Dumbed to Death
Updated: Jan 31
Episode 1
In April 2015 I was struggling to gain self employed project work with building owners to create and produce learning materials in a digital format, a first in Canada. I had pioneered a few lucrative productions for the Region of Waterloo, but nothing in that marketplace offered me, my company Archer Edutainment, further, steady revenue generating opportunities in the production of Mp4 videos/dvd's, HDV, and Mp3 audio files specific for the M/E industries.
I was going to be 1st (first) into the industry. I knew first one into any market gets the bloodiest, but I was prepping to be on "the bleeding edge of the sword", one more time.
(Tell them about the Golf profile Dave... tell them about the singing frog... Dave... tell them how you were going to make over $175,000,000.00 in the first year of sales, world wide... tell them what happened... tell them!)
The need for these materials to be created and added to government building's facilities libraries I could see was on a trend upwards. For "Green" purposes, for LEED purposes, and for financial reasons... the more complex building environmental systems became, people could see the value in developing resourceful diagnostic tools with respect to their newly designed, built, and installed "as is" mechanical and electrical equipment and systems onto a digital format.
A technician, up in a crawl space above an office, or in a CRAC room, wherever they can access the model number, even possibly the serial number of the unit through a QR code, then watch and listen to, or confirm and compare their readings to, perhaps, a solid state control board and its sensor, and the appropriate meter readings? They could complete their diagnosis, possibly make the repair right there, on the spot, discuss maintenance issues, all of it.
It wasn't hitting, no matter how hard I tired. It was now the Spring of 2015... I'm 59 years old.
Faced with the reality of possible bankruptcy, I accepted an offer to join Centennial College's HRAC faculty and begin teaching in the upcoming Spring 2015 learning term at a financial level they determined was Step 14... $82,000.00 per year full time, or $120/hr contract. Approx 20 hours a week at 2,000.00 per week.
By the New year of 2016, I was teaching 12 hours per week at Centennial College, and 12 hours per week at Seneca in their BAS program. That was paying $2,000.00 per week as well.
Now, 2016, I was making $4,000.00 per week. That's $12,000.00 per month. That's $144K per year.
But then the Fall of 2016 would be my win and lose decision....
What happened in the Fall of 2016 motivating me to write this minnie series called: Dumbed to Death?
Join us next episode of... Dumbed To Death
dave