This is the story of the posting of my first bandit sign.  I am not sure what other investors went through when they put their first sign up on a telephone pole, but to me this was a momentous occasion. 

This tale starts off with my business partner and myself driving around New Haven, verifying the existence of some vacant houses found by a bird dog.  My partner, already light years ahead of me in bandit sign posting experience (10 total lifetime), grinned over at me saying, "I think it's about time you popped your bandit sign cherry."  Fear immediately overcame my body.  I was already to the point of having a step ladder protruding from my truck half way through my Nissan sedan, a staple gun, and 10 signs in my car.  It was 3 weeks since I bought the signs and it was time to put them into action.  The butterflies in my stomach were going like a pro boxer before a big fight, as we drove by telephone pole after telephone pole. 

Finally enough was enough.  I pulled the car over and we jumped out of the car in synchronized fashion.  In my mind this operation had to go down like the perfect bank job in a movie.  My partner grabbed the ladder and set it against the pole as I grabbed the staple gun and a sign.  The first step on the ladder was a misstep, almost causing me to fall in front of the constant passers-by.  My heart raced as I pictured a police officer pulling up with backup demanding, "drop the staple gun and put your hands on your head!"  But I persevered.  I got back on the ladder and attempted 15 times with no luck to staple the sign into the pole.  Staples were flying into the road, back at me, missing the sign, basically doing everything except getting the sign on the pole.  Finally I returned to the car realizing my stapler just didn't have the juice to finish the job.  But to me, this attempt was a stretch out of my comfort zone.  A place I will have to live on a path to success.  The next morning at 6am  I was back on the horse, finally able to post the signs before a rehabbing seminar.  It was a sweet tasting victory.