Moving On From the "Dream Job" And Finding Fulfillment
How a Latina Made an Unexpected Career Switch and Thrived
Thanks for your loyal support of the Generation Si! newsletter. This week’s newsletter is a great reminder that opportunity frequently isn’t dressed the way you might expect. Today’s featured entrepreneur is Gladys Salicrup. She’s the majority owner of Trapline Pest Solutions, as well as the company’s office administrator.
Here’s what you’ll learn in today’s newsletter, regardless of your industry:
🌴Why it’s so important you do research on your “dream job”
🌴The other factor that should play a role when deciding on a career
🌴The kinds of opportunities that registering as a minority-owned or woman-owned business can bring
🌴Meet Gladys Salicrup, the head of Trapline Pest Solutions…
A “DREAM” JOB MAY NOT BE ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE – ONCE YOU DO THE RESEARCH
“Initially, I was going to school to study law to become an attorney - a prosecuting attorney - for the state. That was my dream job.”
In high school, Gladys Salicrup began to seriously entertain the thought of becoming a lawyer to help children who had been abused.
“I wanted to fight for them.”
She even got her legal studies degree in college.
But the idea of being a lawyer compared to the reality of what was actually involved made her change her mind.
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE ECONOMICS OF A CAREER
“I realized how emotionally draining that was and how it would affect me personally… I looked into something else that would be a benefit to help people, but in a totally opposite direction.”
THE TIP JAR (Tips provided courtesy of Gladys Salicrup)
STARTING OUT: “I would tell them to read books on how to start a business… Basically, do your homework thoroughly in what your… desire is. What is it that you’re trying to pursue? Then, map it out. List pros and cons. Take those notes with you. Go meet with a consultant over at the SBDC (Small Business Development Center)…”
STEEPED IN SKILLS (mid-career): In addition to following the same steps as those starting out, Salicrup says, “Make sure that this is a viable business, that this is a long-term thing.”
She says you need to ensure “that this idea that you have in your head for a business is not something that is going to fizzle out…”
STARTING OVER: “I would tell them that they would need to really take a good look at where they are financially at that point in life…”
She says you need to ask yourself, “What is it about this part of your life that you feel that you are ready to pursue this change in career from, basically, being retired to now wanting to be in your own business? What drives you to do that?”
I’LL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN: “Door hangers. Oh, man! I’m telling you, going door-to-door. See, the thing is that, over time, with marketing, that changes, too. People don’t want to have their doors knocked on and [be] harassed. Because if they’re looking for a particular service, we’re in the age now with technology that it’s just a matter of touching the keyboard [and] looking it up digitally…”
BEST ADVICE FROM “LA CASA”/BEST “HOUSE” ADVICE: “Always treat those that are alive well - and with respect. It doesn’t matter who it is. Because you don’t know… if they’re going to be here tomorrow…”
DON’T WORRY WHAT OTHERS THINK, IF IT MAKES SENSE TO YOU
Going into the pest control and wildlife removal business may seem like a far cry from practicing law.
But it made sense to Salicrup.
PLAN WISELY; SPEND WISELY
It’s not like it happened right away.
Her husband, Wayne, had started Trapline Pest Solutions in 2005 with $40,000 the couple had made from selling a piece of land.
That would cover his salary for a year, in case the business didn’t go well.
And while Salicrup continued to work full-time as a paralegal at a hospital, she helped him on nights and weekends with administrative work.
“I wanted to at least be… his ride or die.”
But business picked up at such a pace that, by 2015, her husband knew he wasn’t going to be able to handle it himself.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE AN OPPORTUNITY WILL COME FROM
So Wayne Salicrup made her an offer.
“Basically, he said, ‘Take 51% of the business. Run with it. Make it grow…’”
Salicrup says this was a big opportunity.
It was also a big change and challenge.
FEAR IS NORMAL; FACE IT WITH A MINDSET OF OPPORTUNITY
“At first, I was really nervous to do that because I was always used to the 9-5 job - clocking in, clocking out.”
She also saw becoming majority owner as a critical way to expand the business by going after city, county and state contracts.
That designation would allow her to apply as a minority and female-owned business and bid on big government contracts.
DON’T ASSUME THE WORST
Even the arrival of COVID-19 to the United States, which could’ve spelled disaster for the business, did not end up being catastrophic for Trapline Pest Solutions.
“This is a solid industry to be in. And I learned that - even through the pandemic. Because it was categorized as an essential business to protect the food, the health and the safety of the people. And so that’s helping people.”
IDENTIFY YOUR CORE GOALS
And helping people was a core goal for Salicrup, no matter what career she chose.
The evolution of the business coincided with an evolution in Salicrup’s way of thinking, especially when it came to dealing with a fear of the unknown.
It boils down to putting things in proper perspective.
“Through experience and time and research, those things that we were fearful of, that kept us from moving forward, [ended] getting smaller and smaller and smaller. Because we’ve grown past that. We’ve learned from it.”
INDUSTRY: Pest Control and Wildlife Removal
STARTED BUSINESS:
2005 (Husband started the business, and she helped him on the side)
2015 (Salicrup joined her husband in the business full-time and took over as majority owner)
LATINO CONNECTION:
Father is Puerto Rican
Mother’s roots are Puerto Rican
EDUCATION:
University of Central Florida – Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies
Valencia College – Associate of Arts degree in Legal Studies
Certified Paralegal
DREAM JOB AS A KID: “I wanted to design dresses, like beautiful gowns. Definitely beautiful gowns. And, then, around my teenage years, like 9th [or] 10th grade… I wanted to be a psychologist to help people who suffered physical and sexual abuse. I wanted to do that. And, then, once I got to college, I was like, why not be a lawyer? Why not be a judge?”
BIGGEST GOAL YET: “Our biggest goal is to continue to grow the business to a point where [Wayne and I] can decide whether we… have the correct people in place where we can just take a step back and, you know, from time to time, oversee things… Enjoy our lives together, you know, as husband and wife, and try and live in the moment…”
NO NEED TO GO IT ALONE
HELP ON THE OUTSIDE...because we can all use a helping hand:
Hit Refresh: Update Your Website
When was the last time your website got a makeover? Attend this online webinar to give your website a refresh in 7 simple steps. Find out how in this online webinar:
SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives)/SBA (Small Business Administration)
“Elevate Your Website: Simple Steps for a Modern and Updated Look”
Thursday, April 27, 2023
12:00 p.m. EDT - 1:00 p.m. EDT
Virtual Webinar
FREE
https://www.sba.gov/event/22869
WORKING ON THE INSIDE...because we know our culture has a hard time asking for help:
Get the Help You Need
You’ve heard that a mentor at any stage of your business can make a big difference. In this webinar, you’ll learn how to maximize what you can learn from a mentor. Here are the details:
“Get the Most Out of Your Mentor”
SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) & the NEC (National Entrepreneur Center)
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
7:00 p.m. EST - 8:00 p.m. EST
Online Webinar
FREE
https://bizlinkorange.com/event/get-the-most-out-of-your-mentor/
INSPIRATION FOR THIS ISSUE:
When my family first moved to Florida, we rented a house from a woman whose family owned a mom-and-pop type of pest control company.
What surprised me, though, was the fact that her little, local pest control business was lucrative enough for her to be able to buy at least five other houses.
And that’s just it.
Sometimes, businesses that you wouldn’t think much about can be quite profitable.
Yes, I try to encourage people to get involved in the tech sector in some way because of all of the opportunities available.
The digital revolution is with us. And if you have the skills or can scale a tech-related business, it could end up being a very profitable business.
But I also think we can’t forget some of those trade-school related businesses. There’s a serious shortage of workers in these fields, according to NPR.
And there’s opportunity there.
Gladys Salicrup was honest with herself about what working in the law profession entailed.
As much as it had been her goal for so long, she also knew that the opportunity to join her husband and eventually take over as majority owner of the business was an option that was well worth pursuing.
What’s most important to you, whether it’s control over your time, money or status, is a personal choice.
What you need to train yourself to recognize are general trends in business and the opportunities associated with those trends.
That’s regardless of whether they’re on the path that you always thought you’d pursue, or they’re opportunities that have suddenly surfaced that maybe you hadn’t considered.
Open your eyes to all kinds of possibilities. #theskyisNOTthelimit
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🌴Hope your weekend shines! I’m grateful for your support and look forward to bringing you another edition of the Generation Si! newsletter. 😺