Bold Moves Podcast
Introducing Bold Moves — a series that delves into the exhilarating stories of risk-takers. Join your host Mat Torres and embark on an emotional narrative journey with each guest, uncovering stories filled with suspense, growth, and triumphant success. Designed to inspire both cautious decision-makers and adventurous thrill-seekers, these tales provide wisdom and insight to navigate life's uncertainty. Perfect for anyone eager to learn, laugh, and conquer fear!
Bold Moves Podcast
S1:E14 - The Day Everything Changed: Will Taufa’s Near-Death Story
🎙️ Episode Summary
Join Mat on the Bold News Podcast as he converses with Will and Kevin from Paloma Plumbing. They share their bold journeys into the plumbing industry, discuss pivotal moments that changed their lives, and explore the importance of embracing challenges for personal and professional growth.
Career Journey
Will Taufa, owner-operator of Paloma Plumbing, reflects on the crucial moment that inspired him to start his own plumbing business. Following the birth of his daughter, Will confronted the stark reality of returning to work merely 48 hours after giving birth, which motivated him to pursue a better work-life balance. He shares his early experiences in the plumbing field, characterized by lengthy hours that hindered family time. This realization became the basis for his aspiration to create a more adaptable career for himself.
Life-Altering Experience
A transformative incident occurred when Will faced electrocution while working in an attic. This harrowing experience, in which he narrowly escaped death, highlighted the critical importance of safety in his profession. The intervention of his sister and colleague was instrumental in saving him. This event altered his definition of success, leading him to prioritize relationships and personal health over financial rewards. He stresses the necessity for safety measures in the plumbing industry, as many workers may not recognize the potential hazards.
Industry Insights
The plumbing industry is currently facing a notable shortage of skilled labor, presenting a prime opportunity for younger individuals to enter the profession. Will emphasizes that the demand for plumbers will only rise as seasoned professionals retire. He encourages anyone contemplating a plumbing career to seek guidance, explore educational resources, and understand the possibilities within the trade.
Building Relationships and Community
Throughout the discussion, Will underscores the importance of relationships in business. He promotes the idea of treating everyone with respect, regardless of their position, and acknowledges the significance of helping others achieve success. His journey illustrates a more profound understanding of success, where personal relationships and a dedication to service take precedence over financial accomplishments. He wraps up by inspiring listeners to take courageous steps and begin their journey towards their aspirations without delay.
Behind the Story:
Will’s journey into plumbing was marked by a transformative event that highlighted the fragility of life. After experiencing an electric shock while working, he gained a renewed appreciation for family and the relationships that support his business. This moment became a catalyst for change, prompting him to embrace bolder decisions.
- “Money comes and goes, but the people around you are what matter most.” – Will Talfa
- “When you focus on helping others, you’ll see results quicker than trying to get results.” – Kevin
In This Episode:
00:00 Meet the Guests
01:11 The Bold Move
03:49 The Struggles of Overworking
06:31 The Path to Independence
09:00 Income Potential in Plumbing
11:01 The Stability of Trades
13:00 Changing Perceptions of Trades
18:20 Breaking Points and New Beginnings
20:03 The Reward of Helping Others
25:30 Marketing and Building a Business
29:07 Redefining Success
29:50 A Life-Changing Incident
34:30 Lessons from Adversity
37:01 The Power of Gut Feelings
39:10 Building a Stronger Future
41:02 Advice to the Younger Generation
42:44 Future Aspirations
45:22 Inspiration and Resources
49:06 Final Thoughts and Connections
All right, this is Matt with the Bold News Podcast, and I've got very special guests here. I've got two of them. I've got Will and Kevin, both from Paloma Plumbing. Will, want to take a little second just to introduce yourself and say hi? Yeah, hi everybody. My name is Will Talfa, owner-operator of Paloma Plumbing, and I'm happy to be here. Nice. Kevin? Yeah, I'm one of the new Wills hired. Just been doing plumbing for a while now, and it was a good moment for me and him to finally reach each other because we had a time where we were working separately, and we found each other at the perfect time. Very cool, very cool. So Will, man, we're in BNI. That's where we met. You've actually been listening to the show for a little bit, right? Yeah, I have. It's so nice to have something I like to listen to on podcast now, so. That's cool. Love it. Yeah, just to kind of fill the audience in, like Bold News Podcast, we're all about talking to business owners, people in business or entrepreneurs, really talking about their journey, like the bold moves that they've taken in their lives, like the risks, whether or not it was a good or bad move, talking about the outcomes and just what they learned from it. And it's just been really exciting to kind of like talk about that. But yeah, really excited to have you on the show and to kind of really like dig into that journey. But I guess that kind of like brings me like into like the first question. When we talk about bold moves, what's just a really big moment in your life that just sticks with you and is something that just kind of like really just made you stop and like go, whoa. So it takes me back to that moment where I kind of had that big move. It started as a thought, and what happened was my wife and I, we had our first, we had our daughter, her name's Haven, she's two now. And I told myself that someday I would not have to go back to work so soon after having a child. So that was, I was working for a company at the time and literally 48 hours after my wife gave birth, I was back in the field. And it kind of resonated for a while. I was like, man, I wanna be somewhere else right now, but I can't. So I guess my bold move started because I had a family, because we were starting our family. And that move didn't really take full effect until like probably a year and a half, two years later. So it's kind of a long story that how that went to be, but that was my decision where I was like, all right, I gotta make this happen. I don't know when, I don't know how, but I'm gonna make it happen someday. What were you doing? Like what was your, what kind of job was it? I was plumbing, yeah. I was a plumber. My dad was plumbing. Yeah, I was a plumber. Yeah, I've been plumbing since 2016 or 17, excuse me. So I was working for another company and at the time, great company, things were great. It just, that was, I would say, that was the pivotal moment that we were talking, that you were, you know, kind of asking about where I decided, I don't know how it's gonna work or how it's gonna kind of play out. But I knew that that, because of having a family, that that was gonna be the move that changed my direction. So were they just like working lots of hours or something? Or is it just? Yeah, there wasn't really a balance. You could say, you know, I, it's kind of hard to explain, but- Was it the same company that we were working at together? No, it was actually another, it was another plumbing, it was another plumbing company. Yeah, Kevin and I worked at a plumbing company together years ago, and then kind of went off into different companies and now we're back together, yeah. That company, we worked a lot of hours there, for sure. We would work like 14, 15, 16 hour shifts. Dang. To the, we would be there, the sun down, with the sun rising, till the sun set, because we would be there at four in the morning and then we would leave at like 7 p.m. Wow, that's crazy. That day was just plumbing, plumbing, plumbing. But, and to his point, that kind of like shaped me into being like, okay, there has to be more to this than just being in the field all day. I got to figure out how, how I'll make that bold move. You know, as a, as a husband and father, you know, a new father to be, you want to make sure you can provide for your family the best way you can. And sometimes it means working those 14 hour days, even, you know, maybe inside, you don't want to be on the, in the field, you don't want to be working, but you also understand that you got a family to support, you got a wife that's depending on you. So yeah, sometimes you got to make those hard decisions of where do I, the give and take, I guess, is the way to put it. So how long had you been married at that point? I'd say four years, at least I did four years in our marriage, yeah. Okay, and new kid coming and you're like, man, I'm working like all day, I'm never going to see my kid. Yeah. Pretty much, now like talking about it, it makes me laugh, but literally, yeah, that's what it was. We're just working, like overworking yourself and- Without even realizing it either. Yeah, without even realizing it, because it comes, it's habitual. You're just doing over and over the same thing. And then when you have that, that moment where it's like, hey, my wife needs me, but I also need to provide, it's a very hard- Yeah. You know what I mean? So, yeah. I can only imagine it's probably causing like a lot of arguments and stressful scenarios, situations and yeah, that's crazy. It's like kind of similar. I've been somewhat like in that area when I was going back to school, I was doing ROTC and like, I just threw my whole life in it. And basically I would, I lived in Levine and from ASU to Levine, like, it's like, it's a drive. So, and I would have PT at like six in the morning. So I would get up some more, like 4.30, leave like five and head on over there. And parking was crazy. So I would just like stay there the entire day. And I would like go in the library and do some work and then like have classes and then more ROTC stuff. And so I was there probably until, you know, six or seven o'clock at night too, because by the time you leave and plus traffic, you know, like, okay, so leave at- With that hour drive, yeah. Yeah, exactly. It's like, should I leave at four and then spend two hours in traffic or like just stay and get stuff done and then take, you know, 20 minutes to get home, you know? Right. So yeah, it was one of those things where, yeah, I can definitely see the stress and I wasn't plumbing, but I mean, like I was, you know, doing school and ROTC stuff and yeah, time-wise it was crazy. But I'm curious, so like you're doing your job and you're like, okay, I need to make a change. Was it immediately, were you thinking like, okay, I'm gonna start my own plumbing company or did it kind of evolve? Great, great question. So no, it didn't all of a sudden say, oh, I wanna start my own plumbing company. Actually, so from that company, I wasn't happy because of the oak being overworked. So I wanted to change. I went to another plumbing company. A buddy of mine, he reached out to me. He was like, hey, maybe come plumb with us for a while and, you know, try something new. And did that for a little while. And then it just wasn't the right fit for me. Great dude, love the guy. He knows who he is. Shout out to him and their company. But it just wasn't what I was envisioning for myself long-term. And so I had that conversation with him. And then from there, from that point, I really had to do a lot of soul searching and figure out, okay, am I gonna do this? Am I all in on this decision? Or do I have to take some more time and figure out if I wanna quit plumbing and try something else or, you know, pretty much go all in. And it was at that moment where I was like, yeah, I gotta do this for me and what I want for my future. So what were the, I guess, like steps involved after that? Like, what was your plan to go from, you know, working for that company and then starting the company? Like, did you have like a route set up? Like, hey, I'm gonna do this, this, and that. Or like, what did you, like, how did you envision it going? That is a great question. So basically what I ended up doing is I knew I had to get licensed. That was my first hurdle, I guess you could say. Before wanting to start a company, you gotta be a licensed plumber. So from there, I would go to the contractor licensing center and I'd go and spend pretty much all day. It was like, it was like I was studying like six, seven, eight hours a day. And that was like my life for, from November. So November, December, about three and a half, four months until I took the test and I passed. And then from there, that's when I decided, okay, now I got my license. Now I can open up everything that I need to and be official from the state, from the ROC and kind of get things rolling for myself. Yeah, because I think the test is the hardest part. It is. About even just being a plumber. Like not even the work is the hardest part. The test is the hardest part. Is it really? Especially the math portion because they throw you some crazy questions in there. Like, it's insane. Wow. It's true what he's saying. And a lot of the stuff that plumbers, that we hold in our license, on the day-to-day, most of these guys, we're not touching this certain, I guess what we're licensed to do, although we don't work in that field of work. Like fire sprinklers, for example. Yeah, there's multiple licenses when it comes to plumbing. The industrial, the commercial, the residential. It's not just one license that you do. You have to take multiple tests for multiple different types of work that you want to do. That's crazy. Yeah. I've heard that the trades, there's not a lot of people going into the trades that were like severely understaffed. Is that, are you? Yes. Are you seeing that? Oh yeah. Yeah, because there's a lot of journeymen that are like, that have been in for many years doing it, are leaving and there's not a lot of people that know how to do it anymore and how to train the younger guys how to do it. So it's becoming more difficult. Wow. Yeah, there's definitely a gap, like what Kevin was saying. There's a, I call them the OGs. There's a lot of them, but they're on the tail end of their career. So, you know, if there's not 10 people coming in for every 10 people that leave, there's going to be an unbalance in the work field. And that's where we are now. So it was definitely a great decision at that time of life when I was like, hey, I'm going to give this plumbing thing a chance. Cause now, you know, eight years into it, I'm at a different point than if I would have been starting later on in life. Yeah. If someone is thinking about, you know, going into plumbing, like what is the income potential look like for someone like starting out and then getting to a point where maybe they do want to like open up a business. Can you kind of give like some ranges or? Yeah, so I would definitely say it varies and it varies between a few different things. If you're going to work for a bigger size company where you're going to be hourly rate, you kind of have one range, I guess, that you can hope to make or that you should expect to make, excuse me. If you're working for a smaller operation, then you're probably not going to get as much experience as working for a bigger place. But to answer your question, I think my very first year plumbing, I think I did about 45,000, you know, nothing crazy, but it was enough at the time when you're 22, 23, whatever it was. I can't remember when I started, it's been so long. That's an okay amount to start with, you know, no debt. And then every year after that, I've gone up in my income. So you can expect if you're five, six years in to clear six figures, pretty confident, can confidently say that because multiple guys do that. And then the other side is when you own your business versus working with someone, those margins are always different. So there's definitely a lot of potential. There's a lot of work. And like Kevin was saying earlier, there's not a lot of guys coming into it. So we're constantly filling that gap of that need in our society, so. Yeah, I'm always, I'm curious because like with AI, taking a lot of the traditional, you know, jobs where people were like on the phones or, you know, doing like writing or things like that, a lot of these people are not going to have jobs. It's kind of, I mean, which is true, but I think it's going to be a lot longer before AI can do the trades, you know, like construction and, you know, plumbing and electrical and like that type of thing. I mean, I think there's people trying to find ways to get AI to augment. I don't know, maybe with the Tesla robots or something. But it'll be scary to have a robot in your house with something like go ahead and solder this. Yeah, right. It could be dangerous. But I'm just wondering if there's going to be like an influx of people wanting to look at something like plumbing and the trades because, you know, right now I see it as something that's pretty stable, especially since there's not a lot of people doing it. Like it sounds like a pretty stable career field for the time being. It's always has been, hasn't it? It's always been. Yeah, it's always been. It's not a flashy career. You know what I mean? People, I feel like at least every plumber I know, unless you're a father or uncle is a plumber, no one said, I'm going to be a plumber. Yeah. You know what I mean? It's just kind of fall into it. Different people have different paths and they end up plumbing, which I'm grateful for mine. So just, yeah, that's kind of how I see it. Man, you know, like I wish like growing up, like younger, like somebody would have like told me, hey dude, like check out the trades because like there are some serious, like you got skills and I mean, you got cash because like there are people making some decent money. You know what I mean? Like, I don't know. Like it just, it kind of, you know, like I, like my dishwasher, you know, like I'm reaching out to somebody like, like I'm like, come on, dude. Like, and I wish I had some of those skills, you know. Especially when you're a homeowner. Yeah. Definitely. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Man, I still remember I would, this was me and my wife and our first house. We were, I don't know, like early twenties. And I remember like our toilet was like, we didn't know what was going on. We're not, we don't want to know anything about plumbing. We call like our warranty company and they come out $75 service charge, you know, just for the fun that come out. Guys looking in the toilet and stuff. And it's the little flapper, little, you know, thing. And probably holding up. So it's that laundry can be run. Yeah, no, it was like an old house and you know, it was like been sitting for a while. It was a foreclosure. This was like back in 08 or something. And you know, everything was wrong with it. But yeah, it was like 20 cents. And he was like, yeah, I'll just give it to you. $75 for you to come out. I got you, don't worry. Yeah, yeah. You know, he was like, got anything else I can look at? You know, and I'm like. While I'm here? Yeah, exactly. But yeah, no, I just, I just wish I, you know, if anyone else can listen to this, it's like, hey, like consider trades. Because there's. Trade school as well is good. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. There's, I feel like a lot of people sleep on the trades because like what you're saying, it wasn't really talked about. And honestly, like pretty blunt to say this. It was looked down upon. Dude. With a lot of people I've encountered different. I work with so many different people at different income levels and brackets or however you want to say it. And I'd be lying. Kevin would be lying if we say, you know, no one's ever looked down upon a plumber, which happens, you know, on the daily. But it's crazy. You kind of take it with a. Yeah. Strip on your shoulder, but you wear, you know, your skills on your sleeve. Dude. Yeah, you can't take that away either. And it's like, I, it makes me mad because growing up, like, I don't know how old you are. Like I'm like 31. Yeah. Like, so I five, when I was going to school, they were, there were people like, oh, you don't want to do trades. Like you want to go and get your degree and do this and that or whatever, you know? And you like get, you know, and I'm sitting here today and I'm looking at a lot of people that I know that are very successful, make a lot more money than I do like in trades. And I'm like, why didn't I do that? You know, because I'm listening to some teacher who, you know, is. I think a lot of people, like a lot of reason people say that is because they think about the labor aspect of being in trade and they don't want to do that labor, you know? They don't want to do that hard work. They don't want to get a shovel and start digging some dirt, you know? Dude, some people thrive on that though. You know what I mean? I know. Right. Their mindset. Like for me, I probably would have done really well in a trade because like my, my mindset is like, I can't sit still and I need to, you know, ADHD, gotta be moving around and using my hands and. Be a great plumber. Dude, but like, I feel like I'm kind of like, like the age I'm kind of like old now to where it's like, man, learning something new, especially with like health wise, you know, it's like, I kind of, you kind of feel like you missed the boat, you know? And it's just like, it kind of sucks, but yeah, I don't know. I mean, I may be giving you a call some days. Hey, you need some help? Yeah, I'd rather learn. Yeah, that's crazy. Let's, let's kind of like, why just for a second here. So, you know, before, before you took your leave, like what did your, what did your life and like your work life look like before you made that decision? So I guess to start off, waking up at 4.30, being at a shop at five. Well, let me back up. So it kind of depends what plumbing you were doing. If you're working for a service based company or a construction company. So the construction companies, we would be at the shop by no later 5.30 AM. They call it like new construction and then service. Yeah. The service is more like already people lived in and the new construction is new homes and new builds. Yeah. So, yeah. So service and new construction, that's pretty much how it went. Yeah. So we would be, you know, waking, be at the shop by five, 5.30 and then working pretty much till the sun went down. Service side, people don't want you in your homes at 5.00 AM. So you're going to start, your day is going to start. A little later. Yeah. Closer to eight, I would say. And then more like business hours, normal business hours. A lot of times, you know, maybe take a call five, six, but most of the time you'd be home before that. Wow. So it just kind of depends what you're doing. And then weekends, in the new construction world, you could work if you wanted to, if they had the work. And then on the service side, it was basically like an on-call. So one guy would take a shift, the Saturday, Sunday shift, and the other guys would be off. Then it kind of just rotates. So like, usually there's like a catalyst, like a spark or like some, some like tipping point. Was there, was there anything like that for you? Was there something that just kind of like broke, you know, the straw that broke the camel's back, you know, something that just kind of like pushed you over the edge? In what way? Because I have a few different things I'm thinking about, like. Yeah, this like, like a specific moment or something like that just sticks with you that was like, okay, yeah, I need to make a change. You know what I mean? It's just kind of like, that was it. Yes. So this is actually funny. So going from new construction to service, they're two different worlds. It's still plumbing, but the environments are way different. And leaving new construction, where I was at over five years going into service, somebody had made a comment about a family member of mine. And I was just like, I ain't going to be here. I don't, I don't stand for that. And I didn't laugh at the joke. Yeah. And somebody had mentioned it. And when, when I caught drift of that, I was like, yeah, I'm out. It's no, there's no amount of money that somebody can put in front of me to say, hey, this is the environment you're going to be in. You just kind of got to shake it off. And I was just like, yeah, no, I don't want to be here. So basically put my foot down for myself and put myself in a better situation is a blessing because, because of that move, I was able to learn a whole other side of plumbing instead of staying in an environment where I knew I wouldn't be able to grow to do everything that I can do now. Well, so. This was the company? Yeah. Oh yeah. It was one of my managers. Manager said something to me and I was just like, eh, no, I ain't going to let that fly. So. Wow. That's crazy, dude. Like it was directed to your family? Yeah, it was directed towards, it was a joke towards my wife. And I was just like, yeah, no. Oh, dude. Yeah, I, yeah, that's like, nah. Yeah, no, I feel you. I would have been like, ooh, that's crazy, man. Yeah, I was trying to think like family member, was it like a sibling or something or? No, I think it would have been a little bit easier to hear it's a sibling, but you know. Yeah, when it's your wife, you're like, uh-uh. Yeah, and no lines then and for that, so. That's crazy. I'm curious, like, what was your breakthrough moment when things like finally clicked for you? You know, you made the decision, move to make this change. Yeah. Like you're starting, like, was there a point where you're kind of like, okay, yeah, this is like, I made the right move. Like things are clicking. That is a great question. I think for me, I would have to be seeing people thankful for what I do. Like on being on the side of when you're able to serve somebody. So people have issues every day and obviously I'm a plumber. So when they have their plumbing issues and they call me with that trust, say, Will, Izzy's going on, can you help me out? Being the person to show up and fix, resolve somebody's issue, it's kind of, you kind of get a little high off it. You're like, yeah, I'm a shit, I'm a man. I can fix this. Like I knew I knew how to do it, but then you have other people that are like kind of backing up what you're doing and you get a little bit of confidence. You're like, okay, this is the right move. This was- Definitely a euphoric feeling for you. Yeah. Just, you know, being the person to save the day when they're in their crisis, essentially. What's like the typical call you see, like that you go to, like what's the most common? Usually when like a pipe bursts or something or like when a water heater is too, when they just fail on you and they're like in a panic, they're like, I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. Yeah, it's really nice going there and just being able to, because it's so simple for us. Yeah, you see it all the time. But it's such a crisis to them, you know? Yeah. But we just get there and fix it really fast for them or however long it takes. And then after we get done, you could just feel that shoulder relief like off of them after like everything's fixed. So yeah, it's definitely a nice feeling. What's like the craziest like scenario, situation you've come across when you go to somebody's home? I don't know, I'd have to think on that one because there's been a lot. Man, I remember like, so we had a few like issues, but I remember the one was most recent. And this is like my BNI story too, why I BNI. But I remember, so I was in this last, the last chapter we were trying to start, which didn't start ultimately. But I remember I just joined and the like next day, you know, the little pipe on the side of your house that, you know, goes to your hose, like your main yacht buying spot. Yeah. So like all of a sudden that thing is just like spewing water everywhere. Like something happened, it's just like, I'm just like, and so like, and my wife's like, man, get out of here. I'm like, okay, what? I'm seeing all the water. She's freaking out and I'm just kind of like, oh, that sucks. You know what I'm like trying to figure out how to fix it, you know? You know, and then we turned the main water off, you know, so that way that's not happening. You know, my kids are home and they're not, you know, it's not, it's not a school day or anything. And like, they've got to go to the bathroom and they got to do all this stuff. And I'm telling my kids, okay, no bathroom, no nothing. Like just chill. So I call my friend up who's that, he was started the B&I thing. I'm like, dude, do we know any plumbers or whatever? He's like, oh yeah, I got somebody. And so I call him up and he's like, with B&I? I'm like, yeah, okay, I'll be right there. Like he's, he put me like ahead of everybody else. I'm like, I was like thinking like, what? This is not a priority, it's a B&I thing. I got to get used to this. So anyway, like he comes out and he like fixes my thing and all this other stuff. And I mean, it was an expensive job, but I mean like it's done. Like kids can use their stuff now and everything like that. But I was just, I was just thinking, man, like I wish I knew how to do stuff like that. I mean, like needed like a whole new pipe and some solder and, you know, just cut everything off. And it looked intense, but I mean, you guys, you guys do some crazy stuff, just gonna say. But yeah, that was, that was pretty wild. That's a crazy story, especially when your wife's like freaking out, like, hey, somebody got to fix this now. It's like a right now problem. Well, it was really messed up as I was calling some other plumbers around first and they were like, yeah, we can get out there like tomorrow or we can get out there, you know, like whenever, you know, I don't like, seriously. I'm like, dude, like I have no water. And so that, that's why when I, when I just talk about BNI, like all the time, because when I called that dude, he was like, dude, yeah, I got other people ahead of you, but you know what? BNI, like I'll come down over there right now. And I'm like, yeah, excuse me. Probably those calls that like you had or he had in front of him was probably not an emergency like yours. So, you know, so obviously we're going to take the emergency instead. And then we'll obviously communicate with our other clients to be like, hey, we have this popped up and it's an emergency. Because if somebody has a leaking faucet or something, that's not that big of a deal, but you have a pipe burst outside your house, obviously we're going to go do that to help you instead. Yeah. So I'm curious. So, you know, the scenario I'm talking about, you know, bring on the side, you know, you have to replace that thing. What does a job like that cost normally? Depends how much got changed out of it, but anywhere from 800 to $1,500. Okay. And it can go up from there, depending on if you're using a regulator, a PVB, just kind of depends how your build is. And then also the thickness of copper, you know, the size, is it a three quarter inch line or is it an inch and a quarter? Because then your fittings, your pipe, everything's more expensive. So it definitely ranges for sure, but it does get pricey. Okay. I was just trying to check, make sure I didn't get ripped off. It's like, wait, did I get it? That'll hit. It's like, it was like $1,200. Yeah. That's right in the, yeah. That's right in that range. Okay. I trust whoever comes out from B&I that they're going to do you right and everything, but you know, whatever. And that's the thing too, is a lot of times homeowners or people in general don't realize how expensive plumbing is nowadays. You know, to have a licensed plumber come and fix whatever issue you actually have and to do it right the first time versus hiring somebody off Craigslist that might show up, maybe he'll answer the call and something goes wrong. Maybe he did two plumbing jobs in his history and he thinks he knows how to plumb. Yeah. And I always tell people, I don't do anything besides plumb. So I have a really in-depth skill of a little bit of things versus a lot of things. So it just, I mean, to each their own, but that's kind of my niche and what I stick to, so. With plumbing, I think you do a little bit of everything in a trade. Yeah. Because I feel like plumbing is everything because we do concrete. Like we do obviously like PVBs, which is like landscaping, like to- Your backfill. To like feed the water and stuff too. Like we all like PVC stuff to like for pools and stuff. Like you could do that too. Yeah. I'm curious, because like there's that situation I have with my house where we keep losing water for some reason. Like the water bill goes crazy and I'm almost wondering if there's like a pipe from the irrigation to the backyard, to the front yard. That's maybe like- Scissors? Yeah, I'm not really sure. But the really messed up part is now there's pavers all over and so that would most likely- Might have to get ripped up. There are companies that specialize, for example, in like leak detection and they have different tools, I guess, that they work with on the day-to-day that I don't use on the day-to-day. So when it comes to stuff like that, I always recommend somebody that has, you know, those tools readily available to be like, okay, let me take this job versus, oh, think I can do it. Let me go rent a tool real quick and figure it out type of thing. There are specific companies that like specialize in leak detection, excuse me, yeah. Like even in the house too and like- Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Wow. They have things where they'll hook up and they can listen to- Yeah, they have like headphones and there's like a little microphone thing and then you just like put it to the wall and go around and see, because like you could hear inside the wall, see if there's like a little pin leak. Wow. And you could hear like, it's crazy. It gets like super intense on their setup. That's why I tell people, yeah, we don't have that. So call somebody that does. So- Like the paranormal activity guys with all the- Yeah, yeah, yeah. You did like a ghostbuster in there, trying to find a leak. That's crazy. No, it's okay. That's crazy. But yeah, how long you been in business now? So we hit a year in February. Wow. So just over a year, yeah. Coming up a year and a half, I'd say now. And are you getting most of your business from like marketing or word of mouth? What's been like your big driver so far? So word of mouth is probably the number one. Yeah. We're also social media. I get clients on social media. Hey, I saw your video. And then they want to book with us. Instagram, Facebook. I'd say that's probably the majority of our clients that we get. Yeah, we did just get a client from Instagram because you asked them, oh, what'd you hear from us? And you're like Instagram. Yeah, I saw one of your videos. I was like, nice. So what prompted you to like start doing that? I had that Instagram, just a plumbing Instagram for years. Even when I was working at other companies. But I never thought much of it. It was just like, yeah, I'll post a video before and after pictures. And then I started realizing, hey, people are actually watching this. Like people actually want to see how plumbing is, how to fix things, you know, before more than just before and after pictures, but like interaction with the actual plumber and talking about jobs that we get. And then for me, what kind of sparked it was when I realized that it worked and it's free, social media is free. So why not use that tool and capitalize as much as you can get everything you can out of it? Yeah, I've seen some of your videos and I'm like, oh, that's cool. Because I mean, people are interested in like figuring out stuff, like seeing how it's done, you know? I think, I don't know if too many people do this, but whenever I have somebody come to my house to like fix something, I'm always like standing there watching them. And I'm not like watching their work, like to make sure they're doing stuff. I'm just like really interested in like seeing how they do it. You know what I mean? Like our brain is like, oh, I didn't know that. Sometimes initially they're kind of like, what's up, dude? And I'm like, oh, I'm just really interested, you know? Like, sorry. Yeah, I'm not judging you. I'm just like watching you do it, you know? Yes. No more than I do. It happens all the time. Yeah, it's definitely the- It's pretty normal. Not to put anything on you, but it's definitely the worst feeling. Having somebody behind you like that, especially if it's the client. There's like, you're not, it's not like you're nervous or you're not scared of like messing up. It's just like, oh, like this guy, dude. It's just like, he's like right over me, you know? And it's just- Well, see, it's so weird because like, I don't want to just leave and then let you do your thing because then it's, oh, he's not really, you know, doesn't really care about the thing. I'm like, so it's like an internal thing. Like that's, you know, something that I deal with. I'm really, when I, when I'm watching, like I'm interested in like seeing how the process is done. Like, I don't know. Like I, as a kid, I used to watch like Home Depot, not Home Depot. What was it? Bob Vila's This Old House. Oh, okay. Yeah. Like shows like that, you know, where- Talk about like how you fix things and yeah. Yeah. I don't really mind when the client's like behind me like that, it's just, if they're like being just awkwardly standing there, that's like the weird part, you know? Cause I usually try to talk to them when they're like there, you know, try to make a conversation. So it's not just like I'm standing there and me just working, you know? And I think too, like you do it for so many years, you get used to it, where it's like, doesn't bother you as much in the beginning. Nowadays, just like what Kevin said, I'll have full on conversations with people as I'm working on their planning. I'll be like, hey, can you pass me that tool? Like just make them feel included sometimes or make them feel less nervous to be like standing over me. But yeah, it happens all the time. No, like, dude, I like that. Like when someone, hey, can you help me? I'm like, sure. Oh, yeah. That's funny you say that. Cause I made it real about that. I was like, if you're going to stand right there, I'll give him my phone. Call me real quick. So I get it and you get a good view and I made a real about it. So it was kind of funny. So it's funny that you're saying that. Yeah. That's a smart idea. Like that, I never thought about that, but help me out real quick. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah. I would, yeah, I would do that. Definitely. I'm curious, like how has your definition of success changed during this whole process or has it changed? Yes, mine has definitely changed. I used to think success was a numbers thing. Once you hit X amount, you've reached success. And I used to think that for years. So my definition of success has changed as the people around me, do they want to be around me more? My definition of success has changed in the fact of, am I able to be with my wife when she needs me? Am I there for the people that need me when they need me? That's to me, that's more successful. That's more being or finding success than, oh, I made this much money this month or, oh, we made this much money for the year because money comes and goes, but the people around you are what matter most. The reason why I say that is because I had an incident last year and Kevin knows this too, where I almost lost it all. I almost died on our job. What? So yeah, I was getting a- Very scary job. And so when you have a near death experience, it changes, at least for me, it changes how I think of things. It changes the whole, how you view life and how fast it can be taken from you. So every day, I'm grateful, I'm blessed that I'm still here and I'm doing what I love doing and I have my family. And that, to me, that's success. How did you almost die? We were doing a re-pipe and I was in an attic. We were there, it was our second day there. So we were basically finishing up doing the water lines in the attic. And it was an older house. And what had happened was, at the time, so it was my sister and I, we were in the attic and it was really crazy because my sister was, I was actually going to send my sister to go do a parts run real quick. But something told me like, I'll just have her help you finish this little section of the house and then we'll go home together. And so somebody told me to ask her just to help me. And ultimately, I think that's what saved me, you know, that I'm still here. But what had happened essentially was, there was a live, there's an old school ducking system, is that what it's called? Duck system? Yeah, for like- Where it's, yeah, AC, the duck work, I guess you'd call it. And it's like- This house was like from the 60s. So it was- Yeah, it was like a 60s- 70s, yeah. Old part of Chandler and- So there was like a bunch of like expired, like exposed wires. Yeah. But when you're in the attic, when you're working, like you don't really, you can't always see everything, right? And so what had happened was, I made contact with the ducking system, which was like sheet metal. And then I was leaning over it and my hands had touched an old galvanized pipe. And so something wasn't grounded properly and I made the circuit. And so I was getting shocked essentially. And when you get shocked, when you're getting electrocuted, your whole body tenses up. So I'm in the attic and my sister's there and I'm literally holding on for dear life and I'm screaming like, hey, like, so, you know, crying out. And I thought this was it. And she comes running over. Well, not running, excuse me. She crawls over in the attic. And then as soon as she touches me, she's like, oh, you're getting shocked. Like you're getting electrocuted. And so, because it took time for her to basically register what was going on to me. Because she was on one side of the attic and I was on another side of the attic. And when that had happened, I just started yelling. But as we're siblings, we work all the time and the house was vacant. She's probably thinking, oh, he's messing around. Or, you know, it didn't register right away that I was getting shocked. So she crawls over to me. Like I said, she, you know, tries to get me. I weigh like 100 pounds more than my sister. My sister is itty bitty. And the attic as well is like, what? This amount of space? Maybe 18 inches from the trusses to the top of the attic. There's not a lot of space to work up there. Small house. Very small house. And when I was getting shocked and when she noticed it, you know, she starts screaming basically for help, calling out for help because she couldn't get me. And thankfully, Luis Antonio, who's one of our other friends, a really good guy, really good plumber. He was there at the house and he had heard us yelling. And he told us later on, he didn't really, he thought we were just yelling, like messing around. And then once he realized what was going on, he ran up in the attic and basically just pushed me off of getting my hands not to be gripped on that galvanized pipe. And he even told me that he felt the shock of me getting basically electrocuted. Yeah, he was saying his right leg felt numb for like a week because he felt, I think, and I think that's what stopped your connection to it. He got that energy as well. And I think that's what stopped it because he was able to push him off in that little room that he had. Yeah. So it gets even crazier, the full story. So, you know, I'm holding on. I thought, this is it. This is, you know, I can't let go. And when you have an experience where you can't control your body, you can't control, you know, letting go, something is a very scary feeling. But when it happens so fast, you don't have time. You know, it's like your whole life flashes before you. And I'm thinking like, please, God, I don't want to die and please help me. And I kept saying, I kept yelling, like, I'm gonna die. Like, this is it. Like, I'm gonna die. If it wasn't for my sister, I would have died. And so her, like her at least being up there in the attic, you know, being that, you know, buddy system they talk about, you know, changed everything for me. And because of that, I was able to make it because once I was pulled off, I blacked out and come to find out later, which I didn't know at the time, but I had blood, you know, coming out of my nose, my eye, like there was blood all over the, in the attic. And I didn't learn about that till like days after and went straight to the ER and, you know, just lucky to, you know, like I said earlier, still be here, still got more time on the clock, as they say. So that was- It wasn't your time. Yeah, it wasn't my time. You know, and I've heard that a few times and it changes your perspective, but it also puts you in a situation where you don't take things for granted. You don't take people, relationships, friends, family, the time that you have, you don't, you don't take it for granted because you know, like I could be gone tomorrow. You know what I mean? So it kind of opens your eyes to life and everything in general. Dang, man. That's crazy. That's a crazy story, yeah. Something was telling you to not send your sister to the store and to stay and help you out. That gut feeling. Yeah, because she was going to go pick up some parts and stuff at the store, but she didn't end up going. Yeah, literally she, it was like a split like second, like, oh, just help me out real quick. Yeah. And you know, and you're not thinking nothing about it. Everybody goes on parts run. I'll be right back in 30 minutes. And yeah, so definitely happened for a reason. Yeah. I always think when I have those moments, those gut feeling moments, I see it more as like the Holy Spirit, like trying to talk to you and say, hey, you know, because growing up, you know, up until now, you know, especially when I was younger, I would go against that gut feeling. I'd be like, ah, no, like, you know, I would think like, oh, that's, you know. Something else. And I go against it and I always get burned. Like something always happens. And when I recognized, okay, maybe there's something more to this, you know, quote unquote gut feeling, you know, things started to like actually make more sense. And it kind of, okay, glad I did that. And now every time I have like one of those gut feelings, I'm like, okay, yeah, I'm gonna. Yeah, let's, yeah. Because chances are, it's probably God. It's like, okay, yeah, yep. Gonna bake, gonna follow. No, definitely. That's I think the same. That's, can you imagine like if she wasn't there? Oh, I've thought of everything under the sun of like, I've replayed this, that whole day, like so many times in my head to the point where it's like, it all lined up for a reason. You know, everything happened for a reason. And even that job, like the people that were on the job, I'm grateful to have everybody that was there in such a, you know, close proximity. Because if this was something where I was like, oh, we don't need, you know, so-and-so's help, this or that, then one less person's there. And, you know, that could have been a deciding factor of like if you're here or not. So I definitely, definitely, you know, give thanks, you know, to God that every day I'm still here. So definitely life-changing. Has, like, has that altered your business or has it altered you, your perception of life? Like has, I mean, did it change you? Was there like a, I don't know, like did it do something to like your outlook? Yeah, my outlook has changed. So the first thing you said about business, just on the day-to-day, we don't go in attics with, you know, power on the house. First and foremost, I don't care, you know, if we have to shut down the whole house, just as a safety thing. And when people ask, or if people ask, I just straight up tell them, oh, because I've had a situation like this. And if I'm not willing to put myself in that, I wouldn't put anybody in that same situation just for safety as, you know, precautions. I think ahead now, even if it's like, oh, we've done this type of work a million times, which re-piping a house, as a plumber Kevin knows, we do it all the time, you know what I mean? We did one this month where we did a whole re-pipe and you definitely can't escape being in attics as a plumber, it's part of it, but how you move, just kind of tightening up and being a little bit smarter. And if people don't understand, or if they're not willing to, you know, power, you know, shut the whole power off your house, find someone else and that's okay. You know, it's not worth, you know, chancing it. Because just like we didn't know that there was something live in that attic, I can't guarantee that that's not gonna happen in another attic. So that's definitely, it's changed in that way. What's helped me is like just getting in the gym, honestly. And that's been one of my biggest things that I tell myself, okay, if I make it to the gym every day, at least I start with a win, you know? And just having a consistency of like showing up for myself, showing that like, okay, I gotta put myself in the best situation, mentally, spiritually, physically, so that I can be the best version of myself for everyone else around me. And so that definitely changed me. That's very motivating how with him, because he goes to the gym every morning before work. So it's like, what, like four in the morning? Five in the morning? And then goes to work right after that. So he doesn't do it after work, he does it before work. That's smart, because after work, man. Oh yeah. No one feels like working out after work. Right, but yeah, it's very inspirational and very powerful how he can go to the gym before work and then go to work right after, you know? Yeah. Yeah, good on you, man. Thanks, I'm trying my best. Some days are harder than others, but you know, you gotta make things into habits and then habits get easier over time. But I definitely say, and it's also changed me in a way with like my wife. We definitely had those hard conversations where it's like, I think it's, you know, human nature. You always talk about the what ifs. Yeah. And we thought, what if, you know, my sister, her name's Myrna, what if she wasn't there that day? Or what if, you know, this or that? And we talk about it as how different life would be, because it hasn't even been a year. Hasn't even been a year since that happened. It was in September. So it's, you know. Oh wow, so this is still like recent. Yeah, it's ish, yeah, recent-ish. That's something where I think God is probably like, yeah, you don't need to be in the trades because you probably would be gone right now. I've, I don't know how many times I've made stupid little mistakes here and there. And I've seen some crazy things in the fields of people getting hurt. Yeah. Military wise, I wanted to be a helicopter pilot and I was like really like trying to do that. And for whatever reason, it didn't happen. And I kind of know, I kind of like know why now. What's the craziest thing you've seen? I've seen a guy fall off a scaffolding, like a two-story house. Like just straight belly flopped on the floor and his body bounced. What? And he gets right back up, starts working again. Oh man. I was like, yeah, that is insane. How do you just get right back up? I was like, you got to junk test that guy. Just pop back up. Yeah, climbed right back up to the scaffolding and started working again. Are you serious? I'm so serious. Dude. He's like, nobody check on me, I'm fine, I'm fine. That pride probably hit him. Dude, yeah, because there was a bunch of us outside the house and we just seen him fall and we just run straight towards him. But no, he's acting like nothing happened. He's just, he was right back up. That's crazy. And imagine being one of his kids. Look it off, you're dirt. What would you tell your younger self if you had a chance to like go back in time and talk to your younger self? Like what kind of advice would you give yourself? Want to start this one, Kevin? What would you tell your, I got something, but I want to hear what you say first. Why me? Because you're younger than me. I'm exactly, I'm still young, so go ahead. I think if I would tell my younger self something, it would be focus on people and results. When you focus on helping others, you'll see results quicker than trying to get results. So like being driven to help others versus being driven to achieve something. And I think when you're young and you have all this energy and you're kind of, especially being in the trades, you know, you feel unstoppable. You're like, oh, I'm going to reach this level or I'm going to make this much money. And once you get there, you feel like nobody can stop you or you're on top of the world. I think if I would tell my younger self is to focus on relationships, focus on helping others and kindling those, because those are what ultimately is going to help you get farther in life than trying to do everything on your own. You can get a lot farther with a team of like-minded individuals than you can on your own trying to build this empire. So it's not saying that you can't, but I think something that I would tell my younger self is build a team or be around others that are going to help you get to ultimately where you want to be in life, because it'll happen a lot faster than trying to do everything on your own. That's solid. Yeah, I wish someone would have told me that when I was younger. You don't really pick up on those things until you kind of go through life a little bit. Yeah. Yeah. Take a lot of things for granted for sure. Yeah. When you're younger. Yeah. You know, as men, we don't want to ask for help. You don't want to admit when you're lacking in something or you're going to be afraid, oh, is he going to make fun of me or is somebody going to not be your friend or this or that? And so ultimately realizing that we're all human, we all make mistakes, but we're all here to grow and to be better. So I think that's something that definitely a lot of people struggle with. What's the next bold move for you? I think my next bold move, if I can boldly pronounce what it is, want to get into a newer work vehicle for us. It is a bold move because it takes a lot to get into the type of, I guess, tier of vehicle trucks that I'm looking into. I really want to invest into the future of Paloma and doing that, you know, it costs. It costs money to roll around in nice vehicles. It costs money to do these certain things, but that's probably my next bold move that we're working hard to achieve so that when we're there to make that next move and once we, driving away, finally got that truck that we have, we know that we can say like, yeah, we did it. We accomplished the goal that we have and continue to grow as a company. Exactly, like what's the next one? What's the next move going to be? So I think for us, that'd be the next one right now that we're wanting, the growing phase. Where do you see Paloma at in the next five years? You were just talking about this yesterday. Yeah, we were, we're crazy. That's insane. I think so, yeah, in the next five years, so let's play it out. It'll be 2030, be 35. Next five years, I see Paloma having at least five service trucks, being a lot more running my business instead of being in the day-to-day, you know, in the business. I see Paloma as a company that's very reputable in the Valley, you know, very honest that people can respect. I see Paloma as a company that will be able to take on a lot more work, bigger scale jobs as we grow and also having divisions within Paloma, having a drain division, having a division with service, you know, giving opportunities for other young people coming into the trades that they can now pick up the torch, learn from people that have experience and to grow and make it an environment where people feel comfortable to learn, but also to grow and, you know, make a living, make money and be able to provide for their families. Nice, that's cool. That's definitely where we wanna be. What is your favorite book, podcast or resource that inspires boldness for you? I like Andy Fursella's podcast. What's that one about? It's, he just talks about the real world and how everything is like, just pretty much government-based and pretty much talks about like, getting out of the matrix, stuff like that, you know? Sounds like that. You gotta listen to that. Yeah, that sounds up my alley. I gotta listen to that. Okay. His intro is very inappropriate, so I'm not gonna say the intro. He's the PG dude. Yeah, but he's actually a really good guy. He has another guy too that is with him and talks about a lot of real stuff. Talks about like, deeps about like, the school shootings and stuff like that. He talks about a lot of like, people that work nine to fives and how to like, get out of that stuff like that too. And his slogan is the real world. So that's a really good podcast. Check that out. Yeah, so mine will be a book and my favorite book at the moment, I will say, it's called Everyday Millionaires. And it's a book, basically what it's about, it talks about how there's a stigma on people who think that millionaires are just born into wealth, but how there's literally everyday millionaires and kind of what they do, what habits that they have that ultimately push them into becoming that millionaire status. A lot of people think, oh, millionaires, they're only doctors or they're only athletes. But when they did that survey, the book is about, they surveyed multiple millionaires here in America and they talk about the differences that people believe are the millionaires and the people that are everyday millionaires. So it's very, very intriguing to me and it kind of scales it down to where I'm like, oh, see, this guy works for the schools and he's an everyday millionaire, how? Because he did X, Y, Z over a long time that ultimately put him into that category to be a millionaire. So I like reading books that are like motivating me to better me financially, physically, whatever it might be. Who's the author on that? That was Chase Hogan. Chase Hogan, the everyday millionaire? Everyday millionaire. It was definitely a good one. Good read. What's the best piece of advice you ever received? Hey, that's a good one. There's so much things advice. Best thing of advice that I've received. Why am I drawing a blank too? I'm trying to think like which way you want to take this because there's a lot of advice that I've gotten. There's a lot of good advice I get too from social media. What's one that kind of sticks out to you? That's what I was trying to find right now. Because I always save them because dude, there's some good ones that like, you know, really gets you like motorheaded. Think best thing of advice I'd get. Hmm. Probably had to be something along the lines of, you know, it's something that I read. I can't remember where I read it, but you treat everyone the same. It's like the old golden rule. I can't remember where I read it, but it was basically saying you treat the janitor the same way that you treat the CEO. And just, if you have that, you know, mentality of like you treat everybody the same, we're all on the same level, no matter, drive the nice car, the beater or whatever. You just have a level of like respect towards all mankind and then it's, you know, that's the way that I would want to be treated. So I think that's kind of the easiest one for me that I can think of right now. Have you ever seen those YouTube videos? I think they're like by Darmon Studios, I think, or I think that's what- It's like skits. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? I think I have. They're like super corny. Yeah. But- They're addictive. As you start watching, it's like, oh, what would you do type of thing. Yeah. Situation. They get the point across though, because there's quite a few of them that are like that. Where somebody looks like they're a janitor or whatever, and they're actually like the owner of the company or something. Like Adam Sandler, the way he dresses. Yeah. He's super below me in his butt. Then like, you know, the person treats him like garbage and the other person treats him nice and that person gets- Oh, I love those videos. Yeah. I love those videos. Yeah. They're super corny, but they're like, the acting is horrifying. I'm sorry. We're just- Oh man. But like, it just clicked for some reason. Like, you know, I can't help but watch them. In one word, how would you encourage someone to be bolder today? I'd say start would be my word. You gotta start somewhere, wherever you're at in your journey of being bold or what bold means to you, means to you. That's different. So I would say, you gotta start. You gotta, you know, act. You can't just say, oh, I'll do, I'll make that big move when Monday happens or when the new year. You get a lot of those all the time. Just a start and be 1% better. Try a little bit harder in the next year. Don't procrastinate. Yeah. Don't procrastinate. But that probably my one word would be, more bold would be to start. That's cool. I like that. Is there anything that we didn't cover that you want to share before we wrap up today? For those listening that have maybe thought about or they know someone younger that maybe would be interested in getting into plumbing or kind of on the fence of like, I don't know if this is the career that I'd want, or I'd say to, you know, if you're ever open and you want to talk to anybody that's actually doing it, you know, to reach out, we have social media, Paloma Plumbing, reach out. And if you want to learn more, I definitely say that there's so much work that as the years go by, there's going to be less of us doing this. So the need to be in this field is going to get more and more of the demand is going to get higher. So I would say to the younger generation, reach out, you know, watch our videos, you know, follow us, see what plumbing is really all about. How can people get ahold of you? How do they contact you? So they could call. I got my number everywhere over Google for sure. Social media. Yeah, social media, Facebook. So on Instagram, it's Paloma Plumbing. And then also on Facebook as well, it's just Paloma Plumbing. They could follow us like it. It's Paloma underscore plumbing. Oh, sorry, correction. Yes, Paloma underscore plumbing. Nice. Yeah. Okay, cool. That's where they could find us. Sweet. Dude, I got to say, it's been awesome having you on the show and hearing your journey and man, especially like the life altering thing, you know what I mean? Where you, yeah, that's just crazy. Well, thanks for having us. Yeah, I appreciate it. No, I appreciate you coming on and yeah, it's been cool. It's super fun. Yeah, no, for sure. Definitely. Been sitting here with Will and Kevin from Paloma Plumbing. It's been a blast. This is going to be a wrap on today's episode of the Bold News Podcast. And until next time, we out. Hey everybody, this is Will with Paloma Plumbing. I had a great episode with Matt and talked about how I had a life changing experience you wouldn't want to miss. So tune in Bold Moves Podcast.
