What Do You Do

For most people, it sucks going to work every day. I suppose you could be happy that you enjoyed it for so many years? That probably doesn't help. But it's all I've got.

you could become the artist formerly known as Bear...

or shave your head and wear a yogi dress...

or...

You learn how to say, "Would you like fries with that?" with a certain amount of phony sincerity.

Didn't you once consider the selling side of the insurance business. You probably do have the sales personality if you could stay away from the constraints of the furniture business.

roger I'm almost 63 and there are 100K + vets on the way home. I think any ship of that type has sailed.

I have tons of production gear and at one time I thought Seth would take over the family business, he showed interest in it early on, but he has grown to dislike it. He will make his own path and be successful at it.

BPB JR. will be moving to a group home soon and I am trying to figure out how to make a living without having to cheerlead drunks and deal with venue owners, managers and agents who by and large have no ethics, loyalty or character and no interest in developing them. When I got so sick as you probably remember, my business contacts and people I'd been associated with for years deserted me like rats leaving a sinking ship and I've struggling ever since. I've had a lifetime of that kind of **** and when I was performing full time the joy of that balanced all the bullshit out. Now I'm just going through the motions of being the perpetual party boy to squeak out a living.

There's a certain amount of Bear in me, but believe it or not there's more than that and I'd like to find a way to make some money in this brave new world without having to play that role any longer and in addition not eat dog food to do it.

As for the fast food industry I appreciate the suggestion but I'll pass.

always with the helpful suggestions

It's almost impossible at your age to start again, but it's not impossible to reformat what you have been doing. Why do you have to be the front man? Why not find some (2-3?) good looking young guys who have some musical talent and personality and "pimp" them out to do what you've been doing. Basically still to do the DJ/Party scene, but you act as salesman and manager. Hustle the jobs and send a 26 year old to do the performance. Pay them well, but you get a cut based on their hourly rate plus add your management fee to the cost of the gig. You can even book more than one job on the same Saturday night if you have enough equipment.

I used to have a stable of young dj's. This is what happens. You train them, treat them well, pay them well. You send them out and they become the face of the company to your clients. Then they save a little money, buy their own gear and repay you by telling you to **** yourself. You go to the venues and companies you've been dealing with ( sometimes for years) and tell them what's happened and they inform you that the kid you've been sending offered to cut your price and THEY tell you to **** yourself. I no longer wish to spend the majority of my time putting out fires of that type instead of doing what I like which is actually playing and performing.

You need a contract that specifies they cannot operate a similar business within three years of leaving you for outwards of 50 miles. Yes, it would take a real lawyer to do this. The other option is sell your experience to young upstarts and do a series of workshops on how to run a music venue. For $800(?) you will teach them everything they need to know based on a lifetime of experience.

In a right to work state a non compete isn't worth the paper it's written on. In addition, keeping track of the gigs of several dj's would be a full time job that required employees. that's how people get away with this kind of ****. I had a non compete and it cost me more than 800.00 to have drawn up. No court gave a ****. I also tried the fee route for training. The number of young people who think an older persons experience has value is slim, VERY slim. this is not Europe, this is America where respect for experience doesn't exist.

$800 would be for your classes. What they do after they "graduate" is their problem.
I have zero music experience, but I run a crew of 8-10 people each summer including keeping track of some heavy machinery and a lot of fussy clients - I totally understand the work it takes to juggle people and jobs, but the reality is it's hard to make money without employees. The only other way is to sell dreams to people. I used to teach courses on how to run a small business and that was almost as lucrative as my current business. You have to use what skills you have and what you are good at to make money, even if it has to be tweaked to accommodate an older you. Otherwise, you are looking at a McJob. At your age no one is going let you start over - even if you get trained. It's the sad fact of working in America today. Although, weren't you training to be a personal trainer to older people? I thought that had promise.

When I screwed my back and neck up that was the end of that.

Bummer. Still think music.

I also remember that you talked about being a personal trainer. What about yoga instructor?

I have always compared you to my younger brother. He worked in nightclubs for more than twenty years as a performer (bass guitar) and then as a manager. His health became very bad. He discovered yoga and meditation and is now a certified yoga instructor.

wandeljw, I can't imagine anyone with serious back and neck problems being able to do yoga. I've done yoga for years and the one thing that stops me is a neck problem I have.

You could always become a Kardashian. No actual talent necessary and you can get a hell of a lot of money for just 72 days work. You certainly have the charisma needed.

I've got it. I'm going on the lecture circuit as a De-Motivational speaker.

Sounds like your back problems limit you a bit, there are a few one man businesses that don't require a huge investment, but the ones I can think of take a bit of labor, have you thought about getting a trailer with a water tank and hotsie and sell parking lot washing?

Seems to me I remember many years ago you doing furniture sales during a break from your music gigs Might have been someone else, but I'm remembering it being you.

If it was you, is that still an option for you? when the economy improves enough so people can buy furniture again.