Leadership Lounge with guest Jeff Dougherty

spk_0:   0:08
eyes. Jack Tester, Welcome to another episode of Leadership Lounge. I'm not my office today. Um, Little Canada, Minnesota Ed in what's called a dream room of Aquarius homeservices sitting with the owner, Jeff Doherty. How you doing? Doing great. Thanks, But I won't describe the room for folks here, so this looks like the inside of an upper end Northwoods cabin. It's got kind of a stone fireplace, knotty pine, big mounts of elk deer. And what did you just just so we can start here, Give me the idea of this dream room.

spk_1:   0:40
Um, the dream room comes from actually came from a Michael Gerber idea, actually. E meth, which affected me pretty strong. Initially in the business. After I read that book and he wrote another book. I think it's called Awakening the Entrepreneur Within. And he talked in the book about an imaginary place. Um, that when you start a business or you start a new career, there's our excitement of this unknown, This new jet expectation this this, this feeling that you have when you start something new and he talks in the book about overtime that that feeling seems to get away from us. which it does based on the world right of business. And so he talked about imaginary place that you close your eyes and go to just lay back and go back to that day when you started your business and think about how you felt that day. And and don't forget that and fight through and be able to release the day to day grind and be ableto rethink and re, um, keep your business going in a good direction. And so when I was figuring out this building when we were gonna design it, I thought, instead of that imaginary place that's just put a real dream room within the building, and that's what it was, all based on. The idea was his was an imaginary place. And I said, Well, let's really build a dream room And that's what we did in our business And a lot of companies will go away to retreats. Yep, to get away from the sound of the world, wind right on, the phone's ringing in everything, and I thought, you know, let's be able to do that every day. Here on this. This room is used probably in our business, four or five times per day. It's a great place to bring in people when we're interviewing Terram and you notice you've been in this room with us before. Next. Ours had some meetings. You have, um you hear people more clearly. You're more relaxed, you're able to think. And so it was just an idea. And I've really worked out really, really well for,

spk_0:   2:36
Well, it's beautifully comfortable chairs in here, so I just won't let people know kind of where I am. And so I'm thank you, Jeff, for agreeing to this conversation. I

spk_1:   2:44
appreciate you saw. Honored that you would have the conversation.

spk_0:   2:47
Well, this this is what we're gonna do is you've got a unique journey through this industry that I wanted you to share, and you've agreed to share. And but what I'd like to do right now just to give kind of give folks kind of an idea who I'm talking to. Just describe your business as it sits today in 2020.

spk_1:   3:02
Okay. 2020. We primarily built their business around water treatment. We started that 33 years ago. My brother and I and then today we've three years ago we started the heating and air side of our business. About five years ago, we started some plumbing is related to water treatment, and so that's been growing pretty significantly there, each backside of our business, our goals to be full trade. We do have two Bastar electrician's, which we're entering into that. We want to be able to help people with everything. The one stop shop for the utility room, Um, H backs growing very quickly. We already have 40 technicians in the field in the three years, and we grew at 88% last year. He's so it's moving along quickly. We have had some some good acquisitions to help us along the last since we started this venture. Yeah, so we're still about probably 75% water treatment overall. Um, and the other 25% is made up with R H back in our in our water treatment. We did, um, since 2016 we've grown. We've doubled our business, so in four years, we grew 26%. Last year, our revenues was 26 million. Our goal this year is 32 million, and that's kind of the pace we're on. Um, so the kids have been solid, so

spk_0:   4:26
Yeah, well, your business is different in that, You know, you're in the Twin Cities here, some and with called the inner ring of the 6 94 loop right on the irregular right after free. We've got a beautiful sign it here. But you just don't work in the Twin Cities. You've got branches or locations, and I'm gonna name the cities that I know. Appleton, Wisconsin Brainard. Alexander Minnesota Rangers In Minnesota, too. Where my missing

spk_1:   4:51
Maura Maura. Minnesota, Bemidji, Minnesota. Detroit Lakes. Minnesota. So there's seven Minnesota total on, and then we have five in Wisconsin.

spk_0:   5:02
And a lot of these who started out as pure water conditioning businesses or water treatment businesses right way have

spk_1:   5:10
water and all 12 of the locations, 12 locations and the heating and air and plumbing we have in about four or five of them. Currently, we're in the process of putting full service isn't all the stores.

spk_0:   5:22
So your model is is, you know, not just a big location in a big metro. Here it's across really the upper Midwest. I mean, I don't know that we have a member that's got as many locations that as many smaller What I call rural hubs that you've done that you do. It's all right. Just let people kind of know what you got going on. Right? All right. So you got a great business is beautiful of all the next. Our business have been in years. Is this modern and unique? Is any that I've seen? So it's a If you're in the Twin Cities and want to see a cool place, it's quarters. Service is for sure Jeffs could got, But I want to talk about your journey because it's different. You, um you grew up in the trade. But what Trey, did you grow up and tell us about your father and your grandfather or your father, I guess.

spk_1:   6:05
Yeah. Yeah. Well, Grand Rapids started in a small town in southern Ohio called Shell Coffee. A small business that was dirty appliances. And he started back in the heyday of these refrigerators and washers and dryers. Hey, was take a typical small town USA, the small family business in the small town. And, um, he built that business and was very successful, but he was always at their at the office. Every day there are 5 30 the typical typical business owner of that era. And it came time for Grandpa. My dad actually started. We got in the water business because, um, in in the early fifties, Mr Lindsey and Mister Culligan started this industry together. And Lynn Lindsay somehow through Lindsay, Grandpa get connected because of his appliances. And that's kind of one of the directions they went. So he starts selling water softeners, they're letting in water softeners. And my dad sold appliances and water softeners for for Grandpa. And then he got it opportune to move to Minnesota when I was five years old. So back,

spk_0:   7:07
that's really his headquarters is that

spk_1:   7:09
Lindsay was headquartered. Would bring you

spk_0:   7:11
say your dad was got in the water business, left the family,

spk_1:   7:14
left the family business and went to the followed the water business. And he came up here to run a company Lindsay store retail store. Right. And he worked his way up through the ranks to the national sales manager for Lindsay, responsible for for all the sails through dealerships in the United States. So and he was there for quite a while. He was next in line to become president of Lindsay, but never went that next step on. Then, um, a company came out called kinetic Oh, back in the early 19 seventies, and they built a better mousetrap for the industry. And they built this non electric water treatment system. And Dad. When he left, Lindsay became a rep for Connecticut and went around set up dealers around the Midwest. That's kind of where our path kind of. So you were you working

spk_0:   8:03
in the industry of energy? Hold you when this is going on?

spk_1:   8:06
I was in college. I went to college for football and, like I think, a lot of football players said I went to college and get an art degree with foot

spk_0:   8:15
football player with an art degree. It's because it was scared

spk_1:   8:18
I wasn't the best student, so it's always easier, always pretty good at drawing and stuff. So anyways, I went through four years of and became a got a major masters, and I mean, give me a bachelor's and fine arts. So, um and, uh, and along the way in college I was making my way through through um, selling water softeners was doing really well with its life, just felt like, you know, the art industry is kind of tough to make a living in. And I was doing well, some water softeners. So my brother, who just got out of high school and I grabbed from college. We started Aquarius, a retail store, Curious water conditioning together. Where was that? I was in 1987 and that was in North ST Paul Little rented shop. And when we started, we had nothing there was known for, You know, we started the phone. We we, uh how we started. The business is we were driving a car to a neighborhood and I would drop him off at one end of the street and I would drive to the end of the street and we would cross pass as we went by. And

spk_0:   9:15
I was not gonna

spk_1:   9:16
doors knocked on doors and finding business because we had no advertising. And we actually did pretty well with that because we've been having overhead. We both survived after about four years of being apart with my brother, just the two of us. And I think we might have hired one secretary in there sometime. But, um, his philosophy and how to run a business and my foster daughter in a business where to? I could recognize or two different ideas here. He loved the hunting and fishing more than he did the business. And when you were starting a business off, business has to become first. And I was the one I felt carrying, the majority the load to keep the business going. He didn't seem to have that same passion. So I bought him out in 1991 and he bought. The we did is we bought a Connecticut dealership in Rochester, Minnesota, at the time, and when that was paid off, he owned. That

spk_0:   10:01
was about tonight. There's about 90 miles from where I'm sitting right now, So just give me an idea out of Southern Minnesota. Got it.

spk_1:   10:06
And so, you know, I was It was it was hard, but we always, you know, hung in there, and you always were able to pay our bills and kind of ran the business for about 10 years that way. And

spk_0:   10:18
just a typical I don't say this enough. Three. Like a typical you know, in some markets in the Twin Cities, this one, there's a lot of water conditioning businesses around, whether Culligan or or whatever or just, you know, not even branded right in small towns, especially. That's pretty common. Is that something unique in Minnesota?

spk_1:   10:37
It was kind of the rule of this is a real on where market So really of Linda Lindsay being here and color gonna be in here. And the proximity, it really was a a big foundation for water treatment here in its hard water, too. I mean, the suburbs of the Twin Cities has what's considered extremely hard water. So the surface water feeds many ups and ST Paul so that's a little more challenging market. We don't do much, much work. And the water treatment side on the, you know, the city water all really absolute Saint Paul. Very little Mostar works and Private Wells and in the suburbs. Okay, so but yeah, but the water treatment is it's kind of funny, though, compared to like the other trades. There was a lot more water treatment companies in the Twin cities when we started than there is today. What happened? Um, they just all seemed toe, not make it go on a business. I don't know exactly why.

spk_0:   11:33
Let's talk about that, You know why? That good? Yeah, because we sat in here. Well, let me take I want I want to speak to something for a minute and then come back and kind of get your point of view on what I say. So I've been around this industry for a fair amount of time and particularly remember the early days of next star or when someone is having a little trouble there. A plumbing contractor. I can't have tell you how many plumbing contractors came to me and made the proclamation that I'm going to get in and kill it in the water treatment business, water condition, business. I'm gonna do these water tests and it's gonna be huge. And I'm going to get away from this up and down demand business that we've got. I have heard that once I've heard it 50 times and let me tell you what I also see Jeff is I don't see a lot of success, You know, I'm in. Virtually every plumber will do this kind of work at some point. But as faras, you know your business doing millions of dollars of it every year. That's just an outlier I just don't see it. Why is that, Jeff?

spk_1:   12:33
Um I Jack, it's a great question. I ponder that one a lot, cause, you know, I've had discussion many times. It's probably the same reason why we think we can be better plumbing. Then we may be I. Or maybe they're more different than we realize. We sell a very high rate, high end water treatment system. The average sales between probably six and $8000 versus most of the competitive products out there are half that much. Typically, um, we are more of a sales organization than a service organization. I mean, that's how we found in the business. Um, water treatment. I also think is more of a need. Excuse me. More of a want than that at eight. Okay. And I think it's easier to sell a need then is a want you really have to put a lot of energy into into that presentation. So our average that we spend in a home, I would guess, would be on our and 1/2 to 2 and 1/2 hours with a customer just on water treatment. So, um, just a bigger sales process to it and I think that's where I think the plumbing industry has struggled with that because most of our built to do that type of sales process, right? So I think that's a big piece of it.

spk_0:   13:44
Well, and that's interesting because you're right. I mean, you go out on a demand plumbing call, there's a league or something's not working, and there's a presentation. I'm not minimizing it, but it's certainly not a two hour pitch toe to close that deal. And, uh, and with your business, I imagine her getting in all kinds of issues relative, the water quality and what's in the water. And and it's supposed to somebody so many different options, So that's interesting. So it's the sales. You have a sales company, so most of your sales don't emanate from a service call. They emanate from someone calling and saying, I want better water. Exactly. Yeah,

spk_1:   14:18
exactly. That's That's a big difference. And that's that's why I'm excited about coming into the multiple trades has worry us very strong sales organization approach into heating and air and plumbing. Um, we're seeing some really good success, high closing ratios based on our sales experience in the house, okay? And how we approach, uh, the process is with with our history and along with the stuff we're learning from next star, that it's who we are already. So it's not

spk_0:   14:49
right. That's interesting, too. Yeah, because you weren't you didn't come up as a technician. You did. I know you know how to put this stuff in, but

spk_1:   14:56
much more sales or against it so big.

spk_0:   14:58
And let me tell you, we sat here and talked to Jeff, and I want to spend a little time hanging out here, but to be a successful sales organization in water conditioning. There was a lot of technical things that you were sharing with me about water, you know, and you have a depth of knowledge about water quality that I don't think plumbers have. I mean, they know how the system works, but as far as what's in the water and all that happened, So tell me when when you sit down here and you talk about what's important to share with the customers. Don't talk about this for a minute, cause I think it it really illustrates the complexities of what you

spk_1:   15:36
do here. How do you how do you start the conversation with consumer? Well, the big thing we do is a lot of demonstrations who were battling a clear glass of water. I mean, a lot of the time. Most of systems we sell there isn't always the obvious issues with water. So what we're trying to do, what we do a good job of doing is taking that clear, clear liquid and showing people what's in it. They do that through a lot of different testing and demonstrations and, uh, able to make you know we make tea, for instance, in homes with their tap water and then, like a purified water. And just showing that the same teabags create two different products is one of the demonstrations that really affects a lot of people. So we spend the two hour, two hours we spend in homes is a lot of those types of things. Okay, so we make conditioned water in the house when we're there, we show the customers the differences of the waters in the homes, and that's that's where we spend our spend our time doing because we're really battling a clear glass. And to try this, an interesting it's tried it, you know, travel with water that we're tryingto say this, You know, show people this stuff is in it, even though you don't see it our last time smelling or anything, right? But, uh, that's a big part of what we do when we talk. You know, we've also had a tremendous advantage, Jack Having a protected product, fanatical traffic was, is a protected product that we have a territory that we have the dealer for. There's not other dealers, and that's a major advantage that we've had, and it's really helped me with business. It's helped me and hurt me some of the more tact that when you have a proprietary product that's the best mousetrap in an industry, it's pretty easy to be successful. You know, the wonderful thing about going into the H back businesses. There's 25 people or whatever in the Twin Cities selling a certain brand of of heating products, and we're cooling products and and we we don't have that advantage, so we have to become a quicker, smarter, better company for Connecticut was pretty easy for us to be successful, and I've always said if you can match a business model and be successful is business. As good as the Connecticut product is compared to the competition, you just be unmatched in the industry, and that's that's our goal. That's why we're teamed up next. Our next star is the business model for the trades.

spk_0:   17:54
Okay, so let's start. Let's talk about this a year. You're when you join next door was I don't know, 2000 eight or nine. I don't remember when it was. Tell me why you joined your water commission guy

spk_1:   18:05
about the story's been most of people. Next starts told the same story, and, um, I was not I I was a water guy. I don't know how to run the business. I didn't know what called Technician is a technician sales guy, Really? And I was getting tired and we have really grown and we were. Our profits were strong. I mean, we were truly making 20% profits back there because we had our advantage of our products and protected market we had. So it was strong. But then it started plateau, and also I had, you know, went from three employees to 99 toe. I think in 2005 we had about 20 employees. 2006. And I got the point where I wasn't him fun anymore. You know, really, I was the typical burned out, couldn't see the future, couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Um, and I was just frustrated. I saw good cos I know they existed actually went around to a lot of companies, some of the good next door cos the Twin Cities and talk to them about maybe them taken over our service side of our business. And we would just do the selling and let them handle the customer service side because it was just I was just the typical. The company wasn't being run, you know, the employees all being directed, there was a vision. We're just doing our thing and just got to that point where I just decided and I went to try to sell it. So I went to brokers and got kind of what it would be worth. And look at the formulas in which you evaluate businesses like I don't know what he's gonna do. And I didn't I thought it's worth more than I thought it would be in, so I kind of gathered them all together and the employees one day and more. I think this would have been 2007. I just gathered everybody together and said, I don't know how we're gonna do it or what it means, but I want to build a great organization. I want to really building or a world class operation. At that time, I really had no idea what that meant. And uh huh. Strangely enough, you know, you when you when you, uh when you change your mind set direction or when I called a lot of attraction is yeah, there's a heavy used were a process here thinking processes. I was on the thing. Start. You start to recognize you know, the things that can help you, OK, and so

spk_0:   20:19
you're kind of existing before then kind of working hard. And then all of a sudden, he said, I really want to have something amazing and different and better. So the universe opened up things to you. What would you see?

spk_1:   20:31
Um, I went to the bank and I said, like to build a new building that we're in today and I want to do this, you know, that designed with I want a workout center. I wanna build a really neat place where people want to come, too, because we spend half our life in there. And so I went to the bank and I explained what we're trying to do. And after I think at that time had read e mails, the banker said, You know, there's a guy in here yesterday and his name is Greg Knee me in. I think I think he does what you're talking about trying to do here, Jeff. And that was funny because next star was in White Bear Lake where I grew up

spk_0:   21:07
because he was looking for a loan because we're moving. Yeah. Yeah. He's a former CEO, Great guy. Yeah.

spk_1:   21:12
And so I called Greg, and I think that that time there's only about 10 maybe 10 people at next. Star aspires the staff staff twice, and, uh, I went over and met with him and Lisa and they had the sign at the front welcoming me and all this stuff I've never seen and sat down with Lee Sun. She did a tremendous job of

spk_0:   21:31
Lisa. Wait. Yeah, Lisa, Wait till today killing it

spk_1:   21:35
and she even did a tremendous job of telling me the story of, you know, eating the elephant one bite at a time and all the all the parts. And they talked to me about Fear Junction. Just, you know, I know at that time opened up my mind to building something special on Nelson. The wheels started turning Start, absorb, you know that. But the universe is open for you to hear. And we started to believe that this can be done. Yeah. You know what I didn't realize, though, through that, is that of the 20 some people that were there that day, only three of them are inquiries today. And that was hard. Yeah. Change is hard for people, especially when you worked on a path to start with and also the order. You know, starting over and years ago, cash And that was 2000. I would have been 2008.

spk_0:   22:21
Yeah, a long time ago. Yeah,

spk_1:   22:24
and so it was just changed and going through change when you weren't changing for all those years. People do not do well with that. And I'm sure a lot was that my shoulders for maybe not not handling that change properly also. But anyways, the decision was made in that change inside me allowed us to continue to grow and build become a much stronger organization than lucky we started right then. Because then the recession hit, even though we didn't do new construction, plumbing or anything, but our water treatment was connected to a lot of new construction home. So we did really have to navigate through that recession. And, uh, we made it through, but it wasn't easy. And so we got through that and then that it's just gradually been building and building and then 2016 and on it's really started to grow quicker. Yeah. So what

spk_0:   23:15
was the genesis? Because I know when you joined next star, I was your coach for a while. Remember that. And you guys are primarily of water commission business. You started to do some plumbing, uh, can seem like it was kind of a slow build from least perspective I had. And then, uh, but don't know you've seen this hockey stick right now. What happened? Why? Why all of a sudden did you double in sales in the last two

spk_1:   23:40
years? Um, the big piece of it I think what it takes is you got it. You have to kinda build a company which can change and grow and really take processes and really start to make them effective way. We've been with next door for a long time. Yeah, but we really weren't effectively getting the process is to appoint because we had so much to do to where they were really effective. Okay, now I've got 22 leadership positions in the organization, 22 managers. What we're building is a place in which we can take the great processes that next art provides us and truly implement them.

spk_0:   24:20
So you got leadership

spk_1:   24:21
leadership, and we're trying to sell me again too many things at one time, you know? So we're doing a percentage of everything and then that just, you know, aren't really super effective at any We were, you know, in the last few years, when after the super meeting and the eight Laws were talked about which I really pretty

spk_0:   24:34
just pointed to emulate lot poster here that's hanging in the dream room,

spk_1:   24:38
and I Just when those hit home, um, took us a year really come to grips with it. But that eight laws and living that and really pay attention to each speed and getting our processes in the next hour process is really truly followed, is the difference. Cool. So and we're all in on that. I mean, that's that's when we're at. We're gonna I just said whoever can effectively follow the process is the best, because that's where the rubber really meets the road. Whoever can can execute is who will be the best in the industry, and that's we really feel. Understand that. And, uh, that's what we're all about. And part of the passion of all this for me is my grandpa's business. Didn't, um, distance survive? Yeah. So he was a typical, you know, he passed away in the business. You know what? Let's shortly it went with him. So he has. So you

spk_0:   25:33
wanna build something that's that outlives, Jeff. Exactly what have people here that that can enjoy that too? Exactly. That right, exact. That's That's awesome. Let him fuck. Yeah, you are. Congratulations, man. So let's talk with last two years. A lot of growth. What's been tough? Um, you know what? What's it in like you look back, all man I'd That was

spk_1:   25:58
a bear cat. Well, the biggest challenge always is getting everybody to go the same direction. Okay, You know, there's a paragraph in the traction or any U. S company, which is another thing you find is your Your universe opens up to, um but getting the everybody to believe fully to the level which will execute, okay, and that piece of it's been the as, if that's with every business, is getting everybody going the same direction. But that paragraph in there just talks about getting everybody to rowing the same direction in your organization. You'll be unbeatable in any industry at any time is pretty much sums it up. That's true. So it's just getting everybody going. Um, we've done, you know, these acquisitions have been good and band they're challenging. See about some h A C company. We brought four smaller H back cos. And the last one, we just bought freedom. There is a fantastic company that we just purchased in its meet our court. They meet our values right away, and that's been really helpful. But sometimes it's it's kind of hard, um, when someone didn't choose to come to Aquarius and also in one morning. Well, they learned that they become what Korea's and Alison were. A different culture. That's a challenge.

spk_0:   27:11
What sounds like the same challenge that you when you went to your 20 employees, said we want to be world class. It sounds like all the So Wait a minute. What? That's not gel on. Great

spk_1:   27:20
day, rock. Great. You got a reality? Is that right? What? Write me. Know

spk_0:   27:24
if you think back on that, because it is a challenge. Your first person said that, son in the world, especially when on this podcast. But but think back. Is there anything you would do? Different relative, those acquisitions, Either only energy or buying or what would you? What would you do differently?

spk_1:   27:40
I wouldn't because what I've learned from them, I would I had to go through that. I think, to understand the difference of our future acquisitions on recognize, um what two would not do? I really feel that it was important that we what we need to do what you're not to, um you know, I would only buy companies that have values system similar to ours. Okay. I wouldn't want to try to do that to them or us again. Okay. I want people that want to be, you know, obviously customer focused and just have a good value system. And okay. And, um, I want to be part of what we're doing. Okay? You know, baby,

spk_0:   28:24
what do you know that? Because, you know, you're not talking every employee when you go talk to business, you're talking about the ownership

spk_1:   28:29
group. Well, the owner being an owner and you meet with another owner. From what I've learned, I think of when you meet with the with the other owners, you get to understand what that person is and they become part of, you know, the owner is gonna really reflect. Typically the

spk_0:   28:46
gun it. I got it. So you don't have to interview the employees So much of you. When you talk to the owner, you're going to get an idea

spk_1:   28:54
of what? What a day in the life is like in that business. Especially these small companies, Jake companies to Yeah, that's kind of life. I mean, if you think about it, everybody kind of hangs out a lot with the type of people they are. Yeah. You think about in high school. There was a group of people the athletes, the brains, the football players like of the troublemakers and all those different groups and and in business, the owner. Your goal and Cory's has really evolved. This way, I feel, is that our people are like people. We we're people that want to follow our core values, which are a big part of our business. And they're just not the poster on the wall, which I say many times we probably do a better job of embedding our values and our organization the most companies, okay, and so that's That's a big piece of all this, but that's who I am. And we came up with this all the people that find their way to Aquarius the same way that you know, we developed who we are. People want to be part of that, and that's how we're building. Our business is we want people that want to be who we are and where we're going, and the word gets out of what we're doing. And it's kind of exciting to see the quality of people that want to be part of it. How cool is that? It's fun. That's where you said last year, what's been tough last two years have been the least tough of all the 33 years

spk_0:   30:15
that you stop because that's so cool because you'd think business bigger, more complex, and it's ever been, you know, But you're so why's it easier parties? We're the best two years. Tell me about that

spk_1:   30:26
because I know we know what we have to do to succeed. We're not trying to create their this unknown. We have got it scene and wonderful thing is to see the successful next Our companies, they were just peanuts in this next our world, which is a company now. But there's stuff we have to shoot for here, and that is so exciting for me to have that and have the all the stuff that you provide for us to be able to get there where for the 1st 25 years of business that wasn't in front of us, we didn't know where to go. We did not get there. When we have the path to find with the leadership team and the values of the organization now it's exciting. T let this happen because we're gonna we're gonna become one of those great companies that the top next our people are. We see it, we feel it and everybody wants to be it.

spk_0:   31:13
So I heard there is. You got a path with systems and you've got a great leadership team. And what was the 3rd 1? You mentioned their values and company values. Right now you've got kind of three legs. They're going and and you feel and what I sense is a lot of optimism. I sense

spk_1:   31:31
it right now. It's exciting. I mean, we 10 years or three years ago, we said, Well, and I know a lot of companies use this figure, but we want to be $100 million company Said that 10 years ago, when you three years When I said that Excuse me three years ago, that was our 10 year plan when I when we decided that three years ago I didn't really. It's one of those things that just Oh, you know it's out there. But boy, what does that really mean? But now I see that the path and the speed were growing and what's taking place that is gonna be very achievable for not sooner than the 10 years. So it's just exciting to know that all the things were doing, seeing the results of them. Yeah, and coming together, you know, the wind, the days that we converted the service tighten this year and all they're doing to help along with the next heir processes. Um, we're just excited to be able to put all this together and have a team that gets it. You know, um, the other strength of our organization, which I'm really proud of is that we have some tremendous leaders here. Yeah, you know, we've been fortunate. You know, Brooke, our president, I'm a very right brain. Be an art major. My very right brained person. He has a degree in economics, so he's a very strong numbers thinking, you know? Okay, process. And I'm a more of the creative marketing mind. So having you know, those type of things, compliment not about the organization, um, and having people in here that kind of, oh, work together and I'll have their strengths. And I think we've done a pretty good job of building a team here that really complements each other because I am not the numbers person you know. And having people in here that I trust with number side of the business. As far as you make your decision based on, that's not listen to him. I do. I do. Listen to them, um, and I'm involved in it, but I really let them make decisions based on the numbers. I want to be part of some birthday things. I support that. Yeah. And, uh, I'm spend more on my mind to spent on marketing and culture. And that's where most of my days thought that if if we're all doing our part for, you know, getting people to get their strength to do the things that they're good at. And I do what I'm good at, you know, you only have so much capacity this now I

spk_0:   33:52
wonder if part of your journey Jeff Vikan capacity thing is, is it true today as you've grown this business that you're doing Maur of the work that you love Unless that you don't like 20 years ago and it was small, busy to do a lot of different stuff, right? I mean, there's task you had to do. And I just think today is your business grows. I'm not saying you. You don't do the hard work, but you're not doing I don't know whatever a right brain guy didn't like to

spk_1:   34:18
do, right? Yeah, that mechanical piece of the you know, I I enjoyed the customer interaction. I enjoyed the sales side. That was what I really enjoyed. I didn't like the number side of the business. I never just not my not my niche. So, um, but as you know, is when you're starting a business, you're doing it all. And then, you know, gradually we just hire people took to replace, you know, to replace those things that you need help with and that you're not good at. And that's got a good team that way. Right now, we've got straight across light years ago when you weren't good

spk_0:   34:48
at numbers. Get him. I don't I think your business might have been missing that which it needed, which is some of that focus. And then you felt it right in the way the business ran. It was erratic or, you know, low on cash. Hi. You're full of cash. You know, the all the stuff that that when you don't have a good financial focus of the business you can run into right? Right? Spending too much. Occasionally. I don't know what you did. I don't

spk_1:   35:13
even know if it's all true. But, yeah, I wish I wish. I knew today with Ray Wishes They knew that because in the market was really strong back then for our business, and we didn't take advantage of it, nearly what we could have. But, you know, today we're we're becoming that company. So I'm excited about that. One of their big piece. I really think along this journey that's been important to is from Day One, you know, as much as the team members was, how important was that every customer was satisfied out had truly will say, You know, we have hundreds thousands of customers we've built in this business, and I've never been inside a courtroom with ever a customer. That's cool. And we do, you know, a lot of water treatment systems and a lot of things. A lot of not saying. A lot of things haven't gone wrong through the years, but at the end of the day, I was always sure to make sure the customers were taken care of. And maybe through all the things I didn't do right? That was the one piece and looking back at it today, it's truly the most important piece. Because that's who we are today. Our customer. How were known? You know, we have open houses for our customers on If you ever been able to stop by, one of our people have its and barbecue. Yeah, we D'oh, we do a big off this year. We had in almost 3000 customers come here for the weekend, and we did it across four stores where he had about 5000 total. That came. And we're willing to open up our doors to our customers and let them come in and see who we are. And obviously, the people are so proud to have him come in. It's brilliant, a great great. And we get for us yes, and further customers. And we're willing toe just expose ourselves to our customers. That's who we are, you know, and take care of them And wait a big part of today as our reputation has been built from doing things like that for our customers.

spk_0:   37:03
Yeah, well, well done, man, but what a journey.

spk_1:   37:06
Yeah, it's like you said. It's really fun right now. It's we have We're doing so many quick things were moving really quick right now and change what's

spk_0:   37:12
happening. Well, I just wanted to come in. You had a great story to tell, and it started with a conversation about your journey through the water treatment business in tow. Full homeservices now, including still, the flagship trade here is is still water treatment,

spk_1:   37:29
Correct? Yeah. And I do feel that age fact will become by fire. Biggest business leader. Industry is bigger industry, more opportunity. And the way it's growing so quickly for us, I do feel that it will. It will take over water pretty quickly, so

spk_0:   37:43
Okay, well, still well done. And thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And if you're ever in the Twin Cities and no, just pretty open guides. You McCall, go sit in the dream room for a little bit. And, uh, it's a great place. And congratulations. And tell that the Aquarius team listening too. Well done, man. Because I know this is not just Jeff, for sure. I know it's not just Jeff. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all for listening. Very interesting. Up. Soda leadership lounges. Jack Tester with Jeff Gordon from the Dream Room. We'll catch you next time. Thanks so much