[Jewelry making - Article 00472] - Re: [Orchid] Trade success stories

[David Phelps]

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Rachel,

>     I was hoping to be able to support myself and make a living as an
>     independent jeweler, but I keep hearing the same thing from
>     everyone. Tell me it ain't so! 

    It ain't so! I worked out of my house for a few years, doing
    high-end custom and complex repairs, my dream job. Four years ago, my
    wife was working at a local hospital in the HR department. We thought
    that was the only way it would work, one of us working "for the man"
    to pay the taxes and keep up the benefits, the other pursuing their
    dream. I found that I could only work so many hours and charge only
    so much per hour, so the future of my dream was limited. One day, my
    wife came home in tears because of office politics. I told her it was
    time to quit her job as I needed help with deliveries etc and I
    couldn't stand to see her so unhappy. I had finally realized that it
    was just plain unfair for me to pursue my dream and make her carry my
    water. Her tears turned to tears of joy as she planned her escape. My
    stomach began to feel funny as I thought about the future without
    health insurance (she is an insulin dependent diabetic with several
    additional complications and I was nearing 50) and no 401K plan. 

    Long story made short, we found that our annual medical expenses
    were far less than the cost of our insurance (about half)even with
    the numerous visits to the endocrinologist, hematologist, and all the
    other ologists a diabetic with an insulin pump and an aging man
    required. The other surprise we found was that if you ask, your
    doctor will probably give you a substantial discount (ours was as
    much as 60%!) off of their normal charges because you are self-pay.
    If not, shop around. They also have sample medications that they save
    for just such people. The drug companies also offer real discounts to
    self-pay people as do the medical equipment manufacturers (insulin
    pumps ain't cheap). I trade jewelry for optical and dental services.
    My one fear was the possibility of an unexpected major illness. We
    have since found a major medical plan (Blue Cross Blue Shield
    Advantage) that is affordable ($700/mo. for three people) that
    covers the big bad scary things, but has a high deductible and allows
    us to create a Medical Savings Plan to help with the deductible. 

    My wife just finished the GIA Diamond Grading course, and is about a
    quarter of the way through the Colored Stone Course on her way to
    getting her GG. My son, who left the relative safety of his job to
    come work with us just went to the Blaine Lewis Stone Setting Course,
    and is no longer an apprentice. We have almost completely made the
    transition from wholesale to retail, and have grown our gross twenty
    to thirty percent each of the last three years. Our "retirement
    account" is now in our display cases, shop tools and hanging on the
    wall in the form of diplomas. We are all working harder than ever in
    our lives, but we are also having the time of our lives. Best of all,
    for better or worse, we now control our own destiny. We are truly
    living the dream (sometimes it becomes a nightmare for a little
    while, but it sure beats "working for the man"!). 

    Life is full of gambles. If you want to live a safe life knowing
    exactly what you will get paid next week, with little to no personal
    risk, paid vacation and holidays, brainless medical insurance and
    retirement accounts and forty hour work weeks, stay with an employer,
    the bigger the better. If on the other hand you want to find out what
    you really are capable of, and if you really can make it big like you
    think you can, you're gonna have to take some risk. There is no other
    way, unless you marry well or win the lottery or something. 

Dave
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