Doneta S., General Manager from Gering Valley Plumbing & Heating®
Q: What made you choose your career in the trades?
A: I had been with Target for 15 years and had worked my way up to management level. I left for a management job at another department store and eventually realized that it was not a good fit for me.
It was my father-in-law’s business (Gering Valley Plumbing & Heating) and he had an entry-level position open. Though I held leadership roles at my previous two jobs I was intrigued by the business to start as a dispatcher and a CCR role, and worked my way up.
After about a few years, we separated the CCR and dispatcher duties, and I moved into the dispatcher role. And in the dispatcher role, of course, you can take a more hands-on leadership role than you can in just a call-taking position.
When my Dispatch Manger transitioned out of the business, our department went without leadership for some time. My former manager had always praised my leadership skills, so eventually I approached my father-in-law about filling the management position myself. I let him know that I was capable of assuming the management role, and I did.
Q: What was the business like at the time?
A: Back then, we felt like we were huge, but between 2012 and 2018, the most we did was $1.6 million. And that felt big to us, and we’ve grown exponentially since then.
Q: How big is your operation currently?
A: Last year we did $4.7 million, and it’s the biggest year we’ve ever had. Back when we were doing only $1.6 million, we were servicing HVAC, plumbing, installation, and new construction. Since we left new construction, we’ve just seen a really big boom in our profits going way up because we’ve been able to focus on service.
Q: What would you say are your biggest challenges and your biggest successes?
A: Our biggest challenge was being stagnant for way too long. We saw a jump in sales and success the first year I went into the management role, but after that, everything was set on cruise control.
We did nothing further to improve our business, mainly because we just didn’t know where to go for that kind of thing.
I think our biggest success is the way we have grown and been able to present opportunities to new team members. Until two years ago, I was wearing many hats, and we had no layers of management. So, I brought in an HR person, then our service manager, and other roles that we had never had previously. The cool thing now is that we’ve got our people in place, and we’ve got our org charts in place, and our team can see their path of growth.
Q: Was there a specific turning point where it all came together?
A: It was probably shortly after leaving the franchises we were in before Blue Collar. Taking that step away was scary, even though they really did nothing but take 8% of our money. Looking back, I see that there was no coaching, no leadership, no anything from them, and I knew I didn’t want to be stagnant anymore. I knew I was tired of having negative cash flow and having that stress on me, and I knew I had to do something.
First, we joined Service Nation Alliance and did see some success in that. But in a very short amount of time, we outgrew it. We needed more leadership, which of course led us to the Blue Collar Success Group.
We really had no intention of joining Blue Collar. We just knew Chris and Chelsea from the franchise and thought, “let’s go talk to them.” I wasn’t sure that we could afford to join Blue Collar, but I just didn’t want to be stagnant anymore, so we joined. As Kenny says, everything happens to you for a reason, and I was led right where I needed to be.
Q: How long have you been a Blue Collar member?
A: A little over a year. But in that short time, you guys have made me feel like family. It’s your culture. BC makes its members feel like they matter at all times. They don’t focus on the largest companies or who brings in the most money. I told Josh the other day that being interviewed on stage at the last Acceleration Days was one of the best days of my life. Maybe that sounds silly, but I feel recognized for all the grit and hard work I’ve put in. We really get the sense that BC cares about how they can help you. I love that I can shoot an email over to Chris (and I know Chris has an overwhelming amount of stuff on his plate), but he ALWAYS makes time for my questions! You don’t see that from high-level management in most organizations. To put it plain and simple, BC makes you feel like family, from Kenny to Chris to Jeremy (who we absolutely love) and everyone in between. Everyone makes you feel like you are right where you are supposed to be.
Q: How much growth have you seen in your business in the last few years, either percentage or dollar amount?
A: From 2018 to 2019, we grew 100%, but since then, we’ve grown another 96%! So we’ve seen some tremendous growth and have had to add more office staff than technicians to get there. We’re also training and teaching the technicians that we have to do better.
Q: Is there a specific academy or training that has really helped you with bringing your team up to speed?
A: We use every single Blue Collar training that is available. For our technicians, it’s really been the tech training that Jeremy leads. Jeremy is just amazing.
Q: What is the most valuable piece of advice you would give both a longtime business owner and one just starting out?
A: Well, I have never started my own business and really wouldn’t want to, honestly. I don’t believe that I would have the same success doing that. It seems like a whole ‘nother ballgame. However, I think the best advice for any business owner would be to recognize that though you want to grow your business and improve yourself, you don’t always have the answers to do so. Everyone could benefit from a little help. Like you say at Blue Collar, “What got you here won’t get you there.” It’s about allowing yourself to become vulnerable and letting your ego go. This includes asking for help and being open to receiving that help.
Even if you have a degree in business, you still don’t have all the answers. Just reaching out to a group like Blue Collar can really help you find the next tool that you need if you’re willing to incorporate it.
Q: Where do you see Gering Valley Plumbing & Heating going in the next few years? Is there anything new you want to incorporate?
A: Where do I see us going? Well, this year, we have a lofty goal to go from 4.7 million to 6.6 million. So, our first goal is to try to reach that. Then we plan to add on at least one extra department, such as attic insulating, to help us grow.
We’ve also done more marketing and are thinking about acquiring another business next year. We’re not interested in expanding to different locations, though, because that may add too much complexity right now. Like Kenny referenced in his training today, I’m looking for more freedom for me and my whole team. Work-life balance is very important.
