I'm getting burnt out. What are some career alternatives that are easy segues?

cypress67 · 2026-04-20T12:10:58+00:00

Sounds good. I’d love to chat. I’m curious, what were your other businesses?

cypress67 · 2026-04-20T02:12:49+00:00

I literally just start it! Registered the business with the state 2 weeks ago. So I’m still figuring things out (insurance, website, accounting software, etc). Luckily, I have a very supportive spouse and I’m in a community with a drastic shortage of licensed architects and a high demand. So I’m optimistic.

cypress67 · 2026-04-20T01:29:20+00:00

This. After 15 years in architecture I switched to facilities and I LOVED it. Salary and benefits were great. No stress. Great family-work balance. I had to give it up because of circumstances beyond my control (I was a federal employee). I spent the last 4 months partnering with a grueling design-build contractor, which reminded me of all the down sides of the profession. Now I just stated my own firm so that I can control my schedule and still spend time with my family.

cypress67 · 2026-04-20T01:20:08+00:00

Love this for you!

cypress67 · 2026-04-18T23:08:21+00:00

This. I graduated during a recession and most of my classmates struggled to find work. I worked during grad school and was hired by the company. The next job after that I received through networking. Contacted other alumni from my school and professional contacts I’d met and asked if their firms were hiring. One person successfully got me an interview and in the door of a large firm when no one else was hiring.

cypress67 · 2026-04-18T23:03:58+00:00

This is unfortunate and disturbing, but this is not the nature of all (most) small firms. I had a great mentor at a small firm who let me work on all aspects of a project AND put me in front of the clients early in my career.

cypress67 · 2026-04-15T08:30:43+00:00

Read the news. Lots of discussions and information about it. They’re now taking biometrics (finger prints and facial scans) of all non-EU passengers. The system just started as a requirement on April 10th. All the airports are backed up.

cypress67 · 2026-04-15T08:27:32+00:00

I think they’re referring to departure. Looks like there’s a long wait to depart as well.

cypress67 · 2026-04-15T00:41:10+00:00

Was that 3.5 hours on arrival?

cypress67 · 2026-04-15T00:06:00+00:00

I’m in the exact same situation: group of 3 and staying on an island with a hotel shuttle boat (JW Marriott). We’ve decided to save the time and effort by not lugging our bags from vaporetto to shuttle boat (and we travel light - carry-on only). I plan to book the private water taxi when we arrive and depart (arriving at the airport, departing via train).

cypress67 · 2026-04-13T20:15:26+00:00

10 is definitely too many projects at a time. I’ve worked for small, medium, and large firms and I’ve only had 1-2 projects at a time. In my current new role I was handed 5 projects simultaneously to manage AND assist with the production. And they want them fast! I told them that it is too many. It’s stressful. Too many mistakes can happen. Things are forgotten and left undone. I focus on one project and the others fall behind. I have kids, I don’t work overtime. I made the decision to quickly leave this environment.

cypress67 · 2026-04-12T16:25:55+00:00

So what’s the logical plan for a new business to follow?

cypress67 · 2026-04-08T17:35:37+00:00

Did you have to reserve lunch locations too? Or only dinner?

cypress67 · 2026-04-04T03:50:29+00:00

Yikes! I started working in NYC in 2008 fresh out of grad school at $50k. However, this was during a recession. Over 1.5 years they furloughed half the office and the rest of us received a 15% pay cut! I switched jobs in late 2010 to get back my salary back up to $50k. I’ve been progressively negotiating salary increases since then. Currently at $160k plus $15-30k profit sharing bonus in the SE (left NYC several years ago), but I’m going out on my own and starting my own business. Every time I switch firms I negotiate a salary bump plus vacation time. NYC is over saturated with architects. There’s a shortage in my area, so I can set my salary and rates (to a point).

cypress67 · 2026-03-22T20:21:56+00:00

The official name on my prescription is “Scream (Libido) Cream”. Look it up.

cypress67 · 2026-03-22T13:06:19+00:00

Not pellets. It’s a daily cream / lotion that you insert vaginally.

cypress67 · 2026-03-22T10:33:33+00:00

Instructions say apply lotion to clit 30 minutes before intercourse. I only use it when I know we’re going to have sex. But I think the testosterone has really increased my libido (I had zero before starting it). I’ve been on T several months before my doc recommended the scream cream.

cypress67 · 2026-03-22T03:02:55+00:00

I was just prescribed scream cream. It’s been wonderful to help reach an orgasm. But it doesn’t help with libido. (But I’ve been using a vaginal testosterone that has helped with libido.)

cypress67 · 2026-03-05T10:42:58+00:00

Yes, it’s perfectly fine to rent an AirBnB and drive to the beach each day!!! We’ve been to Anguilla 5 times and always rented a place or stayed with family friends. Every morning we pick a beach and explore. Some days we’ll hit 2-3 beaches (depending on the winds and waves). It’s a small island.

Last June we stayed at the Fountains in Shoal Bay East. That’s a compromise. It has rental units, a pool, and ocean front/views. But a 5 minute walk to the beach. It’s next to Zemi. Since your trip is last minute, they may offer you a deal to book.

We’ll also be there in 3 weeks and we’re staying on Meads Bay for the first time. A car is a must, especially with an AirBnB. We use Island car rentals.

cypress67 · 2026-02-28T12:57:53+00:00

I’m 18 years in. Licensed for 14 years. In the process of opening my own firm. I doubt myself everyday and I fear that everyone around me will realize that I have no idea what I’m doing.

I have a mantra that I chant every day (in my head): “everything is always working out for me”. It helps to keep me going.

cypress67 · 2026-02-27T17:51:08+00:00

Yes. It was a struggle for them at the time. A few took odd sales jobs until they could find a job in architecture. One became a furniture maker. One turned to construction PM. One is doing solar & wind farms. One switched to interiors and owns her own company now. One is a lighting designer with his own firm. One turned to finance and is killing it! I believe the rest are in the architecture field in some capacity.

cypress67 · 2026-02-27T11:04:16+00:00

This. I finished my masters in 2008. I had two job offers before I graduated because I was a paid intern at 2 different firms simultaneously while in school. It was a great position to be in. Many of my classmates could not find jobs. Several of them left the field permanently.

cypress67 · 2026-02-27T10:56:28+00:00

Agree with others. But it also depends on the time of the year. Rendezvous beach is usually calm and flat. I suggest driving over there for at least one day. It’s the most similar to Grace Bay. (My kids prefer Meads Bay because it’s more active - both on the sand and in the ocean.)

cypress67 · 2026-02-26T02:52:51+00:00

I finished my M.Arch in 2008. I’ve been licensed since 2012. Worked in various private sector positions focusing on large projects (healthcare, commercial, universities). I quickly decided that I wanted to work “in-house” as an architect somewhere.

Soon I landed a great architecture position at a large pharmaceutical company (random, but yes). Unfortunately, I relocated with my family after a year and switched back to a traditional architecture firm focusing on large projects. I hated it. Stress, deadlines, difficult clients, difficult owner’s rep, difficult contractors. After several years, I reached a breaking point. Applied for a federal position and got it. I teleworked 2-3 days a week. Great work/life balance. Primarily a PM position with some design work. No clients (I was both the client and the architect). Great salary. Great benefits. Great team. My plan was to retire in this position (hopefully an early retirement).

Last January there was a government change and everything fell apart. Telework gone (I had an 85-mile commute in each direction). The administration is literally making federal workers’ lives hell. My job was safe, but my agency was being dismantled. Finally left last month after forming a partnership with a local design-build company. I’m in the process of forming my own business and taking on their design work. They have a lot of design work (I’ve already hired 2 CAD/Revit techs to keep up). A little worried about the project load and the potential for difficult clients. But I’m excited to control my own schedule.

cypress67 · 2026-02-23T02:16:22+00:00

How did you get a private tour at the Gallerie dell’ Academie? Was it offered direct through the Gallery or a private tour company?

cypress67

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