Exactly, you control the mix.

Good call not using heat on that glue. I had a paperback start to split and tried a hair dryer once. It made the glue brittle and a whole chunk of pages came loose. What worked for me was a thin layer of PVA glue applied with a toothpick along the spine. I clamped it shut with some heavy books for a full day. The repair held up for years after that.

Wait, are you saying your first hire didn't bring in any new work at all? That's wild. My friend's first employee basically paid for herself within three months just by freeing up his time to go get more clients. If you're just adding a cost with zero plan for growth, you hired way too early. The whole point is they should help you make more money, not just do tasks.

Man, you cracked the code. My dog absolutely fakes it for snacks (the doorbell bark is his go-to move when the treats jar looks full). He's basically running a tiny furry hustle, and I'm the easy mark handing out bribes. Living alone totally does that to you, though I draw the line at negotiating with my toaster.

Does it ever feel like we're all just waiting on someone else's mess-up these days? The whole world runs on these broken chains where one delay backs everything up.