The Repair Shop's Dominic Chinea opens up on going it alone after quitting job
Dominic Chinea, the metal worker known from The Repair Shop, recently opened up about leaving his job, conceding that "it's never the right time" for such a decision.
During a Q&A session on his YouTube channel, Dom delved into his life and career and addressed his followers' curiosities.
Within this revealing session, he was asked about his entrance into television and his pre-The Repair Shop pursuits.
Dom, who has just moved from Kent to Cornwall, recounted his early career: "I got a job in London working for Rankin, a photographer."
He detailed his rise through the ranks: "Ended up being his set designer, making props and sets and things for him, which took over a few years, and ended up running his set design department. That was a wild, but amazing, and difficult few years," reports Gloucestershire Live.
He shared the bold leap he made into entrepreneurship: "I literally quit my job on the Friday, left there Monday that weekend whenever it was, signed the lease to my workshop, my new workshop in Hackney Wick in East London, which was an absolute derelict workshop, and started my own company being a set designer."
The restorer also revealed the gamble involved in his career transition. "The next few months, from there on, were some of the scariest weeks, months, literally, I've ever had," Dominic admitted.
Reflecting on those challenging times, he said, "Having that commitment to pay that workshop rent, having no job, no idea where the next job is going to come from, was a really scary time.
"And I think that moment in my life, that time has given me a real appreciation for every single person that comes on to Make it a Market Show.
"They've got so many of their situations I can relate to. They've got full-time jobs, they've got real jobs, and they want to do a craft for a living, but it's taking that leap from that full-time job to doing your own thing.
"And I think because I've been there, I can relate, and when I speak to the people on that show and so many other people, I get it. I know how scary it is."
The expert reflected on the fear of leaving a stable career and diving into something new, "And there's never the right time. It's never going to feel comfortable, it's never going to feel safe, but sometimes you have got to do what feels right."
Trying to encourage those hesitant about making big life changes, Dominic offered, "And even though you don't know all the answers and you're not sure which way it's going to go, what's going to happen, just try and just go for it."
He spoke earnestly about his life philosophy: "I'd rather get to later in life and regret having tried something and it failed, than regret not trying it."
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