How did you get your start?

[Tintguy1980]

1980 ... my second year of college after leaving the Navy. Needed some material to present a 'how-to' for speech class so, stopped into a local tint shop. Before leaving asked if they needed any help ... yes, I've tinted before, I told them. The day I went to, eh hem, work along side their seasoned tinter, she stopped my half way through my cut and said, you've never done this before have you. Pray tell, how did you come up with that, I says. Her answer tells it all ... you are not fluid with your cutting. I begin to pray. Didn't help. By lunch time they booted me to the street but, not before setting up their main competitor by telling me that place over on Clearwater Rd needs an auto tinter.

 

Next day I go to Clearwater Rd place after class and ask if they were hiring. Yes, they say but, do you have any experience. I said, yes, I worked for that place for awhile. They then proceeded to give me tools, film, the keys to a late 70's Ford Fairmont Wagon and point to the auto tint bay. I was to tint the car a bring it back for their inspection before I would be hired. Off I went and did the best I could returning the keys to reception. Boss man and reception lady go out to investigate the work. I pray. They come back in and the Boss man says, nice job son, there's just one thing I'd like you to do when you start for us tomorrow. I says, what's that? He says, can you bring your time down from 5 hours to just a couple hours per car; I can't make any money at the rate you're going?

 

I did just that and three months later I was taken off minimum wage and put on 35% commission only. I was shown how to do invisa-seam back glass instead of overlapping strips and went on to work for them for another two years before the IRS shut them down for not paying taxes, which included Social Security taxes. If you were to see my Social Security income report you would see 0$ for 80 an 81.

 

A few days after shut down I contacted the boss man and said they still owed me $2500 in back pay and since they were strapped for cash I have a list of things I would take instead and call it even. I was given all I needed in tools and film to start my own gig and did so in the new location the were to move to before getting shut down. I also took the client list. 14 years later I went to work for a major manny in sales, migrating to tech support in less than two years.

 

Never mind the story of how I would 'blow' the shops that I had during that 14 year period.

 

Edited April 12, 2019 by Tintguy1980

[Tint Slayer]

17 hours ago, smartie2shoes said:

......

......

Never mind the story of how I would 'blow' the shops that I had during that 14 year period.

 

I'm happily retired now.

 

there's no way you can say that second to last sentence and then say never mind lol

 

[highplains]

[Tintguy1980]

2 hours ago, Tint Slayer said:

 

there's no way you can say that second to last sentence and then say never mind lol

 

Slayed that one in record time. Can we say scarface(plant) .

[Guest DW71]

On 1/2/2019 at 10:57 PM, rvpjr said:

I started in 1987 when I was 17 years old.  I watched plenty of YouTube videos.  Lol

 1987? Plenty of YouTube videos? YouTube did not even start until 2005. How long did it take you to learn? 

[Likemytintz]

It was my last hope at getting out of a hot warehouse job at a auto glass shop and into a climate controlled shop. Never in a million years would I have thought I’d be a tinter that’s for sure. I was the last one the boss offered the job to and the only one to accept the offer . It’s just like joining the mafia once your in you never come out. The only job I’ve had were one hour I might make $100  or $1000 it’s a crazy life. 

[Guest 205tinter]

Tried to tint my car, sucked it up cut my weather stripping, noob shit. Asked dad how do I learn he said either pay someone to teach you or get paid to learn. Searched window tint near me on google went to the first place that popped up boom now here i am a year and a half later running the shop. Sadly I have to quit in November for Marine Corps but im buying a plotter and taking the show on the road.