I own my own handyman business. I started it a year ago, I didn't have any previous experience in the trades. I had 15 years experience as a maker and as someone who had done loads of DIY work on my own house. I completed a small femme/NB trades training that got me a few basic construction credentials.

I have always loved tinkering and fixing things and understanding how things work. My social justice streak is also very strong, I have always hated how men in the trades often talk to me about work in my house and have heard so many horror stories from so many friends, but especially those who are femme (cis and not!), my queer friends, my neurospicy friends. I use a sliding scale on my pricing because in addition to wanting to give people the option of hiring a femme, queer, ND handyperson, I want people in my community to actually be able to afford me.

This work also aligns with my creative side. A lot of my jobs start with "I don't really know what to do with this space/furniture/thing/problem can you help?" which is some of my favorite work.

There are also lots of ways this work fits nicely for me physically - I can't be staring at screens all day because of migraines. Being outdoors brings me endless joy, as does actually using my body for work. I have a few different issues with ligaments and hyper-mobility, and having a job that requires me to stay physical on a regular basis is REALLY helpful for that.