Two Out of Three IS Bad

The people were great and the money was good.

It was a project with a respected, high-end contracting firm I’d been wanting to build a relationship with. I priced the job properly and brought in a team of top-tier subcontractors to help me with the work.

People and pricing were on point.
But the project itself?

It was… fine. It wasn’t bad. It just didn’t line up with the kind of work I want to be doing. I took the job anyway. I wasn’t excited about it, but I thought it might lead to better things later on.

Once the project started, I realized my mistake. I tried to fake enthusiasm, but I couldn’t. I got bored. Every little obstacle felt like a mountain. I just wanted to get it done and move on. And the quality of the work reflected that.

We did a good job. A quality job. A professional job.
But it wasn’t…exceptional.
And that’s what I want to do.
That’s what the client deserves.

They deserved someone who wanted to be there.
Someone who was lit up by the work.
Someone who would give it everything.

This time, that wasn’t me. And that’s why I should have said no.

I’m not proud of that. But I did learn something.

Before we wrapped up, the contractor asked me to bid on another project. It enticed my ego. Private island. Semi-celebrity client. Good money.
But the work itself? Same story.
Not aligned. Not for me.

This time, I said no.

I wasn’t going to say yes to something I didn’t really want again in hopes it would lead to something better someday.

That’s not how it works.
You don’t get to do the work you love by saying yes to the work you don’t.

I said no. The world didn’t end. The contractor respected it.
And now, a few years later, we’re working together on a project that actually fits.