What did I get myself into?
Guest Blog
by Emma Austin, Office Assisstant, Jim’s daughter, Eddie’s wife
In some ways it seems very strange that I, a soon-to-be Speech-Language Pathologist, ended up working at Probst Furniture Makers. I started working for my Dad the summer after my second year of college. At the time, it seemed like a dream job in many ways. I mean, what 19-year-old girl would turn down the opportunity to work just yards away from her boyfriend and eat lunch with him everyday, have 3-day weekends, and have the ability to request off anytime she wanted? However, I quickly learned that there were a few downsides to the job. I spent my first days cleaning the office that I would share with my Dad. We dusted surfaces that had not been cleaned for decades and swept mouse turds out of the corners. My jobs consisted of trying to balance the checkbook that never balanced, teaching my Dad how to use the computer, and attempting to decode his filing system, which consisted of two folders: “stuff” and “important stuff”. The overall office environment was not great either. On the days that I decided I could no longer bear the 90 degree weather, I sat shivering next to the 20-year-old window air conditioner that rattled so loudly it had to be turned off during phone calls. The dust was so thick that not only could I not keep anything clean for a day, but I also developed bronchitis. I began to have second thoughts about my summer commitment.
However, things improved as I began to work on marketing and found that I enjoyed designing our catalog and other materials. Over the past few years, that is the one aspect of my job that has stuck- I eventually protested cleaning, although I do still file (the system has come a long way since I took over the office organization).
So here I am, spending another summer at Probst Furniture Makers. I continue to insist that it will be my last (I start a real job, as a Speech-Language Pathologist, in the Fall). It has been fun and challenging and gross, but overall, I am glad I have worked here. I have been able to see this side of my Dad and the business that I wouldn’t have known otherwise. I have enjoyed being a part of this business and developing somewhat of an understanding of why my Dad and my husband (Eddie) enjoy furniture making so much. While I am very ready to focus on my own career, I know that I will still be around to help as needed. I also have a very strong feeling that furniture making will continue to be part of my life as Eddie’s business grows.
Tags: family business, marketing, summer job, woodshop