Empire State of Mind
Empire State of Mind
The Art of Follow-Up in Sales with Jake Edenfield
In this episode of Empire State of Mind, host Matt Williams interviews Jake Edenfield, a seasoned home inspector from Wichita, Kansas. Jake shares his journey into the home inspection industry and offers valuable insights into growing a successful business, balancing work and life, and expanding into a multi-inspector firm.
Key Highlights:
1. Journey into Home Inspection:
Jake takes listeners through his personal journey, explaining what led him to pursue home inspection and how he built a thriving business from the ground up.
2. Building Client Relationships:
Establishing trust is key in any service industry. Jake emphasizes the value of building long-term relationships with clients, which has been a cornerstone of his business success.
3. Sales and Growth Strategies:
Jake explains some of the specific sales strategies that have helped him expand his home inspection business. Whether it's marketing, client retention, or building a solid reputation, he outlines the importance of setting long-term goals and maintaining a growth mindset. He shares how focusing on client satisfaction and networking has helped his business thrive.
4. Transition to Multi-Inspector Firm:
Jake talks about the challenges and rewards of expanding his solo operation into a multi-inspector firm. He offers advice on hiring the right people, including his son, and how to maintain quality and consistency across the team as the business grows.
5. Work-Life Balance:
Running a business while maintaining personal happiness can be tricky, especially when working with family. Jake and Matt dive into the importance of work-life balance and how Jake manages the demands of being both a business owner and a family man.
6. Legacy & Long-Term Vision:
Jake reflects on his goals for the future and the legacy he hopes to leave behind in the home inspection industry. His emphasis on building a business that not only succeeds but also leaves a lasting impact is central to his philosophy.
This episode offers a blend of business strategies and personal reflections that will resonate with anyone in the home inspection industry or entrepreneurs looking to grow their business while maintaining personal fulfillment.
Contact IEB -
- web: www.iebcoaching.com
- email: support@iebcoaching
- social: @iebcoaching
Contact Matt -
- email: matt@dciabq.com
- IG: @the.matthew.williams
We believe the purpose of owning a business is funding your perfect life. Welcome to the next generation of growth and opportunity in the inspection industry. This is the Empire State of Mind. Empire State of Mind Helping build companies with faster growth, higher profits and more time freedom. Finally, a podcast for the home inspection industry and beyond. This is the Empire State of Mind and this is your host, matt Williams.
Speaker 2:Hi, welcome to the Empire State of Mind. On today's show I have Jake Edenfield from Kansas and we're going to be talking about multi-inspector, solo inspector, commercial sales, all kinds of great stuff. I'm so glad that you tuned in today, hey Jake. Thank you so much for being here on the show. How are you doing?
Speaker 3:I'm doing great. Thank you, Matt. I appreciate you guys giving me the opportunity to hang out with you for a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know it's interesting. You came highly recommended as a as a guest to come on the show and just a minute ago we were chatting and trying to get to know you just a little bit and I'm really excited to have you on the show. I know that you're from Wichita Kansas. Where, where is Wichita Kansas? What part of the state is that in?
Speaker 3:It is. It is pretty much in the I'd call it Southeast, about an hour just. We're about an hour north of Oklahoma border. I don't know if that gives you any recollection there, but yeah, population of about 600,000. If you added in some of the small towns, so it is considered the biggest city in Kansas because Kansas City is chopped up and half's in Missouri and half is in Kansas City. So we are the biggest city in Kansas, so we are the air capital of the world and this is where Boeing started. Boeing, oh yeah, yeah, we have constant airplanes above us night and day.
Speaker 2:That's interesting. Is there a big airplane plant there?
Speaker 3:It's Spirit now I think Boeing got that out and now it's Spirit. And we have multiple other airports, obviously just the normal airport, and then we have an Air Force base McConnell Air Force base here too. So lots of planes in and out all the time.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's really interesting. I didn't know that Boeing was from Wichita.
Speaker 3:You know I say that it started here. I know there's a Seattle. I just know that it was very big in here. I want to retract that because somebody listening could go. That's not where it started. But the Boeing was very big. It was tons and tons of Wichita people for a long, long time Still do it with spirit. That's amazing.
Speaker 2:I'm in Albuquerque, new Mexico, and little known fact, bill Gates started Microsoft here in Albuquerque, new Mexico. Wow and yeah, and of course it was just in its infancy. He started here. It didn't take long and he moved up to Seattle for a few reasons. I think his family was from up there and then also the banks here wouldn't give him the financing necessary is what the story I was told. Really I'm wrong, but I heard that. But yet he got the financing in Seattle so he ended up relocating his business. But yeah, microsoft computers technically started in Albuquerque.
Speaker 1:There you go.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I mean it was the founding offices. There's a little plaque outside of it and actually we just inspected it two weeks ago, which is kind of funny. Oh, that is cool. Yeah, oh that is cool, yeah. Yeah, it's a tiny little garage. It was like you know how they see those pictures of, like Amazon starting a little garage and Apple starting the garage. The Microsoft startup garage is actually here in Albuquerque.
Speaker 3:That is awesome, if I remember correctly and I'm old but if I remember right Amazon started in a garage selling books or renting books. If I can remember correct, I think they started in a very small place as well they did.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they started in a small place and they were, they were, um, they were selling books out of a garage. Yeah, isn't that funny. Yeah, yeah, it's pretty, it's pretty wild. Um, yeah, I, oh man, that's why these little startups that sort of actually, jeff Bezos was born in Albuquerque, really, yeah, isn't that wild. You got a lot of Bezos was born in Albuquerque.
Speaker 3:Yeah, isn't that wild. You've got a lot of stuff going on there in Albuquerque.
Speaker 1:That's a problem. They start here and then they leave.
Speaker 2:So. So, jake, you've been in the inspection business for quite a few years now, and and and different back. You have different backgrounds. All of us do, normally inspectors. You have some sort of a background that kind of gets you into it. How did you get into the business? When did you start in your inspection industry? You know?
Speaker 3:I made the decision in late 2020. To you know, I had a full-time job, I was making six figures, I was in sales and it was working for a Caterpillar dealership. Believe it or not, you know the big machines that do the roads. You know I just did my, my personal life. I had some things going on and I made some changes internally and mentally.
Speaker 3:And before the before I, before I was with Caterpillar dealership, I was in the foundation business and I worked for a company out in Nebraska. They had broken into the Kansas market and they had opened up an office here and I was the sales manager for a short period of time. There was about 15 guys that worked for me and our job was to go in and help anybody with settlement, wall failure, water entry. It was to go help them. So I learned a lot. I learned a lot about foundations doing that and I liked it. I liked helping people with their biggest investment that they had. People seemed gracious, they seemed open-armed, they were thankful.
Speaker 3:My wife has been a realtor for almost 20 years and so I kind of knew a little bit about the business. I mean not a lot, but I knew a little bit. And I laid in bed one day and I said I want to be a home inspector, didn't know a thing about. I am not, I was not technical. I didn't know anything on the technical side. So I joined ASHI and I went through ASHI's online schooling, got to the point where I think they call you a member and you had to do 250 inspections and then you become certified.
Speaker 3:I also did InterNACHI because I wasn't for sure who to go with and I'm still with both of them To this day. I'm still with both of them and I jumped in for Forest 2021. So it's been three and a half years. I learned something new every single day. I mean, there's always something to learn and I love what I do. I love helping people and that's why I named the business Profound. I think it's a profound moment in life, whether you buy a $10,000 house or a $10 million house. It's just a, it's a day to remember.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, I love that. Profound inspections, yeah, that's really cool. It's kind of funny, like I hear the story a lot about people getting into the business where they're like, well, I know a little bit about this and that, and then they start like looking into it and then they realize like, man, I just love helping people with this, and isn't it? It's such a cool spot to be in. I think it's like a little bit of blue collar, a little bit of white collar, and I tell you it's, that's a balance that a lot of people have a hard time, you know, making that. That that's a tough balance, right.
Speaker 2:And then, and I think, as a home inspector, if you can make the white up to a million dollar house and and in my market, and I'm assuming in kansas as well, a million bucks is a pretty nice house. Yeah, you know, and I know, like in california or some other markets, it's maybe not that great of a home, but but it's still a million stinking dollars. Man, that's a lot of money, no matter who you are. But you show up in, you know, with a very high-end luxury home and if you're, if you are, you got to be able to white collar it up just a little bit. A little bit yeah, with with that kind of a crowd to be able to level up right. And it's kind of interesting to me how like we have to almost be a little bit of a chameleon as an inspector to be able to be able to to adapt to our environment and the clients that we're working with I 100 agree, and that's.
Speaker 3:You know. I said I didn't have any technical skills. You know, I mean, let's just throw a water heater out there. I didn't know anything about a water heater. I mean, I knew that it produced hot water and I knew that. You know there's a hot and a cold line and other than that, that's about all I knew.
Speaker 2:Yeah, cold water goes in, hot water comes out.
Speaker 3:You know, but, being from sales in the past where I taught individuals how to sell and I think that helped me grow the business, you get told no often, you know, and to come up and find somebody's why why do they need, why do they want Is once you break through and you get a little emotional with some people. I mean, that's what people want. They want to know how you can help them. A lot of times I would hear inspectors, you know they would say I can't get through, I can't get through, I don't know how to do this. And in my eyes, you provide a service that will help them and tell them how you're going to help them. They really don't care about you. They want to know how you're going to make their life easier.
Speaker 3:I, you know, there's a couple of codes that I live by that I try to keep in the back of my mind when you're making sales calls or when I was making sales calls. I haven't made it any in a while because business is decent. Well, that's good. But you know, I mean it's just persistence. And you know, I think if you get down to an emotional piece with a realtor or, you know, just a regular client, I think that you, you know, you can hit home some good things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you have a pretty extensive sales background. What are some of the ways that you approach sales that you think are effective? Maybe some areas where maybe you do a little better than others that you can maybe I don't know maybe help some of our audience members with.
Speaker 3:You know when I started I mean a lot of times, it's just the little things and you know when I very first started, of course I would go to the realtor offices or brokerages, whatever you want to call them. And you know, nine out of 10 times at least here where I live, you had a gatekeeper. That's what I call. The front desk person is just that, you know. You knew the managing partner was in the building because their car's outside but they wouldn't let you through. Follow-up was big with me. You know, after I would drop something off, I would make another call and make another call to the point where they had to talk to me at some point. And I would make another call and make another call to the point where I they they had to talk to me at some point. And I would rather take the middle finger bird, give me that than just never talk to me. I would rather you tell me to F off. If that's appropriate for this podcast, everything's appropriate, you know. I mean I was very persistent.
Speaker 3:You have the bold rejection than the like, yeah, just look, I understand there's, you know, 50, 100, 200 inspectors in our area. I get it and you have your favorite. I understand that I'm not asking to be your number one. I'm asking you to be on that list and here's a sample report of what I can do and what makes me different than X, y and Z. I don't want to be at your top, but I know at some point you're going to need another option and that's where I, that's where I want my, my name to pop into your head.
Speaker 2:I've done the same thing actually in my sales, like I'll go talk to realtors and I'll tell them straight up. It was like oh, you have somebody Cause. They'll tell me that Like oh, I was like oh, I don't want, I'm not trying to steal his business, just put me on your list, let me be your backup, and they're like okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And I said I laughed and I was like it's okay, I will earn my way to the top of your list. Just let me at the bottom, let me earn the way to the top. And they're like they kind of chuckle about that a little bit. You know how often do you follow up, you know it depends. Like yeah, how long do you wait to follow up? How often do you follow up?
Speaker 3:When I very first started I mean when I was getting my name out there through you know, trying to get people to understand who I was I would follow up the next day with an email or a call to that person. Whether they answered it or not, I would leave a voicemail. If I didn't hear back I would wait about a week and then follow up with a phone call. Phone calls are huge. Our younger generation is more towards text. That's kind of their thing and I totally get that. I like that way too. But a phone call I think you can get more personable, the voice. You can kind of hear how somebody feels a little bit.
Speaker 2:This business is super relational too. For sure, I think real estate business is super relational. Realtors are mortgage title, they're always interacting and they have to be able to manage conflict together. If you have two different realtors, different sides of the deal and all the different things to get through the transaction, that relationship really helps grease the wheels. And because they're relational, we have to be relational.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. You know, somebody gave me an opportunity. If a realtor said, hey, look, I got one next Wednesday, can you help me out? When I very first started, I had thank you cards made with my name on them at Profound Home Inspections and I would throw in a five or $10 Starbucks gift card anytime anybody ever you know allowed it, and I would send them out at the end of the month.
Speaker 3:I would have a list and say, you know, at the first couple of months it was maybe four or five that I had to send out and it would just it was a handwritten note, I mean I hand wrote on there. Thank you, I appreciate it. It was nice meeting you, whatever the case may be, and I would get tons of calls and just, I mean they would just call and say thank you, for I mean, I know it's only $5 cup of coffee, but they really enjoyed that. So I would do a video, matt, if I was wanting your business, I would just get on my phone and I would do a video and I would send it to you on text and it'd be short, within 20 seconds, 30 seconds, and I would just say, hey, I hope everything's going okay. Let me know if there's anything you need, whatever the case may be. And people, really, I do that at Christmas too. I still do that at Christmas.
Speaker 2:That's a, that's a great, and you like say their name and everything. So you would. You would hit up and say, hey, jake, I just want to say thank you so much for all the business and the relationship. I want to say Merry Christmas to you and your family, hope you have a fantastic holiday and send it. That's it. That's it, but you put their name in it.
Speaker 3:I do each one.
Speaker 2:They know you're not just copying and pasting, You're saying it to them right.
Speaker 3:It takes about 30 seconds per, and I sit there before I hit record and I think about who's their dog or who's their husband, who's their wife, who have you known? I mean, with the CRMs that we have, if you will, with inspectors or whatnot, you can throw in information and the more personal and emotional you make things with somebody, the more they're going to tie on to you. I think that's my personal, personal, I guess, experience in the past. Fantastic it is, and it really.
Speaker 3:You know, I see a lot of candy boxes going out and that's one thing that I tell. I mean I'm not on every one, but a couple that I needed to. I would say look, I know cards and candy and peanuts are handed out by some of the vendors around there. You, from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate what you have allowed for me to do with you and I'm always here for you and merry christmas and enjoy your time and I'm you know I got so many calls when I started doing that they were just like nobody's ever done that before. Thank you so much and you know so it does the best part is it's free.
Speaker 2:I didn't spend a dollar, I mean yeah, I'm sure he times money, blah, blah, blah, blah blah. But, like you know, if you're sending out gifts, it takes time and money to go buy the gift and get it and send it out. What you're doing like doesn't require. All it requires is a little bit of time to sit down and get it done. And you're right, that's such a deep connection that you make with them. It is.
Speaker 2:And you dive into your CRM and hang up you and your spouse, whatever's name, and I know your kids have been doing this and you know, I, you know, and little johnny I hope his football season went well and yeah, just put that together real quick in a video and send it and they're like dang, this guy remembers me, he knows me, we're relational.
Speaker 3:Wow, every second elevator pitch, if you will. It's just quick to the point. You're not. I'm not trying to sell you anything. All I'm doing is saying thank you, that's it and Merry Christmas.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's man Jake. That's brilliant. It doesn't even take that much I think that's incredible.
Speaker 3:Send it to your team. I think it works I really do and of course, you'll have your handful that never respond to you, but it is what it is. It is what it is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's really interesting. So I know you're growing and the business has been growing. In fact, you recently brought on your first employee, is that correct?
Speaker 3:I did. I did. My first employee is my son. He is 20 years old. He did college for a year. He was redshirted on the football team. There's a community college here called Hutchinson Community College and it's just north of us a little bit.
Speaker 3:He came home for summer and we're sitting at the table and he just said Dad, I don't think I'm ever going to make it to D1. I don't think I'm ever going to make it to the pro. And quite frankly, I don't like school. And I always was the dad that said look, don't waste my money. If you don't want to go to school, you don't have to go to school, but if you want to go and I'm here for you either way. And he said you know he didn't like it and he wanted to start thinking about his future. And I just kiddingly said well, come work with me. And he said I would love to. And that was August. So he is. He's working on his certification badge through InterNACHI. He comes, he's with me all day, every day. He's pretty much got the interior portion of the house done, other than the mechanicals and plumbing and whatnot. He's learning.
Speaker 2:That's awesome man, that is so cool. It is, and I'll tell you what.
Speaker 3:Matt, very, I guess you could call it I don't want to call it lazy, it was just the way that I inspect. I mean I got to the point where the one-man show two inspections a day almost became too much for me. Just, I mean, from the phone calls, the emails, the inspection finishing writing the report, I mean it was seven, eight, nine o'clock at night before you got done, and so I went to a point there where I was only taking one a day, it was just one inspection a day, and I got home and done with everything let's just call it 2 pm and I felt good and but the money wasn't the same. So with him we do two a day, every day, and I pay him what I feel is pretty well. You could probably train me on some of that, but I think I give him a good amount of money and he's learning and hopefully in the future it's a career for him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that that's awesome. Yeah, I think you know you you pay what, what, what, what you you feel comfortable paying. But yeah, you know, as as part of IEB, the inspection empire builder group, we actually have a formula for that.
Speaker 3:And our pre-talk while we were in, and that's something that I you know, I it's something that has been on the back of my mind there's an inspector out of Topeka that called me and he's in, he's in your group and really topped it was months ago and he had mentioned hey, are you in that? And I said not yet. And he said look into it. And I have. I haven't dove into it, but I hear nothing but great things. Nothing but great things.
Speaker 2:It helped me and my business, you know, and I think it helps a lot of people when they join and and get involved. But but yeah, it's one of the things that is helpful is you get to learn from guys who are maybe a step or two in front of you and and they give you formulas and they give you roadmaps and they say, hey, watch for this, look out for this. And it's something that, when I decided to go from single into multi-inspector which was man that was a tough decision. Looking back on that, it was a few years ago and I remember I was inspecting, I was doing two a day.
Speaker 2:The demand was really high and I started that summer I started adding three a day. Wow, and I was doing three a day and pretty soon I was doing three a day and pretty soon I was doing three a day six days a week, and then on sundays I would actually go to church and then, depending on how backed up I was, I might throw one or two in the afternoon on a sunday and I essentially found myself in a place where I just slept and worked, yeah, seven days a week, and that was super unhealthy. Like, looking back, it was super unhealthy. I 100.
Speaker 3:Agree. Well, I think you know people talk about a work-life balance. It's just balance in general, you know. I mean we got to work and being a sole inspector or you know a multi-inspection firm, we don't get owning your own business. You don't get time off. I mean you're always on. If the phone rings, you got to pick it up.
Speaker 2:If the email comes through, you know a call from a past client, future client, but you do have to make sure that you have. My business runs itself. I have other people to answer the phone, Other people respond to the emails, I have inspectors out inspecting, and so now we've divided up the business. I get to be a business owner and not a business doer. And I remember years ago at that fork in the road, trying to decide do I want to be a multi-inspector firm or not. I know it's, it's. It was a tough choice in the moment. I wasn't sure what to do with it. It's, it's, it's. I'm on the fence, like I said. You know what are your thoughts on that right now? Like where man?
Speaker 3:I am 100% on the fence. I have not leaned one way or the other and I'll tell you why. You know, I talked about my past and I was a sales manager for a lot, had 15 salesmen with me at one point on one side, and then when I went to the Caterpillar dealer, it was just me. I was in sales, but it was just me and myself and I had nobody else. I had my territory at a company truck and I absolutely, at that time in my life, I loved it because I didn't have to worry about anybody but myself. What I missed was training and helping people be better human beings. You know there's life goals along with work goals there's. You know you get, you build relationships with people and I like that. I mean I want I hope nobody takes this the wrong way but you want to be remembered of for, for something in life, you know you want to be absolutely.
Speaker 2:We all are here. We want to leave our mark. We want to have a legacy of some sort. You want when we pass.
Speaker 3:You want everybody just not everybody, but people to say he taught me this and he was very good at this and yeah, so I missed that. I mean I missed that. And then you hit it right on the head when you said you know my vision. If I close my eyes and I was to dream, it's where you're at. You know, you put, if you surround yourself with people better than you, it really somebody that can answer the phone better than me and you put them in that position, somebody who can, you know, manage the commercial side. You put them and you let things run and you do what you're doing and you market and you try to sell, you do podcast you.
Speaker 3:How do I build this? How do I build this even bigger? Or how do I help people? You know, and that's where you're at and that's I really like, working by myself, because it's just me and I don't have to worry about Ted calling in late and not showing up and I have to. You know, I don't worry about that right now, but on the other side, on the right side, I've got the other person saying you missed this other side and you have a vision to where things run themselves and gosh, this is going to sound cocky, but you kind of sit back, you grow it, you grow and invest in the business. But you also make money doing what you love and that's helping people.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. I think I've said this before, but you know when, when, if you want to be six, like, what's success? Right? What does success mean to you? And I think, ultimately, success is is your business doing for you what you want it to do for you? And, and if? If success is, is your business doing for you what you want it to do for you? And, and if, if success is, I have no employees. I don't have to answer to anyone. I don't have a boss, I don't have any employees, I don't have my, my stress level is really really low and my income is decent and this is what I like to do. That might be success and there's nothing wrong with that. That's a great life, right? Not?
Speaker 3:at all.
Speaker 2:But then for some people like crazy people like me, like success for me is is I was willing to walk through the fire, I was willing to walk through the difficult seasons and do things that other people were, are unwilling to do in order to get to the place I wanted to be. Because success for me was I want my business to run with low effort from me and that on my inspection side, and I want to basically use parlay that success. And how do I train other people to find that success too? And so now I get the opportunity to run a podcast like this and do other personal coaching and stuff like that where I get to help other people realize their dreams.
Speaker 2:And like you said, jake, at some point you're like man I I hope one day when I pass somebody goes yeah, I remember that guy, he helped me do this, he helped me get to there, yeah, and it's like and there's a legacy that's left behind and you know, not sure we got it in our kids. Like I got a couple of kids. You know they're going to. My legacy will be there, but but yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 3:Like and it's something that it is. You know, I'm year three, I'm three and a half and you know it's something that you know. Between that and commercial I kind of want to get into at some point. You know, it's something that I need to really think about. Ieb is something that I probably ought to join and get some good camaraderie with people that have went through it and that could give you some good advice. Absolutely, you know, and it's just. I think it's there, I think the opportunity is there. It's just like you said, you know, or do you want it or not, are you happy? Yeah, or you're not. You know, I think Gary Vaynerchuk says that. You know he's, he says some of his, his best friends that make $70,000 dollars a year, the happiest people that he knows, yes, yeah, because once you know, this is what I want.
Speaker 2:On the inside right, because I think sometimes I've fallen down, I've fallen into this trap before of looking around, like the left and the right, and like comparing myself to my other friends and be like, well, they own five businesses, I only own three, you know. Oh, I better go hustle and buy more businesses, or like, and it's like, why am I even doing that If I'm looking to the left and to the right? Ultimately it's like no, I got to look on inside and say what makes Matt happy? What are you happy.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, what is success to me? And yeah, and sometimes we get pressure. You know from the environments that we're in of what's going to be successful or not successful, and I think it's hard to resist that temptation sometimes.
Speaker 3:I agree. I mean, the older I get and, Matt, you might have this feeling too, and I know we're probably off subject but the older I get, yes, I want money, I want money and I want to own a business and I want this and I want that. But the older I get, where I live, the house that I have, the car that I have, it goes down. You know, it's like I don't really need that anymore. I don't know why I wanted that 5,000 square foot house. I don't need that, Right. Well, so it's all about happiness and it's all about a balance, you know, in life. Just be happy and work and enjoy life, because we're only here once you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm with you too, Like I. You know, at one point I had the big house and all this stuff and but but then I realized, like man, I got to heat it, I got to cool it, I got to clean it, I got to maintain it. Those property taxes are going up, you know, and and he's pretty soon it's like it's not even just the buying and it's just the maintaining and keeping it that all of a sudden starts to get like really expensive, and pretty soon, I don't know, at least for me. I got a smaller house now and my life is really simple and I'm very happy, and you know, my house isn't as big as some of my friends' houses and I really don't care. I know, when I was younger I cared, you know.
Speaker 3:That's what I was going to say. I used to really care, and you know, with the market the way it is and interest rates the way they are, as everybody knows, I feel like I'm one of the buyers right now that I'm stuck in the house. I mean, our house is too big for us. We want to move, but it's like so you're going to have the same payment for half the house. I don't think that's a good idea, right?
Speaker 2:now no, because especially if you lock down some of that 2.8% or 3% interest, that's where we're at. Yeah, you lock that in, and now you're looking at like 6% interest and you're like wait a minute. Yeah, cashflow wise, you're better off staying where you're at because the equity is still growing. And yeah, you're right. You, you better have to stand there and keeping up with what you have there.
Speaker 2:That's right man For sure, man, yeah, so going multi-inspector is a certainly a big decision. I will say this when I made that decision there was, like I don't know how, who explained it to me, but like, rooms and hallways, you know, and, and you're in a room of efficiency. You know, like, like right now, as a single man operator, you're in a room of efficiency where you, you, you have absolute control and and there's the, the profit percentage is really really high, the, the gap between this room and the next room of efficiency, that there's a hallway. That happens there and and at one inspector you're very efficient. At four-ish inspectors you can become very efficient again, but inspector two and three is a hallway that you have to get through. That is like, for me at least, I was making less money.
Speaker 2:That makes sense, that's a good analogy Six inspectors, right, so at six inspectors, I'm not in the field anymore, right, and so I'm making the money that I used to make when I was in the field. But now I'm not in the field anymore, right, and so I'm making the money that I used to make when I was in the field, but now I'm not in the field. Yeah, but between one inspector and about five inspectors it was. It was a tough go. I was still in the field through a lot of it and I had to put an extra work to get there. Now I'm at a place where I'm out of the field and I'm making the same money as I did when I was a single guy by myself doing it, and yeah and so. So you know now, now, and and and that's. That's kind of a great place to be, where I'm putting in less effort but I'm getting that same return on it. So they, they talk about that a lot.
Speaker 2:Where are the efficiency windows? Right, in every single business there's efficiency windows, and going from one to wherever that next window is in the inspection business, that pathway people will get stuck there, they'll get halfway through, they get really frustrated, they get really tired, they get exhausted and they want to quit partway through it and your only option at that point is to retreat back to a window efficiency or push forward to a window efficiency. Sometimes people in that hallway they'll put a couch and a TV and camp out in that hallway and be extremely frustrated with their business and their life because they're in between the two windows of efficiency, stuck in a hallway. So if you're going to push through and go from the one into the multi-inspector firm, understand where that next window of efficiency is and know that I'm going to have to work really hard and push really hard for this next season to get to this next window. Before you're going to find it.
Speaker 2:I'm at a window of efficiency right now and in order for me to go to the next level, I know what it's going to take and I have to go from this, the space that I'm at now the next window is down the roadways. So I'm right, I'm actually at that same fork in the road of do I stay where I'm at or do I push for the next one and that next plateau, that next level and the path of the hallway in between? Here and there you got to like, count the cost of like what's it going to take to get there and be disciplined and diligent to keep pushing through to that next window of efficiency?
Speaker 3:I like that analogy. I do. I mean, it makes a whole lot of sense. You know, I'm the if you asked anybody that knew me, I am the perfectionist, if you will. I am the OCD guy, and one of the things that you know I think you need to have a plan for is training. Yeah, I don't. I mean, I want my. If I'm doing what I have done and I became successful, I feel that we need to continue what we're doing and to train that person or persons to me could be a hurdle. I mean, you're still trying to work, you're still trying to get your two inspections done and now you have to train on top of that. So everything in my mind is like is it worth it? Is it worth it? Is it worth it? And I just I'm stuck on that fence.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is. It's a tough decision and when you make a decision you got to be committed to knowing this is going to be a tough path until I get to this place, and knowing, when you get there and you're right, training all those things, and you know, and there's a in the training process. I mean, you know this with sales, you've trained in these other areas. It's the same thing. You, it's the same thing. You get somebody about 80% there, but that last 10% to 20% they're not going to get there if you're standing there. The clues, yeah, they have to get that last little bit without you standing there.
Speaker 2:And that's a scary moment as a business owner. It is To let the bird out of the nest when you know they're not as good as you, but the only way they're going to get there is when you're not standing there helping them. They just have to figure it out in the field. And there's that tipping point, I think, as an owner, because it's like, as you know, jake, like our reputations, my name's on this, your name is on it, and so it's. It's. How do I? How do I with my name on the business, how do I trust somebody else to go out there, do a high level job, just like I would have done if I was out, and you have to trust that they're going to do that and, man, that is so tough to do. I think it's tough.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and perfection is the enemy of progress. So if I'm expecting perfection, I'm never going to get there and my trainee will never get there. And so as I'm expanding and growing and training and releasing employees, it's like if I have to, they have to be perfect before I let them go. They're never going to go. They're not going to find perfection until after they're out of the nest and flying on their own and learning some hard lessons underneath my name. And that's tough as a business owner to be able to have the I don't know. It's like it takes some guts to like let somebody go out and do that, because they have the power to screw up your business.
Speaker 3:That's the one thing that I, when people have asked me in my past I mean I'm going back years, but you know one thing that you know, an interview or whoever, what's one thing that you feel is a downfall of yourself, I tell them I'm a perfectionist and there's. That's something that I have to work on is letting go. Let that you know. Let them learn. They're going to, they're going to fail and you fail forward. You know you fail. You learn, you don't do it again and you move forward and shit. I'm sorry I've had to do that many times, you know, because, like I said, if I don't understand something I will give a shout out to.
Speaker 3:I've got some mentors. You know that I've met that. I've met a couple local, a couple's not local. One of the guys that you know him and I talk at least weekly is Casey Bartley out of Tennessee. He's a good guy and I I don't know how, but we've have some sort of a relationship. I don't know how it happened, but I flew out and rode with him for three days. You know beginning, you know trying to figure out how things were. We're both. We're both what for the national, the national home inspection exam, the NHIE? We're both subject matter experts. We're meeting in San Antonio next weekend to sit down and go through that whole test, and that's fantastic.
Speaker 2:We sit down with about 12 guys. Is that where your foundation experience comes into play, then? Or are you for the NHIE? I'm curious about this. This is interesting. So you're a subject matter expert on all of it, or just foundations, or just certain areas, all of it? Well, you know.
Speaker 3:I've only been to one session before this in Cincinnati. There's about I'm going to guess here there was probably 12, 15 of us that met. We met for two straight days and you sit down and you the session I was in. They pulled up question after question after question after question. That's on the test. Does it make sense? Is it correct? What are A and B too close? How do we separate C?
Speaker 3:We've got somebody in the ICC code book. We've got somebody in the NHIE book that was written for the test and we're all collaborating and say that one works. Let's keep that on the test, or hey, that one doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Let's switch it up because it can be confusing. It's basically on. I mean there's so much, there's in-depth stuff about NHIE, I mean scientifically stuff, but it's just us getting together. I mean there's new inspectors in there, there's three-year inspectors, there's 10-year guys, there's 20-year guys in there and gals, and it's just to try to put our industry a little higher. You know, I mean a lot of states use that NHIE for their testing, for their actual license. So we want to make it as New Mexico.
Speaker 2:Yeah, new Mexico license is the NHIE test. Yeah, is Kansas a licensed state? We are not. Okay, yeah, so we've all had to take it, me and all my guys had to take the NHIE. Okay, yeah, so we've all had to take it, me and all my guys have had to take the NHIA. Yeah, yeah. I got some with you. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 3:Well, I only went to one so far. We're working on it, but with Ashley you have to take that. Internazion has their own. With Ashley you have to take it and you know, and it's just like a realtor license if you will. Yeah, it's a tough test, it is, it is and that's what we it should be.
Speaker 3:And it can't. And that's what we discuss is there's no gimmies. You need to know some stuff, but you can't. Can the entry level person understand it? You know what I mean? I mean you can't get too in depth because there's a couple of questions and I'll just be quite honest and you know, hopefully this, this isn't going over there I don't know whatever the word is where you can't. You know you're not supposed to talk about things, but there's questions on there that you know we would read and go. That doesn't really make sense and we'd pull it out, and it's just because you know things have changed or we don't understand this anymore. So it's a good group of guys and Casey and I, you know it's a time for us to get together and talk shop. Let's work and what's not working. It's a time for us to get together and talk shop.
Speaker 2:I love that man. What's not working? How are we doing? Yeah, and I love to hear that NHIE has that going, that they are critical of their own.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like they're questioning themselves and critical of themselves and self-reflecting in that sense of like okay, what's working, what isn't? Is this clear, is this not clear? And because some of those questions, you know, can be confusing, and but to be able to run it through a crowd filter of like, is this working, is this not working? Does this make sense or not? I mean, I think that is super healthy that they do that. I didn't know they did that they do, and that's actually really encouraging to hear that. It's ongoing yeah.
Speaker 3:And you know, and it's just like you said. I mean, things change and you, you want people to be successful, but it's not Guinness on there. I mean, you got to, you got to, you got to study, but they're continually trying to get better. It's really cool.
Speaker 2:That is really fantastic, yeah, and that you're part of that community. So, wichita, kansas, you're out there crushing it, doing a great job. I love that your son's joining your team and helping you out and starting to learn the thing. I know, as you're looking at that decision to go multi-inspector or not I hope that you find the resources that you need, and if you need any other resources, you can reach out to me. But you can also reach out to IEB and see what they have. There's a lot of guys that have had that fork in the road and they have found the community inside of IEB to be something that's been helpful for them. So I'm hoping that you know if you're going to head down that path and you decide. You know what. I think I'm going to go there. It's a great resource to have, and if you go to the website iebcoachingcom, you can find all for different types of classes too. Even if you don't want to join the whole big community, there's some smaller stuff you can get for resources too.
Speaker 3:And I read, I think. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it now? I mean, I think the perception from some inspectors in the past was it was strictly for multi-inspection firms, but now you guys kind of cater to the solo inspectors a little bit too correct.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I joined when I was solo and on the fence on growing, and so it helped me get there. There's actually a lot of guys that are solo in the group, yeah and yeah, and there's guys, there's massive companies there's, you know, there's companies that are in like seven or 10 different states. You know, the largest inspection firms in the country are part of this group, now and um, and then there's guys that are solo. Some guys are just starting out and some people are, they're happy at one, and so we have different groups and so we subdivide, actually, into smaller pockets. You know, the guys that have 300 inspectors, you know across the country, are having a different conversation than the guy who has four or six inspectors, you know, or the same thing, yeah, right, and the same with the one that the challenges that the solo guys facing are different than the challenges that the massive companies facing. And you know, and and and they're just, and so they they do subdivide into smaller pockets to be able to help everybody grow and and achieve their goals.
Speaker 2:And again, your success is what you want it to be it, and so I think IAB is a great resource. I found it helpful. There's other groups out there. Find your group, find your tribe. For sure. I'm a huge fan of that and if IAB is the right fit for you or for anyone, then join it, and if it's not the right fit for you, just kind of assembled a little bit of group already. You already have a set of peers that you're working with and people like JC on the group and, like you know, he's a very well-known guy in the industry.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like I said, I don't know how we became friends, but we are, you know, there has been. I even got a you know kind of a good feeling the other day. He had, you know, in his area fiber cement's very prevalent, you know it's, I mean, a lot of the cladding is fiber cement. And he called and I thought you know, hey, he just wants to, you know, be us for a little bit. And he said, hey, I ran into, you know, lp SmartSide, and I don't see it very often. What do you got on that? What can you tell me a little bit? And I see it daily. So I was like I finally get to help my mentor a little bit, I finally get to give you some information. So I thought it was, it was, it was a little giggle from me, a little bit of giggle. But he also, you know, I am the exterior design Institute which is all about the outside of the house stucco, adhered, stone, veneer.
Speaker 3:I went through that training on a level two as well, and he was kind of the guy that said go do this, it'll help you learn about, I mean, anything from one of those doors flashing that you need to know, and I think it's Ron Huffman that that I think he's in charge of all that president maybe, but it was good it was it's. You know, there's a lot there's. There's something that I tell other inspectors If you're not learning something every day, I mean I just don't think you're fully in it, I don't think that your mind is in it. If you're not learning something every day, I mean you know as well as I do. You go to a house and you don't know if you're not, if you don't, if you just put it on Facebook and say, hey, can you help me out with this? What is this? And I know there's a time for that. We got Google in front.
Speaker 3:You can figure out what that is. You know and study it, you know, don't just get the answer. Figure out why and then you learn some. You know. So it's it's never ending man, and I enjoy what I do and I know we talked a little bit about you know, realtors and working with realtors, and I've got great realtors that I work with. But there's a lot of business that comes just from Google. It comes from you know people, word of mouth and I think, like you said, being able to chameleon, I mean, who do I give the fist bump to, and who do I shake hands with? I mean, there's blue collar and there's white collar, and you know there's different.
Speaker 2:Is it a fist bump or a handshake?
Speaker 3:There's just different ways you can tell. You know, on our side of town, our side, you know the South side is all, you know it's blue collar and and not to say that there isn't white collar on that. So I mean vice versa. But you know, if you get out, you get out Northeast and it's a lot of white collar, and you know it's two different ball games. And if you can't figure out how to fit in, you know that's how you got to figure it out. It's just how do you fit in and how do you be their friend and then next inspection go be the guy's friend that's buying a $59,000 house. That needs a lot of work, you know so right, right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:How do you say that's serving your client? Ultimately, you're serving your client by how to help them, you know, deal with what, with what they're dealing with? Right, absolutely, and help them make the best decision possible, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Well, jake thank you so much for being on the show today. I just want to say it's been great having you on the guest and it's cool to see you on your journey and looking at your. You know you have the decision in front of you multi-inspector solo where am I going next? And I hope that you find the answer and I look forward to hearing from you in the future. And yeah, thank you so much for being on the show.
Speaker 3:Well, I appreciate you, Matt, and thanks for having me. This has been great and I will definitely. It's on my list of things. On my notepad is IEB. You know, I think bottom line, whether I decide to do multi or not, I think that that's going to be a good group to be a part of. It's like-minded individuals getting together and we have an industry and how do we make it better and how do we make ourselves better? So if you ever need anything, I'm always here.
Speaker 2:I doubt you will, but if you need it, I'm a phone call away brother, that sounds great If I find any of that concrete sighting you're talking about. Right, All right man. All right, Well, I'll talk to you later. All right man.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Bye. You've been listening to Empire State of Mind for the home inspection industry and beyond. Our passion is to elevate the home inspection industry with mindset, strategy and tools. We hope you've enjoyed the show. Make sure to like, rate and review. For more, follow on Instagram at IEB Coaching and don't forget to hit the website at wwwiebcoachingcom. Learn about IEB at no cost and have all your questions answered on our open call once a month on the third week of the month. We hope to see you there and we'll see you next time on the Empire State of Mind.
