LCC and Me

My nearly orphaned side hustle

So, a few years ago I started this little side hustle. It’s a leather goods hobby that occasionally makes a little bit of money. I called it “Last Chance Customs” (LCC) because at the time I thought of it as my  “last chance” to make something of myself and provide for my family. Dark thoughts followed the contemplation of its possible failure. 

 It started as a practical response to the end of my moving company. MTB had become a million-dollar-generating behemoth, but still had all the problems of a sole proprietorship. Payroll alone pushed the half-million mark, and by the end of it I was breathalyzing drivers on job sites. Customers were offended if I charged rates that wouldn’t even cover the cost of doing their jobs. I kept trying to make it up on volume, which too often meant trying to multiply by zero.

When the business finally crashed, I had learned my lessons about carrying massive overhead. The idea that I could support my family, solo, with a craft, had massive appeal. 

If nothing else, I’d bet that it would be enough to generate enough income to experiment with paid advertising for the homeschool consulting business my wife and I were building together at the time.

Here’s what surprised me: I loved the craft. I wasn’t, and still am not, all that great at it, but it became a near-obsession.Why? It produced things. Actual things you could hold in your hand. Attention-getting things. Things that were useful!