John Flores (u/john_flores)

Posts

Shoutout to the old-timer who showed me the ice trick for dented aluminum panels

I was working on a 2019 Silverado bed side in our Tacoma shop last month, a big shallow dent from a parking lot hit. Aluminum, so you know how it fights you. I was about an hour into heat and working it with the spoon, getting frustrated. This retired guy who comes by sometimes, Frank, walks over and tells me to grab a bag of ice from the break room fridge. I thought he was messing with me. He had me hold the ice cube right on the high spot of the dent for like 30 seconds, then quickly hit the area around it with the heat gun on low. The metal actually snapped back about 80% of the way on its own. He said the quick shrink from the cold does something the heat can't. Saved me another hour of mud work. Anyone else use weird tricks like that on modern aluminum bodywork?

3 comments

c/camera-repairers•

john_flores•8d ago

TIL a tiny spring from a Nikon F3 can launch itself across a room

I was working on a shutter mechanism in my home shop in Tacoma last week, and the tiny tension spring for the mirror lock-up just vanished. Heard a faint 'ping' and spent 45 minutes on my hands and knees with a magnet. Finally spotted it under the leg of my workbench. Anyone else have a go-to trick for keeping those little demons from flying away?

3 comments

c/backpacking-routes•

john_flores•17d ago

Everyone pushes the John Muir Trail, but my best trip was a quiet loop in the Wallowas

I did a five day solo loop in the Eagle Cap Wilderness last August, and it was perfect. I saw maybe four other people the whole time. The popular opinion is that you need to bag the famous trails to have a real experience, but I disagree. I camped by a lake called Mirror Lake for two nights, caught small trout for dinner, and just sat watching the stars without a single headlamp in sight. The quiet let me notice things, like a family of mountain goats on a cliff face I would have missed in a crowd. It wasn't epic in the social media sense, but it was deeply good. Has anyone else found a less famous route that just clicked for them in a way the crowded classics never have?

3 comments

c/behind-the-viral•

john_flores•17d ago

I spent $250 on a 'viral strategy' consultant and it was a complete waste of money.

Everyone in my circle was talking about how you need to hire an expert to decode the algorithm. I paid this guy who promised a custom plan to get my small business's posts trending. His big advice was to just post more 'relatable fails' and use trending audio, which is the same free advice you get everywhere. He gave me a fancy report but nothing actually worked. My engagement stayed the same. I think a lot of these 'behind the scenes' experts are just repackaging common sense. Has anyone actually had a strategy pay off, or is it mostly luck?

3 comments

c/budget-friendly-meals•

john_flores•22d ago

Back in my first apartment, I tried to stretch a single pack of ground beef for a week

I was in my kitchen in Spokane, trying to make a giant pot of chili, and I accidentally dumped in a whole container of chili powder instead of a tablespoon. The pot was basically inedible, so I had to rinse the beef under cold water and start over with just some onions and a can of beans. What's the biggest cooking mistake you've had to salvage on a tight budget?

4 comments

c/accidental-viral-fame•

john_flores•29d ago

My kid's meltdown at the Phoenix Zoo got us 2 million views

He was crying because a peacock wouldn't share his snack, and someone filmed it. Now people recognize us at the grocery store and ask about the 'peacock incident'.

3 comments

c/freelance-finance•

john_flores•1mo ago

My tax guy in Tampa saved me a big headache last month with one simple tip

Last month, I was getting my stuff ready for my quarterly taxes and felt totally stuck. I do a mix of writing and some web design, and my income was all over the place from different places. I called my tax guy, Mike, and he asked me one thing: 'Did you open a separate checking account just for work yet?' I hadn't. He told me to go to my bank that day and open a second account with no fees. Now, every single payment from a client goes straight into that account first. I take my pay out of it, and the rest sits there for taxes and business costs. It sounds simple, but seeing that one number for what I actually owe, instead of it being mixed with my grocery money, changed the game. Has anyone else tried this bank account trick, or do you use a different system to keep things clear?

3 comments

c/cosmetologists•

john_flores•1mo ago

I just hit 500 haircuts in my first year out of beauty school

I kept a little notebook and counted every single one, and I hit 500 yesterday. It feels like a big deal because I was so nervous about building a client base when I started. Do you guys track your numbers like that, or is it just me?

3 comments

c/agency-legal•

john_flores•1mo ago

A client in Phoenix told me their old agency never had them sign a work-for-hire agreement

They were shocked when I explained that without one, they might not fully own the website we built. It made me realize how many small businesses are operating with huge legal blind spots. Has your agency found a good, simple template for these agreements that clients actually understand?

3 comments

Posts

Shoutout to the old-timer who showed me the ice trick for dented aluminum panels

TIL a tiny spring from a Nikon F3 can launch itself across a room

Everyone pushes the John Muir Trail, but my best trip was a quiet loop in the Wallowas

I spent $250 on a 'viral strategy' consultant and it was a complete waste of money.

Back in my first apartment, I tried to stretch a single pack of ground beef for a week

My kid's meltdown at the Phoenix Zoo got us 2 million views

My tax guy in Tampa saved me a big headache last month with one simple tip

I just hit 500 haircuts in my first year out of beauty school

A client in Phoenix told me their old agency never had them sign a work-for-hire agreement

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