Tenfold Return PART 2

This is Part 2 of the episode Tenfold Return! If you haven't caught Part 1 yet, go check it out, as this episode picks up right where it left off! 
We welcomed Mr. Brett Smith from the from our local high school staff to talk trades, teaching, and building up the next generation for success!

Transcript

Hey, guys. Adam from behind the scenes with the Hoel Roofing Podcast. This is part two of Tenfold Return. If you missed part one, make sure you go check it out. It dropped last Friday, September 13th right here on the channel. And it leads directly into what they're going to be talking about today. So if you haven't seen part one, go watch it.

But without further ado, here's part two.

let's talk a little bit about, the plan this year for the construction class is to build some mini barns. So barn storage. Well, how that structured is we start off the first nine weeks, we go over the basic stuff. You know, we talk about, you know, just some history stuff. You know, how how we got to where we're at.

We, you know, and we do it. We do a process lab. So we got a that's what we're doing now. We went through all the tools and all the safety stuff and teach them how to. And now we do a quick little couple weeks process lab where they make a project out of wood to use all the tools we talked about.

So they, they're using it. So kids, you use chops all tables, saw stuff they've never used and hopefully they they've learned to do it safe okay. Because that just like the table saws most dangerous all in the shot I mean and it doesn't matter how long you use it, some stuff happens. But it's important to explain to them this is why you have to do it this way.

And if you ever use it so there's a good chance you may never use a saw it. There's a really good chance you will, especially if you get into some kind of skill trades. So we go to that, then we start, we start at square one with, with a house that like whether a construction project, we start talking about planning, we talk about design.

You know, we go through some design stuff. Now we had CAD at Newcastle. We don't have it here yet, but we'll do it on graphic. They just learn how to lay out a house they don't like. When you ask a kid, hey how big your house where they say, three bedrooms. Yeah, yeah. They don't say, well, it's based on a size.

Just like, how do you measure a roof? How do you measure society? How you make. They don't know. Most kids don't know what a standard sheet of plywood is. Okay. What you and I think that's just fundamentally why we have a unit on measurement. We talk we call it construction math because we can't call it anything else because they shut down and say oh I algebra, geometry you know but, but what we do is because like not reading a tape measure, not knowing how to swim, how to read a book, I mean, it really is.

I mean, and we go through that, but then we go through that with it, then we going to talk about site prep, we talk about your options. You build the city, you have city utilities. You you're out in the county. It's cheaper to build a county, but you got to put in a septic and well okay, well why is that.

You know. And then we go through the process. We talk about the foundations, you know, the crawlspace slab, monolithic slabs, block port walls, ICF that's kind of a new thing. And then and then we'll we'll take time. We'll have, we'll play some, will lay some block, lay some brick. We'll do some concrete. Well, we make concrete countertops.

We, we talk about concrete a lot, you know, different types of concrete, different uses. How they do it, like commercially, like if you're in Florida, building on the beach, you have to do it a certain way. You're out, you know, and, you know, wherever. And then we go through and we do a modeling project. We start with the foundation and, and we had some on display and we some, some, like broke breaking in a group, some do slabs, some do like a cam on a crawl space.

We've had done Barnum and Ames before. And then they build his models, one at scale model. We go through every process, you know, with the foundation, lay it out, and if they screw it up, they've got to tear it all down. Do it again. Because, I mean, you know, like, I think I told you the story my first day on the job and I was 16, I get 11 two by four short.

And my boss took it out of my paycheck. Now he gave it back to me. But I learned the lesson. And and because what I kids that I've had helped me. And I'm sure you've had the same experience. You know, they break something or drop something. Well, wasn't my fault. Well, whose fault was it? They don't take ownership in anything.

I have more respect. Yeah, yeah, I know, whatever. I wasn't paying attention whatever, you know, but that's just that's something you have to teach your kid. But then we go through and and by by spring break ish, you know, we're through that. And then, last year we had one class. We built one shed. So we partnered with, the forage grounds.

And because we just don't have the space, you know, ideally, we'd have a nice big space. We do it inside, but they're going to let us use it. There's pavilions over there. It limits us a little bit. But with those trailers now, they just load them things up. You know, we're going to build several this year. And so that's a way to get the community involved.

Like we, we I made a critical mistake at Newcastle one time. I put an email out to staff member said, hey, we're wanting to build a couple sheds. So I got 78 people wanting a shed. Then I thought, well, we're going to then how do we pick which one we're going to do? And then there was about 74 really mad people, you know, because we did temperatures.

But we're going to we're going to charge a little bit this year. Because that's going we're going to try to build build it. And and I think when went and I think it's going to happen pretty sure that, you know, because construction has been pretty successful, we get a building trades program, but we're going to find a guy that's, you know, somebody that's got light energy and they'll just build a house.

Now we used to build start to finish. You know, we built big houses. We built 5000 square foot house. But that's when we had two classes of 20. And really good kids, they're doing habitat houses now, which is fine, but I think you could do a habitat house in the morning class and habitat class that afternoon class, there's some communities, what they do, they partner with their community.

They have a developer. They have somebody come in. Hey, I got this five acres. We've got roads. Or we just go into blighted, blighted properties and you and you built and guys will say, hey, I'll finance you guys will pay you X amount per day. Your kids are there and I'll sell the property. You know, as I say, I'm very interested.

That's there's a lot of that now. And what that does is remember you're teaching kids. Oh, absolutely. And it's not a perfect storm. I mean, you know, you're trying to let them do. We don't want to do it where where instructor shows you how to do it. And you're like, you don't do it right. We you know what I mean?

Yeah. That's why I have the thing. If you screw up your model, we're not going to leave it screwed up because you can't do that on a build. It's one thing if you're doing something in your backyard, but you're doing something for someone else. You can't have that mindset whenever you can't see if my house, right, well, would do that.

And they get matched. Well, it's not square. You're not. And you didn't you didn't listen. You didn't do it right. Some people do it over, some get mad and some just quit. But you can't you can't allow that to happen. Well, so I think what what's going to we're going to take the approach is if, if we can find some people that, hey, you know, we'll do this and we find a person that can facilitate, you know, we'll get the kids in there.

You know, because it's like when you coach, okay, this is related, so hear me out. So if you coach and you're a teacher because most coaches now are not educators, they're they're lay coaches. And and it used to be the okay. And and so when I coached at Newcastle I recruited because I would go to the gym I would I would become there.

I could see the kids, I can recruit them. Well I'm going to have them. Yep. And if you want to take this class, here you go. In the same way, when they get ready to graduate, you go, hey Smitty, you got it. I said, yeah, I got this two kids right now. You need to hire right now, you know, for whatever it is.

I mean, at least you you get them in your, in your door. You can then train them how you want. You know, my brother owns a two and I company in Michigan, Lansing. Been there 35 years. And he has these guys come from these trade schools. Get all this all this experience. So he does a three phase interview, a zero that see and see I can't do that.

Well wait a minute. You got this. You say I'm saying oh yeah. Just because you have a degree you got doesn't mean it's going to fit right. And and so but but if you have a kid, you know, you have he has a good reference behind him. You know, it's not like people like send a letter recommendation from your brother in law, right?

Right. This kid, I'm telling you from my perspective, this this kid does X, Y and Z checks the boxes. That makes you sleep better at night. That doesn't guarantee it's going to work out right. But at least you passed the first hurdle. You're not just hiring some guy blind off the street. In the same way. Like like my daughters say they took the vocational program to see if they want to go into health care.

And that's what they said. You know, I want to do I, I don't want to do that. Yeah. And so honestly, once you do that, you know, there's so much there's so many people that play a role in that. And then all the other businesses and we have the open house at the end of the year, they come, everybody in the community comes.

Looks at it, I seen up in northern Indiana, they they have a whole addition that was built by Career Center. I mean, and not two houses at the same. Yep. No cookie cutter houses. But you know that you have to kind of bring that, that hook back into it. So you want to do that and and like, I can give you the Y.

You know, they don't get the Y most times. You know, it's like, you know, if, if, if you really want to go and make an honest living, this is a kind of thinking, what do you like work with your hands. This is what you need to do. If you don't like working at all, I'm going to be a welder.

What kind of what? I don't know. Well, you need to figure that out because it's like I said, welding, welding instructors, like like military recruiters. They tell you all the good. Yeah. They don't tell you the bad. You know, that uncomfortable stuff, like, well, this is my buddy's a lawyer. He works out freezing cold and hot. Summer.

Oh, well, but he works in a factory sitting in that smoke all day in that field, you know. Oh, and you know. So I'm not saying don't do it. I'm just saying it's it's it's good to know the all the all that goes into it, you know, but like my kids, when they leave there, they got a good understanding of what what comes with the job.

Now do you want to pursue that. Do I think it's important for a heating cooling guy to understand the framing process? Absolutely correct. Right. And who comes first? You know, if I'm if I'm the heating cooling guy, I don't want to fight around a bunch of pipe and wires. Know it's a lot easier fish a wire around a ductwork.

You know what I mean? Yep. And and just a sequence of things. Again, they're not experts, but I think what my goals when they leave me, they have an understanding. What do they think they do or they don't. You know, that's that's my goal. It's always been my goal. But then I, I enjoy the relationships I make. I mean, I've met a lot of people here that I, I mean, I feel like, you know, this is this is where I smoke.

I, I'm glad it worked out because I feel because I didn't like what was going on in the UK. They got away from all that. You know, that's my opinion. And, and I like how they hold kids accountable here. That speaks a lot about the type of people you got running your school. And, and just like you relinquishing some of that responsibility, your, your people that you made, you have faith in them and you're empowering them to, you know, do what you want to do.

Now, if they get off real, you know, it's it's you're a, you know, you're right to right the ship. You know. And when businesses fail, that doesn't always happen because they say the best right way to ruin a great employee is to let your supervisor watch a bad employee, you know, screw up. And then rewarding for it. Yep.

And, we've all been through that, you know, and, and I kind of felt like, you know what? My time here, I've done my time. I need to move on to something else. And it just worked out. I mean, believing in fate and and this and that. And, you know, here I am talking to you and and, you know, selling when I'm, when I'm serving and I think that I feel good about the people and I met with Jamison.

They're all on board. And you got to have everybody on the same page if you got people fighting you and like when, when you try to do something like that and people were fighting just, you know, I'm not asking help. Just get out of the way. Yeah. Don't you know, it's it's like somebody wants to put a development and wants to put this in, you know, hey, if you don't want to help, that's fine.

But don't muddy the water because we're trying to do something good, you know? And I think I'm, I'm, I'm very confident that if not next year, in the following year, that building trades will be reality here. And it can get as big as you want, right. You know, we at one point we have 80 kids apply. We can only take 40.

And then after the first year we can only take 20 because you got 20 coming in. You got 20 going out. Some kids don't want to take it again because I said it's not for me. Yeah. Yeah but you'll never know unless you try. Well and one thing, the young man that used to work for us and he moved on to bigger and better things.

Mr. Dawson, he worked with Jerry. Jerry's? Yeah. A hell of a team member. And he just. He's kind of jack of all trades. And he just loves teaching younger, younger guys and, like. And I and I told Dawson this, I was like, dude, the value that you got from working with Jerry for almost two years, like, you'll hold on to that.

Oh, you're still toilet leaks, you know, have to call a plumber or whatever. Like I said, that they're almost it almost ought to be mandatory that every man that should have to work with Jerry for a year after he's out of high school, just. I mean, it's just what you can learn and like. Yeah, if he's not going to do that forever, that's okay.

But, you know, then there's also people that they have no idea that they may like building trades. And they get in your class and then they get some hands on, you know, holy cow that they like. And I mean, the crazy thing with me is I want to go for construction management. And my dad kind of talked me out of it.

And then it's kind of funny, you know, full circle back. I ended up start selling roofing for a couple companies out of Indy, and I just wanted to get back closer to home. I want to sell out here, you know? And that's my vision, you know? And one one reason that, that I've tried to get more involved with the school was, me and my wife on a mission trip in Haiti nine years ago, nine and a half years ago.

And it's a, you know, a religious organization. But they said they go into the communities they want to impact and they start with clean water. So fortunately, we have clean water here. So I don't have to go out. And I start with building a school and then building a church. And it's like, holy cow. Like they're I mean, they go get involved right in the school, you know, and it's real easy to write checks.

And sometimes you just need a check. But I absolutely get that. But it's way more impactful. Like, Mr. Oram just called us, and there's a career fair day that's coming up in November, and he asked me to to set up. Right. And like, I've already got some pretty cool ideas. I want to get several of the team members involved, because what I like is where we're at now as a company.

Now I can start delegating some of that stuff. So then Adam just isn't behind a computer all day here at the office. If he can go help once a quarter, once a month, like get out like that just makes him realize his impact. Because I try to share wins with with, you know, with the team like, hey, this customer, you know, you know, you know, super happy.

And it took eight people that make this one customer happy. You know? But at the end of the day, like, that's just, I don't know man. It's like it's got my entrepreneur brain rolling way more than it probably should during a podcast. But it's like this, this, that opportunity of like, how cool would it to be the team up and help build some houses, for a growing community and just the and like, I've already got the electrician and plumber in my mind.

Some will be calling him after this, like because I know I've got some connections to that. I know that I could get on board and I know you do two of like really helping like you teach teachers, which is when you have that idea and it's, it's it's same in everybody says, hey, we need this. We need we need this, we need you.

But no one wants to get on. Right? Yeah, we do, but guess what? It's not there. Just happen. Yep. And there's like, there's people there's people I've met in my life that knows not in their vernacular. You know, like we talked about Joe Peacock and and I don't know him very well. Guys like, just might they're not going to I mean, the when people throw curveballs at you, you know okay.

But I'll be waiting on that next time. Right. And and they make it happen, dude. I mean, and so that's like my whole thing with my whole connection Rushville was when I was wanting to, I was going to transition out. I wanted to start this thing with the shares program because I like this. I feel like the special needs kids are something that's had a big impact on me.

And and these kids want to be successful. And, and and you know, we started looking. That's why I end up I ended up buying a commercial building and did it, and, and if I wouldn't have come here, you know, I'm that's maybe what I'd be doing. But I just think that it's. You just find a way to make it work.

Like there's a lot of positive things going here. Like there. Build this community center, you know, there's housing going to you got you got got companies coming here, you know, and, and good paying jobs. You want those people to be part of your community. But you have to you can't give them a reason not to be. Well. And the first reasons what I have is no place to live or what I'm saying, affordable housing.

I think Newcastle, they're trying to put some housing in but there it's it's out of the range for the general general public, you know, and you got to find something that's affordable. And, and I think that, you know retros kind of did some of that, but I don't that's why I don't think it's going to be it would be a huge opportunity if we say, hey, we want to build a house, you know, and then then you start other people, you know, you know, jumping on board that, you know, and and that's how it all gets going.

And there's different rules. You set the rules up, but it all starts. You got to find the right guy, right? You got to find the right guy. That so like like you come into the high school and you talk to these kids, you're going to appeal to them much more than guy like me. You're half my age and you're like, you can talk their talk and stuff and they want to be like, yeah, I want to be that guy.

I want to own my own business. Well, guess what you have to do to do that? You have to get some some life experience. You can't just show up, know I'm here because that's what they think. Yeah, well, hey, I just YouTube. Oh, wait. Okay, well, tell me how that works. You know, and and like I said, I everything I've done, I've learned by watching somebody, you know, somebody taught me how to do it.

I didn't read a book. And and like you said, don't use it all the time. I'm not an expert, but I know enough. I'm not have to pay somebody to do it. And I also know that if I'm getting ripped off or not, you know what I mean? And and I think that being a smart consumer is just important as being a, you know, good employee that, you know, and I and I think so, I feel good about it.

I think that I think that Mr. Cook and you got this vocational thing that happened that happened quick. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And but you know, he did he went and got guys like Chris Lamb used to be director that implement a lot of stuff. This is a this is a shortcut to do it. And and the stuff's always changed at the state level.

But he got it done because now all those kids that are staying here, you're not paying you to send them down there. And they're going to they're going to stay here. Most of them are going to stay like the law enforcers. They need law enforcement people in this town. But the ones that go down there from Rushville, stay down there, you know, not all of them.

And I'm saying that's that's the argument. And so and it's same thing. They're going to end up starting like the health occupations then that gives you that gives you the same opportunity for your local people to, you know, have kids can work at the hospital, the clinics, the nursing homes and all the things. And then you got welding this morning, I think over tag and stuff.

And those those are all things that people need to have the Ice program, that's a that's a co-op. So like I say, I have a kid. I said, hey, I got this kid Johnny. He's great. Hey, why don't you hire him this summer? If he's if you like him, keep him on next year. He works four hours a day.

You know, he gets credit for school. You got to facilitate camp. Hey, how's Johnny doing? You see, he's doing great. That's how it works. That's that's that's workplace learning. You know, that's how it's supposed to design. But you have to have people weld it, right and participate in it. And like I said, I'm not going to send a kid to that.

I that I know is going to be a a failure. Yeah. I gotta do that to them or you and, and I think a lot of these people, they kind of get stuck in that, in that framework. They say, well, I got to get him out. This is mom's debt. And down my neck. Right. Well, you just better off being honest up front.

Say, hey, listen, I want to send Johnny out, but he's got to do X, Y and Z. He's got to watch his mouth. He's got he's he can't be inappropriate around, you know, he can't take stuff, you know, and, you know, it's just and the, the things, you know. Yeah. You can't, you can't ignore. And this is no different because it's like, you like every kid you like.

You like construction. Are you afraid? Heights. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, maybe you need to know. You better be an electrician. Yeah. Really. I mean, but I'm saying you sitting there like. Like. Oh, wow. Right. You know, but it's just, you know, it's it's crazy. Like, honestly, I've got kids that, you know, I go back and I like that kid that have chance.

Yeah, he's thriving, man. I mean, and I got kids. I think, man, he's going to do well. Well, you know, one thing that I've learned with hiring people, And damn, is it hard. But it's like, almost to the point that if you haven't had some adversity in your life. Oh, like, I don't I don't want to hire you, just because, like, it's just there's a there's a different level, like, I mean, I mean, I, I've got, I've got one guy, Chris.

He's pretty open about some of his struggles with drugs and what he was doing before. And I take three more of him, DNA him, clone him and give me three more him tomorrow. Like, I mean, just so loving, so caring. Just such a good case of ownership for what he does. Oh, absolutely. You know, and that is one thing that I've been super fortunate with.

He our sales team, especially our core three guys, I've got two newer guys, but man, they're so good about taking ownership that like, they don't give me bullshit excuses. And the guys, the team will hear me say, I'm not going to let you sell out to your your bullshit reasons and excuses like, make it happen. If we're going to make this happen, like we got to make it happen.

Like, don't, don't give me a reason, you know? So yeah, and I mean, and there's still a lot of good kids out there, you know, and it it it may take somebody that that cares enough as a teacher, as a mentor. Like that's, that's one reason that I love having Jonathan here. Taken over operations like he gets it.

He's a few years younger than me, but he gets the calling of, you know, I've said this before, and I'll continue to say this. We need more men in this country. We need boys to grow up and be men. Lead, go work like, not like. Oh, I'm gonna I'm gonna get, you know, I'm gonna have my baby mama, you know, have a couple kids and not marry her and stay at home with her, you know, but literally, like, be willing to go out there and get dirty and be proud to come home, you know?

Yeah. And you don't have to get dirty to, like, you could go do a media. You can go be a media guy, too, you know? But, you know, Dave Ramsey says, you know, get out of the cave, kill something, bring it back home. Like, you know, we need that. But also kids need men to look up to.

Well, you have kids that have done that because unfortunately, some of them, some of them haven't seen it. You gotta have a bush or two that takes, you know, less than two by four is out of your paycheck, you know, and not feel and not not blink, you know, but the the point is, you're right. That's a good you made a good point there to help my panel statement.

Yeah. Thanks for the idea. It's hard. It's like kids, you know, I've been 39 years. I can't believe it. But it's like kids have changed as far as their work ethic and their their their ownership, their just shrug their shoulders. If I got that every time I kid, should I go, well, really? And but the problem is they don't figure it out until it's too late.

Yeah. Till you're out and you're in the mix and you're like, now this is so hot or easy, you know? But I mean, like I said, I'm feel good about it. I feel good about what's going on at Rushville. I'm glad I came here. I've not met a person I didn't I didn't get along with or didn't, you know, feel like there's, you know, a reason.

And, like I said, I think that as we move forward, I think that everybody's there's gonna be a lot of people benefit from it. Yeah. And so I'm excited, like I said, I mean, I know Mr. Cook is I mean, you know, it takes time. And you got to prove, you know, we've proven that there's interest, right?

You know, I mean, we jumped up pretty quick, you know, in one year. And it's one thing to get that many kids in a bigger school. But to school our size, you know, that's a pretty good. And we got a mixed group. We got freshmen and seniors in the same, you know, same basket. So like I said, I mean, and I've got I've got probably 5 or 6 kids that I feel man, these guys are going to they're going to do well.

And I don't think any of them are really thinking about, hey, I want to go to, you know, college or so and that's that's okay. You shouldn't have to feel guilty, right, for saying, I don't want to go to college. But I said, be be truthful and be honest with yourself when you say that. Is it because of the money?

Is because you don't need your girlfriend, or because whatever. You just need to be honest with yourself. And if it don't go to feel good academically, you know, there's there's trade school, there's others in the military. I mean, I'm a proponent of anything that you're interested in that you want to explore. You should do that because you're going to be like, oh, I wish it were that.

I wish I would do that when I was young. I wish I had done that, you know, there's always things. But I look back now, they said, well, what would you do if you weren't guys? I don't know. Yeah, I know what I wouldn't be doing, but I wouldn't be putting roofs on. But that's just me. Yeah, yeah.

Well, I mean when I was 20 I might say different, right. But I'm just saying for me, that's, that's just my story. And but everybody's got a different thing, you know, promoted by making money. Right. And you better really focus on. Yeah. I mean, and that's, that's easy to say. And I just had a conversation with a guy that's no longer with us about that.

Like, you just gotta quit. You can't focus on that. Like you. I mean, Zig Ziglar says, you help enough people. You never have to worry about money, you know? And it's not there's nothing wrong with wanting to make money, but that can't be that you're obsessed. Yeah. I mean, you're gonna at some point you're going to you're going to be let down.

Yeah. Or you're going to do something that you probably shouldn't be doing. Right. You know, because to always make you want to be a doctor, you got to go to med school. That's a commitment. Yeah it is. It doesn't matter. You go to any any success you have, there's there's some sort of commitment you have to make to that, you know, is that your journey?

Like if when you started business, you had to have a mission statement or some kind of goal that you wanted to arrive at at some point. You know, I know people that been in business for 20 years and haven't grown an inch, but, you know, and, I have that guys just shoot, shoot off and they're still going up, but that's just drive.

And your abilities and surround yourself with successful people and people that are competent. But the problem is it's those people are getting thinner, you know. Well, and one thing that I've learned as a small business owner, it's something that we're starting to work on now, is like building some training so we can show somebody like, hey, you can come in here and be a sales rep, and here's the earning potential.

You know, if your skill set is more helping run the production, like here's here's your earning potential. And I want to we want to have this rolled out probably by the end of this year, the first quarter of next year. So then we can go to a career fair at the high school, like, hey, what do you want to do?

You know, well, I don't I don't really know. Well, hey, if if this is something you're interested in and you'll commit to a year or something like see if this the, if this works, I mean, the, the young man that's helping Jonathan run production. Right now. I met him at Decatur County, pretty much Decatur County career fair, I met him.

You wouldn't participate. It was if you get invited because there, there. There's a great avenue. You get a lot of kids, that you do. You just do roofing. Do you do other stuff? Yeah, we do roofing and remodeling, siding, gutters, patience, soffit. So you diversified? Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And that's what a lot of companies are doing. Right.

And I think that's, you know, if you, if you have more than one, you know, one trick up your sleeve, that's that, that helps because kids don't know exactly what. Well, and one thing that I learned out here in this market is, it's just be able to do some of the odds and then stuff. It'll land to the full siding job.

Yeah, or the full roof job where, like, some companies just want to put asphalt shingles on, which that's okay if their business model is their business model. But you know, and I'm fortunate I talked about Jerry, but I'm fortunate we've got a newer hire, Derek. He's from Connersville. And, you know, I'm excited to him to take over kind of the in-house labor remodeling stuff because like, you know, I've got to have a conversation.

But like he's going to be a big part of if we get a couple kids hired with you, or after they're out of school of like, really training them up, you know, pouring into them, like, that's just one thing I love Jerry heart is he just he has that heart of, like, training them, you know, because they're they're there is one there is one bad thing about some of the older trades guys as well.

He's stupid who know what the hell he's doing. Okay, well, you were stupid. And then what the hell you were doing when you started either. So, like, you know, we can't complain. There's nobody wanting to do this. Well, and then not be willing a lot of that to teach that new guy a lot. Is that this the generation there like, they they attribute everybody in that.

You know, that's the cell phone generation. But yeah, there's a lot of that. But you know, people want one stop shopping. Right, right. Because, you know, again, you have a bad experience with a contractor. You know, you don't forget that. Yeah. But if you, you know, you have a good you get you get to see your roofer, you trust your roofer and man play.

Hey, you know, somebody put windows in front. Yeah we do that. Yeah okay. Do it right. Oh you know my son, he's looking pretty bad, you know. And then, you know, I mean it's just so that's you know, I know a lot of guys like, you know that that's their model. You know, that's they they have that you have to have competent people.

You know, to do those things or to know who to serve it to that you trust. Yep. And that's a nice thing about a small community because, you know, the you know, it's like we talked about there's good bad crews anywhere. Doesn't matter where you come from. You come from the, you know, Pennsylvania or you come from, you know, south of the border, you know, there's good and is bad.

And, you know, I've been bitten by that before. And but I say once you get that, you know, and you, you, you fine tune that, it's it's a really good way to get where you want to go. Yeah, but you have to have the people and, and that's kind of like, you know, that's, you know what? I think they were missing here, in this type of community because you kind of it, you're in a little cocoon a little bit here and so, you know, am I, I'm going to move to Russia.

Don't work for a whole roofing. Right. You know, it's it's like, and like, honestly, like the kids, I have the conversation to have these kids are much different than the kids I would have in Newcastle. It's not that far away, but it's it's almost like a different world, like, hey, what did you just say? Well, I had, I had to get up and do my chores and I went to school.

I went to football practically. I'm doing mature, right? You know what I mean? That's that's like the stuff I heard when I was growing up, you know, and and now, like, well, I, I could come school day because I know my stomach, my belly hurt. You know, you're playing Fortnite all night. You know, I mean, like, I'd ask kids questions like that.

Last year I had a kid. Well, no, not last year. Hey, how much time you're on your phone? He pulled his screen time up 23 hours, 23 hours, one 24 hour period. I said he goes wireless to me. I said, you up all night. Mean it's crazy? Yeah, 23 and 24 hours a day. I said, well, what are you doing?

Oh, you know, they can never tell you. Yeah. I mean, and again, where's your work? You know, there's no way my kid be honest. You know what I mean? That's just me. Yeah, but, you know, there's again, you know, our parents, and they want our kids to fail somehow. I mean, I think so. And I told another kid one time, I spend more time.

You kidding? You do a week? Yeah. Or you? Me? I said, well, he lives with his girlfriend, right? I spend three hours a day off and you see him? Well, you know, I they get mad at, you know, you're right. Yeah. I mean, and I mean that, you know, I think, you know, my kids were held to task my own kids, but I could hold other kids, you know, people's kids for, you know, doesn't mean they're at school, but it's kind of crazy the stuff they say, you know, like, really, I mean, I don't know, just like you said, you got to be careful what you say, but but no, I feel good about it

here. I like it here. I like to people. I'm glad to be able to do stuff like this, to kind of, you know, advertise what you're selling in the same way you, you know, come to the job fairs, come to school, be a guest speakers, you know, you know, I think I think you sell yourself, you know, and what you do.

It's one thing to say, oh, hey, go get a job over at this roofing place. Know that's a big difference. And you know the guy getting it, you know, you know, making a personal relationship with him, you know? And like I said, I mean, I still have people call me, say, hey, man, I need somebody work at, you know, Western products, right?

Hey, we need a custodian down at the Y, you know? Well, I, you know, I'm like, you know, I'm not going to just give him a name to give him a name, right? Right. And but, you know, if you know. And the thing with the success of any program, you got to have the right people. Like when I came here, I said, I'm going to try out this.

What I'm going to do is I'm going to try to get your construction program going here. So to make this program or start Unified Track, and that's just going to it's going to branch into other things. And that's where once you get that done, then we could start looking at the building trades. They started the other. So we just got to really advertise that push that to make those programs successful.

So then they're successful and people have more faith in them in the construction. And it fluctuates each year. You know, sometimes you get a good class of kids in, you know, but you got to keep working towards, you know, building it and making it work. And, and it's really I mean, construction is kind of a nice thing, but it's different every day.

Yeah. It's different. That's what I sell. You know, I, I can't do the same thing every day. And a lot of these kids are the same way. I am the same way you are. You know, they want to be out doing stuff, you know, engage and all that stuff. They hate math class. I hate, but, you know, there's there's value in all that.

They don't. Right, right now. But, I just said, you know, whether you and I want to I said, I'm not asking to be a construction worker. I'm just saying I want you to learn and listen. And just maybe, you know, you'll you'll play around someday, or maybe you'll learn how to be a good consumer. And, you know, and we try to touch on enough now the building trades.

It takes another level. They build a share to finish up this year. Then they go out and they're going to do the the real deal. And so the initial way if building trades, we can't get that going. You know, you know right away you kids in co-op like, you know, hey you hire if I said here's a cup gets what you hire, you know, part time or whatever, and you're going to find out real quick and they're going to find out, know.

Right. And then you get this might be your next Steve or whatever, you know. And I mean, that's what I learned from guys that were skilled and took ownership and, and accountability for what they did. They took pride in it. And it's hard to get kids to take that. Pride and ownership will do that. Well, when my four kids say, well, you can't save my house, you know, well, you're right.

Right? But I'm not saying be wrong, right. And say like, you know, we don't even want them kind of people like, you know, I mean, that's they're just for a paycheck. I'm not being an asshole, but, like, you know, like, genuinely like, yeah, we we want people to care, like, you know, whatever that looks like, if it's quality of the video or if it's quality of the roof we put on or you know, and even like, even if Adam took an entry level, the freaking construction class, like, how beneficial that been for his his job.

Like, he's learned a lot about it. He had it. Yeah. He had a he had a very you know, he had a good dad that taught him a lot, you know, but there's still so much more, you know, to learn. And that's why I like that. Even as a roofing owner, like some people will hire a media person or social media person, and they're put pictures of freaking roofs that look like they're going on in the Palm Beach, Florida.

And it's like, that looks really dumb when you're marketing in Russellville, Indiana, or, you know, whatever. But, you know, fortunately, Adam smart enough to he's been around it, you know, I mean, freaking Adam, when he started with us, he pulled trailers. I was like, all right, Adam, right now, I remember we're going to post three times a week on Facebook, and you're pretty much going to be a universal player.

Whatever we need. Sometimes he's helping Jerry. Some days he's pulling trailers, you know, and I said, Adam, if you stick with me, but I promise you your full time gig here, we'll eventually be more like where your sweet spot is. But, you know, we're we're fortunate when I'm like, Adam wants to do a podcast. And that was almost two years ago.

And the problem is December 22nd. I said, hey, we're starting a podcast January 1st. Get the shit order. Let's go. So, you know, he knows how. He knows how I operate there, you know? But we got it. We got it rolling. You got, you know, you got to it's got to start somewhere. Yep. When it's like you got to have ways to get you get the word out.

What you're doing is what's positive. You know. And you know this lots of people don't ever pay attention to I mean, they don't care that most people in this town don't care what's going on in school, right? Because they don't have any skin. Yeah, but you really do, right? Oh, absolutely. You really do. Well, then you can't complain that the kids aren't coming back to work here or there's no ties here or no success.

Newcastle. And that was my where I work they go, well we push this car. Well okay. So I started doing the math. And so you get say 30 some percent say they go to college. And of that 30% 13 actually graduates. And then how many of those come back to community. Right. 2%. I mean, you say I'm saying it's like, but what about the people like the people I have and classes?

It's always been at warehouses. Sometime these are the kids you're going to see at the grocery store. You're going to see it when you go out to, you know, in business in town. Those are the people you're going to see. Well, and the crazy thing about, I'm at that weird age where I'm talking to people I graduated with, they're like, oh, we're so trying to get back to Rush Field because now they have kids that's in school and they're like, you know, I want to get 3000 other kids.

Yeah, I want to get closer back to rush. Feel like I want grandma on down the street to go pick them up. And, you know, so I mean, now it's beneficial for us too, because then we know people in the big city. So we're getting rough jobs in Carmel and Fishers and McCord ville and all that because, you know, they trust they've known me for 20 years now.

I'm saying, you know, they they they trust. But, you know, it's, just, just that opportunity, you know, to come back and, you know, and one thing, the whole thing about college and I'm not beating college up here, but 80% of people are not in their career field five years later. That's right. You're right. But like, do I think I could have taught school that.

Done college. Absolutely. But that was what's required right now. Not so much. But my point is, you know, you have to you have to like I said, be honest with yourself what you want to do, what you like, do it because the golden handcuffs come when when you go out and you sell out a job because you want to drive a new car, you want to live in that neighborhood and you want your kids wear these clothes, you're stuck.

So you're stuck in that job where you make the good money, but you hate what you do. Yeah, that's going to wear your soul over 20, 30 years. You know? I mean, I keep I mean, I had when I left Newcastle on the 306 days there, I went to work. You know, that's what I supposed to do. And I didn't get paid for them.

Right. But there's people use every sick day they got right, you know. And if you hate your job, right, I mean, you don't want to go there. I mean, I, I can count on my hands how many days I didn't went to school just because maybe I didn't feel good or you know, but, like, you know, I come here, I got to I've never had to drive 20 minutes.

I drive five minutes for it, I like it. May I like to combat driving see in the cornfields and and waking up and and just, you know, de-stressing on the way home or just, you know, and then go do what's next. And like I said, I've always felt that way. So how me why do you put a price on that?

You know, teachers don't get rich, right? But you know, you live a good life. Yeah. I mean, I mean, I've got good friends and, you know, good family. What else you need? Right? Right. Well, as we wrap up, I just want to thank you for your time, sir. I got to get to know you guys, and. Yeah, sure.

I'll see more of you. Yeah. And just looking forward to to building a relationship and really just, you know, impacting Rushville and, and and the surrounding areas, you know. Yeah. No, I think, I think there's a lot of potential here, you know, for, for the school. I mean that this the and you know, great thing is this is one of the biggest differences.

The people that I've been, you know, associate with at the school have been over backwards. The maintenance people I mean, they're phenomenal, man. These guys are on it. I mean, when you people see like and I can I'm compared where I came from. It's a whole different it's a whole different army man. These guys, they take pride in what they do, man.

They're good at what they do and they're and they're fun to talk to, man. You know. And they come in and they come and said, man, we we're glad you're in here. Dealt with none of this stuff ever got used. And, and so and we're doing jobs. They're having us do stuff for the school that we would never got to do before because they've, they've, they've they've got little trust in us.

You know, they're not just going out there and, and free for all and you know, and and that's good because that makes my life easier, you know, and guys like you, you know, come in and help out and, and the community, I mean, there's no, there's not been one person to say no to me. Yeah. Like, hey, you know, and they'll say, yeah, we'll give it a try.

Now we haven't made maybe cinematic yet, but they they're willing to take part in it. And and if you can have those people together, there's a lot can happen. And so I'm pretty confident the building trades thing's going to happen. And like I said, whether it's this year or not because I know they're trying to you can only implement some of these one time.

And there's a lot that goes into that on the on the legal side. But, you know, I believe it's going to happen. I know Mr. Cook plans on staying around to see it happen. And and you know, he's challenged me to that. And but honestly, it's when you when it's when you believe what you're doing, it's really easy.

Yeah, yeah. I knew the unified track would go. It's just all in the presentation. But, because people say how, you know, we've tried that. That's nice. Not that work here. What it did and it was successful and and the people got behind it and and you hear people say something that's one of the greatest things I've ever seen.

You know, it is because that's that's a whole different aspect of, of school life that people don't know, they don't see. And and that's one thing I and my kids, my own kids take part in when they were in school, taught them humility, you know, they understand and empathy. And it just it's a good thing.

And, and this town's got a lot of good people and and everywhere there's people that are struggling and need help. And, you know, if you can help, help them out somehow, you know, I think that's your responsibility. And and like, education isn't just in the classroom. Right. And I think a lot of people, they, they, they get there at the last minute, they leave as soon as they can, you know, and, and I've never kind of been that way.

I just, I like hanging out, get to know people and make relationships and, even, like, once you, like you said, you know, you think this guy thinks I'm a dipstick, you know, like you coach long enough, you know, he'll find those people that well. And, I mean, but, you know, just I mean, the whole I mean, you kind of just wrapped it up with, when we all had a teacher that mailed it in, and we all had him.

Teachers like you, we all had them. Teachers like Mr. Orme. That's out. Yeah. Hours and hours. Investing in us. And it's it's it's making us a bigger, a better person, you know, and, you know, Mrs. Sliger used to be the personal finance teacher. She had a baby and stayed home. Her husband, the football coach.

Yes, Mr. Sliger, and like the impact that she was making on them kids. And she felt called to go home and be a mom. And that's that's an amazing, amazing, great thing, you know, but, like, she was one of them teachers, and you said this earlier where you could say the same darn thing to them kids every day, and they won't and listen at all.

And I walk in there and say it once and I'm like, that's a great idea that guys just said, you know. So, as we wrap this up, I just want to thank you for your time and, thank you for having me. Yeah. We'll, we'll we'll we're here to help. And, Yeah, we appreciate it. Good deal.

Thank you, for taking this time to listen to the Hoel Roofing & Remodeling Podcast. Have a great day.