I had the most amazing flight a few weeks ago. Flying back from Tampa, Florida, I sat beside an elderly gentleman whom I’ll call LJ — 81 years young. LJ and I started what was to become a 3 hour conversation most of it mid-air. LJ planted in me a seed of determination. He exemplified all that is so so right about entrepreneurship — and a bit of what is wrong in America.
Driving home long after my flight ended — and even now, a month later, I cannot get the memory of LJ out of my head, nor would I want to — ever. He’s an inspiration to anyone who aspires to greatness, and is testimony to the power of fortitude and perseverance.
LJ was born in Alabama, and as a man of color he witnessed firsthand discrimination and segregation. Though he believed he had received a decent education, upon entering the military for what would become a 28 year career, he soon discovered, a segregated south had left him with a sixth grade education. LJ served three years, then reenlisted. Somewhere in between he met and shared a bed with a young woman — a woman with whom he had a child, and then married, in part because of his mother’s prodding. Fifty years later LJ is a proud father of 6 academically brilliant children.
I won’t recount the details of LJ’s military career. He retired and I thank him for service to the country! We all should. During my flight he related many stories about his service but the “best” of his life happened after “retirement” when he started afresh.
After years of military service, LJ found himself at home, and bored. Faithful and trusting in God, he visited his pastor a church leader. The pastor offered him an opportunity to do some painting. Later he painted a woman’s home at the urging of his pastor — and was paid; a passerby saw his work, and hired him for more painting work….that was years ago. And like the Faberge ads from the 70s, they told two friends and so on and so on.
Today, LJ boasts 3 large trailers, a full crew of men who work 40 hours each week and lives by referral; he has never advertised — you won’t find an ad for his services in the paper, nor will you find a sign reading, “Painted by….” on a client’s front lawn. He does not have nor does he need a website. It’s not how he operates. He related that he drives a Lexus and owns a pick-up to boot and yes, he smiled when he told me. He should be proud.
LJ gave me one of his business cards and told me about his business. I felt lucky — he does not give his business card to just anyone. In fact you need to listen to his “spiel” — his seven point sales process about how he will paint your home before he will give you a business card. The reasoning: otherwise the card lands in a pile with other painter business cards and in six months when an inquirer is ready to book the work, they don’t know LJ from anyone else. If you “listen” to LJ, he’ll jot down a job date (even if it’s an estimate) and yes, he’ll follow up with you about the job. It works. His average painting job $12k. He has handled jobs totaling almost $50k and his work is so impeccable that other less detailed painters have lost business in neighborhoods where he works.
I learned some lessons from LJ.
Lesson 1: You can stand out from others in your field by listening to your clients. Tell them what you will do for them, in easy terms, so they understand — let them know you will take care of them.
LJ is different. He gets personal with clients and it does not cost him a dime. All he needs is a little time to convey his painting process steps to would-be clients — who quickly become want-to-be clients, and once they are clients, they return and they refer.
LJ will not skimp on jobs. He has had clients ask for minimal work because they are “just getting the house ready to sell” and don’t want to spend a lot of money. LJ tells them: hire another painter. He knows that the new residents will eventually discover that he did the work; if it’s sub par — his reputation is on the line. The previous homeowners have already skipped town. LJ never backs down.
Lesson 2: Know a No is okay. Do it right or give the work away. Otherwise you stand to lose more than the job/money: you lose a reputation for quality work.
Over the years LJ has expanded beyond painting — he handles window repairs, plaster and drywall replacement, deck and walkway power-washing and much more. And again, he’s never advertised. He also discovered early on that you need to understand who your customers are — their demographic, where they work, live and play. His clients tend to be upscale — they have money and can afford to pay him. He’s capitalized on a market including historic and classic homes. These are residences where tours take place around the holidays. Clients he’s secured will pay for deck washing, a new coat of paint and help with decorating before Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Lesson 3: Know your market. Investigate who can afford your service and what other opportunities might branch from your core offering.
LJ’s core business is painting, but he’s expanded because of need: clients asked for new services. He didn’t just dive in. He studied, tested the market, then reaped returns.
He credits the army with teaching him discipline and he’s instilled it in the men who work for him. No tattoos. No long hair. No personal calls during work hours. No boomboxes/radios allowed. White overalls are a must and must be changed every other day. Every worker can do “all” jobs — by cross-training employees, each person is able to handle any job at any site. Employees report to work 15 minutes early to outline the day’s jobs — and do the same after work to recap what has been completed and which projects need follow-up; lessons learned are shared during this time too.
Lesson 4: Reviews are important. Use it as a teachable moment. Document what works and what does not.
As our plane began its descent, I asked LJ to whom he gives credit for the success he has enjoyed. He gave one answer: God. To be sure, LJ showed up at the plate too — and took a swing. But the rest was in God’s lap. A faithful man who has raised six successful children, he recounted to me some sad days after he returned from the army. He had energy and drive, and nowhere to go. If not for the combination of his own drive, a nudge from God and help from a pastor, perhaps life would have taken a different turn. Perhaps you would not be reading this right now.
Lesson 5: Persistence pays off. The only sure loser is a quitter.
Lesson 6: It never hurts to put your faith into something bigger than yourself, something like God.
Stories like this are amazing and inspiring. If you have a family member like LJ — take the time to record their “oral” history — their voice, their ideas, their stories, to audio CD. It’s simple and can be done from a computer with microphone attachment. Don’t wait. If you want to learn more about family history recording and memoir writing, contact me via email or by calling 248-877-1584.
Driving home long after my flight ended — and even now, a month later, I cannot get the memory of LJ out of my head, nor would I want to — ever. He’s an inspiration to anyone who aspires to greatness, and is testimony to the power of fortitude and perseverance.
LJ was born in Alabama, and as a man of color he witnessed firsthand discrimination and segregation. Though he believed he had received a decent education, upon entering the military for what would become a 28 year career, he soon discovered, a segregated south had left him with a sixth grade education. LJ served three years, then reenlisted. Somewhere in between he met and shared a bed with a young woman — a woman with whom he had a child, and then married, in part because of his mother’s prodding. Fifty years later LJ is a proud father of 6 academically brilliant children.
I won’t recount the details of LJ’s military career. He retired and I thank him for service to the country! We all should. During my flight he related many stories about his service but the “best” of his life happened after “retirement” when he started afresh.
After years of military service, LJ found himself at home, and bored. Faithful and trusting in God, he visited his pastor a church leader. The pastor offered him an opportunity to do some painting. Later he painted a woman’s home at the urging of his pastor — and was paid; a passerby saw his work, and hired him for more painting work….that was years ago. And like the Faberge ads from the 70s, they told two friends and so on and so on.
Today, LJ boasts 3 large trailers, a full crew of men who work 40 hours each week and lives by referral; he has never advertised — you won’t find an ad for his services in the paper, nor will you find a sign reading, “Painted by….” on a client’s front lawn. He does not have nor does he need a website. It’s not how he operates. He related that he drives a Lexus and owns a pick-up to boot and yes, he smiled when he told me. He should be proud.
LJ gave me one of his business cards and told me about his business. I felt lucky — he does not give his business card to just anyone. In fact you need to listen to his “spiel” — his seven point sales process about how he will paint your home before he will give you a business card. The reasoning: otherwise the card lands in a pile with other painter business cards and in six months when an inquirer is ready to book the work, they don’t know LJ from anyone else. If you “listen” to LJ, he’ll jot down a job date (even if it’s an estimate) and yes, he’ll follow up with you about the job. It works. His average painting job $12k. He has handled jobs totaling almost $50k and his work is so impeccable that other less detailed painters have lost business in neighborhoods where he works.
I learned some lessons from LJ.
Lesson 1: You can stand out from others in your field by listening to your clients. Tell them what you will do for them, in easy terms, so they understand — let them know you will take care of them.
LJ is different. He gets personal with clients and it does not cost him a dime. All he needs is a little time to convey his painting process steps to would-be clients — who quickly become want-to-be clients, and once they are clients, they return and they refer.
LJ will not skimp on jobs. He has had clients ask for minimal work because they are “just getting the house ready to sell” and don’t want to spend a lot of money. LJ tells them: hire another painter. He knows that the new residents will eventually discover that he did the work; if it’s sub par — his reputation is on the line. The previous homeowners have already skipped town. LJ never backs down.
Lesson 2: Know a No is okay. Do it right or give the work away. Otherwise you stand to lose more than the job/money: you lose a reputation for quality work.
Over the years LJ has expanded beyond painting — he handles window repairs, plaster and drywall replacement, deck and walkway power-washing and much more. And again, he’s never advertised. He also discovered early on that you need to understand who your customers are — their demographic, where they work, live and play. His clients tend to be upscale — they have money and can afford to pay him. He’s capitalized on a market including historic and classic homes. These are residences where tours take place around the holidays. Clients he’s secured will pay for deck washing, a new coat of paint and help with decorating before Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Lesson 3: Know your market. Investigate who can afford your service and what other opportunities might branch from your core offering.
LJ’s core business is painting, but he’s expanded because of need: clients asked for new services. He didn’t just dive in. He studied, tested the market, then reaped returns.
He credits the army with teaching him discipline and he’s instilled it in the men who work for him. No tattoos. No long hair. No personal calls during work hours. No boomboxes/radios allowed. White overalls are a must and must be changed every other day. Every worker can do “all” jobs — by cross-training employees, each person is able to handle any job at any site. Employees report to work 15 minutes early to outline the day’s jobs — and do the same after work to recap what has been completed and which projects need follow-up; lessons learned are shared during this time too.
Lesson 4: Reviews are important. Use it as a teachable moment. Document what works and what does not.
As our plane began its descent, I asked LJ to whom he gives credit for the success he has enjoyed. He gave one answer: God. To be sure, LJ showed up at the plate too — and took a swing. But the rest was in God’s lap. A faithful man who has raised six successful children, he recounted to me some sad days after he returned from the army. He had energy and drive, and nowhere to go. If not for the combination of his own drive, a nudge from God and help from a pastor, perhaps life would have taken a different turn. Perhaps you would not be reading this right now.
Lesson 5: Persistence pays off. The only sure loser is a quitter.
Lesson 6: It never hurts to put your faith into something bigger than yourself, something like God.
Stories like this are amazing and inspiring. If you have a family member like LJ — take the time to record their “oral” history — their voice, their ideas, their stories, to audio CD. It’s simple and can be done from a computer with microphone attachment. Don’t wait. If you want to learn more about family history recording and memoir writing, contact me via email or by calling 248-877-1584.
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