Getting flown to Turks and Caicos to hang shades sounds like a dream gig. Post the beach photo, cash the check, done. Right?

Not quite.

In this one, Roger pulls back the curtain on what international installs actually look like from the installer's chair — the long hours, the missing tools, the immigration line, and the stuff that goes sideways when there's no Home Depot around the corner to bail you out.

It starts with pride. Getting picked for an out-of-country job is somebody saying I trust you, I want you on this one. That recognition is real, and it feels good. But once you land, the honeymoon's over — you're not on vacation, you're on the clock, and they're going to squeeze every hour they paid for.

Roger walks through the hard-earned lessons: why your favorite tools might not make the trip, why you'll be borrowing a chop saw with the wrong blade, why he paid $150 just to check an overweight toolbox, and why your drill batteries ride in your carry-on.

He gets into the pay reality (nobody's cutting you a check for 24/7), the grocery-run-for-lunch survival plan, and the one thing that trips people up more than anything else — working permits. Go in with a tape measure, you're a tourist. Come back with a truckload of tools, and immigration wants to see paperwork you should've started six weeks ago.

If you've ever chased the "glamorous" island job — or you're about to — this is the honest brief you wish someone handed you first.

In this episode:

• Why international jobs are a trust signal (and a little bit of ego)
• The "this isn't a vacation" reality check
• Packing smart when there's no hardware store nearby
• Improvising on-site: wrong blades, missing screws, borrowed tools
• The real cost of shipping tools (and where your batteries go)
• Getting paid fairly when you can't bill every hour
• Feeding yourself when the island runs on limited resources
• The permit mistake that gets people stopped at the border
• Building the mindset to solve problems on the fly

About the book
Nobody Told Me That — lessons, hard moments, and the connections that got Roger through 20 years of building a business. Launching September 9th. Pre-order now on Amazon and all major retailers.

Sponsor
This episode is brought to you by BlindsOnline.com. Use promo code PODCAST.

#NoStringsAttached #NobodyToldMeThat #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #InstallerLife #WindowTreatments #InternationalInstalls #IslandJobs #BehindTheScenes #LessonsLearned #Resourcefulness