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Welcome to No Strings Attached, untangling conversations about shady topics, hosted by Roger Magalhaes. This podcast pulls back the curtain on the window covering industry with expert insights and a splash of Brazilian flair. Whether you're an installer, designer, dealer, or just fed up with crooked blinds, get ready for real tips, industry know-how, and plenty of laughs.

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Now, let's get untangled.

Hello, hello! Welcome to another show of No Strings Attached. My name is Roger Magalhaes, and I am your host. If this is your first time here, thanks for coming. If you have been here before, welcome back! Today, I am going to talk about why you should not announce your vacation.

But before that, just a reminder that BlindsOnline.com is our sponsor. They just released a new website for blinds and shades. It looks super sharp, so I suggest you check them out. BlindsOnline.com. They have a nice selection of blinds and shades at a very affordable price. BlindsOnline.com. Check them out!

I was talking to a colleague of mine. He just came back from a trip to Costa Rica, and he was telling me that he doesn't tell his dealers that he's taking a vacation. And then I asked, "So, why do you do that?" He said, "Because they just give me a hard time. So what I tell them is that I am booked for two or three weeks out, and if I can, I will manage my schedule to do it sooner. But in reality, I just need to take my vacations, and I don't tell anyone because they give me grief."

And I'll be honest, I actually think he's doing it right. I used to announce my vacations, and I always had a hard time from the dealers, from the designers, from the people that I work with. But guess what? You don't work for anyone. You're not an employee; you are the driver of your own brand. So if you don't take a vacation, nobody's going to come to your shop to tell you, "Hey, it's time for a vacation!" Other than, of course, your wife or your kids, who are going to say, "Hey, Dad!" or "Honey, you need a vacation!" But other than that, the people you work with couldn't care less. All they want is to get that job completed.

And I'll go even further and share a story from a friend of mine. He's also an installer. He happened to have a very bad health issue, and that really flipped his whole mindset. He used to jump through hoops and go through whatever situation just to please every single client, every single dealer, every single workroom. He was a super nice guy, always available. And then he got sick. He got really, really, really sick.

So it turns out all these jobs were scheduled, and he was very public about sharing and telling everyone what was going on — all his battles and everything. So everyone knew it. And all these people said, "Oh my friend, I'm really sorry everything that happened to you, but can you just squeeze in those three blinds that need to be installed? I really need to get my check from the client." "Are you for real? This guy is sharing his life is on the line, and all you care about is your installation being completed? What kind of douchebag are you?"

And honestly, this is not an isolated case. This is just one case that someone shared with me, but this happens all the time. Oh yeah, you're a nice guy, but you're only as nice as I'm benefiting from it. The moment you say no, or the moment you say you can't, you're not the nice guy anymore.

So, here's the point: If you don't plan your vacation, if you don't put that on a calendar, there's always work for you. And you're going to be good as long as you can perform that work. If you are booked too far out, you're not going to be as good anymore either.
So if you don't take care of yourself, if you don't take your vacations, if you don't plan your retirement, if you don't set money aside, no one is going to tell you to do it. They couldn't care less. All they care about is benefiting from your work, from your service, from the things you do for them.

So instead of fighting and getting into arguments and kind of tight situations, just say, "Hey, I'm busy. I have a convention to go. I have whatever, or I have this big project." You don't need to tell anyone, but do your thing. Plan your time off. Plan your hours, because people are only going to take advantage of you as much as they can, for as long as they can.

So, this is the message: I learned that the hard way. I was always trying to help people, and then I booked big, long hours. I booked weekends. All of this to the point that if I don't put a stop to my own workload, nobody's going to do it for me.
So, take it from me: start planning. We are still kind of early in the year. You don't need to wait until next year to start implementing that. Just go ahead and block some time in your schedule. Maybe a week off in July, maybe another week off in September. Bridge a holiday, three or four days. It doesn't have to be three weeks or two weeks straight. It could be several smaller blocks, especially being self-employed. You have more control when you want to be working, when you want to be with your family, taking trips, or vacations, whatever.

So don't just do that for the next two months; do that for the entire year. Obviously, you have the ability to shift things, to move things around, but at least set your mind — put it in your mindset — to start doing these on a regular basis.

And to piggyback, do a little bit of what I do for savings. If you just wait until the end of the month to clear some money, it may not happen. It's very likely that's never going to happen, because as business owners, there's always something going on: there's always a new bill coming in; there's always an emergency; there's always a car breakdown. So what I do on a weekly basis is I just set up automatic withdrawals from my business account to my personal account. Not much, but it's something that happens automatically. I don't even feel it. I don't even notice that the money is coming out. Obviously, we're not talking 35,000.I′m talking $100 to $150 every week. So eventually, you will start living without even needing that money.

And that is great because you're building a little kitty fund, a little emergency fund, without even noticing it.

So, take it from here. I appreciate you, as always. Share your comments; I read all the messages. Stay healthy, stay relaxed, stay ready for your next job. I'll see you then. Take care. Bye-bye.

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That's a wrap for this episode of No Strings Attached, untangling conversations about shady topics. If you've enjoyed today's discussion, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this podcast with fellow industry pros and window treatment enthusiasts.
For more expert insights, follow Roger on social media and visit Shades In Place at www.shadesinplace.com.

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Thanks for listening. Until next time, keep your shades stylish and your conversations shady.

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