From Drop-Out to Monrovia Small Business Owner

Joseph Tharpe dropped out of high school in South Carolina and took a job when he was 16 to support his mother after she fell ill.

While he was growing up in Charleston, his mother suffered from diabetes, and complications from the illness impacted them financially. His first paycheck came from toiling in the fast food industry.

"At a very young age, I just kind of had to man up, as much as it broke her heart. I brought home about 520 bucks a week," Tharpe said.

Over the years, Tharpe also took construction jobs and worked in the automotive field as a manager, mechanic, salesperson and tire technician in order to make ends meet.

Tharpe eventually earned his high school diploma when he was 25. After living in South Carolina for some time, the couple and their two daughters moved to Michigan and then relocated to California. Tharpe said that he has enjoyed living in Monrovia for the past three years.

"I've lived here for as long as I've lived in California. If you know anything about Charleston, you know how you can get that small town feeling? It's got the same thing," he said.

The couple is embarking on a new business venture, Pillar to Post, which will perform home inspections throughout Monrovia, Pasadena, South Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, La Cañada Flintridge and Alhambra.

Tharpe said that he and his wife researched a lot of possibilities before choosing to open a Pillar to Post franchise. He said that those who are considering starting their own business should make sure they know it's something they really want to do.

"You eventually reach that line where there's no turning back. You've got to set realistic goals," he said.

"You've got to have the drive and determination to make it work and be focused on what you're doing," he added.

In his spare time Tharpe sings in the J.D. Tharpe and the Foothill Billy Band, an alternative country rock band that plays local venues in the Los Angeles area. Their recently released single, "If You Couldn't Say Goodbye," was written in 2006 after Tharpe's mother passed away. When the single came out in July, they donated all of the proceeds to St. Jude's Children's Hospital, Tharpe said.

Tharpe said that he enjoys playing with the band on the weekends but now he is focusing on his Pillar to Post business.

"There's a difference between being an employee and being an employer,” he said. "It's going to take my drive and determination to make it a successful business."

"It's true for the band and it's true for my business. Success is what you make of it," he said.