I remember the day well. I was about 4 years into the business, I had about 4 employees, and I was running one of the service vans by myself during this busy stretch. It was a Wednesday or a Thursday. It was about 6pm at night and I was on my third new emergency service call of the day.
The previous 4 years had been a grind. My business did not get off the ground well. It took a lot of time to break into the industry. With a few established restoration companies already in town. I barely got noticed. I marketed harder than anyone. Stretching myself thin. I canvassed all cities across Northern Arizona. Finally, momentum and enough work to hire. But it was still necessary for me to be in the field. Anytime the phone rang, and I got a new job, it was instant excitement and a dopamine hit.
We had been getting calls for emergency service all week. Strangely, it was monsoon season. But not heavy monsoons. My consistent, persistent marketing efforts were paying off. I was on my third call of the day, I walked into a completely flooded living room, and I canvassed the scene. Wow, that entertainment center is loaded with content and will be hard to move. A sleeper sofa, chairs, end tables, coffee table, I had to move it all and get that carpet and pad pulled out. I was already exhausted. l gave my laborer to my lead tech that day, because he had not shown up. I thought I just had to check a few jobs and then be back in town. Ironically, we had 3 new calls in the city I was already in, which was 2 hours from my home.
Standing in that dark living room, I hung my head and looked at my gloves and my tools. And said the words aloud “I don’t want to do this shit anymore.” I knew right there and then it was time to hire a production manager and get out of the trucks altogether.
I had been eyeballing a neighboring business. They had a supervisor I really liked. He always seemed upset about something. We ran into each other in the parking lot or emptied the garbage from time to time. I finally said, “Hey, if you’re not happy over there, I am looking for someone to help me take this company to the next level.”
I advertised and let everyone know I was hiring. The applicants were B level at best. No leaders, no one to replace me in the field and run the show. I grinded on, placing ads, doing the work, and catching up on admin work in the evenings or weekends. My current Administrator was not particularly good either. This was all because I was not that good. I started studying John Maxwell and making time for personal growth and development. We only attract those that are at our level or lower.
As luck would have it. The guy next door came over one day and wanted to talk. He was done there, and he heard the company was downsizing. Just the break I needed. I told him my plan, and what I needed for me to blow this company up. I also let him know his challenges of running the crews, while also running jobs.
Over the next 7 years, we more than tripled in revenue. I hired a higher-level admin; I did all the Marketing and General Manager duties, ran the meetings. We replaced our admin lady, moved to a bigger warehouse, bought more vehicles, and more equipment, and grew to about 11 or 12 employees.
All because I replaced myself in a role I did not want to do, and frankly was not that good at.
Several companies or clients I mingle with will stay where they are at out of fear. They are too scared to grow because of the risks. I teach to play to your strengths and delegate your weaknesses. Grow yourself and grow your people.
You must continually see the opportunity to gain experience, take calculated risks, run a well-oiled machine, and let it work.
That first rock star I hired came to me after seven years and said the words I always knew he would say. “Boss I started my own business.” I was so proud. I always knew he was an entrepreneur at heart. I thought I would have him for five years. But I had him seven. I taught him everything I knew and watched him leave. The only thing worst would have been teaching him nothing, and having him stay!
Growth happens when you are constantly trying to replace yourself in your current ownership role.
CM