Allan Guzman, a 13-year-old student, and resident in Menifee, works for his father’s business where he travels far around California and makes lots of money with his family. Their family business: painting homes.
Allan loves painting because he says his family has been doing it for a long time, including his ancestors. He also says that it’s just flat out fun. He’s been painting since he was a baby and he loves seeing the changes and results of homes after a fresh respray. His family are often far from home, usually in Orange County and San Diego working. This is their family’s primary job that gets their source of income and Allan Guzman gets a good share of the money.
What do you guys paint?
“We usually will paint walls within homes, rooms, garages, and even entire houses some times. It just depends on what the customer wants.”-said Allan Guzman
Where do you go to school?
When asked about Allan Guzman’s academics, he stated, “I go to school in Orange County, it’s a long drive but I’m used to it.” Allan Guzman said. Guzman goes to a charter school in Orange County, but he says he is used to the traveling due to his constant traveling around California.
How do you manage to go to school everyday? Do you get stressed?
Allan Guzman drives far from school and works almost every day, so his friends and family are often worried about how he’s doing. “Yeah I often get overwhelmed from school and painting work, but my sister and family always help me out.” – said Allan.
Do you enjoy working with your dad?
Allan Guzman later stated that his family would sometimes stay at their aunt’s house in Orange County instead of driving back to Menifee. “I love working with my dad. I love driving around and painting stuff with him. Sometimes there are even landmarks that we see along the way, like Sequoia. We’re basically traveling all the time. It’s great. Plus I get paid for it so it’s a win-win.” said Allan.Since Allan is always driving around California, he often gets to visit one of the many national parks and camping places in California. His family even got a huge camper van for long trips.
How long do you usually spend working with your dad?
“I usually will spend about 5-6 hours working with my dad because we are always driving far because our clients usually live far away, if they don’t then we get done faster” said Allan. With a big reputation, one would think that their business has more management but it’s actually family owned. “No, our business is fully family owned so my dad owns everything. It’s mostly just my family, sometimes my uncle will come help.
How long have you been doing this business?
“We’ve been doing this for around 5-8 years I believe.” Allan Guzman and his family often have a grueling schedule to live by.
What times do you guys wake up and prepare for a job?
Allan later stated that they will usually wake up at 4 am and return home at 6 am for a full day of work. “For most jobs we’ll wake up at around 4 and by the time we’re doing we’ll get home at around 6.” And sometimes they don’t even get home until the next day so they have to stay at hotels.
How do you do your homework or any work with this busy schedule?
“Usually I like to get my work done in class or at school, including homework, but if for some reason I don’t finish I’ll bring my laptop with me on the road and I’ll finish it there.”-said Allan Guzman
How do you stay comforatble when on the road?
“When I’m on the road it’s actually really comfortable because we take a big spacious van. It even has a wi-fi router in it so we can use our electronics.”-said Allan Guzman
Allan’s family has been doing this painting work for a good amount of time so one could definitely believe that their skills are authentic. His family’s business is well known in SoCal for their excellent paint jobs. Allan plans to do this for as long as he can and even take over the company in the future. He shows a big passion for this work and intends to make it his future. “I plan to continue working with my dad for as long as I can, and maybe even taking over the business when I grow up.”
