I'm fortunate to be born and raised in the U.S., about an hour East of the San Francisco Bay Area, in a small working-class town. In this place, we see urban expansion on one side, and the now-shrinking rural-life on the other. It's an educational position, and we don't get too full of ourselves here. (Not that it would do any good.) Do you remember the “APTITUDE” test we all took in the fourth grade ? My results came back and suggested I lean towards being a Diesel Mechanic or a Plumber. Of course, that was in fourth grade, and I only remembered it a couple years ago.

I've been "mechanically inclined" since I could walk, get to things, and start tearing them apart. I got to do lots of experimentation with all the correct toys my folks gave me at Christmas-time; Tinker Toys, Lego's, Lincoln Logs, the metal Erector Set! Thousands of parts, thousands of hours of fun; and all the while, exercising my brain, too. Plus we had bicycles, cars, plywood and nails. I remember one of our ‘forts' (lost count) was FIVE STORIES TALL !

While I'm not overly outgoing, I seemed to have gotten a whole string of jobs that had me dealing with the public, and since I haven't jumped around much, I got to be familiar and friendly with a good percentage of my town, Brentwood. All those years of helping customers gave me a strong foundation towards one of the central pillars for a business; public interaction.

Back in 1990, I got into the plumbing trade with one of the local Contractors, and the attributes of being "mechanically inclined" and doing well with the public really fell into place for me, and I was able to help the business grow.

Another trait I seem to possess is to always be striving; that is, trying to find a higher level, be it in product, cleanliness of installation, the fit, finish, and operation, always on the lookout for a way to improve a facet here or there of the business. When I started my own plumbing operation a few years ago, I simply carried on my habit of being friendly and helpful, including in terms of the other plumbers in the area. It's been a boon; once we get to know and trust each other, we can cross-reference to each other according to our strengths. This works out very well; for example, I don't do snaking, but Manny of Oakley Plumbing does; I don't do high-multiples, like apartments, but Miguel at Amodio Plumbing does; and so-forth. And in return, these guys refer to me people who are doing projects.

I LOVE PROJECTS ! With a project, I get to come in, do my survey, lists, get a real game-plan going, help do demolition, and put things back together in a better, smoother running, total operation. The home-owner usually picks out the fixtures, and it's up to me to make it all work. I just EAT THIS STUFF UP ! !

I also install things a little on the technical side. Devices such as Whole-House Water Filtration, Regular Water Softeners, High-End Water Treatment Systems, Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Systems, hot water re-circulation systems, tankless water-heaters, and a variety of gas lines and equipment. For me, this stuff is fun! Of course, as a well-rounded plumber, I can pop-in faucets, disposals, toilets, etc., when the scheduling allows.

YES--- it's lot's of work owning a business. The physical and mental investments are immense, not to mention the financial part, but the return is also substantial. I get to ease the emergency of families with no water; I get to help and be part of peoples' lives for years, through projects, and hard-times alike; I get to be there. I wouldn't change it.

‘TIL LATER, DAVE