May 28, 2025 • 45 mins
Turning a $5.50 per hour job into a six-crew plumbing empire doesn't happen overnight. Jerry Houy's 20-year journey building Jerry's Plumbing reveals what's truly possible when determination meets opportunity in the skilled trades.
Jerry's story begins like many in construction - hating his daily grind as a "pack mule" carrying shingles until a plumbing company owner noticed his potential. That simple opportunity transformed Jerry's career trajectory as he fell in love with plumbing and approached every task with enthusiasm. "You don't realize people are watching you all the time," Jerry explains, describing how his reputation for reliability made him a sought-after helper.
The early days of entrepreneurship tested Jerry's resolve. With no credit history, he relied on someone believing in him enough to co-sign for essential equipment. His wife worked alongside him in the field, cutting pipe and dragging materials through mud before picking up their children each afternoon. Together, they built a foundation that would eventually support six crews handling up to 24 house rough-ins weekly.
What stands out most in Jerry's approach is his commitment to quality and relationships. After trying various systems, he implemented a dedicated quality control position filled by a former employee who inspects jobs before customers or inspectors see them. His two daughters now work in the office (one even earned her journeyman license), creating a true family business built on reputation so strong he's "never paid one penny for advertising" in two decades.
Perhaps most refreshing is Jerry's boundaries with difficult clients: "I've fired more builders than builders have fired me." His zero-tolerance policy for disrespect, regardless of potential volume, demonstrates the confidence that comes from knowing your worth.
For those struggling in the early stages of a trades career, Jerry offers simple but powerful wisdom: "Keep pushing, keep fighting. It's going to get better and you're going to reap the rewards." Ready to build your own blue-collar legacy? Subscribe now for more stories and strategies from those who've made it happen.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hey guys, welcome to the Blue Collar Business Podcast
, where we discuss the realest,rawest, most relevant stories
and strategies behind buildingevery corner of a blue collar
business.
I'm your host, cy Kirby, and Iwant to help you in what it took
me trial and error and a wholelot of money to learn the
information that no one in thisindustry is willing to share.
Whether you're under that shadetree or have your hard hat on,
(00:30):
let's expand your toolbox.
Welcome back, guys, to anotherepisode of the Blue Collar
Business Podcast, sponsored bypodcastvideoscom.
We get to be in the wonderful Ithink they call this the
newscast room this morningpresented on some beautiful 4K
imagery.
Back to you guys, appreciateyou guys tuning in.
(00:50):
Today I've got a wonderfulepisode that this gentleman has
been on the list.
He probably doesn't even knowhow long he's been on the list,
but he's been on the guest listfor some time and helped me fill
a cancellation this week out ofthe blue, helped me fill a
cancellation this week out ofthe blue and we've actually done
a very small amount of businesstogether, but I've known of
this gentleman for some time.
(01:11):
There is a ton of guys in mycommunity that work for this
gentleman and he treats themright and he's been 20 years in
business.
So, plumbers, you need to takea pen and paper out because he's
fixing to give you a businessmodel that he's ran for 20 years
and been effective and stillhas an amazing reputation and
(01:35):
name around town and,furthermore, jerry Hoy of
Jerry's Plumbing.
Thank you so much for joining metoday, thanks for having me
Well today we're literally justgoing to hear a little bit about
your story, as much as you wantto tell, and hopefully some
funny highlights and experiencesthat the plumbing world has
taught you.
But what year did we getstarted?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
I got started in my own business in 2009.
I got in the plumbing industryin 2000, let's see.
Probably graduated high schoolin 90.
So I got in the plumbing aroundgosh, let's see 2000, right
(02:22):
around 2000.
Oh, my god, 25 years ago, yeah,I went, yeah, and I started my
business, I guess in 2008, 200126 years.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
He's gonna have some good stories to tell us about
that when we get there.
But what?
What was it like when youstarted out as an apprentice,
when I'm assuming you went towork for somebody for the first
five or six years, learningplumbing?
Speaker 2 (02:50):
yeah, my dad was a construction worker.
We framed houses, built houses,and I was just a pack mule
faring shingles and loom.
So we all started and I hatedevery day I went to work and the
plumbers would show up on thejob and they're just tooting an
awler and having a blast, youknow, and I'm mad all the time.
I just hate what I was doing.
(03:11):
And just the owner of thatplumbing company one day just
came up and told me he said yougo to work for me.
I'll pay you a dollar more thanyou're making, which put me at
like $5.50 an hour.
Wow, and he like 550.
And he said no, I'll put youthrough school.
He said all you need to do isshow it with a pencil.
So easy enough, yeah.
So I took that opportunity andman, it was just, you're the
(03:36):
lowest on the totem pole, youknow.
At that point you just got toknow what you want.
I always wanted to beself-employed in something and I
just fell in love with plumbing.
I it was no longer work, it waspulling.
I liked going in and no matterwhat they asked me to do, I just
did it with.
Uh, you know, hop and skip, yes, sir, and that obviously people
(04:01):
started liking me.
You know anybody they got me toas their helper.
They they just you know theywanted me just because all I did
was I worked hard and I didwhat I was told.
You know, yep, I did that forfour grand in years, went to
school.
I would go to school like aboutthree months out of the year.
You go to school for one nighta week, four hours, one night a
(04:25):
week, and this gentleman waspaying for that right for every
good new show up.
And then, uh, it was just roughyears, you know, wasn't making
much money.
And then I got through.
I got through my schooling andgot my journeyman, uh, and then
(04:46):
I just worked for a company fora couple shoot, I said a couple,
it's probably still three, fouryears there.
I had a guy that worked therethat quit, went out and started
his own business, which wasreally hard for me because
that's what I wanted to do.
I was just scared, you know,malware.
Then I went to work for him andI gave him like eight years and
(05:09):
it finally got the nerve to getmy journey or my master.
Before I got my master's I hadalready bought my work truck,
picked up tools there and therewhere I could and um had a
couple builders they all knew ofme through the years of working
in the field.
That said you ever start yourown company.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
You call me, so I finally made the compliment, man
, just from your work ethic,yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
So I made the jump.
I called them and, yeah, theygave me a job and went and did
my first underground rough inand I was scared to death.
He showed up on the job andhanded me my check and I went
straight to the supply house.
I went straight up because Ididn't know if I was even making
money.
He just told me how much hewould pay me.
So I ran to the supply houseand I don't know, I probably had
(05:59):
like a $4,000 check in my handand they told me my material was
like 900 bucks.
And you're like and I said, ohno, I gotta do taxes on this
money.
So so I set on that money anddid a few more jobs and just
panically went in.
Finally supply house said jerry, you don't have to pay that
bill every job, you can waitmonthly.
I said, nope, I'll do it everyweek.
(06:21):
So so smart brother yeah, thatthat really got me going.
And then I just started gettingsuper busy.
I couldn't do it all myself andI hired my wife.
So I didn't say hire, but youknow she, she would cut that
pipe, she would drag pipethrough the mud, she'd roll you
know 500 foot, roll gas plasticout and we'd get after it about
(06:47):
one o'clock she'd have to gopick up the kids.
You know I was working inhuntsville at the time and I
would stay out there and grindand get it done and come in you
know dark, every day.
And then after about a year ofthat I finally had to hire on a
guy Right, and then it was justhim starting as an apprentice
(07:12):
under mama.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Yeah, as your journeyman.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
You know, and we had three little kids at the time.
I mean I don't want to saybabies, but I mean we were
talking probably fourth thirdkindergarten, just like me right
now, eight, six, four-month-old.
Yeah, you just grind.
It's what you want to do.
You've got to just grind andnever let anything stop you.
(07:36):
Because I had offers.
I had a very large plumbingcompany in this area make me an
offer.
That was just unbelievable andI wouldn't take it.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
I wanted to have my own business and I did, and so
you know we got her going andyou plumbing over the years,
mainly residential homes, notreally stepping out on the
commercial, but doing repetitivesubdivision homes and obviously
customs as well.
That comes with the market, butthat's been kind of the
(08:10):
mainstream and you've kind offigured out how to build a
system from.
Well, let's not go too far here.
So we've still got.
How many years did we run withjust the one guy?
I'm assuming it was pretty wellyour fall after that.
Probably a year, yep, probably.
Probably a year, yep, probablyabout a year.
Then you've got a crew of three, probably within another year
(08:32):
of that, and hopefully mama'snow working in the office a
little bit.
Yep, yeah that's pretty much howit took off, and then you were
out there slinging trying tomake sure they had they had work
in front of them, Cause youwere scared, just like I was.
Every day you got these threeguys.
You're like man, if we don't dothis and if we don't get this
check in here, then I can't, andit's just a constant fear,
(08:55):
especially in those early years.
But what did you do?
I think you've already spoke onit.
It's your work ethic.
Number one is an apprentice andit should go to show you guys
that are jumping into theplumbing field or jumping in any
field, just come ready to workevery single day.
Listen, shut your mouth, keepyour phone in your pocket, get a
(09:18):
daggum pen and notepad that youcan slip in your one shirt or
your one pocket of your shirtand just take notes all day long
and ask those questions, and ina year it'll go by and then
somebody will notice you.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Yeah, yeah, you get noticed out there.
You don't even realize you knowpeople's just watching you all
the time.
You know I have.
I just feel so old anymorebecause so many of the builders
that wanted to use me when Istarted my business I got too
busy and I couldn't keep up.
Some of them has, you know,passed away since then and stuff
(09:51):
, and it's like I'm dealing withso many new, younger guys now
in the, you know, superintendentworld.
That the younger guys that werefor me, they all click, like
they, they're like best friendswith the super.
That the younger guys that workfor me they all click, they're
like best friends with the super.
I'm like man, y'all just go,you just run with it.
(10:12):
I do.
When you got that relationship,I don't need to be a big boss
man.
Good for you.
It took me some time to figurethat out.
It's hard.
You feel like you have tomicromanage every single thing
that happens.
It's hard.
You feel like you have tomicromanage every single thing
that happens.
But I have a quality controlguy that I hired just to give me
some feedback base.
(10:33):
And I'll tell you what as longas there's no fires to put out,
nobody calls me, and they'revery few and far between.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
So that's that's really interesting.
When did you this is going tobe probably every plumber in
America that has the one crewand can sell enough work.
How did you step out and do asecond crew and keep them up
course busy?
I mean, it comes with good workand good quality of work and
(11:04):
but when did you know that point?
And was it just a giant leap offaith, or did you already have
the work?
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Man, I tell you it has to just be the leap of faith
, because in constructionthere's no guaranteed 40 hours a
week and anybody that gets inthe business has to know that.
And anybody that gets in thebusiness has to know that
there's going to be rainy daysand stuff.
So for me, I just had to takethem on and if I didn't have the
(11:32):
work I had to create work, washthe truck, organize the shop,
just something to give you yourA&Rs and because I knew I need
them, if I can't keep thembusy're gonna go somewhere else.
So, yeah, there is a slaughteris taken there.
When, especially when you gotto go buy another truck, when
(11:53):
you got them tools and you'resetting this whole truck up, and
then you got to send them on togo, uh, represent your name.
You're hoping they're out theredoing their job as good as I'm
over the other side ofSpringdale doing my job.
Loosening them reins is probablywas the hardest, hardest thing
(12:15):
that I ever had to do, but I'mup to.
I've got six crews right nowand every single one of them are
just they're studs.
Yes, yeah, I'm just so blessedto finally have them and I'm
telling you I've been throughhundreds.
You know I'm saying hundreds,and the the strong remain the
(12:38):
committed.
You know, yes, sir, they stay,and that's where I'm at right
now.
I've got solid guys I don'thave to worry about.
Are they going to leave me?
Are they going to quit me?
I try to take good care of them.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
It's?
When do you since?
I mean I understand I've onlybeen at it we're starting our
10th year in August been abouthalf the time, but I have been
through so many folks.
I have that core group that'sbeen here a long gated time, two
to four years out of the ninethat we've been open.
But when do you know that?
(13:12):
Okay, we get an apprentice, saywe get three or four of them
come through with startinganother crew, going from two
crews to six crews.
I think a lot of folks aresitting out there, say a
journeyman that's sitting outthere and go why can't I run a
truck?
Why can't I run a truck?
Why will this guy not see thatI'm the guy?
(13:34):
And a lot of times guys justlike Jerry said hey, you know,
hopefully he's taking off in mytruck with my name on it and
he's doing exactly what I wouldlike him to do.
It's not about necessarily thework, it's how organized, how
clean, what kind of presentation?
Are you out there just cussingup a storm for everybody and
their dog to hear you?
Because that's Jerry's name onthe side of that truck?
(13:56):
So when do you know for sure?
Because this has been one ofthe hardest things for me.
I've elevated people and Ishouldn't have.
I should have kept them in therole that they were in.
When do you know that thatapprentice is the guy that's
going to do it Well?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
that's a great question really, because just
this morning we had an incidentwhere an apprentice had to drive
one of my extra trucks to getto the job and lost the gas cap
on the truck.
So I said why'd you lose thegas cap?
What happened?
Were you not thinking blah blah?
And he says well, you know.
He said I must have.
Said I said I don't really mind.
(14:30):
She said I probably get no morefor three, four dollars.
I said it's not about the gascap, said you know, it's the
irresponsibility, it's the factthat you know I can't.
You know you're irresponsibleat that.
What else you're going to beirresponsible at?
And I said so, you know you'reirresponsible at that.
What else are you going to beirresponsible at?
And I said so, you know.
I said you got a target on youright now, in my opinion,
because I said I'm watching youfor that, but you don't.
(14:53):
You just got to watch that asthey're growing.
You got to see if they're goingto be responsible enough.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
And unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
You know it's a risk you got to take somewhat, but
they start out for me when theybecome a journeyman.
They have to, in my opinion.
They have to go in a truck andthey have to go out and make
company money.
Yep, trading's over Great.
If you're not responsible, youwouldn't have been in those four
(15:23):
years.
You're not going to be.
So you know, know, I try to cutthat dead weight, so to speak,
before.
So by the time you give a guy atruck, you're 100 confident.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
And I agree, as you work on these little hiccups,
the little things that theydon't think's a big deal, which
are the biggest deal to us andyou're like, if you would just
you do your job well, if youwould just grasp that you need
to just present yourself alittle bit differently and go.
It's just a $3, $4 gas can,buddy.
(15:57):
That irritates me so bad.
Yeah, it's not just the gas capor a gas can or a tool, it's a
shovel that's $25 shovels, driveme crazy.
But it's the responsibilityfactor, it's when.
Shovel that's $25 shovels,drive me crazy, and, but it's
the responsibility factor.
It's when can we trust you?
And then once to those guys thatjust got that position hey,
(16:18):
don't take a mile.
If we're given an inch andwe're showing the trust and
we're showing that, hey, youmight be this guy, take that 90
days to really secure in yourrole and that's the time you're
going to ask questions thatwe're expecting.
But don't just go out there andexpect the world.
Now you've got this big boyposition.
(16:40):
Just like Jerry said, it's yourjob to be the direct earner for
that truck.
You are the talented individualthat he is paying to be
responsible for not just thetruck, the tools and the trailer
, but one of the most expensiveparts of the job the labor.
And it's got to be efficient,and that has been a struggle for
(17:01):
me to figure that out, becauseI have trusted and gave folks
opportunities several times thatI probably shouldn't have, and
that's not necessarily on them,even though they're telling me
they're ready for it.
I've got to have, and I thinkthis just comes from experience,
jerry, I hope you tell me this,because I'm sitting there I
(17:22):
want to give them what they want, but at the same time I've got
my heart on one side, my mind onthe other, and it's taken me
some years to figure out that mymind really has to take over in
those.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Yeah, yeah, because I mean, you're the reliable one
at the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
For sure, well, six crews.
So what is a typical day in,say, jerry's plumbing world?
Now, with what we've got goingon 20 years in Now, what are our
crews doing?
What's our admin doing?
Just kind of give a rough.
What these guys can hopefullysee, because I've been to
(18:01):
Jerry's shop.
It is very organized.
He has systems, he has systems,he has processes and I sit here
and talk on the show all thetime about processes and systems
because I didn't have them inplace and I was the bottleneck
for my company.
So my systems and processes andprocedures, with AI sprinkled
in places, is very differentthan Jerry's here on two sides
(18:24):
of the table that both havesystems that work in place.
But give us kind of a you knowa rundown per se of what a
normal day with six dadgumplumbing crews, brother well,
yeah, there's, I mean there'stwo guys per cruise.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
I mean I've got I don't show up in my job till
about seven.
Yep, I've got a couple guysthat are there just raring to go
every day.
So you know, I got guys showingup from 6 15 to right at 7 29,
you know what I mean.
And um, but they, you know,they, just they come in and we,
(19:00):
you know they, they paired,they're paired up with a
journeyman so the apprenticeknows who he's working with and
we just put our schedule on theboards and you know, we all try
to sit around and talk about theday before or just laugh and
joke and just kind of.
You know, I don't know what.
You call it Commodity.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Yeah, we do that, and then, you know, I don't have to
do a whole lot of nothing.
I mean, they know their job,you know, and my guys are so
good that they know their joband you know, I just sit back
and observe.
I don't have to observe myjourneymen, no more.
You know, they're locked inhere until they aren't.
(19:42):
But my apprentices, they're theones that really watch, and I'm
watching.
That apprentice that you knowpicks up that trash can and goes
and takes the trash out withoutbeing asked, you know.
Or that favorite towel orsomething I threw at the trash
and missed it, and theapprentice that picked it up
without even being asked.
You know, those are going to bethe future of Jerry's Plumbing,
(20:02):
you know.
But yeah, that's pretty much it.
And at 730, everybody better bemoving.
Yep, there's no, there's no ifs, ands or buts, and I don't have
to say nothing when that clockhits 7, 30 them guys are
clearing out.
They're out in the shop pullingorders, hooking on the tractors
.
Um, I'm going over blueprints,what it what I need to with the
(20:25):
guys that might have questionsfor the day, and I mean it's
absolute hooting and holleringand chaos, apprentices running
around getting ice in thecoolers and loading drinks up,
and and then all of a sudden, atlike eight o'clock, straight up
, you could hear a pin ghosttown baby.
You bet yeah, and it's that wayevery day.
(20:47):
But you know, I have my twodaughters.
Two of my three daughters workin the office and my wife works
in there with them.
So how cool is that?
It's awesome.
I do not do much, I don't.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
But how cool is it to work with your two daughters
and your wife.
Yeah, I got two girls nowmyself.
I would love that yeah, myoldest daughter.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
She's pretty much taking the manager title in the
office and cool thing about heris she's been with me about
eight years maybe and she wentand got her journey.
No way, no way.
Yeah, that's amazing Becauseher and her husband started with
me about the same time, so theyjust studied together.
(21:34):
She went to plumbing school,she's went out and set toilets,
she set faucets, you know, andshe went down and took the test
and she passed it, he passed his, and then they both became
journeymen.
She's due to go down next monthto get her master.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
No way, I bet the guys respect her, though, oh
yeah, because she's gone outthere done the exact same
qualifications to adhere to whatthey do.
So when she asks at 2.30, thecustomer called in they're a
little upset.
It may be a little silly, butwe're going to run by and they
ain't going to have no problem.
Yes, ma'am, no problem, I bet,oh yeah that's all you hear at 2
(22:15):
.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
This is yes, ma'am, yes, ma'am, from everybody.
They really respect them.
I got to sit back and be alittle bit quiet because I just
know about enough to be dead,and then I ruffled their plan or
their little schedule, boy.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Yep, we'll get it did in the last.
You say you know five, but fromthe 10-year mark on, with the
scalability and the growth thatyou've gone to, when did you
know that these smaller,redundant systems and processes
were needed within your business, like as in even from a the
(22:52):
clocking, clock out method to adocument, what you guys have
done for the day, or hey, didyou pull this stuff off the
shelf or not?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
yeah, man I'd.
I've been pretty much like thatfrom very almost beginning.
Wow, it's so important that youknow where every single and I
deal in thousands of differentfittings, you know.
So I don't know, I'm just verystrict about that.
(23:23):
I see a piece of pipe that'ssix inches long.
I see you know $1.25.
I don't see a six a piece ofpipe that's six inches long.
I see you know a dollar 25.
I don't see a six inch piece ofscrap pipe.
I see a piece of pipe that Iknow for a fact.
You can make a couple makeuppieces out of that.
Yep, so I really I don't thinkI ever got to nipped in the butt
(23:45):
by anything because I wasalready implementing it.
I would say time cards wassomething that kind of came a
little later than I would haveliked.
Yep, I just got crumbled up.
Paper written said I had 42hours.
Give me a check.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
We all did it.
At one point I did the samething.
I didn't know there wasanything else different I know
it was like you didn't.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
You just wrote checks on whatever, and you know.
So now I still.
Probably one of the hardestthings is to get everybody to
fill their time out each day.
If you can't do it today, do itfirst thing in the morning, and
that's I'm still working withthat, because that still don't
happen, okay, and still sitthere a little about Tuesday and
they know they got to get timecards in there.
(24:32):
What time do you get off oneday?
Speaker 1 (24:37):
I understand that one and, honestly, there's so many
software programs out there now,but I literally went to combat.
That was a phone system.
It's actually integrates withQuickBooks and everything else
goes straight to their payroll.
But they clock in and out ontheir phone, they request
everything and I track wherethey're at If they want paid.
(25:01):
I got to know where they're at,not being any way, but at the
same time, are you driving toand from the job?
Yeah, absolutely, and there'sso many software programs out
there that are very simplistic,very simplistic for them, very
simplistic for the company toadhere to.
But with my kind of not to getoff on this.
(25:27):
But I got into so many battleswith GCs.
Well, your guy didn't show upthat day and do this.
Well, just a second, check youremail.
There's where he was located onyour job on this day for this
many hours.
No, sir, I'm going to need paidfor that and that helped me
with just more in the commercialgame.
Not so much, obviously.
When I was, I never could scalethe residential side of me.
I wish I could have.
(25:47):
I really do.
Guys, blue Collar PerformanceMarketing absolutely been with
them the last seven and a halfmonths and I can tell you just
sat through another strategymeeting literally two and a half
hours ago and I can't tell youhow enthused in the value that
I'm receiving in our marketingstrategy and our campaign and
(26:09):
everything that we're doingbehind the scenes.
If you guys need that in yourworld, need a website, need
anything marketing, get over tobcperformancemarketingcom
backslash BCB podcast or clickthe link in the description
below.
They'll give you a total freediscovery call and basically go
over the entire marketingcampaign.
(26:30):
Do you need a website?
Do you need this first?
Do you need that first?
Answer all your questions.
So get with them Back here withMr Jerry.
The biggest thing that me andMr Jerry have in common that not
a lot of plumbers dive off anddo is buy machines.
They all have a truck or somerouter, router equipment but
(26:53):
when, especially in the wayyou've built the residential
side of the business, you werehaving to do so many rough-ins
Like how many rough-ins are youguys doing a day?
Speaker 2 (27:03):
We can.
Well, now that I've got twobackers, we can do.
We can do four houses in a day.
And it's like I tell mybuilders they worry about me
keeping up.
And I said that's, I can dofour a day.
And I said, and we can work sixdays.
So I said that's 24 rough endsa week.
And I said I have not had abuilder once challenge me on
(27:25):
that.
So I'm like, don't worry aboutthat part.
But, um, but yeah, I'd tell you.
That kind of takes me back towhen I did start my business.
That was the biggest investmentand I had no credit, had no job
in their eyes, because I justquit the company I was with for
eight years and nobody wanted to.
(27:45):
There was no chance of youfinancing the tractor.
And um, I got so lucky, blessedguy that stepped in and
co-signed for me and, uh, got mein a tractor and still needed a
trailer.
And the guy so happen to have atrailer on his lot too.
So he got, he scooted me outthe door and he basically said
(28:08):
you know, I believe in you, I'm,you know, don't let me down.
And man, his old beater tractoris his bucket.
Just I got through it and, man,I got to buy my first backhoe
and, yeah, it's, that was good.
So yeah, I, we do that on daily.
(28:28):
We do two at least every dayand there's three phases.
You know, we do a top out whichis going to set tubs, run all
the pipes and the walls.
Then we go back to us what wecall fixture set out, set all
toilets, faucets and stuff likethat.
But yeah, in one day we coulddo two rough ends, two top outs,
(28:49):
two set outs, with the crew Igot.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
So pretty impressive, sir.
I mean to have all the systemsto be able to go hey, my admin
team knows what's going on.
They respect the office, theoffice and the field.
The biggest, one of the largestproblems that I hear on this
show all the time is man, Ican't, and they write in, I
can't get my field in my officeor, I'm sorry, dadgum guys, my
(29:16):
admin and my operations toreally communicate effectively.
Well, it's taken me some timeto really scale back and go hey,
what works?
What's elementary?
Is it a checklist, is itwhatever it is?
And it's taken me some time toreally make that a cohesive
effort.
But it sounds like your adminstaff really just supports your
(29:38):
guys in a different way.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Yeah, I've tried so many things.
Checklists I personally wouldset out every day and go try to
check the jobs that we do on adaily basis and you'll wear
yourself out trying.
Yeah, and it was just so.
It got to too much.
So I created checklists, youknow, and all the guys
(30:02):
checklists, and unfortunatelythat turned into jumping in the
truck at the end of the day andjust filling in all the spots
yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and thenturning it in, didn't know all
about it.
That didn't work, you know.
Then the callbacks and theinspection failures is what
proved it wasn't working.
So I just ran into anex-employee of mine one day that
(30:26):
quit me because he was justgetting elderly and he wasn't
physically able to do it.
I ran into him and we got totalking.
I said, oh, she'd be able to QC.
I said you could get off yournormal job and come do this in
the evenings.
Just go around, check my work.
And he's a top-notch plumbertoo.
So we settled on a per phaseprice.
And I don't go out there.
(30:50):
I meet still meet builders andthings when they of course to me
, but I don't just go run theroads to burn up gas and he does
it and, um, that's been thegreatest thing I ever did.
It was better than anychecklist.
And we find problems.
We don't have a lot of problems, but we find things before the
builder, before the customer,inspector, inspectors.
(31:12):
We slide in there, we get itfixed because he writes it up
and it's just.
We're working so smooth rightnow.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
I wouldn't change a thing that we're doing, man 20
years in business and he'ssitting there talking about how
smooth it is.
It just goes to show you guysthat you don't need all these
new school systematic If youbuild a culture that folks like
(31:43):
I see posts all the timebreakfast in the shop and I'll
be cooking breakfast on aBlackstone and it's a culture
that I envy for sure, and Itried chasing the wrong culture
at first.
Although it was a good culture,it just wasn't incentive based
and it was more hey guys, we'regoing to go do this, rather than
hey, let's do this together toget to here, to be able to go do
(32:04):
this.
And it's simple, not thingslike doing breakfast we do
breakfast and some lunches andwhatnot but it's the bigger
items and I have really had torein back do this together.
And the one thing you just said.
Before we end here, brother, Igot one more question, but you
said you had somebody help youco-sign and so did I.
(32:26):
And when you're first inbusiness guys, I just want to
encourage you.
Most of the time, when you jumpoff and you do your own thing
and you've got to go financesomething big, there's not a
whole lot of folks that aregoing to work with you guys.
They're just not.
But if there is somebody thatis believing in what you're
doing because, thank God, I hadsomebody on my first set of
(32:46):
machines and wasn't the mostconducive business deal but at
the same time, look at us, gonow.
And if I didn't take that risk,not everything is going to come
at you on a silver platter iswhat I'm getting at, and it's
those relationships that I talkabout on this show all the time.
Relationships are everythingwhen it comes to business,
(33:07):
talking about builders that youknow you want to keep every
relationship as close as youpossibly can.
Of course and when did youlearn to with as many folks as
you have met over the years,brother?
How do you decide on whichclient, volume or pay terms or
(33:28):
whatever it is?
I think you could be a definitehelper here.
And how do you weigh out whichclient's going to be better for
your you know operation?
Because it's hard.
You want to help everybody yeah, I do, you do.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
You know?
You hear a lot of times peoplesay you know, put all your eggs
in the basket.
Um, I do believe that and Ihave got two of the largest
builders in Northwest Arkansas,but I also got about eight
smaller builders and I don'tknow.
I mean, obviously, yeah, you'regoing to focus on the large
(34:07):
volume, but you're going tofocus on the 150, 200, 300
houses they're going to do thatyear, versus the guy that's only
going to do five or 10.
But it's just such a jugglingact.
It's just you.
You work weekends, you worklate, you, you know you're, you
just try to meet everybody'sneeds.
But, yes, at the end of the day, you, it is a um, I don't know
(34:29):
how you want to just categorizethem, but it's.
It's been a problem with tyranttoo.
You know, I get calls that andI don't feel the love, jerry,
I'm not feeling the love.
I'm like well, hang in there,brother, please.
I was like we're workingevenings, my guys are working
weekends.
I said we are trying and Iusually just because I think
(34:52):
we're good enough at what we do,and they, they, they be patient
and give me that time, we getthem caught up, and so that is a
tough one, you know, and it's.
You don't want to ever have totreat any customer any less, but
we don't really.
In that sense it's just.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
Well, I guess the I guess the question would be is
when to let go of a bad customer.
I think would be a betterquestion.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
That's been fairly easy for us, because we I don't
want to sound overconfident orcocky, but we are good at what
we do and we know we're good.
Yep, if you don't appreciatethat and you're going to call me
and raise your voice and bedisrespectful, you are going to
get fired.
Yep, if you don't appreciatethat and you're going to call me
and raise your voice and bedisrespectful, you are going to
(35:40):
get fired.
Yep, and believe me, I havefired more builders than
builders fired me.
Yes, sir, and we just have zerotolerance for that.
So you know, that's man, that's.
You know when it's time.
I guess it don't get scary,though because you know they
carry that volume.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
But at the same time, there is principles you set as
an operator of a business thatyou're just not going to step
over.
That line.
That's my boundary line.
I don't care how much workyou've got Right, you need to
sound overconfident or cocky.
Sir, you have the system inplace with this QC gentleman who
worked for you for a long time.
He knows your expectations, heknows Jerry himself.
(36:24):
I think I have literally toyedwith that in my mind because I
think some of the things that werun into small things, meter
can settling or it trace yourwire wrapped like small things
that are going to get caught ona large commercial punch list
that I believe we should havealready got, because that's our
standard.
Whether it's the well, theconcrete guys ran over the meter
(36:45):
can, nobody said that.
You know what I mean.
Those situations happen too.
But you're good at what you dobecause you've got a culture
built within your team.
And then you've got a gentlemanmaking sure that we're doing
exactly the standard that Jerryset for.
Jerry Splunk, yeah, and that isso hard and unique to find yeah
.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
And truly go ahead.
Well, I was just thinking, Ijust fell into that, running
into that guy that day, and itwas never on my mind, I never
was thinking of it.
I just kept going out and, youknow, doing it myself, and I
just bumped into him and I don'tknow where it came from, it
just came right out of my mouth.
(37:25):
I said, well, you don't go towork for me?
And he said, oh, I couldn't doit anymore.
I said, well, you can do QC,maybe Just go check my jobs,
maybe just go check my jobs.
And he had just bought a newboat and he said I'll make my
boat payment.
And I said so and he's beendoing it.
Um, I never see him.
I see him one time a year.
I invite him well, twice.
So we have an employee partyevery year and then we have a
(37:49):
christmas party and I see him atthose two three, that means
he's getting the reports in.
Uh, he gets it done.
And if I see or hear ofanything that's wrong, I
immediately ask my girls.
I'm like uh, why didn't qc notcatch it?
And I don't know.
Well, there I go calling qc.
He sees me calling.
He knows something's wrong.
(38:10):
Yeah, he just answers the phone.
Uh-oh, what did I miss?
Speaker 1 (38:13):
I said but what a great relationship and I think
it speaks to a testament of whoyou are and the relationships
that you have built within yourcompany, within your business,
over the years.
I truly hope in 10 years thatmy I'd probably be a little bit
about 15 years I'd have my twobeautiful baby girls working in
the office.
(38:33):
Yeah, I actually not toelongate today, but I have been
toying with the idea.
I'm not toying anymore, I'macting on it.
I am going to hire me anoperations manager ago or a year
ago at this point, and I didn't, as the business, set him up
(38:58):
the way we should have.
Don't get me wrong.
But at the same time, I havefocused very hard in the last 18
months of setting up systems tobring somebody else back on.
But man, it is so hard.
I need to be up here with myestimator selling work and I sit
here and talk about thishamster wheel of death for an
(39:19):
entrepreneur, because you run uphere and you bid a bunch of
work and you run out here andget it all done and you're, oh
God, we have no work.
Get up here and cut prices toget on the job and then you're
out there doing low budget workand it's just this hamster wheel
and I'm at this point that myteam needs somebody that is
dedicated every single day, 10hours a day, into operations.
(39:41):
Two years ago I could 30 setsof plans that we were working on
and 60 sets that were upfront,that we were bidding on.
I had you give me a plan numberand a page and a profile and
I'll tell you the elevation.
But I can't do that anymore andI thought it was me.
For a long time, as a businessowner, I've been beating myself
up and I'm like, hey, man, it'snot just you, it's the system
(40:06):
that's built around you.
And my team.
I looked at my team and I'mlike, hey guys, what do we think
about this Cy?
We feel terrible having to callyou.
Can you please find somebody?
Maybe that QC kind of of coursegonna be QC underneath him.
But I'm toying that with myself.
So I've got one last questionfor you, sir.
(40:26):
It's what I ask every singleperson on this show and it's
what's a takeaway for the bluecollar skilled trades guy who is
sick and tired of being stuckin the mud, and that means not
just physically, but emotionally, mentally Maybe.
That apprentice has beenworking at the plumbing outfit
for the first six months andhe's really just tired of
(40:49):
chasing tools or whatever everyday.
And he's just checked out uphere what you got for that guy.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
Man, I just got to tell you to keep pushing, keep
fighting, block that out.
It's going to get better andyou're going to reap the rewards
from it, not only working for acompany and having work, it's
your money In our business.
You have an opportunity tostart your own business, you
(41:16):
know, and I've been stuck manytimes.
But it just takes the willpowerand drive.
You know I fell down many timesin this over the 20 years of
the teacher.
Yeah, and it's just a lot of ittoo is how you're raised.
You know you're just raised tofight and push and never give up
(41:38):
, no matter what.
And you, you'll get what youwant.
You know people that know me.
You know I won't stop until Iget what I want, and I don't
care if it's a new house, a newcar, a tool.
I will not stop till I buy it.
So you know, I have my workethics.
The same way, I was not goingto stop till I got that master's
, you know, and I got it.
(41:59):
So, and now I sit back andwonder what's next.
You know I want to drive forsomething else now, but I'm
getting too old.
You know, just enjoying thecoasting, really, yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:13):
Yeah, you've worked really hard, sir, for almost
well two decades.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:18):
So you deserve a little bit of coasting time.
And to you guys that are outthere thinking plumbing is an
option jump over.
Now is the time we need youguys.
When Jerry retires in 20 moreyears, he'll probably be, like
(42:38):
me, working until the last dayof our funeral.
But at the same time, mr Jerrywill pay for your schooling.
If you're an 18 or 19-year-oldkid and you want to come be an
apprentice, you may have certainparameters on there, but most
plumbing companies, yeah,definitely reach out.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
Where can we find you ?
I?
That's something real quick Ihave never done in 20 years.
I have never paid one penny foradvertising.
Everything I've ever done isword of mouth because, uh, I was
trying to read notes for thistoday and I was like man, I had
nothing.
I don't have a phone number.
I mean, you can look up jerry'splumbing, um, google jerry's
plumbing and it brings us up.
I don't know why or how Ididn't put it in there, but, um,
and you know my name is jerry,jerry hoy, with jerry's plumbing
(43:26):
.
Um, you can find me.
Um, I'm out there and we'realways accepting applications.
Um, doesn't hurt to have my ownfile.
You bet you never know whensomebody's gonna quit your, you
know, before we get busy and Ineed to reach out to somebody.
And, um, but by all means andthat goes for any plumbing
(43:46):
company you don't be afraid justto go and ask them if at least
you could fill out anapplication.
That's right, get on theirradar, because this is an up and
down.
Sometimes you're booming,sometimes not, but Sometimes
you're booming, sometimes you'renot, but when you're booming,
man, man, you can't have enough.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
All we can get, yep man.
Mr Jerry, I can't tell you howmuch I appreciate you coming in
talking with me today.
I know the audience is going toappreciate it more than you'll
ever understand, and if I get amessage from a plumber by, well
for sure pass that on.
(44:24):
I usually get an email or two aweek of hey man, this show.
Mr Jerry said this at one timeand it changed my whole view and
that's what this show's aboutis to help you guys and bring
you guys like Mr Jerry 20 yearsin business, done it the right
way, built the culture and ain'tspend a dime in advertising,
doesn't know anything aboutmarketing, just good old work,
quality drive, grit,determination and never giving
(44:47):
up.
That is where you'll get whereyou want to go.
Guys, I can't tell you how muchI appreciate you tuning in and
following the show.
You can get it atbluecollarbusinesspodcastcom,
watch or listen directly fromthere.
This will be episode number 39coming at you.
38?
, 39?
, either one Check them out allon there, or, if you're on
(45:08):
Spotify, apple, iheart oranywhere you get your podcast,
make sure and drop us a ratingand a follow.
It helps the show get out tomore of you, guys.
I really appreciate your timetoday, guys, and I hope the show
helped you.
Until next time, if you'veenjoyed this episode, be sure to
give it a like, share it withthe fellers.
Check out our website to sendus any questions and comments
(45:29):
about your experience in theblue card business.
Who do you want to hear from?
Send them our way and we'll doour best to answer any questions
you may have.
Till next time, guys.
Hey guys, welcome to the Blue Collar Business Podcast
, where we discuss the realest,rawest, most relevant stories
and strategies behind buildingevery corner of a blue collar
business.
I'm your host, cy Kirby, and Iwant to help you in what it took
me trial and error and a wholelot of money to learn the
information that no one in thisindustry is willing to share.
Whether you're under that shadetree or have your hard hat on,
(00:30):
let's expand your toolbox.
Welcome back, guys, to anotherepisode of the Blue Collar
Business Podcast, sponsored bypodcastvideoscom.
We get to be in the wonderful Ithink they call this the
newscast room this morningpresented on some beautiful 4K
imagery.
Back to you guys, appreciateyou guys tuning in.
(00:50):
Today I've got a wonderfulepisode that this gentleman has
been on the list.
He probably doesn't even knowhow long he's been on the list,
but he's been on the guest listfor some time and helped me fill
a cancellation this week out ofthe blue, helped me fill a
cancellation this week out ofthe blue and we've actually done
a very small amount of businesstogether, but I've known of
this gentleman for some time.
(01:11):
There is a ton of guys in mycommunity that work for this
gentleman and he treats themright and he's been 20 years in
business.
So, plumbers, you need to takea pen and paper out because he's
fixing to give you a businessmodel that he's ran for 20 years
and been effective and stillhas an amazing reputation and
(01:35):
name around town and,furthermore, jerry Hoy of
Jerry's Plumbing.
Thank you so much for joining metoday, thanks for having me
Well today we're literally justgoing to hear a little bit about
your story, as much as you wantto tell, and hopefully some
funny highlights and experiencesthat the plumbing world has
taught you.
But what year did we getstarted?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
I got started in my own business in 2009.
I got in the plumbing industryin 2000, let's see.
Probably graduated high schoolin 90.
So I got in the plumbing aroundgosh, let's see 2000, right
(02:22):
around 2000.
Oh, my god, 25 years ago, yeah,I went, yeah, and I started my
business, I guess in 2008, 200126 years.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
He's gonna have some good stories to tell us about
that when we get there.
But what?
What was it like when youstarted out as an apprentice,
when I'm assuming you went towork for somebody for the first
five or six years, learningplumbing?
Speaker 2 (02:50):
yeah, my dad was a construction worker.
We framed houses, built houses,and I was just a pack mule
faring shingles and loom.
So we all started and I hatedevery day I went to work and the
plumbers would show up on thejob and they're just tooting an
awler and having a blast, youknow, and I'm mad all the time.
I just hate what I was doing.
(03:11):
And just the owner of thatplumbing company one day just
came up and told me he said yougo to work for me.
I'll pay you a dollar more thanyou're making, which put me at
like $5.50 an hour.
Wow, and he like 550.
And he said no, I'll put youthrough school.
He said all you need to do isshow it with a pencil.
So easy enough, yeah.
So I took that opportunity andman, it was just, you're the
(03:36):
lowest on the totem pole, youknow.
At that point you just got toknow what you want.
I always wanted to beself-employed in something and I
just fell in love with plumbing.
I it was no longer work, it waspulling.
I liked going in and no matterwhat they asked me to do, I just
did it with.
Uh, you know, hop and skip, yes, sir, and that obviously people
(04:01):
started liking me.
You know anybody they got me toas their helper.
They they just you know theywanted me just because all I did
was I worked hard and I didwhat I was told.
You know, yep, I did that forfour grand in years, went to
school.
I would go to school like aboutthree months out of the year.
You go to school for one nighta week, four hours, one night a
(04:25):
week, and this gentleman waspaying for that right for every
good new show up.
And then, uh, it was just roughyears, you know, wasn't making
much money.
And then I got through.
I got through my schooling andgot my journeyman, uh, and then
(04:46):
I just worked for a company fora couple shoot, I said a couple,
it's probably still three, fouryears there.
I had a guy that worked therethat quit, went out and started
his own business, which wasreally hard for me because
that's what I wanted to do.
I was just scared, you know,malware.
Then I went to work for him andI gave him like eight years and
(05:09):
it finally got the nerve to getmy journey or my master.
Before I got my master's I hadalready bought my work truck,
picked up tools there and therewhere I could and um had a
couple builders they all knew ofme through the years of working
in the field.
That said you ever start yourown company.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
You call me, so I finally made the compliment, man
, just from your work ethic,yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
So I made the jump.
I called them and, yeah, theygave me a job and went and did
my first underground rough inand I was scared to death.
He showed up on the job andhanded me my check and I went
straight to the supply house.
I went straight up because Ididn't know if I was even making
money.
He just told me how much hewould pay me.
So I ran to the supply houseand I don't know, I probably had
(05:59):
like a $4,000 check in my handand they told me my material was
like 900 bucks.
And you're like and I said, ohno, I gotta do taxes on this
money.
So so I set on that money anddid a few more jobs and just
panically went in.
Finally supply house said jerry, you don't have to pay that
bill every job, you can waitmonthly.
I said, nope, I'll do it everyweek.
(06:21):
So so smart brother yeah, thatthat really got me going.
And then I just started gettingsuper busy.
I couldn't do it all myself andI hired my wife.
So I didn't say hire, but youknow she, she would cut that
pipe, she would drag pipethrough the mud, she'd roll you
know 500 foot, roll gas plasticout and we'd get after it about
(06:47):
one o'clock she'd have to gopick up the kids.
You know I was working inhuntsville at the time and I
would stay out there and grindand get it done and come in you
know dark, every day.
And then after about a year ofthat I finally had to hire on a
guy Right, and then it was justhim starting as an apprentice
(07:12):
under mama.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Yeah, as your journeyman.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
You know, and we had three little kids at the time.
I mean I don't want to saybabies, but I mean we were
talking probably fourth thirdkindergarten, just like me right
now, eight, six, four-month-old.
Yeah, you just grind.
It's what you want to do.
You've got to just grind andnever let anything stop you.
(07:36):
Because I had offers.
I had a very large plumbingcompany in this area make me an
offer.
That was just unbelievable andI wouldn't take it.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
I wanted to have my own business and I did, and so
you know we got her going andyou plumbing over the years,
mainly residential homes, notreally stepping out on the
commercial, but doing repetitivesubdivision homes and obviously
customs as well.
That comes with the market, butthat's been kind of the
(08:10):
mainstream and you've kind offigured out how to build a
system from.
Well, let's not go too far here.
So we've still got.
How many years did we run withjust the one guy?
I'm assuming it was pretty wellyour fall after that.
Probably a year, yep, probably.
Probably a year, yep, probablyabout a year.
Then you've got a crew of three, probably within another year
(08:32):
of that, and hopefully mama'snow working in the office a
little bit.
Yep, yeah that's pretty much howit took off, and then you were
out there slinging trying tomake sure they had they had work
in front of them, Cause youwere scared, just like I was.
Every day you got these threeguys.
You're like man, if we don't dothis and if we don't get this
check in here, then I can't, andit's just a constant fear,
(08:55):
especially in those early years.
But what did you do?
I think you've already spoke onit.
It's your work ethic.
Number one is an apprentice andit should go to show you guys
that are jumping into theplumbing field or jumping in any
field, just come ready to workevery single day.
Listen, shut your mouth, keepyour phone in your pocket, get a
(09:18):
daggum pen and notepad that youcan slip in your one shirt or
your one pocket of your shirtand just take notes all day long
and ask those questions, and ina year it'll go by and then
somebody will notice you.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Yeah, yeah, you get noticed out there.
You don't even realize you knowpeople's just watching you all
the time.
You know I have.
I just feel so old anymorebecause so many of the builders
that wanted to use me when Istarted my business I got too
busy and I couldn't keep up.
Some of them has, you know,passed away since then and stuff
(09:51):
, and it's like I'm dealing withso many new, younger guys now
in the, you know, superintendentworld.
That the younger guys that werefor me, they all click, like
they, they're like best friendswith the super.
That the younger guys that workfor me they all click, they're
like best friends with the super.
I'm like man, y'all just go,you just run with it.
(10:12):
I do.
When you got that relationship,I don't need to be a big boss
man.
Good for you.
It took me some time to figurethat out.
It's hard.
You feel like you have tomicromanage every single thing
that happens.
It's hard.
You feel like you have tomicromanage every single thing
that happens.
But I have a quality controlguy that I hired just to give me
some feedback base.
(10:33):
And I'll tell you what as longas there's no fires to put out,
nobody calls me, and they'revery few and far between.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
So that's that's really interesting.
When did you this is going tobe probably every plumber in
America that has the one crewand can sell enough work.
How did you step out and do asecond crew and keep them up
course busy?
I mean, it comes with good workand good quality of work and
(11:04):
but when did you know that point?
And was it just a giant leap offaith, or did you already have
the work?
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Man, I tell you it has to just be the leap of faith
, because in constructionthere's no guaranteed 40 hours a
week and anybody that gets inthe business has to know that.
And anybody that gets in thebusiness has to know that
there's going to be rainy daysand stuff.
So for me, I just had to takethem on and if I didn't have the
(11:32):
work I had to create work, washthe truck, organize the shop,
just something to give you yourA&Rs and because I knew I need
them, if I can't keep thembusy're gonna go somewhere else.
So, yeah, there is a slaughteris taken there.
When, especially when you gotto go buy another truck, when
(11:53):
you got them tools and you'resetting this whole truck up, and
then you got to send them on togo, uh, represent your name.
You're hoping they're out theredoing their job as good as I'm
over the other side ofSpringdale doing my job.
Loosening them reins is probablywas the hardest, hardest thing
(12:15):
that I ever had to do, but I'mup to.
I've got six crews right nowand every single one of them are
just they're studs.
Yes, yeah, I'm just so blessedto finally have them and I'm
telling you I've been throughhundreds.
You know I'm saying hundreds,and the the strong remain the
(12:38):
committed.
You know, yes, sir, they stay,and that's where I'm at right
now.
I've got solid guys I don'thave to worry about.
Are they going to leave me?
Are they going to quit me?
I try to take good care of them.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
It's?
When do you since?
I mean I understand I've onlybeen at it we're starting our
10th year in August been abouthalf the time, but I have been
through so many folks.
I have that core group that'sbeen here a long gated time, two
to four years out of the ninethat we've been open.
But when do you know that?
(13:12):
Okay, we get an apprentice, saywe get three or four of them
come through with startinganother crew, going from two
crews to six crews.
I think a lot of folks aresitting out there, say a
journeyman that's sitting outthere and go why can't I run a
truck?
Why can't I run a truck?
Why will this guy not see thatI'm the guy?
(13:34):
And a lot of times guys justlike Jerry said hey, you know,
hopefully he's taking off in mytruck with my name on it and
he's doing exactly what I wouldlike him to do.
It's not about necessarily thework, it's how organized, how
clean, what kind of presentation?
Are you out there just cussingup a storm for everybody and
their dog to hear you?
Because that's Jerry's name onthe side of that truck?
(13:56):
So when do you know for sure?
Because this has been one ofthe hardest things for me.
I've elevated people and Ishouldn't have.
I should have kept them in therole that they were in.
When do you know that thatapprentice is the guy that's
going to do it Well?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
that's a great question really, because just
this morning we had an incidentwhere an apprentice had to drive
one of my extra trucks to getto the job and lost the gas cap
on the truck.
So I said why'd you lose thegas cap?
What happened?
Were you not thinking blah blah?
And he says well, you know.
He said I must have.
Said I said I don't really mind.
(14:30):
She said I probably get no morefor three, four dollars.
I said it's not about the gascap, said you know, it's the
irresponsibility, it's the factthat you know I can't.
You know you're irresponsibleat that.
What else you're going to beirresponsible at?
And I said so, you know you'reirresponsible at that.
What else are you going to beirresponsible at?
And I said so, you know.
I said you got a target on youright now, in my opinion,
because I said I'm watching youfor that, but you don't.
(14:53):
You just got to watch that asthey're growing.
You got to see if they're goingto be responsible enough.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
And unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
You know it's a risk you got to take somewhat, but
they start out for me when theybecome a journeyman.
They have to, in my opinion.
They have to go in a truck andthey have to go out and make
company money.
Yep, trading's over Great.
If you're not responsible, youwouldn't have been in those four
(15:23):
years.
You're not going to be.
So you know, know, I try to cutthat dead weight, so to speak,
before.
So by the time you give a guy atruck, you're 100 confident.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
And I agree, as you work on these little hiccups,
the little things that theydon't think's a big deal, which
are the biggest deal to us andyou're like, if you would just
you do your job well, if youwould just grasp that you need
to just present yourself alittle bit differently and go.
It's just a $3, $4 gas can,buddy.
(15:57):
That irritates me so bad.
Yeah, it's not just the gas capor a gas can or a tool, it's a
shovel that's $25 shovels, driveme crazy.
But it's the responsibilityfactor, it's when.
Shovel that's $25 shovels,drive me crazy, and, but it's
the responsibility factor.
It's when can we trust you?
And then once to those guys thatjust got that position hey,
(16:18):
don't take a mile.
If we're given an inch andwe're showing the trust and
we're showing that, hey, youmight be this guy, take that 90
days to really secure in yourrole and that's the time you're
going to ask questions thatwe're expecting.
But don't just go out there andexpect the world.
Now you've got this big boyposition.
(16:40):
Just like Jerry said, it's yourjob to be the direct earner for
that truck.
You are the talented individualthat he is paying to be
responsible for not just thetruck, the tools and the trailer
, but one of the most expensiveparts of the job the labor.
And it's got to be efficient,and that has been a struggle for
(17:01):
me to figure that out, becauseI have trusted and gave folks
opportunities several times thatI probably shouldn't have, and
that's not necessarily on them,even though they're telling me
they're ready for it.
I've got to have, and I thinkthis just comes from experience,
jerry, I hope you tell me this,because I'm sitting there I
(17:22):
want to give them what they want, but at the same time I've got
my heart on one side, my mind onthe other, and it's taken me
some years to figure out that mymind really has to take over in
those.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Yeah, yeah, because I mean, you're the reliable one
at the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
For sure, well, six crews.
So what is a typical day in,say, jerry's plumbing world?
Now, with what we've got goingon 20 years in Now, what are our
crews doing?
What's our admin doing?
Just kind of give a rough.
What these guys can hopefullysee, because I've been to
(18:01):
Jerry's shop.
It is very organized.
He has systems, he has systems,he has processes and I sit here
and talk on the show all thetime about processes and systems
because I didn't have them inplace and I was the bottleneck
for my company.
So my systems and processes andprocedures, with AI sprinkled
in places, is very differentthan Jerry's here on two sides
(18:24):
of the table that both havesystems that work in place.
But give us kind of a you knowa rundown per se of what a
normal day with six dadgumplumbing crews, brother well,
yeah, there's, I mean there'stwo guys per cruise.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
I mean I've got I don't show up in my job till
about seven.
Yep, I've got a couple guysthat are there just raring to go
every day.
So you know, I got guys showingup from 6 15 to right at 7 29,
you know what I mean.
And um, but they, you know,they, just they come in and we,
(19:00):
you know they, they paired,they're paired up with a
journeyman so the apprenticeknows who he's working with and
we just put our schedule on theboards and you know, we all try
to sit around and talk about theday before or just laugh and
joke and just kind of.
You know, I don't know what.
You call it Commodity.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Yeah, we do that, and then, you know, I don't have to
do a whole lot of nothing.
I mean, they know their job,you know, and my guys are so
good that they know their joband you know, I just sit back
and observe.
I don't have to observe myjourneymen, no more.
You know, they're locked inhere until they aren't.
(19:42):
But my apprentices, they're theones that really watch, and I'm
watching.
That apprentice that you knowpicks up that trash can and goes
and takes the trash out withoutbeing asked, you know.
Or that favorite towel orsomething I threw at the trash
and missed it, and theapprentice that picked it up
without even being asked.
You know, those are going to bethe future of Jerry's Plumbing,
(20:02):
you know.
But yeah, that's pretty much it.
And at 730, everybody better bemoving.
Yep, there's no, there's no ifs, ands or buts, and I don't have
to say nothing when that clockhits 7, 30 them guys are
clearing out.
They're out in the shop pullingorders, hooking on the tractors
.
Um, I'm going over blueprints,what it what I need to with the
(20:25):
guys that might have questionsfor the day, and I mean it's
absolute hooting and holleringand chaos, apprentices running
around getting ice in thecoolers and loading drinks up,
and and then all of a sudden, atlike eight o'clock, straight up
, you could hear a pin ghosttown baby.
You bet yeah, and it's that wayevery day.
(20:47):
But you know, I have my twodaughters.
Two of my three daughters workin the office and my wife works
in there with them.
So how cool is that?
It's awesome.
I do not do much, I don't.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
But how cool is it to work with your two daughters
and your wife.
Yeah, I got two girls nowmyself.
I would love that yeah, myoldest daughter.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
She's pretty much taking the manager title in the
office and cool thing about heris she's been with me about
eight years maybe and she wentand got her journey.
No way, no way.
Yeah, that's amazing Becauseher and her husband started with
me about the same time, so theyjust studied together.
(21:34):
She went to plumbing school,she's went out and set toilets,
she set faucets, you know, andshe went down and took the test
and she passed it, he passed his, and then they both became
journeymen.
She's due to go down next monthto get her master.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
No way, I bet the guys respect her, though, oh
yeah, because she's gone outthere done the exact same
qualifications to adhere to whatthey do.
So when she asks at 2.30, thecustomer called in they're a
little upset.
It may be a little silly, butwe're going to run by and they
ain't going to have no problem.
Yes, ma'am, no problem, I bet,oh yeah that's all you hear at 2
(22:15):
.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
This is yes, ma'am, yes, ma'am, from everybody.
They really respect them.
I got to sit back and be alittle bit quiet because I just
know about enough to be dead,and then I ruffled their plan or
their little schedule, boy.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Yep, we'll get it did in the last.
You say you know five, but fromthe 10-year mark on, with the
scalability and the growth thatyou've gone to, when did you
know that these smaller,redundant systems and processes
were needed within your business, like as in even from a the
(22:52):
clocking, clock out method to adocument, what you guys have
done for the day, or hey, didyou pull this stuff off the
shelf or not?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
yeah, man I'd.
I've been pretty much like thatfrom very almost beginning.
Wow, it's so important that youknow where every single and I
deal in thousands of differentfittings, you know.
So I don't know, I'm just verystrict about that.
(23:23):
I see a piece of pipe that'ssix inches long.
I see you know $1.25.
I don't see a six a piece ofpipe that's six inches long.
I see you know a dollar 25.
I don't see a six inch piece ofscrap pipe.
I see a piece of pipe that Iknow for a fact.
You can make a couple makeuppieces out of that.
Yep, so I really I don't thinkI ever got to nipped in the butt
(23:45):
by anything because I wasalready implementing it.
I would say time cards wassomething that kind of came a
little later than I would haveliked.
Yep, I just got crumbled up.
Paper written said I had 42hours.
Give me a check.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
We all did it.
At one point I did the samething.
I didn't know there wasanything else different I know
it was like you didn't.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
You just wrote checks on whatever, and you know.
So now I still.
Probably one of the hardestthings is to get everybody to
fill their time out each day.
If you can't do it today, do itfirst thing in the morning, and
that's I'm still working withthat, because that still don't
happen, okay, and still sitthere a little about Tuesday and
they know they got to get timecards in there.
(24:32):
What time do you get off oneday?
Speaker 1 (24:37):
I understand that one and, honestly, there's so many
software programs out there now,but I literally went to combat.
That was a phone system.
It's actually integrates withQuickBooks and everything else
goes straight to their payroll.
But they clock in and out ontheir phone, they request
everything and I track wherethey're at If they want paid.
(25:01):
I got to know where they're at,not being any way, but at the
same time, are you driving toand from the job?
Yeah, absolutely, and there'sso many software programs out
there that are very simplistic,very simplistic for them, very
simplistic for the company toadhere to.
But with my kind of not to getoff on this.
(25:27):
But I got into so many battleswith GCs.
Well, your guy didn't show upthat day and do this.
Well, just a second, check youremail.
There's where he was located onyour job on this day for this
many hours.
No, sir, I'm going to need paidfor that and that helped me
with just more in the commercialgame.
Not so much, obviously.
When I was, I never could scalethe residential side of me.
I wish I could have.
(25:47):
I really do.
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(26:09):
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(26:30):
Do you need a website?
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Answer all your questions.
So get with them Back here withMr Jerry.
The biggest thing that me andMr Jerry have in common that not
a lot of plumbers dive off anddo is buy machines.
They all have a truck or somerouter, router equipment but
(26:53):
when, especially in the wayyou've built the residential
side of the business, you werehaving to do so many rough-ins
Like how many rough-ins are youguys doing a day?
Speaker 2 (27:03):
We can.
Well, now that I've got twobackers, we can do.
We can do four houses in a day.
And it's like I tell mybuilders they worry about me
keeping up.
And I said that's, I can dofour a day.
And I said, and we can work sixdays.
So I said that's 24 rough endsa week.
And I said I have not had abuilder once challenge me on
(27:25):
that.
So I'm like, don't worry aboutthat part.
But, um, but yeah, I'd tell you.
That kind of takes me back towhen I did start my business.
That was the biggest investmentand I had no credit, had no job
in their eyes, because I justquit the company I was with for
eight years and nobody wanted to.
(27:45):
There was no chance of youfinancing the tractor.
And um, I got so lucky, blessedguy that stepped in and
co-signed for me and, uh, got mein a tractor and still needed a
trailer.
And the guy so happen to have atrailer on his lot too.
So he got, he scooted me outthe door and he basically said
(28:08):
you know, I believe in you, I'm,you know, don't let me down.
And man, his old beater tractoris his bucket.
Just I got through it and, man,I got to buy my first backhoe
and, yeah, it's, that was good.
So yeah, I, we do that on daily.
(28:28):
We do two at least every dayand there's three phases.
You know, we do a top out whichis going to set tubs, run all
the pipes and the walls.
Then we go back to us what wecall fixture set out, set all
toilets, faucets and stuff likethat.
But yeah, in one day we coulddo two rough ends, two top outs,
(28:49):
two set outs, with the crew Igot.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
So pretty impressive, sir.
I mean to have all the systemsto be able to go hey, my admin
team knows what's going on.
They respect the office, theoffice and the field.
The biggest, one of the largestproblems that I hear on this
show all the time is man, Ican't, and they write in, I
can't get my field in my officeor, I'm sorry, dadgum guys, my
(29:16):
admin and my operations toreally communicate effectively.
Well, it's taken me some timeto really scale back and go hey,
what works?
What's elementary?
Is it a checklist, is itwhatever it is?
And it's taken me some time toreally make that a cohesive
effort.
But it sounds like your adminstaff really just supports your
(29:38):
guys in a different way.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Yeah, I've tried so many things.
Checklists I personally wouldset out every day and go try to
check the jobs that we do on adaily basis and you'll wear
yourself out trying.
Yeah, and it was just so.
It got to too much.
So I created checklists, youknow, and all the guys
(30:02):
checklists, and unfortunatelythat turned into jumping in the
truck at the end of the day andjust filling in all the spots
yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and thenturning it in, didn't know all
about it.
That didn't work, you know.
Then the callbacks and theinspection failures is what
proved it wasn't working.
So I just ran into anex-employee of mine one day that
(30:26):
quit me because he was justgetting elderly and he wasn't
physically able to do it.
I ran into him and we got totalking.
I said, oh, she'd be able to QC.
I said you could get off yournormal job and come do this in
the evenings.
Just go around, check my work.
And he's a top-notch plumbertoo.
So we settled on a per phaseprice.
And I don't go out there.
(30:50):
I meet still meet builders andthings when they of course to me
, but I don't just go run theroads to burn up gas and he does
it and, um, that's been thegreatest thing I ever did.
It was better than anychecklist.
And we find problems.
We don't have a lot of problems, but we find things before the
builder, before the customer,inspector, inspectors.
(31:12):
We slide in there, we get itfixed because he writes it up
and it's just.
We're working so smooth rightnow.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
I wouldn't change a thing that we're doing, man 20
years in business and he'ssitting there talking about how
smooth it is.
It just goes to show you guysthat you don't need all these
new school systematic If youbuild a culture that folks like
(31:43):
I see posts all the timebreakfast in the shop and I'll
be cooking breakfast on aBlackstone and it's a culture
that I envy for sure, and Itried chasing the wrong culture
at first.
Although it was a good culture,it just wasn't incentive based
and it was more hey guys, we'regoing to go do this, rather than
hey, let's do this together toget to here, to be able to go do
(32:04):
this.
And it's simple, not thingslike doing breakfast we do
breakfast and some lunches andwhatnot but it's the bigger
items and I have really had torein back do this together.
And the one thing you just said.
Before we end here, brother, Igot one more question, but you
said you had somebody help youco-sign and so did I.
(32:26):
And when you're first inbusiness guys, I just want to
encourage you.
Most of the time, when you jumpoff and you do your own thing
and you've got to go financesomething big, there's not a
whole lot of folks that aregoing to work with you guys.
They're just not.
But if there is somebody thatis believing in what you're
doing because, thank God, I hadsomebody on my first set of
(32:46):
machines and wasn't the mostconducive business deal but at
the same time, look at us, gonow.
And if I didn't take that risk,not everything is going to come
at you on a silver platter iswhat I'm getting at, and it's
those relationships that I talkabout on this show all the time.
Relationships are everythingwhen it comes to business,
(33:07):
talking about builders that youknow you want to keep every
relationship as close as youpossibly can.
Of course and when did youlearn to with as many folks as
you have met over the years,brother?
How do you decide on whichclient, volume or pay terms or
(33:28):
whatever it is?
I think you could be a definitehelper here.
And how do you weigh out whichclient's going to be better for
your you know operation?
Because it's hard.
You want to help everybody yeah, I do, you do.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
You know?
You hear a lot of times peoplesay you know, put all your eggs
in the basket.
Um, I do believe that and Ihave got two of the largest
builders in Northwest Arkansas,but I also got about eight
smaller builders and I don'tknow.
I mean, obviously, yeah, you'regoing to focus on the large
(34:07):
volume, but you're going tofocus on the 150, 200, 300
houses they're going to do thatyear, versus the guy that's only
going to do five or 10.
But it's just such a jugglingact.
It's just you.
You work weekends, you worklate, you, you know you're, you
just try to meet everybody'sneeds.
But, yes, at the end of the day, you, it is a um, I don't know
(34:29):
how you want to just categorizethem, but it's.
It's been a problem with tyranttoo.
You know, I get calls that andI don't feel the love, jerry,
I'm not feeling the love.
I'm like well, hang in there,brother, please.
I was like we're workingevenings, my guys are working
weekends.
I said we are trying and Iusually just because I think
(34:52):
we're good enough at what we do,and they, they, they be patient
and give me that time, we getthem caught up, and so that is a
tough one, you know, and it's.
You don't want to ever have totreat any customer any less, but
we don't really.
In that sense it's just.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
Well, I guess the I guess the question would be is
when to let go of a bad customer.
I think would be a betterquestion.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
That's been fairly easy for us, because we I don't
want to sound overconfident orcocky, but we are good at what
we do and we know we're good.
Yep, if you don't appreciatethat and you're going to call me
and raise your voice and bedisrespectful, you are going to
get fired.
Yep, if you don't appreciatethat and you're going to call me
and raise your voice and bedisrespectful, you are going to
(35:40):
get fired.
Yep, and believe me, I havefired more builders than
builders fired me.
Yes, sir, and we just have zerotolerance for that.
So you know, that's man, that's.
You know when it's time.
I guess it don't get scary,though because you know they
carry that volume.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
But at the same time, there is principles you set as
an operator of a business thatyou're just not going to step
over.
That line.
That's my boundary line.
I don't care how much workyou've got Right, you need to
sound overconfident or cocky.
Sir, you have the system inplace with this QC gentleman who
worked for you for a long time.
He knows your expectations, heknows Jerry himself.
(36:24):
I think I have literally toyedwith that in my mind because I
think some of the things that werun into small things, meter
can settling or it trace yourwire wrapped like small things
that are going to get caught ona large commercial punch list
that I believe we should havealready got, because that's our
standard.
Whether it's the well, theconcrete guys ran over the meter
(36:45):
can, nobody said that.
You know what I mean.
Those situations happen too.
But you're good at what you dobecause you've got a culture
built within your team.
And then you've got a gentlemanmaking sure that we're doing
exactly the standard that Jerryset for.
Jerry Splunk, yeah, and that isso hard and unique to find yeah
.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
And truly go ahead.
Well, I was just thinking, Ijust fell into that, running
into that guy that day, and itwas never on my mind, I never
was thinking of it.
I just kept going out and, youknow, doing it myself, and I
just bumped into him and I don'tknow where it came from, it
just came right out of my mouth.
(37:25):
I said, well, you don't go towork for me?
And he said, oh, I couldn't doit anymore.
I said, well, you can do QC,maybe Just go check my jobs,
maybe just go check my jobs.
And he had just bought a newboat and he said I'll make my
boat payment.
And I said so and he's beendoing it.
Um, I never see him.
I see him one time a year.
I invite him well, twice.
So we have an employee partyevery year and then we have a
(37:49):
christmas party and I see him atthose two three, that means
he's getting the reports in.
Uh, he gets it done.
And if I see or hear ofanything that's wrong, I
immediately ask my girls.
I'm like uh, why didn't qc notcatch it?
And I don't know.
Well, there I go calling qc.
He sees me calling.
He knows something's wrong.
(38:10):
Yeah, he just answers the phone.
Uh-oh, what did I miss?
Speaker 1 (38:13):
I said but what a great relationship and I think
it speaks to a testament of whoyou are and the relationships
that you have built within yourcompany, within your business,
over the years.
I truly hope in 10 years thatmy I'd probably be a little bit
about 15 years I'd have my twobeautiful baby girls working in
the office.
(38:33):
Yeah, I actually not toelongate today, but I have been
toying with the idea.
I'm not toying anymore, I'macting on it.
I am going to hire me anoperations manager ago or a year
ago at this point, and I didn't, as the business, set him up
(38:58):
the way we should have.
Don't get me wrong.
But at the same time, I havefocused very hard in the last 18
months of setting up systems tobring somebody else back on.
But man, it is so hard.
I need to be up here with myestimator selling work and I sit
here and talk about thishamster wheel of death for an
(39:19):
entrepreneur, because you run uphere and you bid a bunch of
work and you run out here andget it all done and you're, oh
God, we have no work.
Get up here and cut prices toget on the job and then you're
out there doing low budget workand it's just this hamster wheel
and I'm at this point that myteam needs somebody that is
dedicated every single day, 10hours a day, into operations.
(39:41):
Two years ago I could 30 setsof plans that we were working on
and 60 sets that were upfront,that we were bidding on.
I had you give me a plan numberand a page and a profile and
I'll tell you the elevation.
But I can't do that anymore andI thought it was me.
For a long time, as a businessowner, I've been beating myself
up and I'm like, hey, man, it'snot just you, it's the system
(40:06):
that's built around you.
And my team.
I looked at my team and I'mlike, hey guys, what do we think
about this Cy?
We feel terrible having to callyou.
Can you please find somebody?
Maybe that QC kind of of coursegonna be QC underneath him.
But I'm toying that with myself.
So I've got one last questionfor you, sir.
(40:26):
It's what I ask every singleperson on this show and it's
what's a takeaway for the bluecollar skilled trades guy who is
sick and tired of being stuckin the mud, and that means not
just physically, but emotionally, mentally Maybe.
That apprentice has beenworking at the plumbing outfit
for the first six months andhe's really just tired of
(40:49):
chasing tools or whatever everyday.
And he's just checked out uphere what you got for that guy.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
Man, I just got to tell you to keep pushing, keep
fighting, block that out.
It's going to get better andyou're going to reap the rewards
from it, not only working for acompany and having work, it's
your money In our business.
You have an opportunity tostart your own business, you
(41:16):
know, and I've been stuck manytimes.
But it just takes the willpowerand drive.
You know I fell down many timesin this over the 20 years of
the teacher.
Yeah, and it's just a lot of ittoo is how you're raised.
You know you're just raised tofight and push and never give up
(41:38):
, no matter what.
And you, you'll get what youwant.
You know people that know me.
You know I won't stop until Iget what I want, and I don't
care if it's a new house, a newcar, a tool.
I will not stop till I buy it.
So you know, I have my workethics.
The same way, I was not goingto stop till I got that master's
, you know, and I got it.
(41:59):
So, and now I sit back andwonder what's next.
You know I want to drive forsomething else now, but I'm
getting too old.
You know, just enjoying thecoasting, really, yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:13):
Yeah, you've worked really hard, sir, for almost
well two decades.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:18):
So you deserve a little bit of coasting time.
And to you guys that are outthere thinking plumbing is an
option jump over.
Now is the time we need youguys.
When Jerry retires in 20 moreyears, he'll probably be, like
(42:38):
me, working until the last dayof our funeral.
But at the same time, mr Jerrywill pay for your schooling.
If you're an 18 or 19-year-oldkid and you want to come be an
apprentice, you may have certainparameters on there, but most
plumbing companies, yeah,definitely reach out.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
Where can we find you ?
I?
That's something real quick Ihave never done in 20 years.
I have never paid one penny foradvertising.
Everything I've ever done isword of mouth because, uh, I was
trying to read notes for thistoday and I was like man, I had
nothing.
I don't have a phone number.
I mean, you can look up jerry'splumbing, um, google jerry's
plumbing and it brings us up.
I don't know why or how Ididn't put it in there, but, um,
and you know my name is jerry,jerry hoy, with jerry's plumbing
(43:26):
.
Um, you can find me.
Um, I'm out there and we'realways accepting applications.
Um, doesn't hurt to have my ownfile.
You bet you never know whensomebody's gonna quit your, you
know, before we get busy and Ineed to reach out to somebody.
And, um, but by all means andthat goes for any plumbing
(43:46):
company you don't be afraid justto go and ask them if at least
you could fill out anapplication.
That's right, get on theirradar, because this is an up and
down.
Sometimes you're booming,sometimes not, but Sometimes
you're booming, sometimes you'renot, but when you're booming,
man, man, you can't have enough.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
All we can get, yep man.
Mr Jerry, I can't tell you howmuch I appreciate you coming in
talking with me today.
I know the audience is going toappreciate it more than you'll
ever understand, and if I get amessage from a plumber by, well
for sure pass that on.
(44:24):
I usually get an email or two aweek of hey man, this show.
Mr Jerry said this at one timeand it changed my whole view and
that's what this show's aboutis to help you guys and bring
you guys like Mr Jerry 20 yearsin business, done it the right
way, built the culture and ain'tspend a dime in advertising,
doesn't know anything aboutmarketing, just good old work,
quality drive, grit,determination and never giving
(44:47):
up.
That is where you'll get whereyou want to go.
Guys, I can't tell you how muchI appreciate you tuning in and
following the show.
You can get it atbluecollarbusinesspodcastcom,
watch or listen directly fromthere.
This will be episode number 39coming at you.
38?
, 39?
, either one Check them out allon there, or, if you're on
(45:08):
Spotify, apple, iheart oranywhere you get your podcast,
make sure and drop us a ratingand a follow.
It helps the show get out tomore of you, guys.
I really appreciate your timetoday, guys, and I hope the show
helped you.
Until next time, if you'veenjoyed this episode, be sure to
give it a like, share it withthe fellers.
Check out our website to sendus any questions and comments
(45:29):
about your experience in theblue card business.
Who do you want to hear from?
Send them our way and we'll doour best to answer any questions
you may have.
Till next time, guys.
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