I’m from Honolulu HI, raised in small town called Waimanalo. It is located on the Windward (east) side of Oahu. I was 22yrs old and unemployed with 2 kids and a girlfriend. We lived in a one bedroom apt that was up kept by my girlfriend’s minimum wage job and state assistance. I had already worked multiple jobs but because of the lack of work all companies that I worked for either went out of busi
ness or downsized. I began my generalist work as a means to m
ake a little extra pocket money, but I quickly learned that one of the largest drawbacks was that everyone was looking for cheap labor. Customers would ask me to construct large rock walls for $50-$100. They greatly underestimated the quality of work that I was offering. I use to call myself the "The home doctor" because I did anything for my costumers quickly and would charge little. Small pay was acceptable as a single person, but with a family to support, this was unacceptable. I remember waking up and looking at my son and thinking "what am I doing." I told myself that it was time to make a move. I heard that there were plenty of jobs on the "main land." I begged my girlfriend to come with me, but she didn’t want to go...I guess she was scared because none of us had ever been off the island before. I forced myself to go because I knew if I stayed, nothing was going to happen for me. It was either go and make money for my kids or stay and do nothing, so I sold all my things. With that money I bought 1 ticket to Seattle and promised that when I made enough money, I would send for my girlfriend and my kids; I left with $250 in my pocket. It is funny because I left Hawaii to move up here in the dead of winter, to make things worse, I didn’t have any warm clothes. After make a few new friends at the airport, I got a ride to Kent, where I spent a chunk of the money on a motel and food from the dollar store. The next day, I caught the bus into Kent where I applied for work with a temp agency that I heard about. That night, I received a call for work. A few weeks later I got an apartment and a week after that I flew my family up to Washington. I stayed gainfully employeed for about 8yrs when I had an idea: take all that I have learned through the years and startup a "does it all” company...I have the discipline and the drive to do it. I was scared, just like I was when I got on that plane eaght years ago, but just like then...I took the chance...and you know what, I don’t regret it at all...I even came up with the perfect name Home MD...
ake a little extra pocket money, but I quickly learned that one of the largest drawbacks was that everyone was looking for cheap labor. Customers would ask me to construct large rock walls for $50-$100. They greatly underestimated the quality of work that I was offering. I use to call myself the "The home doctor" because I did anything for my costumers quickly and would charge little. Small pay was acceptable as a single person, but with a family to support, this was unacceptable. I remember waking up and looking at my son and thinking "what am I doing." I told myself that it was time to make a move. I heard that there were plenty of jobs on the "main land." I begged my girlfriend to come with me, but she didn’t want to go...I guess she was scared because none of us had ever been off the island before. I forced myself to go because I knew if I stayed, nothing was going to happen for me. It was either go and make money for my kids or stay and do nothing, so I sold all my things. With that money I bought 1 ticket to Seattle and promised that when I made enough money, I would send for my girlfriend and my kids; I left with $250 in my pocket. It is funny because I left Hawaii to move up here in the dead of winter, to make things worse, I didn’t have any warm clothes. After make a few new friends at the airport, I got a ride to Kent, where I spent a chunk of the money on a motel and food from the dollar store. The next day, I caught the bus into Kent where I applied for work with a temp agency that I heard about. That night, I received a call for work. A few weeks later I got an apartment and a week after that I flew my family up to Washington. I stayed gainfully employeed for about 8yrs when I had an idea: take all that I have learned through the years and startup a "does it all” company...I have the discipline and the drive to do it. I was scared, just like I was when I got on that plane eaght years ago, but just like then...I took the chance...and you know what, I don’t regret it at all...I even came up with the perfect name Home MD...
