September 13, 2025 – Daily Recap

Today had it all — early mornings, rookie mistakes, smooth setups, long hauls, and even a little finance nerdery at the end. Honestly, I can feel burnout creeping in, but the crew crushed it, and the profit numbers gave me some hope that all this running around is actually paying off.

A Heavy Start
The day kicked off at 6am with a Home Depot pickup — a 3k watt inverter. First time for me, and let’s just say I underestimated the weight. Rookie move showing up alone in a sedan, thinking it would be no big deal. With some maneuvering, it went in the trunk, but getting it out was another story. After some questionable creativity and spilling way more gas than I care to admit, I managed to get it onto the truck and strapped in safely. Not my smoothest moment, but hey, job done.

Back to the 20x60
From there, I headed back to yesterday’s 20x60 job. The client had some safety concerns, so we returned with tables, chairs, and even a last-minute 10x10 pop-up at a separate shuttle site. At this point, I felt more like one of their employees than a vendor. But honestly, that’s part of our value proposition: we make events easier. Maybe not as much as the client cares, but close enough.

Smooth Sailing at the 60-Guest Job
Next stop was a 60-guest package setup with the crew. Less than 20 minutes from the warehouse, and we could pull right up to the site — no dragging gear across fields. It only took about an hour, and everything went like clockwork. Those kinds of jobs are the rare gems in this business.

The Break I Wasted
Then came a 3–4 hour break in the middle of the day. Kids out of the house and all! Perfect opportunity for a power nap, right? Nope. Instead, I glued myself to the computer, sending quotes, checking website traffic, and yes, writing this blog. Ugh. A two-hour nap would have been a game-changer. Missed opportunity, big time.

The A-Team Strikes Again
By 6PM, I was back at the warehouse with the A-team, ready for teardowns. First up: the 60-guest package. Not the nicest part of town, so I wanted it done before dark. The team was in sync, and within an hour and a half, everything was down and back in the warehouse.

We rolled out to the 20x60 job next, arriving around 8PM. The event had wrapped at 5PM, so honestly, I might’ve overloaded the schedule by waiting. Now it was pitch black — but thankfully I had grabbed a work light from Home Depot. By 10:30PM, every tent, table, chair, concrete block, and the generator were back in the warehouse and put away. Looking back, that’s pretty damn efficient.

Profit Check
After a day like this, I had to see if it was worth it. The 20x60 tent job came in around an 82% margin. Since I don’t pay myself (like, ever), I also run a “standard margin” — meaning if I’d hired someone to do my role, what would the profit look like? Oddly enough, that margin was higher, at 85%. Doesn’t happen often, but I paid the crew extra because they absolutely rocked it, so the math worked in my favor.

The 60-guest job landed similarly: 80% actual margin, 83% standard. In reviewing, I realized I didn’t charge a weekend fee — probably skipped it to make sure I locked in the booking. I did tack on an after-hours fee, and honestly, adding both might’ve lost me the project. Still, lessons learned.

Until next time
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