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The Bigger Stage w/ Matt Stone is a conversation series about leadership, relationships, and the stories that expand influence.
Matt Stone sits down with CEOs, founders, leaders, and creatives to explore the human moments behind growth—how trust is built, how visibility changes responsibility, and how storytelling becomes a leadership skill as stakes rise.
This show is for entrepreneurs and leaders stepping into bigger roles, bigger audiences, and bigger impact—who want to lead with clarity, credibility, and connection, not performance.
The Bigger Stage - Eric Light
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[00:00:00] One day I was a banker, and the next morning I woke up president of this company.
[00:00:03] there wasn't really that moment that said, "I can do this." my mindset the entire time was, "I have to do this."
[00:00:08] I got a bucket in my hand and I'm pouring water out. But I am definitely drowning. I'm smiling the whole way. I'm not screaming or anything yet, but I am drowning.
[00:00:17] you have to hold on to that last breath because that might be the breath that turns the
[00:00:21] entire business around.
[00:00:23]
[00:00:26]
[00:00:26] My guest today spent nearly two decades in banking, working his way up to senior vice president embedded in the Chester County, Pennsylvania, business community, by all accounts, exactly where he was supposed to be forever. he went and bought an HVAC company. Now, that may sound like a detour, but it's actually the whole point because what Eric Light did wasn't leave his career behind. He took everything he'd built, the foundation, the relationships, the trust, the understanding of how so many different types of businesses actually work, and he bet it all on something real, on a big [00:01:00] vision, something to really serve his community at the next level. Something with vans and driveways and technicians in the field, and customers who call you when things go wrong, and sometimes in the middle of the night. That leap from the comfort of a title to the uncertainty of ownership and to a great big vision and a bigger stage is exactly what we're here to talk about today. Eric Light, welcome to the Bigger Stage.
[00:01:22] Thanks for having me
[00:01:25] So we met through a mutual contact in Pennsylvania, and I'll just say, and he was a guest on the show. And, um, and, uh, he just said, "There's this guy Eric, and he is killing it right now. He's, he's... He was a banker for a lot of years, and then, you know, he bought an HVAC company and he's applying everything he l- And he's just a great guy. He's got a, he's got a great attitude about it." And everything that this person told me, it was John Durso.
[00:01:55] right, yeah.
[00:01:55] Um,
[00:01:56] a great guy and, uh, yeah, good connector as well[00:02:00]
[00:02:00] Yeah, and he recognized that you had the kind of story and the energy that I was looking for, 'cause I'm, I'm really looking at people who have taken a big leap for a bigger vision, and are building on something that may not seem like it, it strings together, but it actually does beautifully. So I'm just so grateful that you took some time to, to chat with me today about it.
[00:02:20] Um, and I've met you in person and, and, uh, everything John says is true, so I'm excited for this conversation. But, um, let me just say, l- but let's get this out of the way right now, 'cause your company's Precision... Give us
[00:02:32] Yeah, Pres-
[00:02:33] name of the
[00:02:34] yeah, we're Precision Air Heating and Cooling. Uh, we are based in, uh, West Chester, Pennsylvania, so that, that's what I call our world headquarters. Uh, and the company's been here 33 years, so we, you know, that, that's where it was started and we're still continuing that and, and carrying the flag forward
[00:02:48] When, when was the moment that you thought HVAC is the way to go?
[00:02:52] Y- you know, it, it took a little while to get to specifically HVAC, but I knew small business was, was where my head was at, and that was about six years ago. [00:03:00] Um, I, I started thinking about what my future looked like and, you know, I was at a point in my career with banking, as you mentioned, and I said, you know, "What do I really wanna do?"
[00:03:07] And, uh, and so that's when I started thinking about, you know, I, I should really own my own business. And I have helped so many people in banking grow their business, start businesses, and I thought, you know, uh, i- it's my turn someday. And, uh, and so it took a little bit of time and meeting with another gentleman who had kinda had similar ideas to me to come up with the idea and said, you know, "What, what do I really wanna do?"
[00:03:28] And I, I always loved the trades. When I was a banker, I always felt they were great because the guys, you know, the owners are connected every day. And then as I kinda fine-tuned that vision, I thought, you know, I want a business that's not going away. I want a business where service is the differentiator.
[00:03:41] And, uh, HVAC is, is, you know, I, I think one of the best trades you can be in and, uh, and for the future and for now, you know, it's, it's just a great place to be. A challenging place, a humbling place, but, uh, but a great place
[00:03:55] We'll get into what's humbling about it in a minute, so I'm gonna put a pin on that and come back to [00:04:00] it, uh, in a second. Um, but I'm wondering, you know, looking back on your, your banking days, I mean, what, what drew you to banking in the first place? Uh,
[00:04:07] I- it's funny, I didn't know what I... Yeah, I, it, it somewhat was. It was somewhat planned, somewhat happenstance. Uh, you know, I went to a small college called Susquehanna. Uh, went to the business school there, and, uh, job opportunities presented themselves, and I s- you know, M&T Bank was, was a, a typical recruiter for pr- for, for Susquehanna there.
[00:04:25] And, uh, I thought, you know, what better way to figure out what I wanna do when I grow up by going into a business that I get to see what everyone else does and how they do it? So I, I specifically chose banking because I was curious, and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. And so when I, when I, you know, thought of banking, I thought, "I'm gonna meet everybody.
[00:04:41] I'm gonna meet every type of businessperson there is." So I jumped at the opportunity, and I didn't expect to be in it as long. I thought that would just be a stopgap for a short period of time. But, uh, but honestly fell in love with it, enjoyed it. It was pretty, uh, it, it was a fun time. I- it was a great ride
[00:04:55] Yeah. I mean, you could enjoy something for even a long period of time and still find that it's [00:05:00] time to do something else, you know? And, and you're a, a great example of that. I also think about, uh, industries like banking. Uh, recently I've been thinking about in- how great insurance companies are for the, the exposure that you get to so many different types of businesses and what you can learn. Um, so I'm wondering, like, looking back on, you know, your years of experience in banking, what were some of the things that you learned about business your clients and just observing how they were, you know, conducting business and the challenges they were facing that are really helpful to you now?
[00:05:31] Yeah, I, I think the biggest thing that I saw was fear. Uh, it, it's, it's scary. Uh, it's a scary thing to be a small business owner. You know, you, you, you know, you don't have a group around you. You, you know, you, when you're, when you're not sleeping at night, unless you have a partner, y- you're on your own. And so making decisions like growth and hiring, uh, extending credit, expansion, uh, acquisition, those are really tough things to do because if they don't work out, there, there is, you know, there isn't an easy backup plan for small business owners.
[00:05:58] So I learned a lot about [00:06:00] taking risk and calculated risk and, you know, where, you know, when to invest and, and when to slow down. And, uh, so lot, lot of lessons in that, and I saw that every day was, you know, what held companies back? Why did the guy with one truck not make it to five, 10, 20, 30 trucks like my other client did in the same industry?
[00:06:17] And, uh, you know, it was a lot of strategy, a lot of planning, but honestly, it was a lot of fear. Um, you know, people, people were afraid, and they were comfortable with what they had, and it was control. And so, um, if they didn't have the blueprint to get there, a lot of small business owners never, never can grow.
[00:06:33] Um, and so I saw that, and my goal as a banker was to help them see past that, take some risk, but calculated risk. Um, you know, there's silly risk, and then there's calculated risk. And in this case, a lot of times business owners were afraid to jump. Uh, and so it was, uh, the goal was if I could open their eyes a little bit and share the experiences that other companies had and how they made those jumps and how they bet on themselves, uh, it was great.
[00:06:57] So that's a lot of what I did, was sharing, not just the [00:07:00] stories, but making introductions to other business owners that had successfully grown and scaled, and having them connect with others and, and really learn from them and, and give them the confidence to say, "Hey, I do know what I'm doing. I have a great business.
[00:07:11] Uh, I do need to take the risk of, of growing, hiring, uh, working on the business," as you, you know, you always hear that, you know, w- don't work in it, work on it, all those types of things.
[00:07:21] I'm, I'm just curious, take us inside the room, you know, you're, you're working with a customer. And sorry, I-- we're not gonna spend all of our time in banking 'cause you're doing exciting things now. But what I'm most interested in is the thought process that's useful for our audience. How do you analyze a risk and decide whether, whether... Well, sometimes you have to take a step, but the question is which path provides the smartest risk calculus? Like, how do you do
[00:07:47] Yeah.
[00:07:48] What are some of the
[00:07:48] the most fundamental l- outcome is, you know, what are, what are the outcomes good and bad? And just starting with that, the simplest layer. 'Cause I used to say that I asked the questions to business owners that they already knew the answers to a- [00:08:00] and that's no different. It was walk me through a worst case scenario.
[00:08:03] Let's look at the dollars and cents of it. If you hire that person and they don't r- they don't work out, you know, is this gonna end the business or is this just gonna be a bruise for a little while? And so it's really just, just, uh, uh, finding out worst case scenario and then determining w- how bad it was.
[00:08:19] And you know, I did that. I remember I got a call 11, 12 o'clock at night on a Saturday night and, uh, I, I answered the phone. They thought, "Oh, I was just gonna leave a message. He'll call me on Sunday, um, or Monday." But you know, I, I saw the name and it was a good client of mine and, and he had a great opportunity in front of him and I said, "You know, why are you calling me?
[00:08:35] What, what's keeping you up at night?" And the reality was he already knew the answer to that. It was a great investment opportunity. He had a very limited time to do it. And I said, "You know, look at the network of people around you. If you jump off this, there's gonna be people to catch you and you know you can win."
[00:08:50] I, I think, you know, the, the fear for him was it was a big, it was something really big to chew and he hadn't chewed anything that big yet. And this is a guy who started his own business, you know, grew it. [00:09:00] Um, but this was, this was a lot of capital and but, but what a stellar opportunity. I, I don't wanna share it specifically because, uh, there's a little confidentiality in my banking career.
[00:09:08] you and me.
[00:09:08] Yeah.
[00:09:09] you and me,
[00:09:09] Yeah.
[00:09:09] No one's
[00:09:10] Just
[00:09:10] but you know.
[00:09:10] he had, he had an opportunity to acquire the assets of something that, uh, the, in the sports world that a lot of people, um, would value. And I said, "You know, let's, let's stand back here for one second and say who's your buyer? How many buyers are there? And let's look at your network.
[00:09:22] If you're looking to fund this or raise capital to do it, you don't need a bank. You know, you have friends. Um, you have a lot of friends who will jump in on this." And uh, so you know, it's really looking at that. I said, "Worst case scenario, you, you're gonna get your money back. You know, that's really it.
[00:09:34] It's, this isn't really, there's no downside to this." Uh, and so he made the jump and it was successful and that's a lot of times what we looked at. So a, a lot of times the risk and the fear of what the, the, the next decision is, the, the financial reality is, is much smaller than what's in your head. Um, because you're, you're playing out every worst p- piece but the reality is most of the time it's, it's, unless it's something really big for your business, it's not gonna hurt that bad.
[00:09:58] Um, and, and I've seen it [00:10:00] successful if you've planned and strategized and, and really spent some time thinking about it.
[00:10:05] Now, uh, we're gonna publicize your personal phone number after this so that people can call you at 11:00 or 12:00 at night when they're wondering
[00:10:11] Yeah.
[00:10:12] Is that okay? You've got a
[00:10:13] Of course.
[00:10:14] don't you?
[00:10:14] you know what? I'm used to it. I've been conditioned for years, you know
[00:10:17] I was gonna say, even in my intro I said, you know, now you're not-- you moved on to another business where people call you at all hours of the
[00:10:22] It is. I c-
[00:10:23] the...
[00:10:23] a glutton for punishment. After Hours, you know, that's,
[00:10:26] you really, you need a bot, you know? Now you just have a bot
[00:10:29] Yeah.
[00:10:30] and looks exactly
[00:10:31] Yeah, I'm, I'm trying to replicate myself. That's, uh, you know, I'm working a lot with Claude right now, so hopefully there'll
[00:10:35] sure
[00:10:36] be more information soon.
[00:10:36] Yeah, yeah. Although, you know, the real thing is always better, but, you know, if it's 11 o'clock at night, mm,
[00:10:42] Yeah.
[00:10:42] a facsimile.
[00:10:43] you know, honestly,
[00:10:43] Uh,
[00:10:44] it, it excites me when I get those phone calls that they're important. So I'm kinda-- I, I don't think I could sleep if I know somebody calls me at 11 o'clock and I know there's a reason for it. I'm like, I, I might as well just... That's what I told them. "I'd rather take this now than try to figure out all night why you're calling me this late."
[00:10:57] No, it's true. And you know, that, that someone would, [00:11:00] would call you, it's sort of a sign of, uh, trust. Um, there's, there's sort of a... I had an old mentor that taught me about the word, um, confidence, the relationship between the word confidence and to confide
[00:11:15] Mm-hmm.
[00:11:16] and, you know, and they are interrelated. And so if someone's gonna confide in you, they have confidence in you.
[00:11:21] So it's like the highest form of praise. So maybe there's a XY chart that shows the later they call, the higher that number
[00:11:28] yeah,
[00:11:28] don't know.
[00:11:28] exactly. I've got some late nights. Yeah.
[00:11:31] Yeah. High fear, high
[00:11:32] Yeah. Yeah.
[00:11:33] If
[00:11:33] During COVID, uh, then there was, uh, there was a lot of-- There was 2:00 AM phone calls and, uh, so
[00:11:38] Oh, I'm
[00:11:39] yeah, I took, I did those calls too 'cause, uh, they weren't sleeping, that's for sure
[00:11:43] Now I think, tell me if I got this wrong, 'cause I like to look at the person behind this and, like, your own, the arc of your own journey, what you've learned that other people can learn from. And were you a football player or an athlete or something? Did I get
[00:11:57] I think saying an athlete is a bit of a stretch. Um, I [00:12:00] played football and ice hockey. Um,
[00:12:02] Okay
[00:12:02] I would say I was an average athlete, uh, at, at best, but, you
[00:12:05] know, I played the games and I tried and, uh, and, uh,
[00:12:08] But
[00:12:08] them
[00:12:09] imagining you, you know, there's sort of a, I think any athlete or people who strive to win, there's a certain level of courage you have to develop and risk-taking that you develop. I mean, how much of a natural risk-taker were you early on in your life, and how has that changed over the years?
[00:12:25] Yeah, I, it's funny you say that. Like, I remember when I was real young skiing, I, I would just bomb the slopes, no thought. You know, we all have that at, at, at childhood. You know, there's just no fear 'cause we think we're invincible. Um, and, and over time it's kinda gone up and down. You know, you, you, you, you know, I had a family and all of a sudden my, my risk, risk tolerance, you know, dropped a lot and, you know, I was really focused on taking care of things.
[00:12:46] And then, and then you have some financial success and that builds freedom. Um, you know, the re- I, I, I have a small investment portfolio of real estate and, and that's the reason I did that was I said, "I w- I wanna create a hedge because I want mentally to be able to take more risk on." And, uh, and so I've been [00:13:00] able to kinda go up and down.
[00:13:01] And, and I read a while ago, uh, just a quote, I don't know where it came from, but it basically said, "Entrepreneurs aren't risk takers because they know that they have a fallback plan because they're, they're typically great workers," great employees as well if they need to be. So if things don't work out with, with something they're doing, uh, they usually can find a job pretty quickly.
[00:13:17] And that was kind of my mentality started moving towards that saying, "Hey, uh, you know, I can, I can add value to a lot of situations so I can also take more risk because if things don't work out, I, I'll, I'll land somewhere." And, and having that confidence in yourself to say like, "I will land somewhere. I can add value to situations.
[00:13:33] People will hire me if, you know, if I, if I try to make this big jump and, and it doesn't pan out." You know, again, it's a calculated risk. Well, how much am I exposed? And you know, what, what, you know, uh, just style of living and things, you know. Don't live outside your means so you can make these decisions. I spent a lot of years trying to be conservative, uh, and make choices financially so that if I did wanna take a risk I had, you know, more breathing room.
[00:13:54] Yeah, absolutely. So you create your own risk tolerance, I suppose, or risk, uh, risk [00:14:00] portfolio maybe, or risk playground. I don't know. Risk profile. Um, so yeah, I was gonna say I relate to that. I've got a law license that I've been paying for for years that's my backup plan,
[00:14:11] There you go
[00:14:11] like I just go, "Well, you know, your, your worst-case scenario is, uh, not that bad," you know?
[00:14:16] So awesome. All right. So you're... You find this, uh, this, this company. Now, um, do you remember the moment when you first started? You know in that moment when you're like, "Oh, maybe I could do that," but you're really... The permission hasn't gone there. And then there's a moment where you switch and you're like, "Maybe I really could do this," or, "Maybe I will do this."
[00:14:36] And it's... Do you remember that, where you kinda went over that, that hump, or was it not like that for
[00:14:41] it wasn't like that. I, you know, I was so set on this happening that I, I, I didn't really have a, a transition. Um, I didn't have like a, a aha moment. I just, it, it, it just was like going from seventh grade to eighth grade. It's like, it just is something that has to happen and [00:15:00] you, you know, you don't know what you're getting into, but you kinda do, and, and you just, you just do it.
[00:15:04] So, you know, I never had that transition. I didn't, you know, quit my job and then buy this and then start. Like, it was like one day I was a banker, and the next morning I woke up president of this company. And
[00:15:15] Yeah
[00:15:16] so there wasn't really that moment that said, "I can do this." Or I- I, my mindset the entire time was, "I have to do this.
[00:15:22] I, I have to do it emotionally. I have to do it personally. I have to test myself. I have to, you know, prove to myself I can do this." And, and then, you know, personally, I had the, the feeling of like, I, I don't have a choice. I have a family to support, so this has to work out. So I, I just need it to happen. And so I, I looked at it more of a, a next chapter than a new book.
[00:15:41] And, uh, and so that's kinda the mentality. So, you know, f- almost four years later, I look back and people say to me, you know, the, the... Like, they ask that question, "Was there a transition? Was there an aha moment?" You know, "How-- Do you regret leaving banking? Are you happier in the new business?" And the reality is, I'm like, I, this was just my, the trajectory.
[00:15:57] I, I, I, you know, I just was moving from what [00:16:00] I needed to do next, just like I did in my career, and that's the way it kinda happened for me, was this is just the natural progression. This isn't, this wasn't a huge decision for me. It was a, "I have to do this," so I just do it.
[00:16:12] It sounds like the way your thought process was is that there was a decision, but it was way back here. And then you just, you just m- you just moved... Once you've made that decision, it didn't mean you acted on it fully. You put things in place strategically, and then when the day come, it's like, it's just a
[00:16:28] It was just there. I was just moving. Exactly.
[00:16:30] It's like, "Oh, it's time to move to the
[00:16:31] It's time to be an HVAC guy. And then whatever it takes, I, I just every day I'll figure that out
[00:16:37] And how did you know this was the one to, to buy?
[00:16:40] Uh, you know, I, I started building criteria and the geographic was really important to me because a- as you said, I grew up in this area. Uh, Precision actually serviced my house when I was in high school, and I really like Chester County, Main Line market. I spent my life here growing up here. My business career was in this market.
[00:16:59] So I felt [00:17:00] that, that it was a, it's a great place to live. It's a great place to do business. It is-- They're really super people, and the network of people that I built over the years, uh, I felt if I had any chance of being able to serve them, I had to be in their backyard. So when I really broke it down, there was only a few options, and then having to figure out what, which one fit, and then honestly, which one could I buy.
[00:17:20] And, uh, and nothing was for sale. There was no, there was no company technically for sale. So I kinda had to find the right one that, that kinda hit the criteria of what needed to happen so that I could come in and say, "I would like to buy your business," and they had some idea that, that this made sense for them to do it.
[00:17:35] Mm. What was the response initially?
[00:17:37] A response was, you know, uh, "You're not gonna, you know, really value me for what I'm worth," and, you know, "You, you, you, do you know my business, and do you know how we're doing?" And, you know, all those kinds of things. Because Precision wasn't some explosive lightning bolt company that I purchased. It was, it was mom and pop.
[00:17:51] It had been around for 30 years, and, uh, and it was doing okay, but it was just kind of floating, and it was, it, it was there. It was a lifestyle business. So, you know, those are [00:18:00] tough businesses to purchase because they're not lighting the world on fire. Uh, it-- the financials and projections and things that way, it's tougher because if you look backwards, it doesn't look very sexy.
[00:18:09] Uh, so, so that was it. And so I, I, I knew based on where it had been and what it had done that I thought it was a wonderful platform. Uh, but, you know, the, the seller was like, "Hey," you know, "do you really see the story behind this?" And, and, you know, he-- I don't think he thought initially that I knew what I was talking about that way, not in a negative way, but I think he thought, oh, once he looks under the hood here, he's not gonna be so interested, and, uh, and that wasn't the case
[00:18:34] What do you think was the most critical thing that you did that got him to see that you got it, that you, that this was the right
[00:18:42] I was just
[00:18:42] do?
[00:18:43] b- being brutally honest. You know, we, we, we said, "Hey, we know what we're gonna see here. Uh, we know the challenges you faced. We know the, we know the basics of the industry. Uh, and so we know the potential here, and so we are willing to take on the risk of buying this business and, and knowing that, you know, and hoping, uh, [00:19:00] that, and planning to, to, to grow it.
[00:19:02] And so we're going to, you know, we're gonna buy this business under the pretense that, that we are confidence to bet on ourselves to, to do this."
[00:19:10] Yeah. Okay. So yeah, a lot of times people undervalue what they have too, because they're, they're so in the weeds with things. So, um, it can go both ways. Uh, all right. So describe the first 90 days, after you took the keys. The fir- what, in a word, in a sentence, whatever comes to mind.
[00:19:29] I, yeah, I, I don't know. You know, uh, the closest thing I can compare it to was, was, you know, my wedding. You know, y- you, you get up in the morning and then all of a sudden you wake up the next morning and it's over and you're like... And you don't even remember. Like, everything was a whirlwind and, you
[00:19:42] Just a complete
[00:19:43] a complete blur.
[00:19:44] And, and that's the first 90 days were a, a complete immersion into a business that I didn't have a lot of knowledge in, and had a lot to accomplish very quickly, and really just had to, to just function as fast as I could as far as learning, [00:20:00] managing, understanding, you know, meeting the guys and, and understanding what they, what drove them.
[00:20:05] And so just a ton of information and overwhelming. And of course we're July, so you know, that's the busiest month of the year in this area. So I came in at a really crazy time for the business and, and had to really absorb a lot of information quickly, make decisions quickly, and do it with, with really limited, you know, fundamental knowledge.
[00:20:24] So, uh, so it was, it was hard. Uh, you know, that, that was a humbling, humbling situation. I went in eyes wide open. I, you know, I talked to a lot of business owners over the years about their transition and, and them, you know, buying their business. And, and a, a great business owner, uh, that, uh, that is a f- good friend of mine said, uh, "Owning a business is like having a baby.
[00:20:44] You can't explain it till you've done it." And, uh, that is very true for what I experienced. I thought going in,
[00:20:50] Yeah
[00:20:51] "I got this. I understand what it's gonna feel like." The first 90 days, I, I woke up in the middle of the night, uh, uh, countless times saying, "What did [00:21:00] I do?" Like, "Where do I go next? What is happening here?"
[00:21:03] Um, but you know, also I learned more in 90 days about myself than I probably had in years
[00:21:09] Well, what, yeah, what'd you learn?
[00:21:10] Uh, grinding. I mean, you, uh, you know, uh, football with, you know, summer practices and things that, that, that, that's a grind, right? Um, this was an emotional grind I'd never gone through. Uh, I thought I knew how to work hard, but it was nothing like I had to do with this.
[00:21:27] Um, th- there was fear, there was anxiety, there was excitement, there were wins and losses, and, you know, I, I didn't sleep much. Uh, I would, I would get up in the middle of the night thinking about stuff and just say, "Let me just attack it because I don't think I'm going back to sleep." Uh, and that was, that was for months.
[00:21:42] So that grind, um, learning how to work. When I, I just spoke to a, a class of seniors at, uh, the local high school here, and I said, "If you can grind, you can have success," because that is the fundamental, and I've seen it over and over again, uh, in all different industries, all different people. You could-- The story of their [00:22:00] grind is what is, you know, what the...
[00:22:02] That's the real story behind it. You know, you hear, you, you read, uh, biographies and autobiographies on people, and the, the, the f- the grind of failing multiple times, the, that grind, I can't explain it. Um, and that was humbling for me because I thought I was good at things. I thought I knew how to work, and I woke up and saying, "Oh my gosh," like I didn't have a clue what, what really hard work meant and how, how tough it was emotionally
[00:22:29] I, I suppose having, it, it, I mean, it's one of the bigge- I mean, 'cause I've owned several businesses now and, um, my first business I had, I was actually like a painting franchise, and I had, I even had employees, so
[00:22:42] Yeah.
[00:22:42] really in the
[00:22:43] Yeah
[00:22:43] And t- to me, just the overwhelm of all of the different types of things that you're responsible for, and then the human beings who are not like things there, and just all of that weight all at once, it's, it's so much different than, than [00:23:00] being, um, than having a role at a company where you-- it's, it's, it may be a lot, but it's fixed in a, in a
[00:23:06] the paycheck shows up, you know, every, every two weeks. You know, that's, you know, that's the thing. And,
[00:23:10] Right
[00:23:11] you know, you work hard and you try to do well for the company you work for, but you're not staying up at night hoping that the paycheck clears, uh, at, at, at the end of the pay period here. Um, it's just not in your mind.
[00:23:22] You know, you're thinking, "I'm doing my job. I'm doing right. I'll get paid." You know, like you said, when you're, when you're responsible for families upon families of people, um, uh, that's, that's a different mindset. That's a whole different burden.
[00:23:34] Yeah. And I, I think too, the lack of control about what's gonna happen on a daily basis. Like you, right? Do you relate to that?
[00:23:41] Oh, absolutely.
[00:23:42] up and
[00:23:43] business,
[00:23:43] think you
[00:23:44] yeah.
[00:23:44] day, and you
[00:23:46] You don't. No, and, and that's, you know, I hear that all the time, "Eric, I would love to own my own business like you 'cause I love that freedom." And, uh, that, that, I mean, there is something to that, but the reality of it is, you know, it's a people business. You had a p- you [00:24:00] know, a s- a service people business.
[00:24:02] Things happen every day. You know, somebody doesn't show up in the morning. Somebody decides to leave early. Somebody quits in the middle of the day. Uh, c- you know, customers, you know, we make mistakes. Customers react all differently to that. So I 100% agree with that, that you, you really... The, the day owns you, um, and someday you get to the point where you own the day, but there, there's, that, that's not easy, and that takes some time.
[00:24:23] Um, so, uh, yeah. Yeah.
[00:24:26] So first year, I mean, you're just, you're not drowned, but you're,
[00:24:31] I'm drowning.
[00:24:32] feel
[00:24:32] I'm drowning first year. Yeah, I will admit
[00:24:34] taking on
[00:24:35] I'm taking on water everywhere I look and, uh, and winning some battles and, and, you know, s-
[00:24:40] Yeah
[00:24:41] I'm... I got a bucket in my hand and I'm pouring water out. But, uh, but I am, I am definitely drowning. Uh, I'm smiling the whole way. I, I'm not, you know, I'm not screaming or anything yet, but I am drowning.
[00:24:51] Uh, it was, the first year was, was very difficult
[00:24:56] But you're four years later, so you obviously didn't drown. So I
[00:24:59] no.
[00:25:00] I think sometimes you feel like you're drowning no matter where you are. You know, I, I, I even said that today in a meeting I had. Uh, you know, I'm four years into this and, and I had this feeling like four years in I'll, I'll, I'll feel like I got this. But no, you know, even four years in, company's grown dramatically, uh, I still feel every day I'm, I'm-- I get out of bed a little bit scared, um, a lot scared sometimes.
[00:25:22] And, uh, and the company's doing well and we're hiring and we're growing and, you know, all these right things are happening. Um, but yeah, that, that feeling in the morning that, that, that just a little bit of fear that says, "What am I gonna do today to make sure things go right and, and we win, we win the day?"
[00:25:35] Uh, that's there every morning. That's there Saturday and Sunday too. That doesn't, that,
[00:25:39] Yeah.
[00:25:40] go away on the weekends
[00:25:41] Yeah, no, it's, it's seven days a week, 365 days a year. Yeah, for sure. Um, so if you look, I mean, looking back now, like, what are some of the, the, the wins that are, in the last four years, the things that you accomplished that maybe you didn't even think about that you'd need to accomplish? Does that make sense?
[00:25:59] Like, [00:26:00] kind of insight-driven wins
[00:26:01] Yeah, I think the biggest thing personally for me was I was never an operations guy. Um, I'm not gonna claim I am now. I'm far from it. Uh, but that was an area skillset that I ignored for years because in banking you have really solid infrastructure. You have teams around you. So, you know, I was relationship building, growth, trust, you know, and that, that brought business along, and then I had teams around to execute and, and plan and price.
[00:26:26] And so I think the challenge for me the last couple years was, uh, you know, there wasn't, uh, you know, there wasn't people to look to, to, to make the final calls. I had, you know, resources around me, uh, a business partner who's spectacular and, uh, and who really helps in that space. But, but ultimately, I'm the president of the company.
[00:26:44] Ultimately, I have to make that final decision or that process or, or, you know, figure out are we pricing things right? Are we, are we executing right? Is our communication right? Is our marketing right? Uh, and uh, that's, that's a win for me in that I never thought I'd be focusing on a lot of those [00:27:00] things. I never thought I'd be stretching myself in the operations side of the business.
[00:27:04] Um, and again, I'm not an operations guy. I will, I will never claim to be, and, and that's still my weakness. But I've, I've been able to accomplish things and move the company forward in profitability and growth and hiring, uh, in spaces that I, I never felt strength. So that, that's a win for me to see the company grow and say it was a team effort, but, but I, I st- I went outside my comfort zone a lot, uh, to, to be able to accomplish some of these things.
[00:27:30] Who have been some of the most impactful people for you in this process, whether
[00:27:34] think it's--
[00:27:35] external, you
[00:27:36] uh, you know, I-- my business partner's been phenomenal. I mean, he's just, he's, he's a pusher and I, I, I wanted to be his partner, not just for the expertise that he brought, but I knew he would push me physically, emotionally to, to take myself, you know, to, to go get in a truck and go run service calls, and to, to do the part of this, the job that he knew I was uncomfortable with because, you know, he, he had, [00:28:00] he wanted me to succeed, but he wanted me to grow.
[00:28:02] Uh, so definitely, yeah, he's been unbelievable during this, and a good sounding board. And like I said, when I'm not sleeping at night, I know he isn't too, and that's, uh, that's comforting. Um, you know, uh, uh, my wife, unbelievably, because I disappeared from the family in order to do this and to put the time in I needed to, to, to really move this at some speed, um, she took the burden.
[00:28:23] And she's always been there and she's always been, you know, running the household and the CEO of the h- home, for sure. But it, it was a whole other level because I, I had to kind of disappear and, you know, the business was one of my additional children for a while. Um, working on kind of getting that balance back again, but she really took the baton on that, and that was impressive.
[00:28:42] Uh, and she knew, and we had talk-- conversations about that, that this was gonna change our lives, uh, in for positive and for negative, and that was one of the negatives was I knew this would be an enormous time commitment. And, uh, she jumped in, and there were tough times and tough days and tough weeks and tough weekends, uh, but she, she just [00:29:00] kept moving, and so that was phenomenal.
[00:29:02] Um, and then there's some business people around me that from the bank that I was friendly with, and when they saw me take this leap, they jumped in too, uh, as far as offering assistance. Even competitors in this business reached out to me and said, "I'm proud of you for making the jump. I think you'll do a great job.
[00:29:18] Um, I'm here for you." So I've been able to meet with competitors. They don't give away their secret sauce, uh, but they're a really good sounding board, and they're honest with what challenges they face. Uh, and that's been really helpful for me, knowing that I'm not the only guy in this industry who's facing the same challenges they are.
[00:29:32] So it was really a positive feeling to have so many people around me say, "Eric, this is, this is huge. Uh, you know, I'm here to help. I'm here to be a part of it." And then become customers. Uh, you know, I'm, I'm, you know, that was, that was surprising to me, uh, going from a completely different industry. I thought, you know, uh, I'll-- I'm sure there'll be some people that support me, but the amount of people that have reached out, former, uh, you know, coworkers and, and, and, and customers from the bank saying, "I want you to do my HVAC.
[00:29:56] I know you know nothing about it, but I trust you, and I trust the company you [00:30:00] purchased to do by-- right by me." And that was really, that was a really nice experience, and that was, that felt really good.
[00:30:06] Trust is the coin of the realm. I mean, that's just one more example of it. It's like, I trust you. I even, you know. And now you do know a lot about HVAC. I mean, you're, you're a quick study. I'm sure you have quite a knowledge, you
[00:30:16] I, a lot of YouTube videos, a lot of sitting in classes reading, listening, um, you know, downloading as much as I could from technicians' heads, you know, when they're, when they're diagnosing things, reading the, the, just the debriefs on all of our stuff. So, you know, I'll, I'll say I'll never be a great HVAC technician.
[00:30:30] You don't want me to be in your house being your primary tech here. Um, but I, I do have a decent understanding now of how things operate, well enough to, to operate the business and to understand really what my teams have to do every day. And I think that was my biggest focus, was I want to understand how they feel.
[00:30:46] I wanna, I wanna understand that, what my team faces as a challenge every day and, and that, that came quickly. And it was great to feel that and see that because I had a, a ton of respect for the team after I did that. You know, [00:31:00] the, the sacrifices they make, uh, being in an attic for hours at a time, you know, crawling through crawl spaces that are just under- unbelievably disgusting to go get some, you know, heat running again.
[00:31:09] Uh, that, that, you know, that says a lot about someone who's willing to do that day in and day out and, and honestly don't cry about it
[00:31:16] Y- you just answered the question I was g- getting to next, which was what is it that most people don't realize about HVAC techs that, um, that they should know to, to respect the work that they do?
[00:31:26] Yeah, they--
[00:31:27] through
[00:31:28] Oh,
[00:31:28] What el- what other
[00:31:29] the conditions they endure, I mean, being outside, and you think about an installation can take eight hours or even longer. And, you know, you, you, you might have an attic that you're dealing with. It might be 100 degrees outside, and you're dealing with stuff. Not everything's perfect. You get defective equipment every so often.
[00:31:44] Your tool breaks. Um, you know, all different things can happen, you know, a-a-along-- even with the most well-planned and well-executed installations. That's, you know, that's what you're dealing with. Uh, you know, as a service tech, sometimes, you know, you're crawling through spaces you can barely fit through. And, uh, and then you, you [00:32:00] know, customers can be tough.
[00:32:01] So, you know, you're dealing with that, and you're having someone hang over your shoulder the whole time, and, you know, you're sweating through your shirt. Uh, it's a tough thing. Uh, and you're dealing with homeowners with all different expectations, and, and you're trying to meet all those. So you really have to be, um, really-- You really have to be multifaceted to, to be successful in this.
[00:32:19] Um, it's not about just turning the wrench in this business. You have to be able to communicate effectively. You have to be able to show people and, and explain and make eye contact and build trust in a matter of minutes. Um, and so it's, it's a tough job. Um, you know, you can't, you can't be a technician without the skills, uh, the, the technical side, but you also are gonna struggle if you don't have the personality side to it.
[00:32:39] And, and that's even with install, because again, you're gonna be in someone's home for eight hours. As a service tech, you're gonna be there one or two hours, and, you know, by the end of that situation, that customer needs to feel good about what just happened. And, and that's, that's hard. Uh, people aren't excited when their air conditioner breaks, right?
[00:32:53] They, you know, they-- Whether you're coming out to service or replace, no one wants somebody in their home taking care of these things, and nobody wants to be without heat [00:33:00] or air conditioning. So you're coming into a situation where they're not happy. They're, they're, they're frustrated, and you know, you're a hope for them, but you're also typically an expense too.
[00:33:08] So, uh, so it's a real balance of building trust and, and having the skill set and communicating and making sure they understand what's happening and making sure that honestly, at the very end, that customer says, "I want to tell my friends and family how this-- how great an experience this was."
[00:33:22] Yeah. you're also kind of an intruder, right? Un- until you make them feel like, you know, you're, you're c- comfortable to be there and, you know, the people skills are... It's hard to find both people skills and technical skills all
[00:33:33] it is. It is. And you can, you can train a lot of that stuff. You can build that. Um, but it is, it is hard for, for you to find that, that blend of person. So when you find them, you know, you're real excited about it because, uh,
[00:33:44] Oh, yeah
[00:33:44] it's got... And it's gotta be genuine. You know, you can't, you can't make this stuff up.
[00:33:47] You've got to-- The person truly has to feel like they're helping others and, and believe in what they're doing for the customer, or it will come off that they're, they're not genuine. And, uh, and then the, the transparency and honesty isn't there
[00:33:59] [00:34:00] Yeah, absolutely. Okay, now, um, you referred to it as global headquarters.
[00:34:06] Yes.
[00:34:07] Tell me about that
[00:34:08] Uh, yeah, I just, I laugh because when I was in a previous, uh, organization, it was a startup bank, we used to call it world headquarters, you know? And we were just-- We, we had this little office that was ratty and, uh, you know, it was a great place to start. It was a good story. And, uh, and so when I came to Precision, I felt the same way.
[00:34:24] I said, "Man, this is like the garage of the tech startup companies," like this is the place we start. And, you know, the goal is it's always gonna go up from here. So, uh, so no, I, I joke and I think I always will that, you know, this is, this is the world headquarters and, uh, you know, we, we just have this little office and little warehouse and, uh, you know, we're not big guys.
[00:34:41] I, you know, as far as we don't have the window, the corner window office or anything here. We are, we are in a little warehouse, and we're doing the best we can with what we got, and, uh, we have fun with it anyway.
[00:34:50] You know, I think that, just wanna say if I may, uh, unsolicited, not feedback, but just perspective. What I love about World Headquarters is [00:35:00] it really brings something that's authentic to you into it, which is a combination of tongue in cheek, there's a sort of playfulness. You know, there's some fun.
[00:35:09] You know, you're kind of a... When you're networking, you're fun, you're high energy, you enjoy people, it's obvious. So a little tongue in cheek, but also something very, very real and authentic about a growth mindset of just wanting to go bigger. So let's look at the future. Where-- I mean, who knows, right? We don't really know, but right now, just sitting here right now, what, what, where do you see the future going, or where would you like to go?
[00:35:35] Where's your frontier?
[00:35:36] I, I have no end game for this. Uh, I wanna grow, and I, I, I guess the simplest answer I tell people, they go, "Oh, are you building this to sell this? Are you gonna sell this next year? Are you gonna keep this forever? Are your kids gonna work in the business?" No, those are questions that, you know, uh, you really can't answer.
[00:35:51] Uh, when I was in banking, you know, it was just, "Are you guys gonna sell?" And, you know, you can never answer that question fully because some- someday somebody brings a check to you big enough that makes sense, that offsets the [00:36:00] risk, and you say, "I really have to consider this." You know, for this company, for this business, uh, I...
[00:36:05] the mindset we have is until it's not fun anymore, and that's, that's the simple answer. Until it's not fun anymore. A- and what does that mean? It means that, you know, growth is, is no longer happening. It's too hard. It's, you know, uh, things... the struggle becomes greater than what I see the value of, of what my time is.
[00:36:22] And so, so I don't have an end game, and I think we're far from that, you know, not being fun anymore situation. So I just look at this as a perpetual business. We run it that way. We, you know, everything we do is about running it the right way, transparency. You know, we're not giving stuff away. You know, my, my kids don't have cell phones in the business, you know, that we pay for.
[00:36:39] None of that stuff. It is, it is everything. My, my parents got a water heater, they didn't get a discount. They paid full price. Because I don't want excuses. I don't wanna show the team that we're, we're cutting deals and everything. We are building this business like a real business to sustain itself for growth, because the talent I have here needs to see there's opportunity in the future.
[00:36:57] And so I need to grow the business the right way. [00:37:00] So I look at that as really my burden. It's, it's to build this business and grow it so that my team and the talented people here can see a future here and say, "Hey, this place is going the right direction, so I'm gonna stick around and see what happens."
[00:37:12] Um, I learned that mentality when I was at a startup bank, and I saw what we did, and the growth was there, and so we all had the opportunities created because the growth we all put together and developed, and the culture was right. So I look at this as the same journey as I don't have an end date, I don't have an end game.
[00:37:27] I don't have a, "By this date, we do this." None of that stuff. It is, let's grow this thing and keep building it and just keep going and, uh, and let's make strategic decisions that are good for the long term. You know, that... the nice thing about not having an investor group, just like the, the, you know, the startup when we were privately held, we weren't looking quarter to quarter.
[00:37:44] We were looking at what's best for the team, what's best for the company, what's best for the individuals, and let's make decisions based on a longevity plan, but still being disciplined, and then that's really where we're at. So that's, that's the goal right now. You know, uh, do I see more companies in the mix?
[00:37:59] That's the hope. [00:38:00] Uh, you know, I wanna have other trades ideally in the future. I wanna see, you know, more Precisions out there. Um, you know, I, I'm looking, I'm looking for that, but I don't have this, this straight model of, "Oh, I wanna acquire five more of these, roll them up," or anything. No. Let's, let's take the opportunities as they go.
[00:38:15] Let's grow some organic businesses. Let's, let's have some fun.
[00:38:18] Yeah. H- how are you differentiating in the... I mean, how do you wanna be seen as different from, you know, other competitors out
[00:38:27] I guess the wording is world-class. Uh, that's what I'm looking to do. And so it's how do we build a better customer journey? How do we instill in the team to, to get that five-star review every time we go into their home? Um, it's really that. You know, I make a lot, uh, a lot of phone calls that companies of our size, the owner's not calling customers after installations and saying, "How was your experience?"
[00:38:50] You know, when I have a salesperson go out to someone's home, I do a lot of follow-up calls on those. And I'm not calling them and saying, "What system do you wanna buy? Buy now." I'm calling and saying, "Did it feel good? Did [00:39:00] th- did that experience feel good?" Because that's what I'm going for. Uh, we're not the cheapest i- in the area, we're never gonna be, and we're not the most expensive.
[00:39:07] But I really want the person to walk away and say, "Man, they had a gr- a great, great team, and man, what an experience from the first time I called till the execution of the install or the service visit. They really seem to care." And so that is really the, the focus, is just creating that, that world-class customer experience that helps us differentiate, which allows for the reviews, which i- which leads to online and social media recommendations, and that will continue to grow the business.
[00:39:35] Marketing is great, uh, and advertising and all those things, but the reality is I need to have the customer experience live up to what we're telling the customer.
[00:39:44] All right. Well, uh, one last question, uh, as we wrap up here. Talk to that younger entrepreneur who's, who's made the leap, but they're going through that crucible period where they're starting to question what they did. Maybe it's their first big failure. [00:40:00] Uh, what advice do you have for them?
[00:40:01] I, I saw a ton of failure in my banking career, and I think that conditioned me for it to realize that that's part of the journey. Uh, and I, I've had failures in my career. I've had failures in, in doing this. I've made a lot of mistakes. Uh, and there were a lot of nights I kept up thinking, "Man, I, I-- what did I do?
[00:40:18] And wh- how did I let that happen?" Um, I think failure is part of the learning. Watching other people fail was helpful for me. I think I got the CliffsNotes because I saw a lot of companies implode, and I saw things, uh, uh, that were unforeseeable occur and, you know, went through 2008 and saw what that did to companies.
[00:40:34] And so seeing that and, and experiencing that helped me accept that there's gonna be challenges, there's gonna be failures, there's gonna be daily failures, and, and sometimes the whole thing's just not gonna work out, and you just have to push through it. I've seen companies go on the brink of failure only to flip around and, and grow immensely.
[00:40:53] So, you know, that last breath, I think y- you have to hold on to that last breath because that might be the, the breath that turns the [00:41:00] entire business around. Uh, I've seen companies pivot unbelievably, you know, just completely change their outlook and say, "We're not that anymore," and wake up the next day as a basically a new company.
[00:41:09] Uh, so you know, when it comes to that, you know, that's, that's the lesson you have to learn, and you have to push through. And, uh, you know, you hear the story of companies failing three or four times before they, they turn into the real thing and, um, and that's the truth, and I saw that firsthand. Um, and like I said, this, this company, when I came in, it was tough.
[00:41:27] Um, you know, I, I had people leaving and things changing faster than some days I could keep up with it. Uh, and you just keep swimming forward, and I just, you know, I kept coming in every morning saying, "Today's gonna be a better day. I'm gonna learn more. I'm gonna be better." And, uh, you know, four years later, I'm thinking the same way.
[00:41:43] You know, I, I don't know what's gonna happen each day here, but I go, "You know, I'm stronger than I was yesterday, and I know more than I did yesterday, and I have better knowledge to act on and make better decisions." And so when you're at that really breaking point, that's the opportunity, I think, to push forward and, and just go [00:42:00] even harder and close your eyes sometimes and say, "I'm just gonna do it anyway."
[00:42:03] And, uh, that, that can be the difference. I've seen it t- so many times and, you know, a lot of days I felt like not coming into work w- early on here. I was that, that, you know... S- you're just that scared sometimes. And, uh, and you go, "You know what? There's, there's-- it's gonna be a better day today, and if it means me jumping in an attic and being the installer with, with, you know, with a lead, I'll be that guy."
[00:42:23] You know, I will be the guy. Uh, if it's me going out and trying to fix a furnace for the first time, I'm gonna do it, and I'll learn, and I'll teach myself, and, and it is what it is. And, you know, uh, you're just gonna, you just have to move forward. So I think, you know, when things seem like they're, they're hopeless or when you think you can't push anymore Y- you can.
[00:42:41] And, uh, and that was the grind. That was the grind for me. There was days that I got out of bed and said, "I don't know that I'm, I'm good enough for this." And, uh, you know, you get up the next morning and go, "You know, I made it through yesterday. Today can't be that much harder." So, so I-- that's why I say the grind is really the thing that I've learned the most.
[00:42:56] It's the thing that I tell young people and entrepreneurs, "You can do it if you're [00:43:00] willing to work hard enough because you, if you do that, doors will open, opportunities will present themselves, and you'll know sometimes when to pivot. You'll know sometimes, you know, when to, to make a huge decision for the company and say, you know, 'This is it.
[00:43:12] Either it's my last breath, so I'm gonna take it.'" So
[00:43:16] I think I wanna point something out though, because there's some insight that, that you're saying grind, and you're also talking about learning at every single stage of this, is you're, you're working, you're working hard, you're working hard, but you're learning. I mean, you're always talking about curiosity.
[00:43:31] I can learn, I can do better, I can, I can figure out something new, and that that becomes a measure of su- of success even when other forms of success that may be sweeter, you know, sweeter to the tongue, uh, or the wallet aren't coming. Find your own metrics of success
[00:43:48] Yes
[00:43:48] those things aren't co- quite happening and it's, it...
[00:43:51] Learning is, is clearly one of the ones that you're practicing 'cause you keep talking
[00:43:55] it is absolutely that. And, and that's the thing you have to take away from every day, is you [00:44:00] have to look at it and say, "I'm better than I was yesterday." And that's a win. Uh, 'cause some days there aren't very many wins to look at. Some days financially things didn't go your way. You know, you, you, you, you, you made a decision you shouldn't have.
[00:44:10] You committed to a job that, that ends up losing you money. And you've gotta be able to absorb that and say, "You know what? That was an expensive lesson, but it's one I'm not gonna, I'm never gonna have to learn again." And that in itself in business I think is a huge win, is taking those losses and saying, "That's something that will continue to t- that won't haunt the company going forward.
[00:44:32] I have to move on and roll forward." And that's hard for me. I, I hold onto mistakes a lot. Uh, I hold onto failing a lot. Um, I, I, you know, used to say I only play games I know I can win. Um, and, uh, you know, am I winning at this game? Yeah, I think, uh, yes, but, but, you know, uh, have I fumbled the ball a heck of a lot over the last four years?
[00:44:52] Oh, yeah. Yeah, I've turned the ball over to the other team many times. And, uh, and you know what? I hold onto that ball harder now than I ever did. [00:45:00] And, uh, and I still fumble. You know, I still trip and fall and still sometimes turn it over to the other team. But you know what? Like I said, I, my, my, my mind is in a different place that way.
[00:45:08] And, uh, so that, that is, uh, those mistakes, the learning you get from that, it is a win and it's transferable. Uh, the stuff I learned in banking, very transferable to, to this business. And that's people say, "Oh, they're such different industries. How do you transition from banking to HVAC?" It, it, y- business is business, customers are customers, and, and, and experience and, and, you know, is the same no matter what you do.
[00:45:33] So if those fundamentals stay the same, it's not that different. And I encourage business owners all the time, you know, to, to stretch themselves. And I talk to a lot of professionals who say, "Eric, I really wanna do what you did. I wanna jump out and try to, try to do my own business." And I said, "You can do it.
[00:45:47] You know, you can do it. Um, you can bet on yourself. Um, but you know, you just have to be prepared for what that brings." And as long as you're willing to do that, as long as you're, you're, you're understanding you're gonna fumble the ball and, you know, that's gonna be [00:46:00] hard. Um, that's, that's, you know, that's something that, like I said, I encourage every day.
[00:46:03] You know, go out and try to stretch yourself. When people look at businesses and say, "I wanna start my own business," I tell them, "You know, you, you could do the jump out and quit your job, but you can also try a side hustle. Really give yourself the experience of trying to build something and understand it if you're not willing to take the, the financial risk, or you can't.
[00:46:18] A lot of people can't afford to take the financial risk. I understand that. So, you know, try something on the side. Try a side hustle and see how you do, and test yourself and, you know, you'll figure out who you are real quickly and say, 'Is this something I can do? And is this something I can do on my own?'"
[00:46:32] Um, I, I can, I can't stress enough having a business partner in this is, is a completely different journey and experience than if I would've done this solo. Um, it would've been a very different feeling and a, a heck of a lot harder than what I did. Having someone in your corner, uh, and not just your spouse, uh, you know, uh, you know, that's, that's, that's a really powerful thing.
[00:46:53] And a real partner, someone you can confide in, someone you can talk about difficult things with and, and protect the [00:47:00] team from that,
[00:47:00] Yeah. Yes, having a brutally honest conversation. Um,
[00:47:03] that's that's still, that's-- I, I had many of those over the last four years. Um, yeah.
[00:47:08] And it probably won't be the last either, right?
[00:47:10] no. But every... Anyway, I'm always looking over my shoulder for the next conversation, so
[00:47:15] Get a better lock on that door,
[00:47:16] Yeah, exactly
[00:47:18] Listen, Eric, it's a delight. You're, uh, just such a high-energy, thoughtful, thoughtful person and leader, and, uh, I think you're gonna inspire some people out there, and so thank you for taking the time to
[00:47:28] No, absolutely appreciate you having me on the show here. And, uh, I hope I get a couple people excited, and like I said, I'm, I'm happy to, to have those conversations with people, uh, and see what they, what their journey looks like and, and, you know, answer their questions. And like I said, I still have a long way to go.
[00:47:41] Four years in and, and things are working, but, uh, you know, I'm excited for, for five, six, seven, eight years and see how I feel and how I can look back at this experience then, 'cause I think, uh, the perspective will be even that much more different
[00:47:53] Absolutely. Now, if somebody's watching this and they're like, "I like this Eric guy. I need some HVAC," or, "I wanna invite him to [00:48:00] speak at our chamber of commerce or our, our networking group 'cause he's got such great energy and great message," I don't know if you're open to that, but I have a feeling you might
[00:48:07] Yeah
[00:48:08] Uh, where would they get in contact with you?
[00:48:10] So, uh, you know, best way to get me would be email. Uh, my email is, uh, elight@precisionairhc.com. Uh, and LinkedIn. I'm very active on LinkedIn. I'm sure you've seen my LinkedIn posts. So a lot of people reach out to me that way. And as long as you don't reach out to me saying, "Hey, I'm trying to sell you services," uh, you know, "I wanna be your next marketing company," um, I'm very...
[00:48:31] I, I do read each, uh, uh, person who connects with me, and if you put a message in there saying that you saw me here or, you know, you re- you, you heard my story and you wanna talk, um, I'm gonna accept that invite and, uh, I'm gonna, I'm gonna connect with you quickly. Because my whole success in banking was people willing to give me a shot to have a conversation and, and, and share.
[00:48:49] And, you know, it's no different in, in this business now. You know, I open the door as much as possible for people because that's how the world works, and, you know, it served me well, and I'm only in [00:49:00] the opportunity that I am now because of the people that let me in and opened the door for me to have conversations, real ones
[00:49:07] You know, as someone who sells services myself, it's like I've found that people know that you wanna sell something, so but if you approach it with a genuine relationship-building heart at the be- front end, you're just gonna get so much better off. You're gonna be way better off than if you're coming in going, "Oh, hey, can we connect and can I sell you something?"
[00:49:24] I mean, it's just like, I mean, it's
[00:49:26] That's a...
[00:49:27] so... We're all overloaded. I mean,
[00:49:28] Yep.
[00:49:28] crazy
[00:49:29] said, it's expected. Uh, you know, when, when, when I was in my, you know, my banking career phase, my whole goal was how can I help this person? And it wasn't banking services. It was who can I introduce them to? What is something that's gonna help them move forward? What is a piece of advice that I heard from somebody else?
[00:49:43] 'Cause I always joke, I'm not Tony Robbins. You know, I'm not, I'm not coming in here telling you stuff and, and, and, and raising you to the next level. My goal is to get you a little bit more excited about what you're doing, get a little bit more clarity around what you're doing, and, um, you know, really, you know, an- like ask the questions you already know the answers to.[00:50:00]
[00:50:00] And, and it's that simple, and it's always been like that. You know, that's, that's what I, I came out with. I, uh, in 2008, I hit the wall, you know, I was in banking at the worst possible time in, in many years, and, uh, I, I really thought about things and had a, had a epiphany one morning and I said, "Okay, no one needs banking services that bad right now.
[00:50:17] Uh, most people that are asking for money, you know, we can't give it to them." So I said, "What can I fundamentally do?" And I said, "You know, what separates, what is the thing that, that gets me out of bed in the morning?" And it was meet, meet honest, passionate, successful people. That is all you can do, Eric. So that was my goal from that point on.
[00:50:33] When somebody said, "How can I help you? Who can I introduce you to?" I said, "I'm not looking for business. I'm looking for honest, passionate, successful people. And if I can find those people, they'll value what I do, they'll value relationships, and they'll want to eventually do business with me in some way, whether it's direct or indirect."
[00:50:50] And so that's what I lived by from 2008 on. It served me really well, and it is honest. It is how I feel. And so that's why to this day, when somebody comes and says, "You need to [00:51:00] meet so and so," and they don't need HVAC, I don't care. I wanna meet great people. And, uh, and great people are how business happens, and they're, great people are how great things in the community happen.
[00:51:10] So for me, honest, passionate, successful. That's the only criteria for me. It always will be, and, uh, it, it's, it's been fun, you know, going, uh, meeting people under that pretense.
[00:51:20] A bonus massive golden nugget to close us out. Perfect way to end. Thank you, Eric. I really appreciate it, and I'm already looking forward to our next conversation.
[00:51:27] Thanks again
[00:51:32]