Subie Scoop - July 13

[00:00:06] It's kind of crazy how the timing of life and events can work out and just how things can come around just when they need to. So, nine months ago today, on Monday, October 13, I got laid off. I didn't end up filing for unemployment until December because I had a couple of potential job opportunities. Like one was going back to my previous job because they said that the door was always open. And then another one, somebody said that their job was hiring but then nothing ever came of that.

[00:00:36] And my old job is still not able to hire. They just, not that they didn't want me back or couldn't take me, well, they couldn't take me back because they weren't able to hire because they don't have enough projects. But I don't know when it was that I applied and I had been applying for jobs. I had been applying for drafting jobs. And I applied for this one job, just wasn't expecting anything from it.

[00:00:59] Then I heard back and last week I ended up getting the official call and offer letter for this new full time job. And so what's crazy is so it's like, OK, now I have a full time job. I'm not going to start until August 3rd because of the paperwork and all the timing and everything. But with my unemployment, I have to file and request a payment every other Sunday. Well, yesterday was that every other Sunday.

[00:01:28] And yesterday, when I went to go apply for or when I went to go request a payment, there was a message that said there are no more benefits or there are no benefits remaining on your claim. Which to me says there's either no more money or for some reason we just can't continue giving you unemployment. So I don't know that that's 100 percent accurate. I don't know. I'm going to give them a call just to see, let them know, hey, I'm not starting until August 3rd. So I'll see what's going to happen.

[00:01:57] But it's just the whole timing of all of that is that, first of all, nine months ago today, I got laid off. Yesterday, I go to request a payment for for unemployment. And apparently there's no more money remaining or something. But prior to that, the week prior, I ended up getting an offer for a full time job. So kind of crazy how that all just seemed to line up.

[00:02:24] I know that this is a subie scoop, but I said I would use a subie scoop to catch people up on what's going on in my life. And of course, I still have a subie and my son still has his. My daughter still has hers. So this is still a subie scoop. And I'm sure I'll be able to fill something in there. But anyway, so I am going to be working for Perry Homes doing as as a site planner to position. And I'm going to be basically laying out site plans and on home lots.

[00:02:53] So I'm going to be drafting all day, which is exactly what I've enjoyed doing, what I wasn't doing for a really long time and what I wanted to get back to doing if I was going to be going back to a full time job. And so that's what I'm going to be doing, drafting all day.

[00:03:08] Not only that, but it is a fully 100 percent remote job, which is what I was also looking for, because I want the ability and flexibility to go up and visit Kelly and go see her for like a week if I want to, two weeks if I want to, and eventually be able to move somewhere else. So that is like very, very key. But it was really cool how something else happened, too.

[00:03:32] So I was working on a UGC job for a client, which if you don't know what UGC is, UGC is user generated content. It's where content creators create content for brands. The brands then post them on their own social media, either as organic ads or as paid ads. And then they pay the creators. And then there's several different ways to create the content and deliver it to the brand. But that's basically what it is in a very, very short synopsis of UGC.

[00:04:00] So this brand wanted me to create content at a pickleball court, at a dedicated pickleball court. And it is very, very hard to find one around here. There's a there's a country club that just had some pickleball courts built, but I don't have a membership and I can't go over there and do that. Then I and I told the brand, I said, hey, I'm having trouble finding a dedicated pickleball court.

[00:04:23] So I said there there are ones that are like inside of a tennis court where they like just stripe it off or pickleball, like on either side of a tennis court. And they said, OK, that'll work. You know, that's not ideal. That's not what they were really looking for. But they said that'll be OK and that'll work because we understand your circumstances. So there is a there's two tennis courts in the neighborhood behind me that Luke and I have been to several times to go play pickleball and tennis.

[00:04:51] So we get over there and and then we actually went out there on. We went there on July 4th and we were going to try to get in there and create content inside on the fence next to the gate where you go through. There's a big metal box and inside that big metal box, there used to be a big red button like a like an emergency stop button.

[00:05:12] Well, Luke was able to reach his arm through the gate, use the end of the tennis racket or the pickleball paddle and push the button and we could go in. But they recently changed the button because now it's like a metal ring with a button that is flush with the metal ring. So you can't just easily push the button. So we weren't able to get in.

[00:05:36] And we were also going to do Fourth of July stuff. So I'm like, I and I knew about this other pickleball court that was in this neighborhood. And I but I wasn't sure what it looked like. I wasn't sure if it was locked, gated, whatever. So I decided to go out there, go drive out there on a Monday and I saw that it was open like it was it had low side gates and it had like tall gates on the ends.

[00:06:03] But it was basically open and nobody was there. So as I'm approaching this pickleball court and this is right, this is actually right before I got the offer for the job, the official offer. I knew the offer was coming. They said they were just waiting to have the offer letter signed off. And so and then once they had it signed off, the manager would call me, offer me the position and then I would get the actual offer letter.

[00:06:29] So this was a day prior to that. So I go up to the pickleball court and right there in front of the gate was a mat that said Perry Holmes, a company that I just got an offer for. So I took that as a sign because I'm still going to be creating UGC content for brands. I'm going to be working for Perry Holmes. I'm going to still be doing the podcast.

[00:06:54] And so, yeah, I just it was crazy how that all lined up. I get an offer from this company. I'm doing work for UGC brands. I go to this pickleball court, the last one that I finally decided to go to. And there's a Perry Holmes mat right out in front. And then, of course, getting laid off nine months ago and then having my benefits end right as I get a job.

[00:07:20] And I don't know if like Perry Holmes ended up putting in the system or something that, you know, and they somehow found out like, hey, this guy got an offer. But you're supposed to be able to get benefits up until the point that you actually start earning money and haven't started earning money with them yet. So I don't know what's going on. I'm going to give them a call and see if maybe we can work something out for like one more check. But of course, I haven't been sitting around doing nothing.

[00:07:46] I started doing more content for Subaru gear and then I went to Overland Expo West, Overland Expo P&W. I'm still working on the content from those. But, you know, I've been doing other stuff. I was doing the Amazon Influencer Program, but I stopped doing that because to focus on UGC because it's a lot more lucrative.

[00:08:06] But then I started building my UGC career, started earning money from that, and now I'm like in a pretty good position to where I don't really need the unemployment anymore. So that is also perfect timing. But of course, speaking of Subaru gear, be sure to go to SubaruGear.com. Browse the website. There are so many options there. There's T-shirts. There's hats. There's hoodies. There's beanies.

[00:08:32] It's not cold outside, but stock up for the winter when it comes around again. Use the code SUBINU2026 at checkout to get 20% off one item or your entire purchase. If your total is over $50 after the 20% discount, you'll automatically get free shipping. And that is really cool. So thank you so much, Subaru gear. Thank you so much for tuning into the SubiScoop. We'll see you next Monday for another regular episode. Much Subi love. Raph.