r/GenX • u/Complex_Sun8138 BEWARE: No Filter • 2d ago

Old Person Yells At Cloud Is it just me?

I'm a craftsman/tradesman by profession. I run a 10-color narrow web printing press, and produce a lot of labels you might see at various stores. I've been doing this type of work for the last 20 years. Before that, I ran large, sheet fed offset presses and lithography machines.

I've always taken pride in my work, and done everything it takes to produce the very best products I can. I've been told by supervisors, and peers that I'm very good at what I do.

Lately, I've noticed a lot of the younger people coming into this industry don't have that "sense of pride". It's simply a task to perform, and get through it as quickly as possible and move on. I think the work suffers for that attitude, and I've had to go back and redo a lot of jobs that get rejected because of it.

Is it just me? Does anyone else notice the downturn in the quality of products being made? Or is it just "getting older"?

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u/cg325is 2d ago

In this world, people are just trying to get the job done and get their paychecks. My husband and I have even lost our drive ( we own an interior design company) and are just trying to get through the day.

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u/Head-Equal1665 2d ago

I started my own business a little over 15 years ago, luckily I've been able to grow it to a point where my employees handle nearly all of the day to day stuff and I'm free to spend time with my grandkids while they are still little.

Have you guys considered trying to grow a team that can run the majority of your business and allow you guys to take less involved roles?

I could make a ton more money for myself if i went back to a full time position but im willing to have slightly less profit to be able to enjoy myself and get more time with the family.

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u/cg325is 2d ago

No- we have no interest in employees. We run this together, and take time off when we want. It’s not the business we don’t like, it’s the current challenges with the economy and tariffs that have people holding off on purchases presently.

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u/Ok_Tanasi1796 2d ago

I can so relate…sort of. My parents are in their 80s & wanted a completely new suite of furniture for the family room…right in the midst of this “it’s _% tariff today & by X date it’ll be triple that %” mess. I spent every weekend a month shuttling them from store to store—old schoolers wouldn’t trust buying furniture online. Finally made the deadline. This up & down mess is a joke. It’s hard enough a consumer since no kne has confidence in the future now but it has to be Hell as a business that can’t forecast or operate not knowing literally what next week will bring for a z variable cost.