The Parks Way with guest Marquis Gilmore-Comfort Consultant

Hear Marquis's incredible story of overcoming the odds!  He shares how using his faith, family, and personal drive shape him into the leader he is today!

Transcript

Wyatt Tucker: 0:19

Good afternoon. Good afternoon. This is Wyatt Tucker, the creator owner and the podcast for that's the parks way podcast. I got a special guest in here with me. Mr. Marquis Gilmore, how are you Marquis.

Marquis Gilmore: 0:34

Hey Wyatt, I'm doing great man yourself doing

Wyatt Tucker: 0:37

wonderful. Been a while man since we've been on air, but we're just trying to get back to doing this. And, you know, this is someone's very dear to my heart and some very special to me. So I'm, I'm kind of excited. So how are you today?

Marquis Gilmore: 0:50

Dude, I'm doing great man. You know, like I say, it's that time of the year, you're gonna be getting excited. We're about to kick off the spring season of heating and cooling. Like I say, it's just that time of year, man. So I'm excited to get out in the field.

Wyatt Tucker: 1:04

Wonderful. So the purpose of this podcast is really just to, you know, talk about your story, talk about your leadership, you know, Marquis, you've been with us for a while, you know, I fell in love with you, you know, the first day you walked into our office downtown, and you just light up a room, you brighten up everybody, you're just that kind of guy. And so, you know, we talk a lot about leadership. But we also, you know, kind of want to hear your story. So just let the crowd out there. The people that are listening this know, kind of, you know, where you're from what you know, now, you got a beautiful daughter, right? Everything's like that. So just, you know, take us back, where are you? From? Where are you from? Where'd you grow up? What's going on? Well,

Marquis Gilmore: 1:45

you know why I met you a couple years back, and I told you from the beginning, you know, you give me the opportunity. I got your back. And more so than ever, you know, since then you have my back. You know, through what of all I've been through through COVID and everything and that nature, but you know a little bit about myself. My name is Mark, he's 32 I'll be 33 next week. I'm lying on 33. Obviously,

Wyatt Tucker: 2:09

the interviewer did. All right. So you until all the ladies out there to 32

Marquis Gilmore: 2:15

Well, yeah, I'll be 34 this year, in another week, but no, why it I started heating and cooling. You.

Wyatt Tucker: 2:22

Where'd you grow up? Okay, I

Marquis Gilmore: 2:24

grew up in New York, South Carolina. Your your, your comprehensive high school, and your mom and your dad. Everybody went through your comprehensive high school. My whole family were born and raised out of York. And that's my that's my roots. Man. That's my roots

Wyatt Tucker: 2:38

is your mom's still around with us, dad, everybody blessed to

Marquis Gilmore: 2:42

have them. They are still around healthy. They are always there for me, because they've been in this thing with me. I always talked to mom. And she said Mark, you know, hasn't been almost a decade since you've been eating Kalasa. Yeah, she was like, wow. Yeah. Wow. Interesting. Yeah.

Wyatt Tucker: 3:00

So tell me more about growing up. So brothers sisters. Yeah. Big family.

Marquis Gilmore: 3:05

Yeah, huge family, man, everybody in my family. actually still around, we still all York County. My grandmother lives two houses down from my mom, my uncle lives across the street. So very tight knit family. Growing up, do I got you know, 1012 cousins. And every Sunday after church, we would always meet in my grandmother's house out the church and run around and eat snacks. And, you know, it was just really close. And you know, the older we get, everybody's still kind of connected. You know, everybody has their different lives now. But Christmas Thanksgiving, we still to this day, everybody still gets together, whether it's in 1000 square foot house, or is a, you know, 2000 square foot house, we make the best of the times and you know, it's really it's such a blessing to still have my family around and everybody as close as we are, this is really a blessing.

Wyatt Tucker: 4:01

So who would you say, you know, growing up was your you know, your rock your leader? Who do you kind of you know, think about now as we all get older, we we kind of look back and we're like, man, you know, that person was right, or this person was right. Or, you know, they they weren't a lot of the things that they instilled with me or sharing me growing up, you know, I see that now. Who is that person for you back then?

Marquis Gilmore: 4:25

So again, like I say, my mom and my dad, of course, you know, everybody has their mom or their dad. But I have an uncle, Uncle Man. I call him uncle Mike. Dude, he was he was really that example, that father figure he worked hard, you know, and that's kind of where I get my work ethics from is because that's all I really seen him do. He worked, he worked. He worked. And he always told me you know, Mark, he said, if you work hard, you're gonna have anything you want in this world. But as a kid growing up, man, you know, I was always hyper in school, you know, and to them Today, yeah, yeah, hyper. And so, you know, in school, teachers always say, Mark, you talk a lot, Mark, you talk a lot. And it's just funny now because my uncle you say, Mark, you know, can you just not go to school and just be quiet for eight hours. And now being into this role that I'm in? We laugh because it's like the same thing that he used to get on me about is what I use now for my career. I talk a lot. Right so Mike was my he was my example of hard work and I get my ethics from them learn how to cut grass, weedy, you know, change old changed. Tire brakes, no brakes on your cars. You know, I'm big into, even though you don't like it. I'm big into motorcycles. And my uncle thing, yeah, why against end? But no, my uncle was one of the main reasons why I kind of fell in love with the, what we call this the bite life is kind of more so like a therapy for me. So I kind of just fell into his footsteps and still to this day, him and might have been married for, you know, 30 plus years. And just to this day, he still sextet example, for me to be a hard working man and etc. So

Wyatt Tucker: 6:11

let's pause right there a little bit. So, explain to me what you said hard work. Right. You know, I think you said they've been married, or he's been with your aunt for 30 plus 30 plus years, that that's a feat in itself. You know? What was it? What do you think? You know, that What draws you to him? Or what, what? What was the overall thing that you could or, you know, was the reason why you just admire him so much. I mean, I get the work ethic ethic. You know, it was it was it words was the actions like, what, what kind of stuff? Was there in it?

Marquis Gilmore: 6:49

Well, I will say that, you know, he was he was the type person that now that I've gotten older, I look back and I'm thankful for him, right? Because when I was younger, I thought it was him being mean, right? But But initially, I needed that guidance. Because when I did do wrong, he was always there. If I did do, right, he was always there. Right. So what initially drew me to him is that he never gave up on me. He always encouraged me without doing right or wrong. He always tried to push me to be a better man, he's very quiet. You know, he's very quiet. So if you ever was to come across him, he never was a loud mouth. He never talked a lot. But something about the connection that he and I had, it brought that that quietness, it kind of, it kind of takes, right. So he's just been, you know, the person is always not going to always call him if I need something. You know, he has two daughters. And again, like I say, he's just been that, that father figure, you know, pretty much my entire life. And he's just a genuine, individual.

Wyatt Tucker: 7:59

So that's kind of interesting. Your dad's still around, right? Right. Again, to to, like a father figure what why would your father not be more, you know, the father figure, right? Let me ask, you

Marquis Gilmore: 8:11

know, your mom, like I say, me and my daddy, we have a, you know, a really transparent relationship. You know, culturally, things a little bit different, you know, from, from my perspective of life growing up, you know, I didn't really see a lot of, you know, more so married couples. My father, Mom was never married. So, my dad was always there, he was always there to, you know, do the positive dad things, but because my family lived on the same route. You know, my uncle Mike has more, more connection and seen me a lot more than my dad, which my dad's dad, my dad, we have a great relationship. But he even knows that, you know, my uncle Mike played that role. Right? Him and Mike's do they has a great they have a great relationship. Why it but you know, again, like I say, it's just the way that I grew up. It was a lot different than a majority of, you know, the kids that I went to school with. So yeah, I mean, like I said, my dad was there, but my Uncle Mike was closer. So therefore I got to see him actually living and doing life versus you know, maybe me and my dad not really seeing each other seven days a week growing up or you know, waking up every day my dad there. But again, like I say, Uncle Mike was so much closer.

Wyatt Tucker: 9:35

Wow. That's that's pretty powerful, man. I mean, you know, you got your you got your dad who's still around and doing all that and you don't really have much resentment. It sounds like you know that he wasn't there and your uncle just stepped in and kind of fill in a lot of those voids for you

Marquis Gilmore: 9:51

absolutely do. And again, like I say is, I always tell my mom, you know, as a man, the older you get, and the older I got You know, it made me respect my dad more than we got to build that bond. And he and I talk, you know, and now that I'm a man, you know, I understand, right? But I'll never use this thing what? I understand the role, like, why he wasn't really in my life, right? Because again, like I say, I grew up with a lot of kids, and they parents were married, which I used to want that, right. Oh, yeah. And the older I got, I just realized that my parents were never married. So it would have been, it was impossible for me to actually have that lifestyle.

Wyatt Tucker: 10:30

So how did you handle that?

Marquis Gilmore: 10:34

Some of my younger years, it was a challenge. Like I say, it's just, you know, I'm big in my faith. So you know, a lot of praying and asking God to kind of guide me and give me to, you know, give me the direction. And it's honestly, just through the years, it just kind of dawned on me to just, you know, kind of live in peace. And for anybody that's ever, you know, hurt me, or, you know, anything along the way, just just give them forgiveness. And you know, and that's pretty much what I believe in, you know, people, everybody make mistakes, nobody's perfect. So, you know, I just kind of talk it up and say, hey, you know, that was my childhood, but I'm a grown man now. And now I live my life and how I, you know, have relationships with people. It's not based off our past, but it's more so, you know, my, you know, my cats are always telling me Be Where Your Feet Are, you know, always be your feet are. So wherever I've met, I tried to make the best of it wide. And that's pretty much where we're at now, man. So just, you know, in a time when I do get to see my dad, we still laugh talk, you know, he still treats me like, I'm five years old. He's, he's still robes on my head. And, you know, I'm like that I'm not five in hump 30 year old man. So it's still that connection is still there no matter what,

Wyatt Tucker: 11:47

man. I mean, that's, that's pretty powerful there, Marquis. I mean, you know, we deal with turning point. And a lot of that is, you know, excuse me, most all of those situations are broken homes, you know, and how those kids respond, you know, I think is a big thing of how, you know, your turnout. And you took, you know, the negative situation, right, your parents weren't married your dad wasn't there that much. You could have let that defined you out, in ended up being somewhere else or turned out some other way? Absolutely. And then, you know, just another statistic. Yeah,

Marquis Gilmore: 12:27

absolutely. And absolutely. And people talk about statistics as real, you know, living that life sin, what I saw growing up, it's amazing, not only myself, but my peers, the people I grew up with, just to see how far I've come considering the struggles. And the thing that I've seen, you know, a lot of kids that grew up with me, they're pretty much, you know, still doing a lot of the same things, right. And as you know, when I see him, I encourage him, they encouraged me, Mark, keep going, you're motivating us, you're inspiring us. So it is, you know, I took like you said, Why not took negative?

Wyatt Tucker: 13:00

So what was it? What, what was there a light that went off in your head? Was there? Was there a specific instance? I mean, like, what was what caused you to not do that? Because that mean, no offense, that is kind of the easier thing to do at like, absolutely, yeah, getting in trouble getting arrested, doing all that kind of stuff is not, you know, nobody wants to do that. Right? You could have gone down a different path and where you are today, what? What was the planning moment? Or? Or was there? Tell me tell me what was the big thing to change you?

Marquis Gilmore: 13:34

Right? So my, one of my best friends it just be honest and transparent. Cuz that's why, right? One of my best friends, actually, you know, he got sent off to prison at the age of 21. Wow. Yeah, at the age of 21. He got phased eight years. Good, dude. I always thought the world of them, you know, but at that point, I started realizing that, hey, you know, Mark, you have to do something different. And I told my mom, when I came home from college, I remember crying in my room. And I was like, Hey, Mom, I don't want to be like, the rest of the guys that I'm around, I say I don't want to write. And she always said, Mark, you know, you're not, you're not. And it's crazy that we're having this conversation because my mom and I talked about that this morning. While she said yes. Crazy. Because she's she said this morning, Mark, you're where you're at because of your prayer family. Right? And people think that where I'm at now in life, it's just I woke up one day, and it was just like, hey, you know, I want to work hard. I want to be successful, but they don't see the struggles that I went through the obstacles that I went through just to get here from the you and had this interview. Right. And so to answer your question in interviews, podcast, podcast, podcast, sorry, sorry, sorry, podcast. Um, but no, yeah, you know, and a lot of, I'll say this, and, you know, again, I've spoken my faith earlier. But what truly, truly, truly changed me that I'll never forget. At the time girlfriends, she's like, Hey, will you go to church with me and I was raised in church. But, you know, once I hit 18 years old, I kind of walked away from church and just kind of, you know, kind of wanted to do my own thing. So once we got together, she one night, she said, Mark, you want to go to church, and I was like, I don't really want to go to church. She begged me begged me If so, eventually, I went to church. And it was a dude named Buddy, but it cuts off was in the pulpit preaching, and everything that he was saying. I feel like it was direct to me. Oh, yeah, they did at that point, at that point, why? That's when my life shifted. Very day. I literally transformed my whole life. And again, like I say, it goes back to they say, you know, as a as a kid, as a man, what does it say? What you know, once you a kid, or once you becomes a man, man, you put away key at ways. And at that moment in time, I realized is like, Okay, now it's time to be a man, you're 22 years old. 23. What are you going to do? I didn't really have a lot going on I was working at. I forget, while I was working that due to this story is just crazy, man. But I woke up. And I realized after that night, I was like, you know, Mark, I really want to change. And for the first two years, when I got involved with youth ministry, I was deep into like church and really just just using that as a as a, as a direction to take me away from what I was used to. And I got involved my buddy, Josh, he was a youth pastor their day, we went on trips, taking youth everywhere, going on mission trips. And dude, I enjoyed it. It was genuinely fun. It didn't cost a thing. It was something I never experienced that I wanted the the love that I was receiving, why it was just like, Dude, this is what I've been looking for my whole life. And so at that moment in time, I was like, Dude, this is a lifestyle that I want to live. And that's, that's, I mean, it happened pretty much overnight. It was a light switch, and do that since then life has been, I've had my ups and my downs, but do for the most part. I've really seen, you know, what faith does? When you you know, step out on faith? Yeah, you're right. Yeah. I mean, not to get too preachy,

Wyatt Tucker: 17:10

but you're good. I think, you know, I think there's a lot of positive things there that you said, I think that, you know, anybody's out there listening, or anybody that's struggling with, you know, family and dealing with, you know, a broken home or father that had, you know, I'm not gonna say abandoned but had kind of not not wasn't, was absent, right, a little bit into the hear your story to hear you say that. You don't have that resentment towards your father, you don't have that animosity. You actually call him dad, not by his first name, which you hear sometimes people saying and doing right, right, I think is very, very powerful. And I think that Marquis, that's part reason why you you know, you're such a good leader. Now, you're such a, you know, a very important piece here at parks, but also just in your community and everything else. I think that, you know, you taking that and using that as either fuel or motivation or steering you away, I think, a big piece. And then also, you know, your experience that you just said, I think that that's also very powerful in itself that, you know, faith. Faith is humbled you put you where you are. So let's fast forward a little bit. Right. You come work here, right. And your daughter at the time was like 111 years old. Yeah. And you were married to your wife,

Marquis Gilmore: 18:32

right? Correct. Yep. Yep.

Wyatt Tucker: 18:35

And then you weren't

Marquis Gilmore: 18:36

right. Yeah. Life. Yeah.

Wyatt Tucker: 18:39

I was like, man, it's my fault. And I remember that, you calling me and talking to me about that? Because, you know, I kind of had gone through the same thing, right? Married, married young girl had a child. And then when the child was about one and a half, you know, me and my ex didn't work out. Right. Right. And it's funny looking at that, and it's very, it's, you know, people that don't have that T shirt can't really talk to you about it's like, well, you know, it's in you were, you were down in the mud that during that time, and you just you could not see your way out of like, Hey, how's this gonna get better? How is this going to do? Like, this is pretty tough. You know? That was

Marquis Gilmore: 19:21

one of the challenges, right? Like I was, I guess a lot of challenges I face and it was definitely one of the telephone tougher ones.

Wyatt Tucker: 19:26

And you persevered that? I mean, I think you had one of your best summers with us during that summer. You know, and like that. I think, you know, then he I think he went when he hit COVID I don't think

Marquis Gilmore: 19:38

oh, it is one Yeah. 21 But you you

Wyatt Tucker: 19:41

had you know, again you back up against the wall right? You haven't you haven't adversity in your life, you're gonna deal with things and for any, anyone that has gone through that, you know, outside of knock on wood, potentially losing a child right. You know, Divorce is ranked up right there or losing a loved one my I could say but I mean, that's, that's hard. That's very, very tough. And you handled that again. Very well does handle it perfectly. No, but nobody does. But she did. And now look at you on the flip side of that. You, you, I think rebounded plus some, there you go, you know, I think you're, I think you've, you bounced back, you don't worry, you send pictures of your daughter, she's beautiful, thank God, she doesn't look like you at all. But just kidding, but that's my boy. That's my boy. I don't know, man. But you know, I think that you talk a little bit about that experience. And I get into into it, but with the, with the leadership part of it, like what, what also helped define you that, you know, there are guys that, you know, the DUIs, right, they, they get abusive, they, you know, fall in love or think they fell in love, you know, the wrong person, and do and don't really learn from, you know, a big life change like that.

Marquis Gilmore: 21:04

Well, I will say do not just make you feel all fuzzy and stuff, but parks played a huge, huge role in my transition, right? You know, and again, like I say, I'm open and transparent. And I tell people all the time had I not been with a company like this, it just gave me the opportunity to continue to work and do things like I really don't know how to handle it with the amount of work that I do. And, you know, I'm always in someone's house and things of that nature, it kind of helped me keep my mind and I met so many people. Throughout my separation that pretty much shared the same story. Being in this position, it reassured me that Mark, you're not the only person that's done this. Because at one point in time, I was like, Dude, I'm the only person who's ever dealt with separation and divorce, you know, and then you start meeting people and people, younger, older people. And it really gave me a lot of motivation, along with Wyatt, and encouragement to say, Man, do you know this is not the end of the route? Right? Because it feels like that, you know, 1010 12 years, your whole life, you've been living one way and then it's like, almost overnight. It's just like, starting over. But how I manage that. But again, like I say, from the outside looking in, I carried it really well. You know, I had a lot of people in my corner my family. They were really there for me and you know, talk through me talk talk it over you know, with me, my mom, she reassured me every day and to this day, you know, my ex wife and I were still you know, we're still get along we're you know, we're amicable amicable? Yeah. We're co parenting and, and things of that nature. There's no ill will there but

Wyatt Tucker: 22:47

let me stop you right there. Let's let's get a little deep there for a second. Absolutely. Right. You had you could have a noun say abandoned, but you could have become an absentee dad. Absolutely. Right. It could have fell into that same trap. Right. You know, hey, apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. Absolutely. Right. Absolutely. And I don't mean that in the wrong way. But, you know, you you learn from your elders, you learn from your parents you learn, you know, and you didn't do like you were there. Like you sent me pictures or your girl. You were always like, you would stop what you were doing, if she needed it, or, you know, you in your visitation and your time with her. Like you were just glued in. Dude, I'll tell you what happened, man. Like what not necessarily happened? That's wrong. We'll edit that part just right but what why did you choose again, once again, bro, I had a you were at a crossroads,

Marquis Gilmore: 23:45

right? Do as a kid growing up in a single parent broken home. First of all, I never thought I would ever get it. First of all married and I got married. I never thought I get a divorce through. And so the moment that my daughter was born, first of all, we didn't know what we're having. I never knew her. Wow. I never knew for nine months until she came out. I still didn't know where she come out to the nurse cocktail legs open. I was like, Whoa, you know, that is good burger, not

Wyatt Tucker: 24:12

a hot dog.

Marquis Gilmore: 24:13

It's pretty much I was like, I was I got a dog now. But the moment I laid eyes on her, I was like, Do you know? It was just instant? Like, I can't believe I'm a dad, you know? And that was one of the hardest parts when we separate. It was me not waking up with my daughter every single day. Yeah, it was hard to But I told myself, you know, Camden didn't ask to be here. You know, you've come a long way in life. The last thing she needs is absent dad, despite what happened in your marriage. She needs a dad that's going to step up because I see a lot of dads out here this that's not present. And I'm just I just don't understand how and I went through my period of time with trying to balance the two The separation and being a dad, it was really tough. But again, through faith and prayer, do me and my daughter now we have the best, best best relationship. And it's crazy to say, I think is better than now. Probably. And we're closer now than I think it would be. If, you know if we were still married because we have our own separate, you know, bond.

Wyatt Tucker: 25:23

So you're not the first person that would have told me that same Grilli thing, right? I can, I can somewhat relate because you're, you're focused more because you know that your time is valuable. And you're, you're on a clock kind of pretty much. Yes, I get it. I'm at the best of the time. Yeah. So that's, that's through death, again, had a heck of a story there. I mean, that's just great that you, you still have that in that, again, at that crossroads. Absolutely. chose the right way. So fast forward a little bit was great. Bring us to Marquis today. Okay, what's going on with Marquis de

Marquis Gilmore: 25:57

Oh, man, you know, Marquis today. Like I said, I'll be 34 and a week. You know, one thing about me is, I'm always reminded every day of how far off I'll never get the big head. I tried to stay humble as possible. You know, I've called you a couple gray hairs. You know, since the years I've been here, or vice versa. Era I cry. Oh, absolutely. But no, you know, where I'm at today is one, you know, focusing on being the best that I can be, you know, giving my daughter the lifestyle that I never have. And and pretty much just working like, you know, working is it's not just a job. It's my passion. It's love what I love what I do, you know, so So work is more so whereas some people wake up and it's like, oh, man, I gotta go to work today. It's almost like a hobby for me. So when I'm off work, you know, I'm very chill relaxed. I enjoy cigars. You know, you know, every once in a while, go to the cigar lounge and meet a lot of dude, I've met so many great people at the cigar lounge. In fact, I met a guy that owns a HVAC school, and Charlotte at a cigar lounge, right? Yeah, he owns the HVAC school. But at my downtime, and I just like I say I just gather my thoughts, Sunday's is more of my routine. You know, I kind of get my mind ready for the week, making sure all my electronics are charged up and things like that. But I'm a very simple guy do I very, you know, I gotta I gotta expensive tastes and hobbies. But when it comes to just life, dude, I like to kind of, you know, just live modest because I know where I come from, I always golf to go back home to where I was born at. And it just reminds me of how blessed I am. You know, because again, if people could physically see where I come from the statistics, pretty much say that Mark, you're not supposed to be where you are today. I agree with that, you know, you're not set for the things that I face. You're not supposed to be where I'm at today. So I, you know, I'm at a point in my life right now. I'm just trying to enjoy it. I'm trying to make the best of it. And, and, you know, pretty much man just just, you know, like you say Be Where Your Feet are every day. You know, there are things that happen in life, but I try to let that stuff roll off my back special light COVID and stuff like that. It reminded me that life can be short, dude. Like, you're in hospital, I was in the hospital, I was on oxygen. I'm 32 and I was on oxygen. I feel like 100 year old man trying to breathe, right. And so that really helped me realize that life is precious. You know, there's so much stuff that, that we that things that happen in our life and we make so much bigger than what they are, whether it's monetary, whether it's we're job, family stuff do, but life in itself is so precious. So every second that I get, I try to make the best of it, whether I'm with the customer, whether I'm at home, whether I'm by myself, I try to remind myself that mark you could be somewhere else but you're here you know, and that's one reason why I keep a smile. When I don't keep a smile you always say mark your something right, you know, oh yeah, you know, you know because I'm gonna have to go lucky person. But uh yeah, that's pretty much where I'm at now my to do just like I say being a leader.

Wyatt Tucker: 29:15

So summing that up so you're sitting here saying that when you are reflecting on your past a lot right in your in your look in you know, things that you didn't need to have a good day you wouldn't have to or you weren't you know, didn't even things at home or all that well, you know, for you to stay on that straight path and keep going and doing that is your faith pride. And just reflecting on the past of where you could have been if you didn't make if you didn't always make that correct turn,

Marquis Gilmore: 29:48

HVAC saved my life. HVAC changed my

Wyatt Tucker: 29:52

life saved my life. That's the news. That should be a new slogan to do HVAC

Marquis Gilmore: 29:56

changed my life. Like I say it's really helped me mature are, you know, just so so, so much. And, you know, again, like I say, I can't stress how blessed I am to even be, and that people say that man, I'm blessed, I'm blessed, I'm blessed. But I tell people all the time, dude, you know, I never imagined 12 years ago to be where I'm at today. And so that just a humble reminder that, you know, you could be on the other side of the spectrum, you know, but here you are doing something positive, using your story, a testimony as a way to help other people realize that if you're going through something, that is not the end of the world, you know, there are there is light at the end of the tunnel, you know, so again, like I said, that's kind of why I carry myself the way that I carry myself. I don't really, I mean, I think, you know, I'm a, I'm a deep thinker, but when it comes to just life in general, and dude, I just kind of, you know, take it for what it is, and roll with the punches, man and make the best of it. Wow, yeah.

Wyatt Tucker: 31:01

Wow. Can you email that again, man, that was that was very powerful there, brother. Oh, man. Good stuff there. So, you know, as we as we kind of try to wrap up this podcast a little bit, talk a little talk a little bit about, you know, what could you if somebody that's listening, sitting out here struggling, that, you know, is at a crossroads in their life? Or is dealing with something that you know, something that's very big in their life that's doing that? What is the AHA, or what is a, you know, pointer or something that, you know, some wisdom that you would share with them, you know, as they're going through that, right.

Marquis Gilmore: 31:40

I mean, that be, as far as you know, because everybody has different things that they're dealing with, right. But, you know, just take, for instance, I see a lot of people are struggling, like with just finding out who they are, you know, finding their identity and their purpose in life, right. I have friends that are encouraged, dude, I'll talk to I'll turn purple. But But one thing that I tell people is just sit back and evaluate your life, sit back and evaluate the people that you're around, you know, because at the end of the day, there is there is a way out, but you have to work hard at it. And nothing's just going to happen. You know, you can sit and be in a, you know, pity party all day and feel bad for yourself. But the beautiful thing about what the struggle is that when you come out, you realize man do that, that I'm strong do that. God gave me the power to push through that. Whereas a lot of people felt, you know, the force, money, you know, losing jobs, you know, being sick, I've seen all that, you know, so there's not a lot out there that I haven't faced. And so with everything that I face, I can use that now as a way to help people realize that dude, if you look at my life, and you look where I'm at, now, I face the same thing you face. And I'm here.

Wyatt Tucker: 33:00

So let's capture that right. And so you're sitting here saying that, you know, if you're going through a pretty big struggle dealing with something that mark he says words of wisdom would be to work hard. Right? be around the people be around good people that are going to make you better? Absolutely. And what else

Marquis Gilmore: 33:20

and just evaluate, evaluate, evaluate who you are a little bit about that? Evaluation, man. valuate, what like, pretty much, why your surroundings, the decisions you make, and you know, don't be too private for the fine if you need counseling, reach out and talk to somebody that's going to be professionally able to help you through things. And I think like I said, you know, the Bible has talk about pride cometh before the fall, right. And that's why a lot of people fail is because they're probably getting away. And they're probably pretty much puts them in a position to where they're not really they want to help, but they're not reaching for the hill, right? So, you know, evaluation, you know, check your surroundings, you know, see who you're communicate with, because they always say to Pete type people that you're around, birds flock together, you know, so if you're around a bunch of negative people, and you're going through things, you know, it's just going to continue to see negative things. And for me, it was hard for me to find like that positive group of friends. And when I can say when I went to Lakewood, and I found my buddy Josh, who was a youth pastor, I start picking up on things. And I started noticing all the negative things leaving away from my life and the positive things starting to form into my life to where when I did hit hard times, I have faith to fall back on. Whereas had I not have faith. those hard times probably would have been hard for me to overcome, right? If that makes sense. I got a buddy like I said to do eight years in prison, and I told him when he came home dude, I say dude, for eight years while you've been gone, I've been practicing positive things in my life. You See where I'm at now. And to this day, he's got a full time job. He is not doing anything illegal. He's working hard. He's a great father. And it's all because of what I face. And he see the fruits of my labor. He's able to take that it's like proof in the pudding like, dude, if bar can do it, I can do it. So it's all about who you're right. Wow. Yeah.

Wyatt Tucker: 35:19

Well, that's that's Marquis. That's just really, really powerful stuff. I think you've done a fantastic job of laying out that story. And like usual, we totally missed what we're trying to discuss here on the

Marquis Gilmore: 35:32

podcast, but leadership was the goal. And we did well,

Wyatt Tucker: 35:35

I think we I think we've achieved that. But I you know, we were an H back world, right? Knee and, you know, this isn't everybody's first choice. You know, when people you go to the fifth grade graduation on anybody raise their hand, say, hey, I want to be a plumber or HVAC tech. Nobody. Anything like that. So, you know, tell me a little bit about that story that passed. How did you get into the industry

Marquis Gilmore: 36:00

do this? Again, like I say, it's a wild ride, do so coming out of high school. I really didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I talked to my school counselor, she's like, Mark, what do you want to do? I was like, I have no idea. She's like, are you good? Are your hands Oh, yeah. I mean, I guess so. You know, again, like I said, I've never was a you know, my uncle showed me how to weed eat and cut grass and things of that nature. But I didn't really want to go into landscaping. So she was like, Hey, why don't you try HVAC? And I was like, What is HVAC? I had no idea. I had no idea what HVAC was you'd like heating? Yes, that age back when he ran for what? Exactly? So I was like, Okay, I'll try it. So I went off to college. I went to spot Byrd took up HVAC. He went to where Spartanburg, Spartanburg, South Carolina, Spartanburg spot, yeah. What else? He said spot and Barry Spartanburg, Spartanburg, spot, obviously. You're just a York boy. Whoa. That's the boy me so we want to say oil or

Wyatt Tucker: 36:58

or Oh, okay. Oh, now anyway, say Spartanburg, Spartanburg.

Marquis Gilmore: 37:02

Yes.

Wyatt Tucker: 37:03

So you went to Spartanburg,

Marquis Gilmore: 37:05

Spartanburg, South Carolina, I took out HVAC. That didn't really go as planned. So I come home, worked a couple jobs. And like I say, it didn't work. It didn't work out. I wasn't I wasn't I didn't have that mind frame. I wasn't around positive people. You know? Yeah, I wasn't I wasn't Yvette self evaluation myself. I didn't know I didn't know who I

Wyatt Tucker: 37:28

was. Now we're getting a little deep.

Marquis Gilmore: 37:31

I was following the crowd. I was a follower, not a leader then. Okay. Right. And so, I come home, worked a couple years. And eventually I met my you know, now is my ex wife. I met her

Wyatt Tucker: 37:44

Wait a minute. So you went to Spartanburg for HVAC, right. Okay, that didn't work out. I did. So did you come back and started working on HVAC? No. Just gave us he gave up on HVAC. I just got I went found manufacturing jobs. Okay, so then when did you get back in HVAC?

Marquis Gilmore: 38:03

So funny story is I got in the church. And I went to seminary school. I was in seminary school. My ex wife was working at Duke Energy. She was pretty much the breadwinner. I went off to seminary school and I was there for nine months. And at the time do my bank account was so low. I was working in Inner Inner City. After School Program I was making like $200 A week or $200 a week. Yeah. And going to ministry school and by the end of the week, I never I didn't have any money either. My cousin gave me a car that was heavy down she had in college. So I had a car transportation to be able to go back and forth flip to Hendersonville, so you're broke. I was broke as a joke. And I was 20 something years old. My ex wife had a full established career working in Duke Energy. And I was working with inner city kids eat nachos, playing pool, after school, but I use that as a, you know, positive impact. I remember I had like $7,000 in Jordans and I gave every single pair of Jordans away to every kid I kid you not $7,000 for Jordans. And that's where my faith really really really grew. Because I've seen all these kids super excited about me giving Jays away and all my friends like Mark, are you crazy? I was like, Dude, don't get rid of all my stuff in my past. I'm starting over. You know, I'm getting rid of everything. I own myself a motorcycle. So I gave all my shoes away, but it felt so good done. And God kept saying to do I'm gonna bless you one funny story is anyway, fast forward. I use an age. I was tired of being broke. And so I was like, Oh, I prayed. And I was like, you know, I need a job. So I called my buddy who worked at more Satan's and I say Do you know, I just need a job and he was you know, he was doing well for himself, he'd been in HVAC trade for about 1520 years. And he said, Well, do we got a program? And I, you know, took him up on it did an interview, What year was this? 2013 14?

Wyatt Tucker: 40:14

Okay, so really see been in almost 10 years now. Yeah, I was 10 years in the industry. So you went, you went to NJ to do the billet tag builder.

Marquis Gilmore: 40:24

Builder did that I was a cool washer. And do I remember doing it. But I still wasn't 100% content, I still wasn't happy, it was still something missing. So I left there and went to a smaller outfit. And that's where I really fell in love with trade. I had a buddy that really exposed me to eat fat. I learned a lot from this dude. I mean, from, you know, technical standpoint, to, you know, diagnostics to learn how to talk to customers to do get in the crawlspace and just getting after it. And dude after that. He told me same thing why it taught me he's like, dude, when you walked in, he's like, I knew something was different about you. I didn't even know about myself. You don't say it. And so I got people that was believing to me that I didn't even know. And dude, I took that and ran with it went to a bigger outfit. Work their KPIs really big in the HVAC world. I kept a high KPI on both spectrums of H fac. Jumped into the confidence visor row. My ex wife was like, Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it. I did it. And since then, dude, I've just continued to build Why did

Wyatt Tucker: 41:37

you do anything?

Marquis Gilmore: 41:39

That's why we're divorced. It's just again, like I say, I'm, I'm a very risk. I'm a big risk taker.

Wyatt Tucker: 41:47

Okay, so it was the risk versus, you know, staying as a technician to get your hours. I mean, you're you're basically recession proof. Pretty much, you know, you can work anywhere, anytime, anywhere as your tech anywhere she was wanting you to kind of stay there versus in bright. And going here. The up swings. Very good, right?

Marquis Gilmore: 42:08

But you go from making the alley to zero, right? Yes,

Wyatt Tucker: 42:11

she was, she was here to bear that.

Marquis Gilmore: 42:13

And I'm gonna fail. I'm gonna fail. I'm not saying she didn't have faith, but I'm big on faith. And do just to think Do you know, just a couple of years ago, I was working at Zach's piece, I was a chicken flipper is actually he's a grown man, flipping chicken. But I remember fasting. And praying going in the bathroom is an excuse to say, God, I know you have something better in store for me,

Wyatt Tucker: 42:34

man. That's some good discipline there. I could not go to Zack space. It was asked,

Marquis Gilmore: 42:39

Listen, why I look at you. And I'm telling you, it was days while I was dropping chicken. And I would not eat Oh my God, because I was fast. And I was really trying to spiritually get myself in tune because I knew something big was coming. I felt that in my spirit. And so when I got into the HVAC world, I went to the bigger outfit, you know, everything was good. I mean, it was I was really successful there. But one thing that that really brought me to parks, was I done my research on Hold on.

Wyatt Tucker: 43:09

Did Did your wife at the time ever acknowledge or say, Hey, Mark, he she made the right choice? Or was there any AHA like man, you know, looking back, like, because reason I say is that a lot of technicians they're like, oh, sales is easy sales. You know, like, oh, anybody can sell you know, you're gonna sit in their drawers of paperwork and call your customers easy, right?

Marquis Gilmore: 43:33

Oh, yeah. So they think

Wyatt Tucker: 43:34

so, you know? Does she did she ever say that? Because there aren't a lot that try it. Right. And then, you know, while they fail, they go right back to being in a truck. Right. Right. Right. So, you know, what, what was that piece there as we get in talking about leadership for you to, to overcome that or see, because it's hard as it is, right? Just doing that and changing that right? And then you your wife, you know, at the time his wife, we ex wife, you know, didn't want you doing it either. And don't question it. And you know, like my house is today if mama ain't happy, nobody's happy. Right? How did you overcome that? The challenges of you know, I mean, because it's sales isn't easy. All right, and then you know, making it work to where she had eventually had to say, Okay, this was the right choice

Marquis Gilmore: 44:24

do I'm gonna go get her man and anything you put in front of my face, I'm gonna try my best to be the best. You know, I don't care if it's chicken, cooking chicken. I wanted to be the best chicken flipper IDs experts, right if I'm gonna be a technician, I want to be the best technician right? If I want to be a confident buyers, I want to be the best comfort advisor. So once I put my mind to it, and I made my first initial sales and ah back I knew you know, this was my those you remember the customer Good idea for a long time. Yeah, I do. I saw two systems, two systems and Fort Mill. Feels good, dude, I'll never forget that. And dude, I was so impressed. And a lady I'll never forget. She was like, you've been doing this for a long time. And I didn't tell her. It's my first day. It was my first day. It was my first day, man. And since then, dude, I just had a passion for helping people. You know, HVAC again, like I say, it's not just a job. For me, it's my passion. You know, I don't know what else I'll do if I got out of eighth back. Because, again, like I say, I love it. I wake up, I breathe, eat sleep. HVAC. Again, like I say, it's my platform, it helped me overcome a lot of things that I've seen and really just changed my life and a narrative of coming from a broken home to be in, you know, financially stable, and just being a stand up guy. And it's not just for H back for everybody. But for me, I you know, I really think once you again, get around solid people, you just get exposed to so much that you're missed out on because you've been trapped in a box, you know. So getting exposed in the HVAC world, dude, I haven't looked back. Since I got into age fat. I've only gone up not backwards.

Wyatt Tucker: 46:23

Mark, he said is just no other way. But that way to end it. That is That was that was very, very powerful, man. I mean, you just sit here and say that all you've been through, you know, and you so many college kids are so many kids and things college, college, college college cost, you know, and then they come out and they're broke. They don't make any money. You stepped into this trade, right? You just overcome and overcome just different obstacles in your life. You're out there, brother. And I just want to tell you, man, that that's a very powerful story and see where you are today. I just am. This has been so exciting. This has been a long time coming. We could keep going. Many different things. We could talk all day, but everything else. But I mean, you know, you you just sitting there saying that she kept it. He kept being humble, right? You kept your faith, and you just kept making those right decisions.

Marquis Gilmore: 47:14

And that's, you know, led you to where you are so, and the thing is, I

Wyatt Tucker: 47:18

don't want well done Marquis,

Marquis Gilmore: 47:19

appreciate it, brother appreciate it, either. But I do want to say one thing before we get off here that I don't want to put the perception out that, you know, everything's hunky dory lies perfect. I still make mistakes. I'm human. You know,

Wyatt Tucker: 47:32

I know I look at your paperwork.

Marquis Gilmore: 47:33

Oh, guys, let's not talk about it. Don't tell everybody the truth. But no, you know, just one thing that I do tell people in our mind people that are human, you know, I make mistakes, but now that I'm older, and I have a daughter, and why it you've told me plenty, it's like here you got I mean, one time he's like, Do you have a daughter? You have to think about her, do you since then it's just more so like, hey, some of the things that you know, take before you do stuff because you got a lot of stuff to lose. Right? So that's that will be my encouragement once you overcome all this stuff. Don't allow the success to get to your head. But be grounded you know you

Wyatt Tucker: 48:15

said you said that earlier you know kind of you know pride coming for money fall MAN Yeah, absolutely. You know, but man just keep being you dude. I mean anybody else listen to this just you know, get in touch with Marquis you'll you'll love him like I did the first time I met him and in a header in a header I'm a heterosexual male by the way, but you'll fall in love with with Marquis, he'll be like your brother and you know, just stay motivated like in more cases. Marquis has done a fantastic job of doing that. And this has been just a great story and so appreciate it.

Marquis Gilmore: 48:48

Appreciate you having me on man. Thank

Wyatt Tucker: 48:50

you. You made my day.

Marquis Gilmore: 48:52

I feel honored.

Wyatt Tucker: 48:53

So this is we're wrapping up this podcast again. Marquis Gilmore been here with us telling his story on leadership and how to overcome adversity and doing those things. But this is Wyatt Tucker, signing off for that's the parsley podcast.