France’s history, architecture, and art are among the richest and most beautiful in the world. It’s home to some of the greatest creative minds of all time, from the Coco Chanels of fashion and the Claude Monets of art.
When I lived there, life felt like a dream. I was surrounded by elegance and exquisiteness. It was home to my joy, but it was also home to my pain. I couldn’t make ends meet by selling paintings alone, so I also worked a full-time corporate finance job. This meant that I used all of my “free” time on evenings and weekends to paint and sell paintings.
After years and years of doing both, I burnt out. If I got too tired from my job in finance to paint on evenings and weekends, I’d feel guilty—but mostly, I felt like my life was being stripped of work in which I found joy and meaning. Without art, I was just another cog in the wheel, a replaceable and disposable unit of human labor. On the other hand, when inspiration struck at night, I’d feel exhausted during the day. My eyes would glaze over the spreadsheets in front of me. I felt like a zombie staring at numbers that had no meaning to me. But I couldn’t quit my corporate job; if I didn’t have a full-time job to keep me alive, I would be a starving artist.
While most Americans dream of quitting their jobs and relocating to Europe or Asia, I wanted a different escape. I wanted to find a way to turn painting into a profitable entrepreneurial venture. I wanted clients who were willing to pay me for what my paintings were actually worth. The challenge in France was the competitive art market. In a country with such rich art history, people here have seen it all.
What I love about the United States is the motivation that so many people have here to succeed and achieve the American dream. When I first arrived, I met someone who is now a dear friend of mine. He had been a truck driver for his entire life, and then he decided that it was time to become a commercial trucking fleet owner and operator.
I asked him why he hadn’t started his commercial trucking company sooner. After all, he had the experience and had saved up enough money as startup capital. It turns out that most truckers love driving but hate paperwork. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires proof of insurance alongside the application for Operating Authority. Luckily, my friend discovered an insurance expert who specializes in commercial trucking and made it simple to get insurance for his truck fleet.
Imagine delivering an online order for a painting worth tens of thousands of dollars and then having to navigate through narrow driveways and cramped cul de sacs in a truck. Last-mile deliveries are no easy business, as precious cargo needs to be delivered in mint condition. Truck insurance is especially important for last-mile deliveries, as there are many risks involved in transporting finished goods to the customer. Trucking insurance like last-mile trucking insurance helps fleet owners and operators manage safety and financial risks.