Hit 50 job offers in one month and it made me rethink everything

I run a moving company in Austin. Last March we got 50 calls for moves in a single month. That was double our normal. I thought it was a fluke but it kept going. On one side I was stoked because more money. On the other side I had to turn down half those jobs because we just didn't have the crews. Made me wonder if I should expand fast or stay small and reliable. What would you do if you hit a milestone that forced you to pick growth over quality?

PSA: Patching a hole in drywall with toothpaste isn't a long term fix

I tried using toothpaste to fill a small nail hole last month and it looked great for about 3 days... then it crumbled out and left a bigger mess. Has anyone found a real quick fix that actually holds up without making a trip to the hardware store?

Found a way to clean heavy creosote without the nasty chemicals

I had this one house last month, old farmhouse out near Ellensburg, where the flue was caked with about a quarter inch of Stage 2 creosote. Normally I'd break out the chemical spray or spend an hour with the wire brush attachment grinding away. But I read online somewhere about using dry ice blasting for stubborn buildup. So I grabbed a small chunk of dry ice from the grocery store, tied it in a rag, and ran it up and down the flue on a rope. It worked way better than I thought it would. The cold makes the creosote brittle and it just flakes off. Saved me a good 20 minutes on that job. Has anyone else tried this method or am I just getting lucky with the conditions?

Question about running sand too thin in a cut...

I was working a channel on the Mississippi near Baton Rouge last week and had the suction start pulling way too much sand, nearly lost my cutterhead. Do you guys pull back on swing speed or adjust the ladder angle first when that happens?

Wasted $400 on a home inspection add-on for sewer scope

I thought paying extra for a sewer scope during my inspection was being smart, but the inspector just ran a camera 10 feet in and called it good. The main line from the house to the street was cracked and tree roots were growing through it, cost me $3,200 to replace after closing. Found out later that a lot of inspectors don't go all the way to the street unless you specifically ask them to. Anyone else get burned by something that seemed thorough but was actually useless?

That Tuesday the melt shop fan died taught me something

I used to think the foundry was all about the pour and the chemistry, but last month our big ventilation fan went out around noon. It got so hot and smoky in there by 2pm that even the old timers were taking breaks every 15 minutes. We lost half a shift of production because nobody could breathe right. Now I'm a believer that good airflow is just as important as getting the alloy right. Any of you guys had a similar wake up call about something you overlooked?

That hot towel trick I was skeptical about finally won me over

I've been cutting hair out of my garage for a few years now and never bothered with hot towels. Seemed like too much hassle and extra laundry. Then last month a regular asked if I could do one before his haircut. I figured why not, heated one up in a steamer I got for $30 on clearance. After I wrapped it around his face for a couple minutes, he said he could feel his jaw loosen up. The shave I gave him after that was way smoother. Now I do it for every shave service and customers actually mention it in their tips. Anyone else find hot towels make a bigger difference than you thought?

Guy at a con told me Goku vs Superman debate ended when he saw a 200 page forum thread

Took me almost a year to finally get my resume past the automated systems

I kept sending out applications for marketing jobs in Phoenix and getting zero replies... thought my experience was the problem. Turns out, the old format I learned in college ten years ago was getting instantly filtered out. I spent about 8 months tweaking it before a friend showed me how to use simple keywords from the job posts themselves. Has anyone else had to completely relearn how to write a resume for these new hiring systems?

I used to think a tack cloth was just for dust, but a job in a humid Florida garage taught me it's about the finish.