Meet Bobby Gerhardt

We recently connected with Bobby Gerhardt and have shared our conversation below.

Bobby, so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever head any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?

Whenever I hit a wall with creating anything, I usually end up cleaning something. When I am in my shop, I start sweeping or putting tools away. Eventually, I will find something that sparks some type of idea. Ideas can range from improving a production process, to finding a different way to store commonly accessed inventory. I run my own business outside of my normal full time job. There is always somewhere to improve processes. Once that spark comes along and I’m moving on an idea, that usually leads to more creativity along the way as well.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am a US Army veteran. I currently work full time for the Department of Veterans Affairs. I am also a small business owner outside of my full time job. I mainly focus on metalwork in my business, but also do plenty of laser engraving, CNC cut file programming, and some woodworking among other things. On top of all that, I dip my hands in the vehicle maintenance/restoration side of the house, so everything is all over! I am currently working on a retired fire engine. It is a 1978 Ford F-700 I purchased from the state of Arizona.

I am a lifelong learner, so everything I do has an education aspect to it. I get most excited doing research for projects I am beginning to work on. Pitfalls and shortcomings always present even more learning opportunities, so that is an added benefit.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I have learned to be extremely resilient in my life. I would say that’s my biggest skill. I was in the army for about nine years. Three deployments, many moves, and many duty stations will make you very resilient. I’ve been handed crates of lemons, and I’ve made plenty of lemonade, haha. I do consider myself a hard worker, and also goal oriented. If I am just a hamster running on a wheel, I usually don’t put a ton of energy into that project.

I would say to someone just starting out: take your time. We don’t become experts in a day. It takes time, failures, and learning from those failures to develop expertise.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

The best thing I can say is to take a break. That speed bump is still going to be there when you get back. It won’t get any easier to overcome if you are continuing to get frustrated. Just take a step back, calm down a bit, and get back to it after you have had some time to settle back down and attack it with a clearer mind.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All images are credit/owned by Bobby Gerhardt/Reaper Manufacturing

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