I finally landed my first real job.
A kitchen cabinet vinyl wrap project
in a 30-year-old semi-basement unit.
The lead came through
a Korean general contractor.

I lost the original photos from my first project in Canada.
He pitched it like this:
“Installing new cabinets doesn’t make sense.
Vinyl wrap saves 70–80%.”
That closed the deal.
Then I hit the real problem.
I had no idea
how to price vinyl wrap work in Canada.
No market reference.
No mentor.
Just one goal—
get the job.
The homeowner wanted one thing:
Cheap.
So I gave it to them.
For my first deal,
I quoted $700 CAD.
Basic white and gray film.
Low margin.
I told myself
it was about “building trust.”
The GC accepted immediately.
No hesitation.
That should have been my first warning.
The job took two full days.
Summer heat.
Sticky film.
Dirty cabinet surfaces.
Everything took longer
than expected.
Material cost: $152 USD
Film used: 25 linear feet
After gas and meals,
I walked away with about $500 CAD.

Not a big number.
After that job,
the same GC sent me more work.
Kitchen cabinets.
Same type of clients.
I declined all of it.
He had no designer.
No real system.
Only small Korean renovation jobs.
No margin.
That first job only made me $500.
But it taught me something
far more valuable.

Who you work with
determines how much you make.
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