Work Ethic

To be your own boss requires a strong work ethic. You will be telling yourself when to go and check the machines, when to fix them, and when to get more inventory. There is no one yelling at you telling you what to do. I find it very liberating to be my own boss and make my own schedule, but sometimes when it is 30 degrees outside, or when it is 105 degrees outside, it is hard to get motivated to go and load the sodas. I was blessed with a very good childhood that taught me how to get out there and work, no matter what the conditions or the job.

When you are raised on a farm/ranch, you learn to be almost self-sufficient, producing your own food and fixing everything that breaks. When I reached high school and was taking drivers’ education, we had to change a tire as part of the requirements. By that time I had lost track of how many tires I had changed on the farm. Once one becomes flat you are sure to have more flats. I remember one summer in particular I had to change a tire at least once a week on various pieces of equipment and our vehicles. My father always let my brother and I help him fix the implements when they were broken. At first, we were just the gofers getting him the wrench or pliers or whatever tool he needed. Then he started letting us actually take the bolts and nuts off of things. We had a combine that we would have to change the head on all of the time. It required crawling up into the combine and taking out at least 4 bolts. Dad always made my brother and I do it because we were smaller and it was easier for us to crawl up in there. That was the scariest job.