EP# 214 Turning Challenges into Success: Luke Hall's Journey in the Pest Control Industry

What happens when you combine a family connection, entrepreneurial spirit, and a knack for customer experience? You get Luke Hall, the co-owner of Certified Pest Control, who turned an unexpected opportunity into a thriving business venture. We sit down with Luke as he recounts his journey from his early days in the pest control industry in 2008, inspired by a successful uncle and a cousin's recommendation, to launching his own company in 2014 alongside his wife, Adita. Luke's candid reflections on navigating the challenges of balancing business growth with family responsibilities offer valuable lessons on resilience and the importance of hard work.

Listeners can expect an conversation that digs into the lesser-known facets of the pest control industry, including the misconceptions that often cloud it. Luke’s insights not only shed light on the complexities of running a family-owned business but also inspire aspiring entrepreneurs with his story of perseverance. Whether you're curious about the inner workings of pest control or looking for motivation to tackle your own business challenges, this episode promises to enlighten and empower. Tune in to discover how Luke has transformed obstacles into stepping stones on his path to success.

Certified Pest Control
Luke Hall
8981 Daniels Center Drive #209
Fort Myers, FL 33912
239-877-4041
Support@CertifiedPest.com
certifiedpest.com

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Transcript

Speaker 1 0:00

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Cabo Jim.

Speaker 2 0:09

Schaller. Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast, episode number 214. Today we have Good Neighbor Luke Hall from Certified Pest Control. Welcome.

Speaker 3 0:20

Thank you for having me on.

Speaker 2 0:21

Yeah, absolutely Excited to learn a little bit more about what you do over at Certified Pest Control. So let's jump right in. And why don't you share a little bit about what you do?

Speaker 3 0:33

Yeah, so I own Certified Pest Control alongside my wife, adita. We opened our doors in 2014, and we are a local family-owned pest control company focused on giving peace of mind by providing health, safety and financial protection.

Speaker 2 0:51

Perfect, perfect. So let's back up your story a little bit. How did you get involved in the pest control industry?

Speaker 3 0:57

Yeah, I was. Well, my journey with pest control started back in 2008,. Really, I came out of college, I needed a job, and one that didn't have odd hours, you know, such as retail and things like that. I was really wanting that more cliche nine to five job, but at that time there really wasn't many places that were hiring. I put out you know a lot of different applications, with no luck. And then I had a family member, a cousin of mine, who was currently in the company and he had suggested that there was an opportunity where he was working at. And you know, at the time I needed a job. You know, beggars couldn't be choosers, so I put in the application and was hired. And I was happy I was hired because shortly after that I began to become extremely intrigued with the pest control industry.

Speaker 3 1:48

I didn't realize there were so many more moving parts than just going out and spraying you know, quote unquote for the bugs, right, right.

Speaker 3 1:55

So, um, you know, when I began diving into the business aspect and the, you know, the marketing aspect, the customer experience aspect, you know, you know all of it, just really it pulled me right in and so I knew, right then, and there, okay, this is what I wanted to do. Since I was a kid, I had a high desire to own my own business. I had an uncle of mine who owns a business and is successful, and I had the opportunity of watching him succeed and grow and it put that entrepreneurial bug in me. And so fast forward to working at that pest control company where my cousin helped me get the job. I put in my time, I learned everything I needed to learn to become certified in all the proper categories and then from there I began mapping out my plan to start a business and you know business planning, things of that nature and then I, march 3rd 2014, I pulled the trigger and decided it was time to take action there you go and you were in business like that we were in business yeah.

Speaker 2 3:01

So let's talk about some of those, those challenges. Obviously starting a new business can be a challenge in itself, but is there something you can look back at now and say you know what it was a challenge at the time. But I can look back at now and you know kind of I'm better for going through it.

Speaker 3 3:17

Yeah. So you know, one of the major challenges that stands out is navigating those early stages of building a business. I mean, I think most of us who start off could agree with that. It's daunting, it's challenging, it's different, especially if you're brand new to the business world, right? So balancing the demands of growing a business while providing for my family required a lot out of me and a lot of perseverance, a lot of adaptability. And there were, you know, a lot of perseverance, a lot of adaptability, and there were times where, honestly, resources were tight and I had a lot of pressure. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it any further than what I already had. But those experiences ultimately did teach me resilience, problem solving and the value of hard work. So, looking back at that, I could confidently say that overcoming those early challenges definitely made me more appreciative of the success that we've been able to build are Absolutely, absolutely.

Speaker 2 4:16

So let's talk about some of the myths or misconceptions surrounding the pest control industry that we can kind of clear up for our listeners today.

Speaker 3 4:24

Yeah, great question. So oftentimes one of the most common misconceptions that we come across is that the products we use are harsh and harmful, and in fact, nowadays the product that we use are less harsh and harmful than most consumer products that are found in many homes today. So that's probably one of the biggest misconceptions. I mean pesticide control. It definitely has evolved quite a bit since its inception.

Speaker 3 4:48

I mean, yes, early on things were extremely dangerous and a lot of those products have been removed and now they're on the restricted pesticide use category or not available at all. But it has evolved greatly and the products now and not just the products, the methods to apply these have changed for the better.

Speaker 2 5:10

Absolutely so. Do you notice anything trending within the industry? New?

Speaker 3 5:17

Yes, there's some new technology great software, proposal software. There's really good software now the monitor rodent activity these types of things are helping push us further. Different types of organic or green approach to the business are starting to really take on and so those things are new to the industry and new technology, especially the road and one being able to monitor the activity without actually being on site, so in between visits we can have real time data and be able to respond to that and know what to do when we're heading out for that next visit. Respond to that and know what to do when we're heading out for that next visit. That's a bit of technology that they've implemented in the industry that we find, you know, helpful. Absolutely Got to love technology.

Speaker 2 6:07

It makes our jobs easier in the long run.

Speaker 3 6:13

So are you from Southwest Florida originally. I am actually I like to joke that I'm a rare breed. You know I was born and raised, actually, in Collier County, spent a lot of my and basically Collier and Lee County, so I'm pretty well familiar with each area.

Speaker 2 6:30

You've seen a lot of changes down here, I'm sure I have?

Speaker 3 6:34

I definitely have.

Speaker 2 6:35

So when you do. I know owning a business can be very demanding every time, but when you do get a moment of free time, what do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Speaker 3 6:43

So I enjoy learning. I know that sounds kind of silly, but I'm a learner, I love to learn. I like to read articles and books. I'm involved with peer-to-peer groups. I like learning from others that have had the experience, have been there. That, um, you know, one of the things I found about myself and a lot of people, uh, I surround myself with is we're we're guilty of, we don't know what we don't know. And so you know, for me, a hobby is learning. I I I like it. But if I'm not reading books or learning from others, I, I do. Recently, I've taken the kamado grill. It's a kind of like that big green egg, so grilling out, you know, learning different ways to cook things that I've never cooked. I find that to be exciting. And, most of all, I really enjoyed traveling, you know, experiencing different cultures and different foods, you know, and I love doing that, all while spending time with my family.

Speaker 2 7:36

Wow, you sound just as busy as you do at work. Yeah, you've got a full schedule, but that's what it's all about. End of the day. That's true, so is there one thing you wish our listeners?

Speaker 3 7:50

knew about certified pest control that maybe they don't know.

Speaker 3 7:52

Yeah, I wish they knew that we offer Florida's most inclusive pest program. It's the Platinum Pest Program, and the reason why this is unique is because it covers them against more pests than any other company in the greater Collier, lee and Charlotte counties. It comes with a lifetime bed bug warranty. It includes webbing spiders, unlimited rodent control as well as all the common pests that are found here. So no other company in this area offers that, and so we truly do believe in providing more value to the end consumer, in other words, more bang for their buck. It's better for them to call their company and hear yes, we could have somebody out there right away, instead of hearing unfortunately, mrs Jones, you're not covered for that, but let me sell you this, and so that's what differentiates us. We'd rather go ahead and give you the value from the start and follow through with that, and and we tailor that program specifically to the each individual's needs. So that's one of the things that we we wish, um, you know, consumers, the community knew about us absolutely.

Speaker 2 8:53

You know it's about customer service at the end of the day, so how would our listeners go about contacting you if they wanted to learn more or had some concerns?

Speaker 3 9:01

Yes, they can visit us at certifiedpest. com or call or text us at 239-877-4041. You can shoot us an email at support@ certifiedpest. com.

Speaker 2 9:16

Perfect, perfect, luke. Any last words for our listeners?

Speaker 3 9:20

No, thank you for having me on. I appreciate anyone that listens to this. Thank you.

Speaker 2 9:24

Absolutely Appreciate you. Thank you for being such a good neighbor and I hope to see you out in the community soon.

Speaker 3 9:32

Yes, take care.

Speaker 1 9:34

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast, estero. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPEstero. com. That's GNPEstero. com, or call 239-296-2621.