to marry a Walton.

 

[Jillbeans]

Go for it, but do it sensibly.
First find a job, then relocate (assuming you live in a rental right now and don't need to sell a house)
Do this while you are young enough to make a clean break.
Good luck!
Love....Jill

 

[Zac]

I'd stay in Arkansas and try to marry a Walton.

I could probably snag the oldest one but they're all trolls haha.

Thanks Jill, yes, no house to sell, but it'll be a year or so until I make a real decision, job will most likely dictate where I end up since I have the skills to pretty much work anywhere. Just because I've had a few offers...I'm going to post this here too...

---------------

My resume is on www.zacgoings.com. But here's my background story...


I got into Photoshop/Illustrator and cars when I was 15. Started designing t-shirts for car clubs/enthusiasts and started hanging around a small car audio shop. They had a plotter and heat press, so I learned all that and was making my own t-shirts and yard signs. I had the coolest and ugliest Ford Probe with tribal red graphics that I designed myself and laid on there, it was ugly but I was 17 so who cared.


I always kept doing my web and graphic design on the side and mostly worked in customer service/hotels until I was 20 and finally took a chance on a Craigslist ad for a sign shop looking for a designer. There I learned a lot of what to do and what not to do and was there for 7 months before he couldn't afford to keep me. (He didn't charge enough and barely kept the doors open) That was KT Signs in Little Rock.


Then I started at Archway Graphic Designs and ran a Grimco 150T ADA Thermoforming machine, Gerber Sabre 408 router, and we had a Roland/Graphtec combo, but also learned the old Gerber Edges and such. I designed concepts and fabricated all types of custom ADA/wayfinding signs out of any and every material possible. I was tasked with replicating 3Form and did so with awesome results. I also got my first taste of wrapping there but they didn't do a ton. But I wrapped my race car and a lot of friends stuff. I also painted the signs (HPLV/full Matthews Acrylic Urethane Paint system including metallics/paint booth.)


For the last 8 months I've been at Image 360. There I started mostly as an installer. Archway was more manufacturing/dealing with contractors where as i360 is very much retail. When I started they were super busy and I was out on installs just about every day. Everything from Gemini letters to post-holes for job site signs to wrapping fleet vehicles (We have the City of Little Rock account and just finished wrapping the last of 42 2016 Ford Explorers for them.


Now we've hired another installer and I'm the production coordinator. I mainly stay at the shop and fix our designers errors while running an HP 360 Latex and an HP L25500. I run all our laminators and do most of the table jobs while keeping our installers busy and ready for their next job. I also have a great relationship with GSG and Grimco and had the reps slashing prices and saved my current shop over 40% on their substrate and media costs. I get my boss monthly inventory usage and he's trusted me enough to share his cost of goods/sales numbers and they've just been going up since (10-13% increase in monthly profit since I started doing my own purchasing and checking prices.


The only thing I haven't done here is take orders but I talk to customers daily and have made quite a few sales just from knowing what I'm talking about. I'll be 26 next week but as you can tell I've been doing this a minute and very passionate about creating things and what I do. Plus I'm very much an entrepreneur and plan to have my own thing going one day. Most likely t-shirts/web design. I currently run www.dragtees.com that I started for my car guy friends originally, now it makes me a little bit of money but I haven't done designs for it since 2011.


Thanks for letting me rant! If you have any questions specifically let me know, and I can show ya plenty of pics of my work. My disadvantage is that I'm a bit scatterbrained and tend to get too many projects/orders going at one time, and end up trying to get them all through the same progress, rather than finishing them one at a time in order, but it's something I've been working on. I make $15 an hour, usually work 50 hours a week, and I love my boss here, there's no turmoil and they would hate to see me leave.

--------------------

 

[Solventinkjet]

After a bad break up when I was 23 I packed 1 bag with the stuff I wanted to keep and got rid of everything else. I got a 1 way ticket to Denver and never looked back. It was the best decision I ever made. You are young and have no ties to hold you down. Do it! It's fun and sometimes uncomfortable but you will be happier for it in the long run.

 

[David Wright]

Reminds me of a story of guy who moved to another state because of ill feelings of his own.

Asked the old timer in the state he was moving to how are the people here?
Old timer asked what type of people were there from your home state?
Oh they were mean, not friendly, not given to lending a helping hand and just provincial jerks.

The old timer replied, I imagine that's just what you will find here also.

Make sure you leave for the right reasons.