JD Ploetz
Appearances
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
You have to educate yourself. That's part of what I write about is that it's okay as long as you understand nothing changes when nothing changes. You also have to understand that unless you change your thinking, you change the information you have between your ears, you've got to educate yourself about whatever it is that you're trying to change. Ignorance is bliss. You don't educate yourself.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And he did, and I get goosebumps saying it, he did exactly what I asked him to do. He stayed humble the whole time. I'm not saying there weren't bumps in the road, but for the most part, he was a, I hate to use the word perfect, but he was as close to perfect as we can get a technician that we hired, trained, put into the field, and now has had longevity. I mean, he hit pinnacle his second year.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Well, it all has to do with the baggage that they're carrying around. Book number two, which will be out at some point, is called The Beginner's Mind. And that's exactly, okay, using Angelo for an example again. Angelo, because he is so young, which I always thought that worked against us in this business, but I have rethought that entire thing now, is that he didn't have all the history.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Life experience. Life experience and everything where everything that happened in the garage, he would compare it to something negative in his life And then he wouldn't either pursue it or do what we asked him to do because he knew better. He had a beginner's mind in the garage door business. Excuse me.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Exactly. And that's what, you know, people from other businesses, from other sales things come in. Other sales businesses, other home service businesses see the way we do it. We do it so differently. that they're just used to that, and they think to themselves, there's no way this can work. It is so different.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And they don't allow themselves, they don't open their mind enough, which sounds a little crazy, but they don't allow themselves the luxury of just playing dumb and doing what we ask them to do. They just overthink everything. I mean, I have the youngest guy and the oldest guy. All of them, I mean, both of them with less than five years' experience,
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Going to Pentagon, one of them one year, one of them, I think, two and a half, three years. So I have the two extremes in age. A lot of guys say, well, I'm too old to do it. I can't work that hard. I can't spend that time in the garage. Anthony pushed himself like you wouldn't believe, and he's not the healthiest. Okay, I shouldn't say healthy, but he's not the youngest.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
He's not a spring chicken anymore. Yeah. You know, it is all negative thoughts that they have put into their head. And I, as a manager, can change some of those thoughts, but I can't read your mind. You know, I can read your numbers and I can bring you into my office and say, hey, I think this is going on. I think possibly this is what we need to do to change that.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
But if they're not willing to even listen to it, to be open to it, then I'm just talking to myself.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And it was very evident with that particular company who were the good ones and who were the bad ones.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Well, okay. Okay. It isn't so much I decide, but it's the few red flags that pop up. We all have group chats through now Teams, which is great, by the way. Thank you for the use of that because doing group chats otherwise. Negativity in a group chat is the first red flag. Or me being told someone is being negative.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
by somebody else, you know, a little bit of hearsay, but I just don't go from the first piece of hearsay. If I hear that, then I start asking guys, is this person sane doing this? But that's a big red flag is negativity. Now, you can turn that around if you get on it quickly because that's just like a cancer. I don't, you know, it grows very, very, very quickly. And I know you've seen it here.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
It can go from one guy to another guy to another guy in the span of a week. And then all of a sudden you have three people that are just negative and dragging everybody down. So I guess to answer your question, is it negativity and disrespect for their peers is one of the first red flags that I look for in the beginning that is going to drag that person down or drag somebody else down.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
As far as the final straw, like, I mean, if you're talking about letting somebody go.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
We had a circumstantial and we aren't the company we were six years ago. So there's legalities and everything else you have to think of, you know?
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Okay. Well, no, and that's... And I know that you've actually said that at the manager meeting. You said something very similar to that. But... From the HR side, and I'll back HR up on this, we do have to have some sort of documentation, not the big long drawn out.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
From beginning to end, it didn't start out as a book, but from beginning to end, about 18 months. 18 months. Yeah, when I first started putting things together for my technicians, that's how it started, was I was trying to put actionable items together for them because I'm always trying to make my team better. So –
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Yeah, well, Dan is correct. I mean, the last few people that I've lost or that we've parted ways, however you want to say it, in Tucson, everything was lined up to do what we were going to do, and all of a sudden you get a phone call. I'm just going to come give you my keys this morning, J.D. Okay? Okay? And that happened twice in the last six months.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
You said something pretty important, though, because when you on the Thursday meeting or Luke or somebody talks about that bottom 10 and 20%, There is a noticeable improvement in KPIs and metrics in technicians across the board, at least in my mind. It is. You can actually write the day. You can put an X on the day you guys talked about it. Give yourself a week.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And anybody that was, you know, trending down all of a sudden is trending up. And I don't think it's fear. Well, some of it might be fear, but I think some of it is that they know that you care enough to tell them that. Because a lot of companies won't say anything.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Right. Exactly. So I just want to let you know, because that popped in my head, that when you guys discuss those sorts of things on the Thursday meeting, on the Bring the Fire meeting, it really has an effect on your markets.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Yeah, public shaming works.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Right, and then you're going to have a person that says, oh, it's okay.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
My girlfriend and I were trying to figure out how can we help them aside from work and, you know, all the KPIs. Well, what can we do to help them be better? So we put a list together of about 15 or 20 things, time management, money management, just things they could do very simply put, very simple instructions to just take a step forward instead of taking a step back.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
That's what I would say. Well, a lot of dads don't talk to their girlfriends or their wives about their position. As I found out, Lisa, my girlfriend, when we have the holiday party, she actually speaks longer than I do because she's talking to the wives and the girlfriends. And I'm telling you what, talk about a game changer for improvement.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
When the wives and girlfriends knew how important and what these guys did, how the money worked a little bit, she didn't go into details. But I'll tell you what, having that camaraderie between the families, and we don't do a great job of it in Tucson. We're trying to do better.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
But I can tell you what, that when she spoke directly to the wives and girlfriends and families during the holiday party, we, again, I kind of watched everybody's faces. And I took note, and I'll be darned if some of these guys' numbers didn't start improving.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
For the guys that don't have anybody, I have an installer or two now. I have some technicians that don't have family in town. I try to call them. I've taken them out on my side-by-side. You know, Lisa has offered at the holiday party, she offered all of them. If you need help with money, and I know a few of them do, we offered our services to help them get a budget in place.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Anything we can do to help them improve their personal life just a little bit will pay out tenfold.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
in business you know but having that support at home is so important if if you have the people to support you and if not i tell them you can come talk to me anytime i mean i'll i'll be that support as much as i can and lisa's again which is amazing to me is she's even offered to do that with them with the money so having some sort of support behind you is definitely a game changer i think uh i think the problem is people and you know this
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
It is not a production problem.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And that's how it started was me putting things together for my technicians.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Right, but you don't want to know. You don't want to know. Most people don't want to know. I know, and I've been there, done that.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
You don't know. You don't ask for help. You don't make yourself accountable. The change will never happen. I guarantee that because I've been there and done that too. For four decades, I didn't try to
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Right. And it's the reaching out for help that's the most difficult thing. I mean, that's, again, you're doing really good segueing into the book here, is that nothing changes when nothing changes. People say that, different versions of it, and everybody just kind of listens to it. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. But when you really think about it, let's just take money, for example.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
If I don't have any money today because I'm spending all this money, then I have to change something in order to fix that. You're feeling stuck. Yeah. You have to educate yourself. That's part of what I write about is that it's okay as long as you understand nothing changes when nothing changes.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
You also have to understand that unless you change your thinking, you change the information you have between your ears, you've got to educate yourself about whatever it is that you're trying to change. Ignorance is bliss. You don't educate yourself. You don't know. You don't ask for help. You don't make yourself accountable. The change will never happen.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
I guarantee that because I've been there and done that too, right? For four decades, I didn't try to help myself. You know, it took me that long to reach out for help. But once you make yourself accountable, once you understand that you have to educate yourself a little bit about whatever it is that you're trying to change and talk to another human being about it, you can do anything.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
I mean, you can absolutely do anything.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Right. And, well, again, I only know me and what I've been through, and I've watched you do your thing. And for those of you that don't believe him, I can attest to the fact that you had no wonder desire for material things when you were building this business, which I found amazing.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Because back then, just that short time ago, I was short-sighted and thought, man, if I had that money, I'd be doing this, and I'd be doing that, and I'd be doing this. It took me a few years, and now where I'm at, I understand completely what you were doing. Believe me. But it took me, like I said, 40 years to get to where I could just save something.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
I hope Brandon, if I give Brandon one piece of advice, is take 5% and put it away. Just take 5% and put it away. 10% is better. 15% is even better than that. He's got to start somewhere. You've got to get in the habit. You've got to change that one thing of just take it, put it away, and forget it ever exists. That's why I'm so happy with the 401k.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Well, not today, but it was big. It's still a good considering population. It's massive. I mean, Denver's blown by us. Vegas is blown by us. But Tucson is Tucson. Well, when I started, I was a technician. I came over from that other company. The interview process was me sitting down in a room with you and Rob and going, can you do this? And I said, yes. I said, okay, here's your truck.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
I mean, I'm up to like 30 grand in my 401k already.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Well, that's what the 401K is, right?
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
We did that a few months ago. We wrote the last check.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
We wrote the last check. We had a mortgage-burning party. It was fun.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
You have to understand, I think from what you just told me, you're a very rare case. There are very few 16-year-olds. Now, one of my kids has a Roth IRA and my stepson has a Roth IRA. And they're 18, 16. But you're a very rare case. Most people aren't that.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And see, there you go. That's the thing.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
It was a long time ago. But I had the experience. Started out in a truck in Tucson. Back then, we didn't even have a shop. I don't know if you remember, but parts were brought down to a dirt lot in Tucson because we didn't even have a shop in Tucson. So we would meet somebody. That's how small we were. There were three technicians, including me. Me, David Parks, and I forget the other kid's name.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And that's just another good segue. Thank you, Tommy. The whole second half or the part two of this book, the first part, just so everybody knows.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
It's a story about me. You've been through some shit. A story about me. And because I'm not famous, you know, a lot of these, well, I I hate the phrase self-help, but we'll call it that. Self-help books are done by people, and no offense intended here, by people that have already made it. They have a lot of money. They're successful and all that. And for some people, that is a hard leap to make.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Now, some people do it just fine, but it's a hard leap to go from here to up there. That's why I thought it would be a good idea that I'm not... I'm not bad off, I'm not super wealthy either. I will be, there's no doubt in my mind, I'm gonna be able to- I'm making the right moves. I'm gonna be able to retire comfortably.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
So that's what the whole first part of the book is, is letting you know that these are the steps you need to do that when you want to make that change, These are the steps that you can follow. It's not the only way, but you can follow the ones that I followed to make that change happen. But the whole second part of the book is actionable items. It isn't me babbling on again.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Lisa and I did the research. It's how to have better time management. It's how to manage your money. Very easy, simple steps. how to advance your career, how to talk to your boss to get a raise, all these little things that you can do to advance yourself just a little bit, just a little bit, just to show you that you can actually make change happen.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
So, again, and that's why I did the book, is that I think everybody can benefit from it, whether you're in Tommy's shoes, my shoes, or the guy that's on the corner's shoes. There's something in there that can help you take a step forward. There's something in there, I guarantee it.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Yeah, I actually have it, but I'm just... Is that out yet?
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Yeah, but I didn't do it. It's done by AI, which... Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So there's a few quirks, but... But because the second half is all actionable items that you would want to refer back to a lot, what I'm going to do is, along with the Audible, is I'm going to have part two on a very slim pamphlet that you can get, and I'll make sure that everybody gets one.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
If they get the Audible, once it's available, I have to make it.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
But anyway, yes, to answer your question, yes, it is out. It is absolutely out.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Brad. Brad hired Dave. Yeah. That's right, Brad. And then Joe Cassidy was out because he got injured or something. So there's actually four of us.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Yeah, there's a lot of regrets I have when my parents passed away that I wasn't, I don't want to. I was in the throes of my addition, especially when my mother passed away. And I do have regrets that I didn't sit down with her and get more written down. I mean, what you're doing is great. This is my legacy, kind of from my great-grandkids and stuff. They want to know a little something about me.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
They have that. They have the coloring books. It's great. But yeah, I'm big into AI. I don't use it for the super duper important stuff, but I'll tell you what, I would be lost without it now on a daily basis.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
I ask it questions like when something pops in my head that I need to know about.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
ChatGPT. ChatGPT. Well, yeah, I have conversations. But right now, and I'll do a quick plug, my pug, Miss Ruby, she does coloring books. So she actually has them up on Amazon for sale now. I use the AI to help me generate pictures of my idea for coloring books. I also have it help me come up with subject matter for some of her children's books that she's writing. I use it. Emails are great.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
You know, when I... Like, if I'm writing an email... So, ChatGPT is what you use. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
No, no, no. I use MidJourney for pictures. I also just started using Gemini for Google for generating phrases and pictures as well. But, yeah, ChatGPT is my go-to. I even have my own... I did a ChatGPT because you can construct your own GPT. You can give it instructions. So... I have a couple of those that are mine that I use for specific things.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
So I don't have to go through the whole rigmarole of telling it what I want, all the details. I just give it It already knows the details and have saved them. Yeah. Like if I tell the one GPT to, let's just say, draw an apple, okay? If you just plug that in there, it'd draw a red apple. Well, this GPT is set up for coloring book pages, lines, just black and white lines.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
So when I type apple in there, it types me a perfect black and white line drawing of an apple. It doesn't do the color. I don't have to tell it not to do color and do all that stuff. That's great. I like that.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
I'll use it too because all my learning on AI has taken a lot of time.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Yeah, maybe. I started using AI for our KPIs. I actually have a chat GPT that I can use for one-on-ones. I should show that to you.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Well, I think you had a shop before I showed up and then something happened and you guys had to close it.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Okay, so last year, and Weave, and I think you said it in one of the Bring the Fire meetings, last year was the year of accountability. Okay, I think that was given throughout the company. Accountability, I had to take it a step further, and actually on the last mojo that I did, I've been off a couple days, was I told all my guys, this is the year of personal accountability.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
But anyway, so I ran... I ran jobs. I was a technician. I wasn't a manager. And then you could see that there was a need for a manager. So I do remember I kept pestering you and I kept pestering a couple other people that, hey, if it's not – Probably Adam. Yeah, Adam. If it –
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Not just accountability in general, not just following the rules and doing this and doing that, but personal accountability. And I told them it is the year of personal accountability, meaning in your personal life and in your business life. Yes, you have to follow the rules. We just said, I can't believe people are making such a big deal out of this uniform. What do you mean? What is happening?
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Oh, my God. And for those of you who don't know, we've always had our black shirts that we were in. I'm not wearing it because I'm on PTO today. So that's why I'm not wearing my shirt because I have to keep things separated.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
I've been telling them for years. This is coming, guys. This is coming. Just wear clean, dark shorts.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
You know. You asked me a little while ago what I thought the red flags were. You know, that's actually one of them, that when a guy shows up and he cannot take personal accountability or care about his hygiene and his looks is a huge. I don't know anybody that's successful in our business that looks that way. Yeah, that's interesting. They come in with stained pants.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
They're wearing the same pants every day. They wear them for a week because they think they're saving money on washing. I mean, you're losing money in the garage. Oh, yeah, and they smell. I've had that conversation more than once in the last eight years with guys. And that's probably the toughest one. It's easier to fire somebody than tell them they stink.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
But I think the uniform thing that you guys have given to all of us is absolutely 100% a fabulous thing. It's the right thing. And I think you're going to see the numbers move a little more just because of it.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
I would love to try to do that.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
I would support that 100%. I would be 100% behind you doing that. That is a good thing.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
If it's not me and I really didn't need it to be me, but we need a manager in Tucson because like the Wild West, I'm not saying bad things were happening, but just everybody did whatever they wanted to do. And luckily, the four or five of us that were there were pretty good at what we did. So the money kept generating. But I mean, someone with no experience would have never it would have been bad.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And that's a red flag barometer right there, too. The guys that are the technicians that when I have things that we do together and they don't want to show up, I'm not saying I'm going to fire you if you don't come or do stuff with us. But it definitely makes me take notice when people don't want to learn something new. when they don't want to do a ride-along.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Or they take a ride-along for granted just to take the money. That's another one of those red flags that you were talking about. Again, not a fireable offense by any scope of the imagination, but it... And it should... A lot of times they say I can't afford it. Right. But I think you should take notice to the people that don't want to do the things, which I'm sure you probably already do.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And that's just the parts I can talk about.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
I mean, you've heard some of my other stories. Mike Bailey's heard my stories. Yeah, he used to. I mean, everybody says you need to put those in a book, and that might happen someday. But, yeah, I've been not tooting my own horn, but I've been through some shit.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Yeah. Time management, money, uh, money management, um, how to communicate more effectively. That's another big one. And there's just, and there's just some very, and there's just some very simple things to do. And a lot of it's mindfulness, especially when it's the communication part is being my think before you talk. Okay.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Everybody says it, but if you actually do it, um, your level of communication with people you don't know, and also people that you do know, um, gets better. You just have to slow down a little bit. Like, I'm really bad at it, okay, because of the ADD and the ADHD, whichever one I have that day.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
I don't always slow down, but I learned to do that when I did radio for years, you know, because you had to stop. I had a lot of things written down, too. I can't see that good anymore, so I can't really write it down that far, but... I can do it from memory. And then the other big one that's in there is actually that I've got the most compliments on is the very simple time management stuff.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And it uses practical things. And it isn't just being polite and being on time. There's apps you can use. There's exercises you can do. Just very simple things that you can change today. You don't have to go buy something. You don't have to do this. All of the stuff, 99% of it that's in there, once you read it, you can actually put it into action and start doing it right now today.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
The only thing stopping you is you. The only thing stopping you is you.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
I have no idea. I actually have a publisher working with me on this one, so I'm not even allowed to give them away. I had to pull teeth to get these two for you. Oh, yeah.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Well, no, I didn't self-publish, but he only has it for a year. And the reason I had a publisher help me is the only part of this that I was really hung up on, I had everything written, everything was ready to go, but formatting the book correctly to get it on Amazon so it looked good, I struggled with it and struggled with it and couldn't do it, so that's why I hired Kevin to do it.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
He's a super nice guy. He's a local guy. I think we actually advertise with him now. He has a thing in Oro Valley. But anyway, so, yeah, this is self-published, but he's just running it for me right now just for that reason. But I think it's $14, $15. I don't know.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Yeah, shout-out to Mike in Albuquerque. Real quick, shout-out to Mike. He is wonderful. He's doing a really good job. So then I slowly moved into the management position just because you guys weren't sure or whatever. But I started doing the started doing the deposit and I started doing a little bit of this.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Um, they can, uh, I have, I have a couple of emails out there. That's probably the best way to reach me. One of them is, um, well, actually you can just go to the website, ncwnc.com. Nothing changes when nothing changes.com. And all my information there, if you want to get ahold of me.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Yeah, I talk about it quite a bit every time we bring it up, the five dysfunctions of a team. I think it's five. That one really hit me between the eyes because when I was reading it, we were right in the middle of pre-being bought into and all that stuff. And the stories they were talking about, about the lack of communication, just hit so far home with us.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And we have gotten better at it, for sure, as a company. But that's always going to be a struggle, I think, for anybody growing as fast as we are. So anyway, that's the one that really switched my thinking.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Yeah, One Minute Manager was also a good one. Yeah. That gives you a lot of quick things to think about. Again, actionable items you can use right away. You don't have to do a bunch of research. You don't have to write a bunch of shit down. You can just have right at it right then and there if you're willing to make that change because that's where it all starts.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
If nothing else, nothing can change if you don't decide you want to take that step in your own mind and actually do it.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Yeah, you were on that other one before Service Titan.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And I come up to meetings about twice a month to Phoenix, talk to you and Adam to see what we were doing. And then finally, I don't remember when it was, but finally I was named a manager. And then the and then the next difficult step was getting me out of the field. because it's difficult when you're in the field and then you have to sit behind a desk.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And ask for help. For God's sakes, people, you don't have to do it by yourself. There's nobody listening, I would hope, to this that doesn't have somebody they could reach out to for help. And I'm not talking about horrible, dire things. I'm talking about just very simple things that you need help with. Don't be afraid to ask for help. I tell my technicians that all the time.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
That's why I think we're as good as we are. It's because my guys have gotten used to reaching out for help.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Well, first thing you have to do is you have to make yourself available to them. I think as a manager, which I didn't do for years, I'm being honest, I was not that available. But once I started making myself available.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
You have to just do it.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Well, first of all, you tell them that you're going to be available. I don't give them certain hours, but I tell them that if I can pick up the phone, I will pick up the phone. That's the way that I do it just because my day is so crazy and then with grandkids and all the other stuff that if I can, I will pick up the phone. If it is really important, make sure you shoot me a text right afterwards.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And I think... I would say almost 100% of my guys would tell you today that I've made myself more accessible in the last year than I did the last couple years. So then once you show that example that you will help, there's a couple core guys you ask to maybe start picking up the phone a little bit more, and I've done that, and they've done that for me.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
As far as getting over the fear of calling somebody for help, that's something you just have to get over. You have to do it. It's just like anything else. You just have to pick up the phone. And you've got to do the work.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Well, yes and no. I mean, just, and again, I didn't want this whole thing to turn to a book promo, but I guess it really is. I just want everybody to know that I did this. I didn't do this. I did this for my technician. That's where it's at. That was my why for this book, because I know that's a big thing. The why was to help them. It wasn't for me to make money and do all that stuff.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Yeah, you're not going to make any money.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And then I guess closing thoughts, just thank you.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Adam used to call me and yell at me and tell me that you have to be more office-centric. You can't be going out and fixing everybody's problems. You need to be concentrating on this, concentrating on that. But eventually we got there. Then everything changed with the structure, and then there was area management. I remember the day I got the call.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Because this wouldn't happen. Coloring books wouldn't happen. I wouldn't have my – I mean, there's so much that A1 – and it isn't just you. It's everybody that works behind the scenes.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Yeah. To make A1 as successful for all the individuals as it is, it takes a lot of people. I'm just – I've never been given that opportunity. I have been given it. And I'm just going to keep moving forward. I don't know what's next, but I'm just going to keep moving forward.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Well, yeah. Well, there's quite a few that have passed us in personnel. The thing is that Tucson is never going to grow exponentially like Vegas and Denver.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
It physically can't do it either, honestly. So, I mean, but we're going to keep doing what we're doing. I mean, our budget, we just got our budget. I think we're a couple million over from last year that we have to do.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
That was project 151. The one where you just blurted the numbers out that we're going to do $151 million. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
But I made it. I did my part. Every single thing.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Somebody said, we're going to give you Albuquerque to manage. And I was scared. I had no idea how I was going to do that because, really, we weren't doing a whole bunch of that yet. We didn't have any examples. But it all worked out. Luckily, when that did happen, I did have a few guys in Albuquerque that kind of stepped up for boots on the ground, that knew the business.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Just remember, nothing changes when nothing changes.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Yep, that's exactly what it is. All right, my brother. Thank you.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
They were good technicians because that's what scared me, is that I wouldn't have somebody there that can fix the problems.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
12, I think. And what do you got in Tucson? 28 to 30, depending on what day of the week it is. I mean, not because they're coming and going, but it's just I have a few apprentices now that are hired to do maintenance tech work.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
They do come and go, by the way.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
No, we don't. Well, personally, I don't want somebody with garage door experience.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Exactly. Exactly. It's a me thing, not a them thing. And they don't get that. If I could do one magical thing, I would make my picker the best in the world, meaning that I could interview and do things and pick the best guys, the ones that are really going to make it.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Right. Where's the money? Well, I was that person when I started. I mean, it took me 40-plus years to be able to manage money. And the opportunity I got here allowed me to – surround myself with the right people to help me with the money portion. You know, when I first started with that other company, it was managed by a gentleman in Seattle, and I was making $760 a week.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And I'll tell you what, I thought the sky and heaven had opened up. I was a single dad with three kids. And then I surrounded myself when I moved to A1 with people that could help me with the money. Adam was actually, I went to him more than once. Even though we didn't get along the greatest, I actually went to him more than once to ask him about budgeting and things like that.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And he really, really helped me out. He's really smart with that. Very, very, very smart. Very disciplined. But back to your point of they come to me and they do come to me with personal problems, with money problems. That's when I know I'm doing my job correctly, at least in some scope, because they feel comfortable enough to come.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
to me and I can't tell you how many people I pointed in the right direction for
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
legal advice for monetary advice for kid advice that's the other big one some of these guys have young kids with a family they can't save any money and they have all these questions how did you do this how did you do that how did you afford diapers and formula and all this and still make your wife happy i mean they bring all sorts of things to me and that's honestly one of the barometers i use to you know our numbers fluctuate in quote the business you know the kpis fluctuate in the business but i know i'm doing a good job when they trust me enough to come talk to me about
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
You know, that's where I feel. And that's why this book happened was to help them change starting in their personal life, because you can apply some of the stuff in this book to your business life. But it was more to get their personal life straightened out first, because in the business life, it goes a lot better.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Happy. You're successful.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Happy soul.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Longer than me. Yeah, so he's been here a long time.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
No, he does, for whatever reason, and I don't know all the particulars, but he really didn't shoot for Pinnacle. I don't even know if he signed the paper, honestly. Because David, if we're using him as a case, he is a very, very rare case. First of all, he's been in this business for that many years. He's always been successful.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
He has struggled with some personal issues that he's gotten to the other side of. And that allows him to go on autopilot kind of now. He reaches out to me occasionally for help. But just what you said, he's a top producer that is very, very steady. But it's been time that's allowed him to do that and him dealing with his own stuff.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
That is a really tough question because I have to use my two Pinnacle guys as my examples here. Okay? I have two technicians going to Pinnacle and I have an installer going to Pinnacle. Yep. My youngest technician is going to Pinnacle and my oldest technician is going to Pinnacle. Oh, that's interesting. No, it's very interesting. And Anthony Tay, whom I love to death, he...
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And he doesn't mind me telling the story because he'll personally tell the story. He was that close to being let go. He was an absolute disaster when he started. But he helped me understand what to look for in somebody. He never gave up. He truly wanted to be better. And he came to me, if not every day, every other day. What can I do to be better? What are my numbers? Did I get any callbacks?
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
And he made that paradigm shift himself. In his own head, again, going back to the book, nothing changes when nothing changes. He knew he had to change something, and he came to me for help to make those changes. But the key here is he never gave up. He would fail, but he never quit. Okay, that's another huge point in that book there is that there's a difference between failure and quitting.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Failing is fine. You have to fail to get better. But when you quit, that's when everything, and that's what a lot of guys do. Now, so that's Anthony. I mean, he just wouldn't give up. Now, there are similarities in that Angelo, my youngest technician, came out of the gate swinging. I mean, he swung for the fences, and he hit a lot of balls out of the park. Yep.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
His thing, and he'll tell you this, I brought him into my... When I knew that he was capable of following our direction, because that's all you have to do is do what we ask you to do in the order we ask you to do it in. Don't think about it. Just do it and...
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Right. And have the customer's best interest at heart. If you do that, you'll be extremely successful. And he did just that. No baggage, didn't think twice about it, wasn't selling out of his own pocket. Yeah, bone pocket. Yeah, he just went and did. He did two, three knocks. He made sure everything on the door was shown. I mean, he just did it by the book.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
Thing was that he's 21 or was 20 at the time or 21. Anyway, he's only maybe 22 now. That I had to keep him humble because it was real quick when he saw what he was capable of. His head swelled up and he could barely make it through the door and he's walking around cocky. And I brought him in my office more than once, more than once. And I just wanted to do one thing.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
I didn't ask him to change anything. I told him, be humble. Make sure you stay humble. And he asked why. And I told him, well, first of all, you're going to think you're all that and a bag of chips, which to a certain extent you are. But when you start overthinking what you are compared to what you're capable of doing, that's when everything goes downhill. And I've seen it.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Path to Meaningful Change with JD Ploetz
over and over and over. I've seen guys that are really good at this job not stay humble, and then they work themselves right out of the job, either because they don't listen anymore because they're that good, or they're so toxic to the rest of the guys with, well, I'm better than you are and all that, and it'll just drag a market into the mud.