We’re working a construction site and it’s in the demolition phase. Well, a subcontractor of ours was working on his car at the site and his brakes failed and it rolled down the hill, smashing part of the building and the car of an unlucky woman. Everyone was insured, and there were no injuries so I figured it would get squashed. I ended up talking to the lady later and she told me her car got totaled, but she had refinanced it and the payout was only $9k, and she still owed $10k on the car. And no one from insurance was doing anything else. I told her that was kind of the end of the claim, and that no one else is likely to pay out anything over the ACV of the car, and I could tell she was just devastated. Talked to me about how she was struggling with her small business and she had a daughter she was trying to support. I felt really bad for the lady. She’s out there trying to do her best and because of a freak accident suddenly she’s $1500 in the hole with no car. I thought about it all day yesterday. The buildings where she’s living is definitely a bad area, and I’d imagine she doesn’t have anyone out there to help her.

Ultimately, I called her up to just tell her I was going to personally stroke her a check for $2k to get square with the house and maybe put her on her way to getting a new car. I know we don’t legally owe her anything. Her car was paid for in full. And it was my subcontractor that was handling the insurance bit through his carrier, but I just saw a lady that needed help, and I decided to help because I could. I had a kid myself last year and maybe it’s softened my old heart a bit.

So that’s my post. I just wanted to share a part about business ownership that doesn’t get talked about much. Helping where you can. If her car got smashed by an Amazon truck, she’d get what she got and they’d tell her to fuck off on the rest. I’m glad that I’m in a place that I could help the lady out. I don’t feel I do very much to make the world around me a better place, but today, because of my business, I got to do something. And I’ll advise the rest of you to do the same when you can, should the opportunity present itself.