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“Ultra-mobile auto transport” pays off when you have a growing family.

When I decided to work from home there were many things that made it attractive. As my auto transport home-based business was in the beginning stage a key factor was the freedom to work from anywhere I wanted to; being mobile was important.

Previously when I worked at the bank taking time off was not easy. If you wanted vacation time, you had to choose your dates in January. Other time off was out of the question. I don’t know many people who plan that far ahead of time, do you? We usually planned our trips at the last minute. When the mood strikes…we would go (wink, wink).

As the kids grew up and left home it got harder and harder to find time to travel to visit them. As the grandbabies started arriving it became more important that we have time to spend with them. I didn’t want to have to choose – between a visit with family or a vacation for my hubby and me. Time is precious and not unlimited…we needed to be able to have our cake and eat it too!

The solution? To work from home enabled me to leave the office and still work no matter where I was. I could travel whenever I wanted to. If my kids needed something or someone…me (smile), we could just pack up the car and go.

“Ultra-mobile auto transport” and a new grand baby…

This year our newest grandson arrived in mid-November. Because our auto transport business is home-based, we are mobile. We packed up the laptop, forwarded the phones, and off we went. We packed for a week taking the warmest jackets we own.

The excitement of the new baby clouded our judgment. We didn’t even think about it being mid-November…winter was almost here! Living in California winter is usually rainy and cool, not cold. Our daughter and family live in Idaho where the winters are cold, but not usually unbearable. The long-range forecast didn’t indicate any problems, so off we went.

If you have grandchildren then you know what happens to all common sense. Of course, Mother Nature doesn’t pay attention to the long-range forecasters nor what we think. All we could think about was the new baby and the chance to be with our grandchildren again.

Weather and business have a common thread…

Being in the auto transport business myself has taught me many a lesson. One of the biggest lessons has been…change is imminent. You must go with the flow. Taking one day at a time helps you to deal with the minute-by-minute changes. Little did we know how this lesson would test us to the max one more time.

Our trip up through the backcountry of California was beautiful. The fall colors resembled those we’d seen on a show about the Northeast on the PBS station earlier.

As we entered Oregon and Idaho each had its own unique landscape and color scheme for the season, too. Driving and chatting all we could think about were those darling little faces of our grandchildren and the surprise on mommy’s face! We hadn’t announced our visit to them…we were just going to show up!

Having the ability to pack up and go while working from your cell phone has its advantages. As long as I could get a signal, I took phone calls. Knowing the seasonal rates helped. I could quote certain routes with my eyes closed. Other, off-the-wall routes I called back when I had the aide of my trusty laptop.

The surprise was on us!

Our first week in Idaho was awesome. Reconnecting with the kids was so much fun. Feeling the shallow breath of the newborn on my neck was precious. We instantly bonded (smile).

Soon we settled into the kid’s routine. Answering dispatch and client calls fell in between breakfast, lunch and dinner prep. There was lots of time to watch their favorite movies…Toy Story 3 and Cars…can’t beat a cute movie and grandchildren.

As orders came in I was able to type them up and find an available carrier right away. The days flew by and before we knew it our week was almost gone.

Then it happened…

The late-night news weatherman announced the storm of the decade was due within 24 hours. There was no time to prepare, no time to get out of the area. We had to relinquish our plans of leaving for home to stay put at my daughter’s home.

Normally I wouldn’t have given it a second thought. But, I had a business meeting scheduled in Dallas, TX with Sandi Krakowski at A Real Change International. There was no time to change those plans, nor the flight. I had to get home.

The weather became the topic and talk of the day. Mother Nature was not cooperating. Each day brought more challenges and change. We had a choice…either relax and enjoy or fight it and get all stressed out.

Our one-week trip turned into 17 days. We loved being with the kids. We got to watch the baby change every day. He filled out, lost his umbilical cord, got circumcised, and went to his first check-up. In his first two weeks, he gained a pound and went up a size in clothes. We never got to experience that with the others.

I had work to get done that required quiet, focus, and time. But with four grandchildren and four adults in the house cooped up for over a week…it was time to just relax and have fun. Thankful that my business is mobile I was able to take advantage of this extra time with my family.

What did love, patience, and business teach me?

Everyone who has children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews fully knows the love that swells in your heart. The pull those kids have is amazing.

Sure we have to work to support our little ones. But, part of that support is love and patience, too. When change comes, whether through business or the weather how we react determines how our kids will react.

Just because I didn’t have the chance to return home on the schedule I had planned I could have gone off the deep end. The old Carla would have…all work and no play. I would have stressed myself out. Not being able to have the alone time to write would have pushed me over the edge.

Instead, the love for those babies swelled my heart to near capacity. I was able to journal a little, the best I could. It paid off – I took orders and dispatched the freight…as I could. My priority – is my family and enjoying every minute with them…work came second.

You know what? By being mobile, keeping my priorities straight I came home one fulfilled grammy and the money in the bank increased, too. We all got plenty of rest, ate right, took our vitamins, and had lots of fun together.

So, if you are a home-based business owner like me or want to cash in as I have; take a tip from me…you only live once. Relax, go with the flow and work your business like we do our “ultra-mobile auto transport” with patience and love.

Here to Serve,

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Carla J Gardiner

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