What to do if you're a new home inspector starting a business from scratch! Featuring Abby Bullock

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Matt.

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Matt, you ready or are we doing this thing or what?

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Okay, okay.

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Yeah.

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Here we go.

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I've got a question for you, dude, which is just simply this.

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If you were to start over from scratch, day one as a home inspector, no clients, no
agents, no nothing, what's the first thing you would do and why?

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Man, I'll have to think on that.

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But it's an interesting question, you know, because you know th they you know

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got to be talking about a lot in the months ahead.

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That's right.

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That's right.

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Yeah.

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And I mean, like, yeah, I I agree.

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Like what what would happen?

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Like what's the biggest mistakes that you make, like as a as a new inspector coming up?

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You know, what are some of the things that that I I did that maybe I would do differently
or that I wouldn't have done?

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Yeah, there's definitely some things for sure.

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totally.

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I mean, like for me, I would not leave the manual for an oven in the oven on my very first
inspection ever.

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I would double check that thing so I don't, you know, light it on fire.

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Yeah.

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Mm-hmm.

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I've never done it since, you know, that was a one and done mistake and it's never
happened again.

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But there's so many that are like that.

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And dude, we know so many inspectors because we get messages from them, we get emails and
stuff where it's like they want to know, hey, I'm just starting out in the field.

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We listen to y'all's show.

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This has been super helpful.

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And we have some special stuff coming up in the months ahead for all you guys.

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It's gonna be really cool.

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Yep.

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It do you want me to tell them about it or or do you want to preview it?

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like you kind of teed it up there.

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I did.

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Okay.

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I put the ball on the T for myself on this episode.

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Yeah.

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So, guys, this is going to be called the Inspection Support Network first year
masterclass.

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And it sounds like a lot to say.

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It is, but essentially it's just this.

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This is going to be a webinar series for you guys that are brand new inspectors or just
starting out in the field or just starting your own business.

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Maybe you've been working for somebody else, but now you're starting your own business.

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And and you you have all the technical knowledge, but you're like, I don't even know what.

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My first thing should be, or my second thing should be if you're just launching your
business for yourself.

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So we have this master class series coming up for you.

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It's gonna be at the link down in the bio.

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You can register there.

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It's gonna be starting on July eighth.

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And then it's gonna be twice a month every month all the way through September.

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And then we got a second cohort that we'll do from October all the way through Christmas.

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It's gonna be awesome.

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We'd love you guys to come be part of it.

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But uh Matt, I'm even more excited about the guests that we got on today to talk about
that very thing.

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That's right.

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That's right.

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We have Abby Merit of Merit Property Inspections.

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Welcome, Abby.

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What I'm sorry I'm sorry, what says Abby Merit there?

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It's always gonna stick.

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Aunt Sandy.

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It's part of me now.

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Hello, thanks for having me.

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Yeah, I don't know who did that.

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It's automatic sometimes.

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But yeah, no.

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So Abby, you are down in the Tampa area, my old stomping grounds, but you're not
originally from the Tampa area.

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And your inspection story is really cool and it kind of lines up with ex everything that
we're planning in the months ahead.

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So tell the audience a little bit about yourself because uh not only are you just starting
out, but you're blowing up on socials right now too.

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Thanks, yeah, it's been awesome.

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I started in the industry getting my license in central Texas about like 2022, four years
ago, I guess.

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Got my experience there and then I moved to Tampa Bay area where, yeah, it's a good area.

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I love it here.

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So now I'm like four years in, I've gotten like 1500 inspections under my belt and do all
the...

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the add-on services and just started social media probably like really leaning into it
about three months ago.

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And it's been really changing the trajectory for getting clients for my business.

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So it's been awesome.

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Yeah.

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can really do that.

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media.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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So I started getting some here and there whenever I started doing videos.

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ah So then I just started doing a lot more videos and, you know, doing ads for some of
them.

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And then I just get more followers because at the time starting out, I would try the
method of paying for leads like Angie or Google ads and stuff for marketing.

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Those are tough.

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So

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Instead of doing that, would just pay for ads marketing.

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And then that way you're also getting followers.

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then they like to watch you work.

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I remember one time I did a new build for a couple and they're like, yeah, we already had
an inspector hired, but we came across your videos and we could watch you work.

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Like they felt like they understood me or like knew me.

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And they're like, yeah, we wanted to hire you instead because we have watched you work in
a way.

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Yeah, that makes sense.

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It gives you some credibility.

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not really surprised that you're finding some success uh with social media marketing
because I've seen some of your videos and just the the only way I can really describe it

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is you come off very authentic.

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Um very there's there's an authenticity that's there.

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Like you're not trying to be somebody else.

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You're not trying to be smart.

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Some s you know there there there's some people that come off too I don't I don't mean
you're not smart.

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I don't that, but I'm telling you there's some people that come off like a know it all.

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You know what I mean?

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okay.

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Yeah.

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you're coming across very genuine, very authentic and very informative.

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Uh and there's something very relatable to it that I think I I can I can see why why
you're your you know people are are picking up on that and why you're having some success

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there.

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Yeah, I don't I I don't mean it like, hey, she's not smart.

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No, no, no.

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I clearly like clear you are by your videos.

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Yeah, I didn't mean it to come out with it.

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But but I mean like no no no.

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I mean I I just there there's people who won't name names, but I mean like, you know,
there there's there's some people out there, respective friends of mine.

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that that put together content, but it's just like, I don't know, I kind of when I when I
see it, I'm just kind of like, ah, it's like they come across very egotistical.

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um and it's not that the information that they're putting out there isn't useful.

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but they just come across, they've had they've got a harsh way that they come across.

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And and I d and and coincidentally, some of those people that I'm speaking of, they don't
have as good a success either.

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Um, but but there's there's a genuine quality to what you put out there that I appreciate.

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And um and I think that's probably um

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lending itself to you having some success advertising on social media.

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So congrats for your success.

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Yeah, I appreciate that feedback because I don't really know why it's working out, but it
is.

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So it's good to hear that it can be relatable.

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Well, I I think this is really good for people that um might be interested in starting out
in social media, but they might feel like the industry's saturated.

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I've heard that before too, where it's like, there's just too many voices out there now.

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The home inspection social media industry, there's all these personalities.

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It's it's too late in the game.

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And it it's just not because there's always room for a fresh voice and you've brought that
and you're seeing it take off.

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I mean, um the Tampa area specifically, like we've got some uh some

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influences are influencers that are around there um or just north of it but um i i think
the biggest real estate social media influencer in the tampa area is like it's that lady

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on tick tock that does like the really off color listings you know what i'm talking about
dude she is funny i mean we can't even repeat them on here because hr will get mad big

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time but like it's it is funny stuff but like again if you can bring something that's
fresh

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in an area that uh people are just starting to get to know you.

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I mean, social media is so good at at showing you, not just to people abroad, um, but to
people in your area now, that um yeah, I mean you're gonna you're gonna see that pay off.

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So it's never too late to start, you know?

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Yeah, for sure.

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Well, yeah, you've certainly done good there.

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Now, today our topics are like kind of not that you're a new inspector, but we're talking
about if you can remember when you were a new inspector and some of the things and some of

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the challenges and maybe some things that you would have done differently.

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I definitely know there's some things that I would have done differently.

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And that's why like the webinar makes sense to bring up that during this podcast as well,
because you know, coming out of uh inspection training, you you said you trained in

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central Texas.

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Whereabouts was that?

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uh Well, mine was online.

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So even my field requirements was online at the time.

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I think it was because of COVID.

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wasn't like that.

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Yeah.

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I was in Dallas at the time.

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Yeah.

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where did you get your training?

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What what school did you train at?

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Eww.

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um maybe ATI?

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Does that sound like one?

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a hit, maybe.

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uh I yeah, it's okay.

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Um, but I mean, like anyway, whatever it is, like, and it doesn't matter because I tr I
was at Champion School of Real Estate.

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Um, but um what wherever you train at and like whether it's all online, because like you
said during COVID, it like all online.

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I I did like 75% of my stuff was in person.

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and then like part of it was online.

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But but anyway, it doesn't really matter.

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Whatever it is, when you get out of that.

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And you go into home inspection, like as much as you've learned, you don't know anything.

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And you certainly don't know how to actually like go in there and do the job.

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You know what I mean?

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Like they might they might have shown you what a report looks like.

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You might have seen a couple of them.

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but I mean, like to get out of every single house is different.

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And so, especially when you're new.

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And so to get out there and to get started on your own, um, you know, it's it's something
different.

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So, you know, this is this is a time to kind of dial back to

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that energy that we felt whenever we first got started and kind of discuss some of those
pain points that we had and um and also you know uh talk about you know some things that

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we maybe would do differently or not do.

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Yeah, that's I say because it feels so independent when you're out there inspecting it's
almost like, all right, here you go.

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Like almost sink or swim sort of way.

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ah The biggest thing I would change would be the whole social media thing because then
you're not really alone when you have those connections.

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So there's been a lot of support that I found that I wasn't using before I started using
social media a few months ago.

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So like other inspectors also just watching.

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videos like your videos, if I was watching that the past few years, that would have
helped, you know.

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And then, yeah, like I said, there's been inspectors that reach out or if you're posting,
you know, you might have a question or you might be inspecting something HVAC and then an

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HVAC technician of 20 years can comment and then you learn something.

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So the more you put yourself out there, the more you're learning quicker rather than
staying kind of independent in that way and isolated and learning the long way, let's say.

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admit that like I've I've been wrong many times.

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I mean, I'm not I don't know everything, so I've been wrong many times about things I put
a video on, but I have learned a lot from people that are there's people that are brutal

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in the comments.

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And sometimes there's something to be learned there.

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But there's actually some people that are not so brutal and some people that are
knowledgeable and understand that, okay, you don't know this.

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Let me teach you this.

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And I have learned so much from that.

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But I I I've had people for years, because I've been making content since like 2018.

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I've had people come up and tell me for years, either in my

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in in my DMs or whatever.

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And they're just like, you know, I've learned I learned so much from your videos or where
do I learn to do what you do?

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And I and I'm like, stick around, you know, like I you'll you'll learn way more watching
the videos of inspectors that are in houses every day than you ever learned at training or

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at school.

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I mean, you have to do that stuff.

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There's that's a different thing.

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You know, they're training you to take the test or training you to get licensed, all of
these things.

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Um it's important stuff.

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Learn a lot of code.

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But it's like if you want to learn what it's like to do the job, you know, watch some guys
doing the job, watch some girls doing the job, and and that way you can figure out

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exactly, you know, what it is to be out there in the field.

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Now they still don't feel the heat.

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They don't feel the um, you know, the the the sweat driven down their brow whenever
they're in the uh attic or or or on on the roof.

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you know, they're not on their feet all day, but they can get an idea, a little bit better
idea of what it is to actually do the job.

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Now, if I had to do something different, now.

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Let me ask you a question.

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You started in you you s you started inspection in in uh Texas and then okay.

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So you and were you working for a firm then?

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Okay.

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working for, yeah, firm, guess, a company.

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uh

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you had some support.

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You had you had some um some some people.

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So if you had a question, you had somebody to bounce something off of, somebody probably
supplied you with maybe some things, tools, insurance, software, things like that.

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Cool.

218
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I I I think if I I I it's hard for me to say this because if I had to go back and do it
again, I actually wouldn't change this for me.

219
00:12:58,914 --> 00:13:04,216
But it used to be when people would ask me how that how I did this and and how they do it,
I would say.

220
00:13:04,418 --> 00:13:07,541
Find requirements in your state, go get license and go do it.

221
00:13:07,541 --> 00:13:09,292
You know, you can do this.

222
00:13:09,412 --> 00:13:13,775
I encourage people to do this, to start their own business, like I did.

223
00:13:14,317 --> 00:13:15,557
But I wouldn't do that now.

224
00:13:15,557 --> 00:13:21,142
Um, looking back, looking back, it was just a tremendous amount of liability.

225
00:13:21,222 --> 00:13:26,397
And I think there's a lot that new inspectors don't realize whenever um they're they're
going into it.

226
00:13:26,397 --> 00:13:29,719
First of all, I don't think they realize the weight and that they're carried around with
the liability.

227
00:13:29,719 --> 00:13:32,857
I don't think they really realize what.

228
00:13:32,857 --> 00:13:34,398
they're actually responsible for.

229
00:13:34,398 --> 00:13:40,779
Um and and with your um without a strong support system of people to bounce questions you
don't know everything.

230
00:13:40,779 --> 00:13:48,063
Without a strong support system to bounce questions off of people or get someone
experienced to to help guide you along the way.

231
00:13:48,063 --> 00:13:50,730
Cause just because you got out of school doesn't mean you can go do this job.

232
00:13:50,730 --> 00:13:52,084
I mean I did, right?

233
00:13:52,084 --> 00:14:02,190
But I mean, um now when people when like when my guys work for me, they get out of school
and they there's a whole different training session that they have with me.

234
00:14:02,190 --> 00:14:03,761
That goes on for a long time.

235
00:14:03,761 --> 00:14:06,503
They learn stuff that they never would have thought of learning.

236
00:14:06,503 --> 00:14:09,616
Um, and that way they're ready to go out there and do these inspections.

237
00:14:09,616 --> 00:14:17,673
I didn't do it, but I don't think, and and I it's not to say that there aren't some people
that would benefit by starting their own company.

238
00:14:17,673 --> 00:14:21,956
I do think it's the right move for some people, but I don't think it's the right move for
most people.

239
00:14:21,956 --> 00:14:26,841
Um, and also like I don't think people realize how slow it is in the beginning.

240
00:14:26,841 --> 00:14:31,426
I'm sure whenever you you moved to Florida, it took you a while to get some traction.

241
00:14:31,426 --> 00:14:33,127
And really get the business moving.

242
00:14:33,127 --> 00:14:40,920
Like I thought to myself, I've said this on the show before, but I thought I remember the
day I created my own Facebook page for my company.

243
00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:44,702
And I thought when I hit publish that the phone was just gonna start ringing.

244
00:14:44,702 --> 00:14:47,032
And uh and it did not, you know.

245
00:14:47,032 --> 00:14:49,433
Um, I was more scared of it.

246
00:14:49,433 --> 00:14:51,494
I was actually glad it didn't start ringing.

247
00:14:51,494 --> 00:14:54,285
Uh I was more scared of it ringing at the time.

248
00:14:55,406 --> 00:15:00,928
I had another job and I was like really nervous about, you know, my uh ability to to do
the job.

249
00:15:00,936 --> 00:15:02,017
Um, at the time.

250
00:15:02,017 --> 00:15:04,388
And so I'm glad that it didn't just ring like crazy.

251
00:15:04,388 --> 00:15:08,580
But like it took year a couple years to really get moving.

252
00:15:08,580 --> 00:15:10,801
And I think that that's pretty common in the industry.

253
00:15:10,801 --> 00:15:14,543
Um, and so I think like these are things that people don't know.

254
00:15:14,543 --> 00:15:21,867
When you work for a company, they'll s they're gonna supply you with a lot of that those
things that you're gonna you wouldn't have to, you know, you would have to buy yourself

255
00:15:21,867 --> 00:15:22,547
otherwise.

256
00:15:22,547 --> 00:15:25,098
Tools, internet, software.

257
00:15:25,415 --> 00:15:34,523
Yeah, that's where but that's where Abby, I'm curious, what was your experience in terms
of like when you first moved to Florida and at what point did you feel comfortable jumping

258
00:15:34,523 --> 00:15:35,044
out on your own?

259
00:15:35,044 --> 00:15:36,846
Being like, Okay, I've got enough coming in now.

260
00:15:36,846 --> 00:15:41,130
I think I know enough that now I can I can go out independent.

261
00:15:41,130 --> 00:15:43,562
What when did you make that move and when did you know?

262
00:15:44,674 --> 00:15:46,214
Well, I made that move.

263
00:15:46,214 --> 00:15:59,254
I technically formed the LLC like a year and a half ago, but yeah, I would say then, but I
didn't really start full time for myself until recently just because like you said, it's

264
00:15:59,254 --> 00:16:04,794
hard to get clients until you figure out, you know how you're going to get them.

265
00:16:04,794 --> 00:16:08,574
But I first moved to Florida working for a different company.

266
00:16:08,574 --> 00:16:11,694
So I was getting a bunch of inspections, of course.

267
00:16:11,694 --> 00:16:12,221
So which

268
00:16:12,221 --> 00:16:16,584
I enjoy it because I'm getting a bunch of experience under my belt doing to a day.

269
00:16:16,885 --> 00:16:25,172
And like you said, I was under their insurance and the main tools and they also supported
growth and learning.

270
00:16:25,172 --> 00:16:32,228
I, you they're the reason I was doing my got my mole assessor's license and just learning
a bunch of things.

271
00:16:32,228 --> 00:16:34,560
So very helpful before.

272
00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:39,665
And then I just kind of a few factors has made me want to go out on my own and start my
own thing.

273
00:16:39,665 --> 00:16:40,105
And

274
00:16:40,105 --> 00:16:41,435
At first it was just an idea.

275
00:16:41,435 --> 00:16:48,694
like, okay, I'm going to form this LLC, make a website, kind of step at a time until I'm
like, it's time to get like trying to get leads now.

276
00:16:48,694 --> 00:16:54,540
And then, then I was working full time and the part is just like a lot.

277
00:16:54,540 --> 00:17:03,269
until, until I just kept getting clients, I was like, okay, this is, it's pretty clear
switch for me because of how busy it got once I started the videos.

278
00:17:03,269 --> 00:17:04,049
So.

279
00:17:04,526 --> 00:17:12,118
So I mean, was there anything that like when you started your business, like and and how
long ago was it that you started your own business?

280
00:17:13,096 --> 00:17:14,372
Like a year and a half.

281
00:17:14,372 --> 00:17:15,113
Okay, okay.

282
00:17:15,113 --> 00:17:20,197
So is there anything that like um has proven to be completely different than you expected?

283
00:17:20,197 --> 00:17:22,939
Uh and and it and like how?

284
00:17:23,580 --> 00:17:23,999
If so.

285
00:17:23,999 --> 00:17:25,949
Yeah, let's see.

286
00:17:25,949 --> 00:17:30,841
um It was just, I guess, a lot more work behind.

287
00:17:30,841 --> 00:17:34,172
Like I had to, like I said, build the website from scratch.

288
00:17:34,172 --> 00:17:40,554
I made the templates on the software we use for reports.

289
00:17:40,554 --> 00:17:43,765
And also I started the business without a saving.

290
00:17:43,765 --> 00:17:47,396
So I was just in debt and it was like, I'm going to figure it out.

291
00:17:47,396 --> 00:17:52,017
And I did, I paid it off and then I had to get more in debt and paid it off.

292
00:17:52,066 --> 00:17:53,426
And now I'm good.

293
00:17:54,046 --> 00:18:04,106
So, you know, I feel like there is, but that's kind of the thing that it may be not for
everyone because you have to be comfortable with the uncomfortable for a bit.

294
00:18:04,106 --> 00:18:06,866
You have to believe in it and work a lot.

295
00:18:06,866 --> 00:18:10,826
Because would I have worked that hard if I did have a savings and stuff?

296
00:18:10,826 --> 00:18:13,006
No, I needed to make that money back.

297
00:18:13,006 --> 00:18:16,866
So I worked really hard on the business and it paid up.

298
00:18:16,866 --> 00:18:19,226
So what else I would say?

299
00:18:19,466 --> 00:18:20,186
Yeah.

300
00:18:20,186 --> 00:18:22,009
Another thing would be

301
00:18:22,145 --> 00:18:24,445
I was looking into hiring.

302
00:18:24,805 --> 00:18:28,765
that was something that you said you would be in the class, I think.

303
00:18:28,765 --> 00:18:38,945
And that would, I could benefit from that because it can be confusing between the 1099
versus W2, which is kind of when you have more inspectors, it seems like, and then writing

304
00:18:38,945 --> 00:18:41,705
up contracts and it's all out of my depth.

305
00:18:41,705 --> 00:18:45,765
I'm just like learning how to do it as one does when starting a business.

306
00:18:45,765 --> 00:18:47,967
But yeah, those have been some.

307
00:18:47,967 --> 00:18:51,486
somebody on like two years ago, so it's a relatively new thing for me as well.

308
00:18:51,828 --> 00:18:52,902
Okay, cool.

309
00:18:52,974 --> 00:19:02,167
No, it's it's interesting that again, it sounds like with a lot of entrepreneurs, you just
jumped in and kind of figured it out as you went.

310
00:19:02,167 --> 00:19:07,018
Um, what would you say to people that are kind of hesitant to make that commitment?

311
00:19:07,018 --> 00:19:16,761
Because there's a lot of folks out there, and I'm I've fully been in this camp where it's
like until I've got the capital, until I've got the experience, until I know exactly blah,

312
00:19:16,761 --> 00:19:17,692
blah, blah, blah.

313
00:19:17,692 --> 00:19:19,182
And I've

314
00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:24,463
I listen to people like that and they know a lot more from books than they do from
experience.

315
00:19:24,463 --> 00:19:32,426
But there's an old saying that I'll I'll always trust the opinion of a man with experience
over the man with an just an idea, you know?

316
00:19:32,426 --> 00:19:40,570
And so for someone like you that's that's done this, that's, you know, gone in the hole to
get started, paid it off, you know, you've taken big risks.

317
00:19:40,570 --> 00:19:44,312
What would you say to people that are interested in jumping in but they're risk averse?

318
00:19:47,422 --> 00:19:49,642
I don't know, maybe it's not for everyone.

319
00:19:49,882 --> 00:20:00,422
I think something that really stuck with me one time is that I have a cousin I'm close
with and I was just really frustrated with inspections and just like, I think it was my

320
00:20:00,422 --> 00:20:06,342
first year and it was like, man, I was just complaining and he was like, well, maybe it's
not for you.

321
00:20:06,342 --> 00:20:09,782
And was like, and then it was like, no, this is for me.

322
00:20:09,802 --> 00:20:11,622
I'm gonna do this.

323
00:20:12,102 --> 00:20:15,157
So I don't know, I think it just comes with.

324
00:20:15,157 --> 00:20:19,555
decisions within, I guess, of, you know, what do you really want to do with your life?

325
00:20:19,555 --> 00:20:22,449
Or if that's something you really want to do, you should do it.

326
00:20:22,796 --> 00:20:28,403
there ever a moment like in that first year and a half that you thought maybe I maybe I
made the wrong decision?

327
00:20:28,403 --> 00:20:31,516
Whether it's inspection or whether it's m starting your own company or anything?

328
00:20:31,516 --> 00:20:33,408
Was there every one of those moments?

329
00:20:37,151 --> 00:20:38,571
I think I did question it.

330
00:20:38,571 --> 00:20:39,662
Yeah, for sure.

331
00:20:39,662 --> 00:20:41,642
If doing inspections was for me.

332
00:20:41,642 --> 00:20:48,064
I, so my background is that like I got my degree and then I was going to go back to school
for nursing.

333
00:20:48,064 --> 00:20:52,253
And then I was kind of in the spot where I was like writing the essay of why I want to be
a nurse.

334
00:20:52,253 --> 00:20:54,146
And I was like, I don't think I want to be a nurse.

335
00:20:54,146 --> 00:20:55,356
I just never wrote the essay.

336
00:20:55,356 --> 00:20:57,547
I was like, I need to do something else.

337
00:20:57,667 --> 00:21:03,329
And I, that cousin I spoke of, he's in the home inspecting field, which is kind of how I
got into it.

338
00:21:03,329 --> 00:21:04,809
ah

339
00:21:04,809 --> 00:21:05,990
and made that switch.

340
00:21:05,990 --> 00:21:12,552
And so I wouldn't say I ever felt like it was a wrong decision because I knew the other
one wasn't for me.

341
00:21:12,593 --> 00:21:15,254
But I did have a hard time.

342
00:21:15,254 --> 00:21:28,380
think part of it is being new and part of it's being young ah as an inspector, because
it's true, like you're not as experienced and you have brand new tools showing up and you

343
00:21:28,380 --> 00:21:31,025
know, so how that goes.

344
00:21:31,025 --> 00:21:35,887
I made the wrong decision whenever it's a hundred degrees outside and I'm sweating through
my clothes.

345
00:21:36,107 --> 00:21:38,128
But but honestly, I mean I love my job.

346
00:21:38,128 --> 00:21:43,831
I mean, there's a lot of pain points and frustrating points when it comes to clients.

347
00:21:43,831 --> 00:21:49,033
um, you know, the heat, the cold, um, the the the conditions sometimes.

348
00:21:49,033 --> 00:21:53,184
I mean, but ul ultimately at at the root of it, I I really do like my job.

349
00:21:53,184 --> 00:21:57,496
But I mean, like, you know, looking back, like I I had doubts going in.

350
00:21:57,496 --> 00:21:59,873
Like, I thought

351
00:21:59,873 --> 00:22:10,211
At first, that this was going to be like a side gig for me, which I think a lot of people
actually want to start this as a side gig, a side hustle is what they always like to say.

352
00:22:10,211 --> 00:22:20,668
And I um while I tell some people like you know it kind of depends on where you're at or
whatever, but I actually don't think it's a great side hustle because like I think the

353
00:22:20,668 --> 00:22:22,670
more you do, the better you get.

354
00:22:22,670 --> 00:22:25,844
And I even whenever I take vacation or when I

355
00:22:25,844 --> 00:22:30,108
um I I don't I'm not in the field as much as I used to be because I got some guys out
there doing that.

356
00:22:30,108 --> 00:22:31,129
I'm doing other things.

357
00:22:31,129 --> 00:22:39,596
Like when I get back out there, I'm not as I mean, I I s my reports are still what they
used to be, but like I'm not as proficient and and you know, quick and sh I don't want to

358
00:22:39,596 --> 00:22:48,053
say sharp, but like I don't I don't move as fast as I did or or you know, collect data as
fast as I did uh at one time, whenever I was doing two a day, you know, five days a week.

359
00:22:48,053 --> 00:22:50,735
Uh so I think like the more you do it, the better you get.

360
00:22:50,735 --> 00:22:53,910
The more you do it, the more you see, the more experience you get.

361
00:22:53,910 --> 00:22:58,723
And honestly, like, you know, in states that require, you know, licensing, you know,
they're gonna require insurance and things.

362
00:22:58,723 --> 00:23:00,685
And now you're paying for all this stuff.

363
00:23:00,685 --> 00:23:08,595
It's kind of hard to, you know, just have a side gig uh and think that that you're gonna
actually be profitable whenever you have to, you know, pay at least some amount of

364
00:23:08,595 --> 00:23:09,191
overhead.

365
00:23:09,191 --> 00:23:20,458
Plus, it's like we're most of our business, most of it, at least uh historically, has come
from real estate agents and they don't want things done what you know next week, whenever

366
00:23:20,458 --> 00:23:21,349
you have a day off.

367
00:23:21,349 --> 00:23:22,980
They want things done

368
00:23:23,406 --> 00:23:24,546
tomorrow, you know?

369
00:23:24,546 --> 00:23:30,588
And so if you if you don't have that time available, you know, I don't think it's a a
really good for a side hustle.

370
00:23:30,588 --> 00:23:33,359
But for me, that's what I thought I was going to do in the beginning.

371
00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:36,090
Now, I mean I always take everything to like excess, right?

372
00:23:36,090 --> 00:23:40,401
So as soon as I started, I started thinking like, well, how can I make this profitable?

373
00:23:40,401 --> 00:23:49,403
But I was like totally doubtful that there was enough work to to make it like profitable
for a business.

374
00:23:49,403 --> 00:23:51,574
I mean, I saw people that did it.

375
00:23:51,833 --> 00:24:02,902
But I was having trouble like with the idea that I would get because I started going,
okay, I'm gonna have to do like 350 inspections a year to make like because I had I had a

376
00:24:02,902 --> 00:24:03,623
full-time job.

377
00:24:03,623 --> 00:24:09,828
I was gonna have to do like 350 inspections a year to make what I was making or close to
it, make enough to like feel like I could get by.

378
00:24:09,828 --> 00:24:17,424
And that seemed like such a crazy amount of inspections to try to get um as just one
single man operation.

379
00:24:17,424 --> 00:24:20,396
Um here I am, like, I don't know.

380
00:24:20,648 --> 00:24:22,368
almost ten years later.

381
00:24:22,368 --> 00:24:27,382
And I mean it's uh it's not a not really a problem, you know, but I didn't know that going
in.

382
00:24:27,382 --> 00:24:31,555
So I think um but looking back I would tell myself like it'll be okay.

383
00:24:31,555 --> 00:24:33,015
It's just gonna take some time.

384
00:24:33,015 --> 00:24:36,197
But you gotta you gotta the hustle, it's not the side hustle.

385
00:24:36,197 --> 00:24:39,799
It's like the hustle is the marketing, you know, getting out there and getting clients.

386
00:24:39,799 --> 00:24:41,300
You gotta get that done.

387
00:24:41,978 --> 00:24:44,840
So Abby, what's proven the most challenging thing then?

388
00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:53,117
I mean, a few months in and um hey again, we've asked the question, you know, w was it
what you thought.

389
00:24:53,578 --> 00:25:02,165
I really were more interested in like what's been the scariest part of it or the worst
part of it in a sense?

390
00:25:03,187 --> 00:25:05,398
Like the biggest pain point that you've had.

391
00:25:06,109 --> 00:25:08,029
The past three months been great.

392
00:25:10,709 --> 00:25:12,109
Let's see.

393
00:25:12,709 --> 00:25:14,649
Yeah, the first month I switched.

394
00:25:14,649 --> 00:25:17,869
I was like, okay, I'm doing my business full time.

395
00:25:17,869 --> 00:25:21,309
Second month, I said yes to absolutely everything.

396
00:25:21,309 --> 00:25:24,969
And I was doing like three inspections a day.

397
00:25:24,969 --> 00:25:27,409
Like, like I said, I was in debt.

398
00:25:27,809 --> 00:25:31,709
I was in debt for so long that I was like, I can make my money back.

399
00:25:31,709 --> 00:25:33,154
Oh my God, I'm yes to everything.

400
00:25:33,154 --> 00:25:35,536
ah But that's not sustainable long-term.

401
00:25:35,536 --> 00:25:40,029
So that's when I was looking into hiring and ultimately I was just like, was not prepared.

402
00:25:40,029 --> 00:25:48,534
So I need to take a step back and, ah you know, cause you don't want your reports to, you
know, be less quality or anything like that.

403
00:25:48,534 --> 00:25:51,056
So it's like, okay, we're going to take a breather.

404
00:25:51,056 --> 00:25:54,038
Yeah, I don't know.

405
00:25:54,038 --> 00:26:01,077
think if I'm thinking of the hardships over my pet, like whole career, the last three
months wouldn't.

406
00:26:01,077 --> 00:26:01,672
be included.

407
00:26:01,672 --> 00:26:03,370
That's like the best part.

408
00:26:03,534 --> 00:26:06,349
Yeah, no, it's it's all been roses so far.

409
00:26:06,349 --> 00:26:07,888
No, that's that's fantastic.

410
00:26:07,888 --> 00:26:12,550
that's been the last three months, but I mean, you've been you know, a business owner for
a year and a half.

411
00:26:12,550 --> 00:26:20,204
So like before the last three months kind of started to take off and you started to get
some l a lot of leads from social media, like let's let's for the people listening that

412
00:26:20,204 --> 00:26:30,638
are maybe, you know, don't have that going or don't have that going just yet, what
percentage do you say uh of of time of your day or time of your week?

413
00:26:30,638 --> 00:26:36,028
Like what what was the balance between growing your business and doing inspections?

414
00:26:36,028 --> 00:26:38,180
Um, like with was it was it an even bound?

415
00:26:38,180 --> 00:26:46,108
I mean, obviously it seems like you're not especially if if without the social media
thing, if you're not working on bringing in clients, they're not coming in.

416
00:26:46,396 --> 00:26:46,757
So

417
00:26:46,757 --> 00:26:47,957
yeah.

418
00:26:48,417 --> 00:26:55,677
I was working a lot for a long time and I'll kind of go through phases of like, okay, I
need a little bit of a break.

419
00:26:56,357 --> 00:27:00,657
yeah, mean, building the website took a long time.

420
00:27:00,657 --> 00:27:02,897
If I could go back, I wouldn't spend much time on that.

421
00:27:02,897 --> 00:27:07,217
Because when you look at who actually looks through your website, it's not many people, it
breaks my heart.

422
00:27:07,217 --> 00:27:09,997
So it's like they're only looking at your landing page.

423
00:27:10,017 --> 00:27:10,737
Yeah.

424
00:27:10,737 --> 00:27:17,473
I don't spend too much time on you got to prioritize what actually matters, which end of
the day is clients and marketing.

425
00:27:17,473 --> 00:27:19,507
So that's the biggest thing.

426
00:27:19,507 --> 00:27:21,384
Don't try to avoid it.

427
00:27:21,384 --> 00:27:22,721
before social media?

428
00:27:22,721 --> 00:27:24,820
How were you uh acquiring customers?

429
00:27:25,125 --> 00:27:32,049
I was doing, Angie, which is like, you pay for leads per month and that's very tough.

430
00:27:32,049 --> 00:27:33,050
It's not for the week.

431
00:27:33,050 --> 00:27:39,554
It's, um, yeah, it's kind of like you're out lower bidding other inspectors.

432
00:27:39,554 --> 00:27:43,036
So, but you know, I needed like reviews.

433
00:27:43,036 --> 00:27:49,811
I needed experience of using my template and representing my company and, um, managing it.

434
00:27:49,811 --> 00:27:50,198
So.

435
00:27:50,198 --> 00:27:54,319
It's it's just the same way as like inspectors that maybe have lower prices when they're
new.

436
00:27:54,319 --> 00:27:58,667
Um, because that's the way that, you know, you can get the job.

437
00:27:58,778 --> 00:28:00,189
You don't know what they're doing.

438
00:28:00,189 --> 00:28:03,423
You just have to say a low price for them to use you basically.

439
00:28:03,423 --> 00:28:05,805
ah So Angie.

440
00:28:05,901 --> 00:28:06,401
done that.

441
00:28:06,401 --> 00:28:17,949
I mean I've uh you know, Matt, I won't I won't name him lest to hear it and be pissed that
I said it, but one of our good friends, in the Tennessee area, um, he did he told me he

442
00:28:17,949 --> 00:28:26,576
did that very same thing where it's like, Hey, fifty bucks for your first inspection, you
know, kind of stuff, just to to start getting traction, you know?

443
00:28:26,576 --> 00:28:26,958
So

444
00:28:26,958 --> 00:28:34,995
did Angie's and it but and I did but I did I know I researched my area whenever I started
and I went in at the lower at the lower side.

445
00:28:34,995 --> 00:28:37,488
Um I felt like I had to.

446
00:28:37,488 --> 00:28:39,528
I mean y you gotta do something, you know.

447
00:28:39,528 --> 00:28:41,818
Um You gotta do something.

448
00:28:41,818 --> 00:28:43,240
don't have a ton of reviews.

449
00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:45,813
Like you got to start somewhere.

450
00:28:45,845 --> 00:28:48,207
now I tell people not to hire that guy.

451
00:28:48,308 --> 00:28:49,619
But it's just because I want the work.

452
00:28:49,619 --> 00:28:50,270
You know what I mean?

453
00:28:50,270 --> 00:28:56,946
Like, um, I I I that's but I mean it's true though, you know, like there there's no what
happened?

454
00:28:56,946 --> 00:29:04,323
I didn't have the experience, so I lowered my prices so I could get people that those
people that were concerned about price, I I wanted to get them.

455
00:29:04,323 --> 00:29:05,625
Those were my clients.

456
00:29:05,625 --> 00:29:08,187
Now I don't want those people, right?

457
00:29:08,187 --> 00:29:09,287
And so uh

458
00:29:09,287 --> 00:29:09,997
market.

459
00:29:09,997 --> 00:29:10,476
Yeah.

460
00:29:10,476 --> 00:29:11,356
Yeah, yeah.

461
00:29:11,356 --> 00:29:14,241
But I mean, I'm also a much different inspector than I was when I started.

462
00:29:14,241 --> 00:29:19,938
So it's like, yeah, I'm more expensive, but I mean, like, I'm actually a lot better than I
was ten years ago too.

463
00:29:19,938 --> 00:29:21,700
So I mean, like, you're getting a different inspector.

464
00:29:21,700 --> 00:29:23,655
That should be a different price.

465
00:29:23,655 --> 00:29:24,246
dang.

466
00:29:24,246 --> 00:29:24,717
I'm sorry.

467
00:29:24,717 --> 00:29:28,680
I thought this was a great idea doing this outside, but then the dog starts barking to
come out.

468
00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:30,472
Now he just ran down the daggum stairs.

469
00:29:30,472 --> 00:29:31,352
Hold on.

470
00:29:31,364 --> 00:29:32,125
All right.

471
00:29:33,467 --> 00:29:35,059
We're not gonna cut this out, by the way.

472
00:29:35,059 --> 00:29:37,122
This is gonna be the best part of the show.

473
00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:42,184
I I don't know why you don't just make the dog part of the show.

474
00:29:42,185 --> 00:29:44,046
The dog's cute as hell.

475
00:29:44,408 --> 00:29:46,011
Just bring the dog on the show.

476
00:29:46,011 --> 00:29:47,572
I've said this before.

477
00:29:47,934 --> 00:29:49,616
I'll bring my dog in here if you want.

478
00:29:49,616 --> 00:29:51,137
He looks like your dog.

479
00:29:51,479 --> 00:29:52,650
Got any pets?

480
00:29:52,940 --> 00:29:54,412
I got two cats.

481
00:29:55,755 --> 00:29:59,916
Yeah, I was pushing one earlier to prevent him from getting on the screen.

482
00:29:59,916 --> 00:30:02,793
you don't have like a gator or something living in Tampa.

483
00:30:02,793 --> 00:30:03,414
Right?

484
00:30:03,414 --> 00:30:04,914
I would if I could.

485
00:30:05,315 --> 00:30:08,617
I see them in the suburbs, like those ponds.

486
00:30:08,638 --> 00:30:09,789
There's always like a gator.

487
00:30:09,789 --> 00:30:10,569
It's so cool.

488
00:30:10,569 --> 00:30:12,821
Doesn't get old.

489
00:30:13,037 --> 00:30:22,952
I I went I drove to to Orlando a couple of weeks ago and uh I saw a few of you know, on
the on the trip there, um, just off the side of the freeway, just in the, you know,

490
00:30:22,952 --> 00:30:24,273
marshes and stuff like that.

491
00:30:24,273 --> 00:30:25,554
Saw a few of 'em.

492
00:30:25,554 --> 00:30:26,214
Yep.

493
00:30:26,214 --> 00:30:31,267
That's pretty wild to just look out there and see that, you know, like a seven foot
creature.

494
00:30:31,267 --> 00:30:37,110
Yeah, not just I mean like this the the one I saw a couple of them moving, but like I saw
like one that was like

495
00:30:37,144 --> 00:30:38,434
I mean, like I say, it about seven feet.

496
00:30:38,434 --> 00:30:41,366
You could see his whole body, you know, like not not out of the water.

497
00:30:41,366 --> 00:30:44,635
He's in the water, but you can see his the the the ridges along his back all the way to
his tail.

498
00:30:44,635 --> 00:30:48,989
And it's like, Oh, you know, sometimes if you're looking and you're like, Is that a gator?

499
00:30:48,989 --> 00:30:51,730
you know, question sometimes.

500
00:30:51,730 --> 00:30:54,071
This was like, Nope, that's a gator.

501
00:30:54,071 --> 00:30:55,667
Like there was no questioning

502
00:30:55,667 --> 00:30:57,798
were we talking about before the dog left?

503
00:30:57,798 --> 00:31:01,609
We were talking about Angie of like how I was getting leads.

504
00:31:01,609 --> 00:31:06,350
I then went to Google local ads, which is kind of similar.

505
00:31:06,350 --> 00:31:09,371
Like their ads, their leads that are calling you.

506
00:31:09,371 --> 00:31:17,513
Um, but you know, you don't have to, there's not as much competition for that market
anymore for the low prices.

507
00:31:17,513 --> 00:31:24,516
Um, but yeah, something about that is that I was, you know, working full time, but also
for merit.

508
00:31:24,516 --> 00:31:26,456
So I would get a call.

509
00:31:26,456 --> 00:31:31,861
And I'm actually still in this phase where I'm just 100 % responsive.

510
00:31:31,861 --> 00:31:40,608
Like if I'm in an attic, I'm answering or like if I'm in a drive through, I'm answering
like I'll schedule them right there.

511
00:31:40,836 --> 00:31:43,456
So yeah.

512
00:31:43,633 --> 00:31:45,713
I did it for a r I did it for too long.

513
00:31:45,713 --> 00:31:47,243
So I that that's another thing.

514
00:31:47,243 --> 00:31:49,674
Like there's some advice for for newer inspectors.

515
00:31:49,674 --> 00:31:59,096
Like, obviously, if you're running your own business, um, you know, it's one thing if
you're working for for somebody that that you know, an inspection company that's answering

516
00:31:59,096 --> 00:32:03,207
their phones and just making appointments for you and everything, then there's a whole
bunch of advice I have for you.

517
00:32:03,207 --> 00:32:10,077
But this show is, I guess, more geared towards those people that want to start and grow
their own business, whether you're a new inspector.

518
00:32:10,077 --> 00:32:17,812
Or whether you are an inspector that's stepping out on your own, you know, when you start,
you have to answer your phones, right?

519
00:32:17,812 --> 00:32:23,795
And you don't have to answer your phones, but it's it's because because there's certainly
services out there that'll do that for you.

520
00:32:23,795 --> 00:32:34,401
Um, but it's costly if you're especially if you're getting started on your own, like like
I said, it it it takes a while for things to really get rolling.

521
00:32:34,401 --> 00:32:37,989
So one way that you can save a lot of money up front.

522
00:32:37,989 --> 00:32:40,740
Is to answer your own phones, but you gotta do that.

523
00:32:40,740 --> 00:32:42,901
And it doesn't matter if you're on the roof.

524
00:32:42,901 --> 00:32:44,212
And it doesn't matter if you're in the attic.

525
00:32:44,212 --> 00:32:48,604
And if you don't answer that phone, you have to treat it like if you don't answer the
phone, you don't get a job.

526
00:32:48,604 --> 00:32:57,997
And so um, but I will say as a piece of advice for anybody that's thinking about going out
on their own or thinking about, you know, or somebody that maybe recently has or has been

527
00:32:57,997 --> 00:33:06,941
for a while, you've got to give yourself a a a timeline where you're gonna stop doing that
because it gets to be too much.

528
00:33:07,129 --> 00:33:15,465
I can remember talking to clients, talking to real estate agents, you know, taking too
long on inspections because I have to, you know, handle these phone calls, then coming

529
00:33:15,465 --> 00:33:22,990
home and having to spend a bunch of time scheduling some of this because I just take
notes, then come home and schedule some of that stuff as I got home after I got done doing

530
00:33:22,990 --> 00:33:23,585
my reports.

531
00:33:23,585 --> 00:33:26,293
I mean, it was too much for way too long.

532
00:33:26,293 --> 00:33:36,094
And so um finally um you know, my wife started taking m the my phone calls uh and emails
and stuff like that over a year ago now.

533
00:33:36,094 --> 00:33:38,265
And it's just been a a lifesaver for me.

534
00:33:38,265 --> 00:33:46,479
It's actually actually done wonders for my company because we answer more phone calls, we
get more jobs, and it's been great for getting my guys out there in the field doing stuff.

535
00:33:46,479 --> 00:33:55,874
So if you're if you're out there answering your phones, uh just like Abby is, try to make
sure that you know, you know how like it's kind of like pricing.

536
00:33:55,874 --> 00:34:00,376
When you start at one price and all of a sudden you're booked out and you're like, okay,
it's time to raise my prices.

537
00:34:00,857 --> 00:34:05,259
There's a threshold for when you need to stop answering your phones and you need to go
ahead and let somebody else do it.

538
00:34:05,259 --> 00:34:05,735
It's a

539
00:34:05,735 --> 00:34:08,315
really hard thing to give up for most people.

540
00:34:08,315 --> 00:34:10,320
Uh it's a control thing.

541
00:34:10,321 --> 00:34:14,036
You probably feel it right now that you can sell your services better than anybody else.

542
00:34:14,036 --> 00:34:16,829
And to be honest with you, you probably can.

543
00:34:16,930 --> 00:34:21,165
But at some point you're going to need to balance that out and buy some of your time.

544
00:34:21,545 --> 00:34:21,975
Yeah.

545
00:34:21,975 --> 00:34:23,907
And it's either it's one of one of two things.

546
00:34:23,907 --> 00:34:33,455
Like there's people that would prefer to build a team and they run the business side, they
do the phone calling, they m manage the books, they they want to focus on all of that, but

547
00:34:33,455 --> 00:34:35,987
you can't do that as much when you're out in the field.

548
00:34:35,987 --> 00:34:44,564
So you either need to hire people to replace you in the field and you're taking a cut of
what they're making, or you find somebody to handle the office side while you're out in

549
00:34:44,564 --> 00:34:45,375
the field, right?

550
00:34:45,375 --> 00:34:47,336
There's multiple ways to skin the cat.

551
00:34:47,336 --> 00:34:50,412
But I um I I think it's really important to

552
00:34:50,412 --> 00:34:52,008
think you should say that.

553
00:34:52,008 --> 00:34:54,990
Maybe you should say maybe you should say skin the gator.

554
00:34:54,990 --> 00:35:01,618
dog keeps barking, I mean he might get skinned, but seriously, just over here barking the
entire time.

555
00:35:01,618 --> 00:35:05,232
Um, it was just such a nice day, beautiful aesthetic background.

556
00:35:05,232 --> 00:35:08,064
No, it's been chaos trying to record this outside.

557
00:35:09,566 --> 00:35:10,332
anyway.

558
00:35:10,332 --> 00:35:11,355
some chaos in here, man.

559
00:35:11,355 --> 00:35:13,670
I can like bring my dogs in here, bring my kid in here.

560
00:35:13,670 --> 00:35:16,204
We can have all kinds of stuff going on back up here.

561
00:35:16,526 --> 00:35:17,629
Free for all.

562
00:35:17,757 --> 00:35:20,079
Inspection fuel twenty twenty-six.

563
00:35:20,079 --> 00:35:28,765
And this is a great way to lead into our drink of the day because I'll tell you, dude,
I'll tell you what, if you're a home inspector, one of the best things being out in the

564
00:35:28,765 --> 00:35:33,488
field is when you come home and you get a nice cold one waiting for you while you're doing
your reports, right?

565
00:35:33,488 --> 00:35:40,413
And uh we're gonna all have a nice cold one together at Inspection Fuel 2026 in
Louisville, September 28th to the 30th.

566
00:35:40,413 --> 00:35:41,273
Make sure you sign up.

567
00:35:41,273 --> 00:35:42,674
Link will be down in the bio.

568
00:35:42,674 --> 00:35:44,234
But um, Abby.

569
00:35:44,234 --> 00:35:45,713
This is gonna your first drink of the day.

570
00:35:45,713 --> 00:35:46,466
So kick it off.

571
00:35:46,466 --> 00:35:47,569
What are you sipping on?

572
00:35:48,132 --> 00:35:50,867
I'm sipping on some Trader Joe sparkling water.

573
00:35:50,867 --> 00:35:52,620
It's watermelon lemonade.

574
00:35:53,023 --> 00:35:54,453
Well that sounds delicious.

575
00:35:54,453 --> 00:35:58,808
You know, Trader Joe's also has two buck Chuck and and you don't sleep on that, man.

576
00:35:59,529 --> 00:36:00,890
That's good stuff.

577
00:36:00,931 --> 00:36:03,324
That's their cheapo wine and it's honestly pretty good.

578
00:36:03,324 --> 00:36:05,076
Yeah.

579
00:36:05,156 --> 00:36:07,599
So you got the sparkling water, Matt, what do you got?

580
00:36:07,599 --> 00:36:12,082
gonna take since I also have sparkling water, but a l a little bit a little bit of a kick.

581
00:36:12,082 --> 00:36:12,672
I'm gonna take it.

582
00:36:12,672 --> 00:36:17,315
So I I made I I call it a false old fashion or a summer old fashion.

583
00:36:17,315 --> 00:36:27,230
I think I've had these on the show before, but I take well this today I'm having smoke
wagon, um, smoke wagon bourbon and um liquid death cherry.

584
00:36:27,470 --> 00:36:34,114
And and then I just throw an orange and a and a cherry in there and it's like a light,
bright, old fashioned sort of.

585
00:36:34,114 --> 00:36:35,879
New fashion.

586
00:36:36,035 --> 00:36:37,315
It's delicious, man.

587
00:36:37,860 --> 00:36:42,341
And I've just got good old course Banquet in my koozie right here.

588
00:36:42,341 --> 00:36:44,302
So um, there you go.

589
00:36:44,302 --> 00:36:44,820
Drink of the day.

590
00:36:44,820 --> 00:36:46,713
Sound off in the comments with what you're sipping on.

591
00:36:46,713 --> 00:36:47,403
It's hot, guys.

592
00:36:47,403 --> 00:36:48,483
It's summertime.

593
00:36:48,483 --> 00:36:49,782
We know y'all are enjoying that.

594
00:36:49,782 --> 00:36:51,704
Now, here's something else too, since it is summer.

595
00:36:51,704 --> 00:36:56,345
Um, Abby, you were talking about uh knowing that you didn't want to be a nurse.

596
00:36:56,345 --> 00:37:03,517
And honestly, the first two sessions of the inspection support network masterclass that
we're gonna be doing.

597
00:37:03,517 --> 00:37:16,194
are about why knowing what you want for your life, knowing who you are, what you're about,
and what your purpose is, is uh critical to defining the one year one three and five year

598
00:37:16,194 --> 00:37:19,116
plan, not just for your business, but starting with yourself.

599
00:37:19,116 --> 00:37:26,139
So what is it about being a business owner that helped you achieve the life that you feel
you're meant for?

600
00:37:27,578 --> 00:37:33,018
Yeah, I think part of deciding who you are is deciding who you're not.

601
00:37:33,018 --> 00:37:34,841
So that can help narrow it down.

602
00:37:34,841 --> 00:37:37,917
ah What was the question again?

603
00:37:37,917 --> 00:37:39,469
How I decided?

604
00:37:39,722 --> 00:37:46,000
Yeah, how does it support how does it support the lifestyle that you want for yourself
that or who you feel you're called to be and meant to be?

605
00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:46,474
Yeah.

606
00:37:46,474 --> 00:37:53,218
I think it starts with in a little bit because there's something that I love just about
growing and learning.

607
00:37:53,218 --> 00:38:03,163
And that's why like home inspecting as well, just endless things to learn about each, you
know, part of the trades and same with business owning.

608
00:38:03,163 --> 00:38:08,776
There's ample, it's kind of like an endless ladder that you're climbing, you're just
figuring things out.

609
00:38:08,776 --> 00:38:11,498
So that's why I have a love for it.

610
00:38:11,498 --> 00:38:12,388
But

611
00:38:12,408 --> 00:38:19,111
Also, it aligns with me and my lifestyle because I grew up on a ranch and doing blue
collar work.

612
00:38:19,111 --> 00:38:21,112
So it's just who I am.

613
00:38:21,112 --> 00:38:23,262
And I enjoy the heat.

614
00:38:23,262 --> 00:38:25,513
know, I'm used to the Texas heat.

615
00:38:25,513 --> 00:38:29,315
I like the freedom and independence a lot of the job.

616
00:38:29,815 --> 00:38:33,677
And yeah, just growing a love for it, I guess.

617
00:38:33,677 --> 00:38:40,368
I didn't know when I switched into the career that I would like it as much as I do now and
how passionate I am about it now.

618
00:38:40,368 --> 00:38:42,370
So kind of figured it out.

619
00:38:43,076 --> 00:38:47,817
Yeah, for me it was definitely like being able to have flexibility of the schedule.

620
00:38:48,077 --> 00:38:55,509
being able to make a living wage while also being able to do the things that I was
passionate about, which back in the day was working with teens and you know, I still

621
00:38:55,509 --> 00:39:02,841
volunteer with a nonprofit that works with immigrants and immigrant families here in
Nashville and um also down in Mexico.

622
00:39:02,841 --> 00:39:09,883
And and it's like having the ability to um afford to do the things that that matter to
you.

623
00:39:09,883 --> 00:39:11,239
It's it's huge.

624
00:39:11,239 --> 00:39:14,865
So but knowing knowing what you're not, that's that's big.

625
00:39:15,145 --> 00:39:19,777
People say this stuff all the time, like I you know, the flexibility and everything of
hours and everything.

626
00:39:19,777 --> 00:39:27,898
But man, you and you said it yourself, Abby, like you know, you start working for your own
business and there's no flexibil your flexibility, yeah.

627
00:39:27,898 --> 00:39:32,062
I mean, yeah, you can take off, but you don't, you know, like you work double time.

628
00:39:32,062 --> 00:39:37,875
I work way more than I did before whenever I was uh, you know, employed by someone.

629
00:39:37,875 --> 00:39:41,947
Like, you know, I had a time that I clocked in, a time I clocked out, you know.

630
00:39:41,947 --> 00:39:43,067
But uh

631
00:39:43,476 --> 00:39:47,418
But now I'm kind of always on, you know, reg regardless of what it is.

632
00:39:47,418 --> 00:39:53,271
And that and that's even not answering my phones, because there's still a lot of uh things
going on that run my business.

633
00:39:53,271 --> 00:39:57,814
Of course, my business has become a little bit more than just a home inspection business
at this point.

634
00:39:57,814 --> 00:40:00,165
So there's a lot more going on uh there.

635
00:40:00,165 --> 00:40:04,288
But I mean, even if it's just home inspection, especially when I was answering my phones,
like I was always on.

636
00:40:04,288 --> 00:40:08,913
But you know, I want to I wanna take it back a little bit to like you you were talking
about like Angie's and stuff like this.

637
00:40:08,913 --> 00:40:11,016
And I think um

638
00:40:11,369 --> 00:40:20,667
You know, for new inspectors, like one of the traditionally the biggest way that we
acquire clients is to work on developing relationships with realtors.

639
00:40:20,667 --> 00:40:24,714
Um and um but maybe it was different for you.

640
00:40:24,714 --> 00:40:33,218
It certainly probably is now because I know that like one of the benefits of social media
advertising is its ability to uh advertise direct to the consumer.

641
00:40:33,218 --> 00:40:37,581
And so we're not necessarily working for a realtor at all.

642
00:40:37,581 --> 00:40:40,243
Um, not not that we ever really are, but I mean like

643
00:40:40,243 --> 00:40:43,084
You know, you you do want to get referred business.

644
00:40:43,824 --> 00:40:49,336
but and and we don't want to have that, you know, it's not about deal killing or anything
like that.

645
00:40:49,336 --> 00:40:51,886
Like I don't I'm not trying to please the realtor, right?

646
00:40:51,886 --> 00:40:56,763
But I do want to work on relationships, it's about building trust and working on
relationships with them.

647
00:40:56,763 --> 00:41:04,850
I don't know if you really had to do that much since a lot of yours was coming from first
of all, you were working for a a company that was providing you jobs, and then you had

648
00:41:04,850 --> 00:41:07,931
Angie's, which was I think more direct to consumer.

649
00:41:08,058 --> 00:41:08,568
Yes.

650
00:41:08,568 --> 00:41:09,982
really not really working with realtors.

651
00:41:09,982 --> 00:41:16,728
So have you had to work much with agents or develop mu much of a of a rapport with real
estate agents out there?

652
00:41:16,728 --> 00:41:18,541
Or did you just bypass that altogether?

653
00:41:19,077 --> 00:41:21,199
I mostly bypassed it.

654
00:41:21,199 --> 00:41:27,182
I mean, I was planning to go into real estate agencies and introduce myself.

655
00:41:27,182 --> 00:41:31,686
uh I worked a lot with agents when I worked for the company.

656
00:41:31,686 --> 00:41:34,508
uh So most of my experience.

657
00:41:34,508 --> 00:41:38,310
But uh for Merit, I basically bypassed it.

658
00:41:38,310 --> 00:41:42,247
I have had real estate agents who see me because I'm

659
00:41:42,247 --> 00:41:46,100
popping up on social media and they recognize me and they're like, I've worked with you
before.

660
00:41:46,100 --> 00:41:47,691
Now I'll hire you through merit.

661
00:41:47,691 --> 00:41:49,222
So they just kind of followed me.

662
00:41:49,222 --> 00:41:52,624
ah But it is, like you said, it's nice.

663
00:41:52,624 --> 00:41:54,805
You can kind of skip that.

664
00:41:54,805 --> 00:42:00,559
And the real estate agents that I do work with, you know, I'm kind of, they're the right
ones.

665
00:42:00,559 --> 00:42:09,866
It's attracting the right crowd, you know, because it can be, yeah, but it makes you, it's
a more pleasant experience, you know, so.

666
00:42:09,866 --> 00:42:20,146
So looking back, like doing it the way you did it and like going through Angie's and not
really going through the the the traditional channels of trying to develop develop real

667
00:42:20,146 --> 00:42:24,681
estate relationships, would you do that differently if you had to do it again?

668
00:42:24,681 --> 00:42:26,182
Or would you do it the same way?

669
00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:29,543
Um, it's hard to say because I never did that way.

670
00:42:29,543 --> 00:42:33,346
So maybe that way could have worked out, you know, better for me.

671
00:42:33,346 --> 00:42:36,890
did take me a while before I figured out how to get my own clients.

672
00:42:36,890 --> 00:42:40,493
Um, and it's not like Angie was a seller experience.

673
00:42:40,493 --> 00:42:45,058
It was, you know, low price, um, different types of clients.

674
00:42:45,058 --> 00:42:47,100
So it wasn't the best.

675
00:42:47,100 --> 00:42:47,400
So.

676
00:42:47,400 --> 00:42:52,856
But so so is trying to develop relations relationships with agents because you just like
you're just buying them things.

677
00:42:52,856 --> 00:42:56,728
Usually, you know, like or showing up at their events pretty much.

678
00:42:57,221 --> 00:42:58,142
Yeah.

679
00:42:58,588 --> 00:42:59,412
Uh yeah.

680
00:42:59,412 --> 00:43:02,332
I've been to like two networking events.

681
00:43:02,332 --> 00:43:06,578
I just never really explored that too much, I guess.

682
00:43:06,578 --> 00:43:09,590
It's hard because you walk into them and they feel clickish.

683
00:43:10,131 --> 00:43:16,828
You know, I I I I don't really have I I don't I do really good whenever I I'm actually
getting back.

684
00:43:16,828 --> 00:43:22,401
I haven't done any agent marketing in like six or seven years.

685
00:43:22,401 --> 00:43:25,443
Um it's it's all been social media and that's it, right?

686
00:43:25,443 --> 00:43:28,186
Um and so I didn't have to, so I didn't do it.

687
00:43:28,186 --> 00:43:32,309
But now I've got myself and two other guys, you know, we we we're we're trying to get the
phone to ring.

688
00:43:32,309 --> 00:43:34,471
And so I'm like, hey, let's start exploring some avenues.

689
00:43:34,471 --> 00:43:36,222
And plus I actually

690
00:43:36,381 --> 00:43:39,963
like going and talking to to to anybody really.

691
00:43:39,963 --> 00:43:42,221
I mean, I like going and trying to teach.

692
00:43:42,221 --> 00:43:45,207
um, I put on some classes, things like that.

693
00:43:45,207 --> 00:43:46,928
I don't mind doing that kind of stuff.

694
00:43:46,928 --> 00:43:52,832
I actually kind of enjoy talking to to these folks, whether it's real estate agents or
students or whatever it is.

695
00:43:52,832 --> 00:43:55,853
And so um I wanted to get back into that a little bit.

696
00:43:55,853 --> 00:44:00,857
Um but but going to and not that I I mean I'm a I'm a sucker for a happy hour.

697
00:44:00,857 --> 00:44:01,367
That's great.

698
00:44:01,367 --> 00:44:05,950
But it's like um I'm there I'm there for the drinks, not really the social aspect

699
00:44:05,950 --> 00:44:07,581
I feel awkward in those things.

700
00:44:07,581 --> 00:44:15,606
Like I don't really I usually like find like the one person that's feeling as awkward as
me and just hang out with that person the whole time.

701
00:44:15,886 --> 00:44:16,567
Yeah.

702
00:44:16,567 --> 00:44:18,638
Are you yeah, are you are you are you feeling as well?

703
00:44:18,638 --> 00:44:19,328
Yeah, okay, cool.

704
00:44:19,328 --> 00:44:21,690
Like let's just hang out here together and we'll just go home.

705
00:44:21,690 --> 00:44:25,632
Like I mean I I just don't really feel good in those environments.

706
00:44:25,632 --> 00:44:35,206
well, plus it's like you're in the South, Abby, and and I've explained this to people
before, but folks in the South, they will uh they'll be nice to your face and they'll be

707
00:44:35,206 --> 00:44:38,257
honest about you to somebody else behind your back.

708
00:44:38,257 --> 00:44:38,858
Right.

709
00:44:38,858 --> 00:44:42,227
And uh, you know, so I I went to a a

710
00:44:42,227 --> 00:44:46,930
real estate happy hour here in Nashville, um, within a few months of moving here.

711
00:44:46,930 --> 00:44:49,052
And it was it was a great experience.

712
00:44:49,052 --> 00:44:54,316
I thought I was gonna get calls for days out of that because I we'll totally give you a
chance.

713
00:44:54,316 --> 00:44:55,346
Oh, absolutely.

714
00:44:55,346 --> 00:44:58,058
You know, we're always looking for a new inspector.

715
00:44:58,058 --> 00:45:00,930
And uh, you know, I didn't hear from a dad gum.

716
00:45:00,930 --> 00:45:06,294
Actually no, I heard from one, but it was that one was because of a uh a happy hour.

717
00:45:06,294 --> 00:45:08,546
Or not a happy hour, I'm sorry, an open house.

718
00:45:08,546 --> 00:45:10,048
Um but

719
00:45:10,048 --> 00:45:12,474
I figured was gonna be uh the realtor's own house.

720
00:45:12,474 --> 00:45:14,438
I thought that was it's it's always what it is.

721
00:45:14,438 --> 00:45:17,071
They always give you a chance whenever they're getting their own house.

722
00:45:17,071 --> 00:45:17,481
Right.

723
00:45:17,481 --> 00:45:18,072
Yeah.

724
00:45:18,072 --> 00:45:24,167
But it's but how many times in in the course of that happy hour did I hear, you know, well
we'll give you a shot.

725
00:45:24,167 --> 00:45:24,797
we'll give you a shot.

726
00:45:24,797 --> 00:45:26,059
Yeah, yeah, we're always looking.

727
00:45:26,059 --> 00:45:26,939
What's your card?

728
00:45:26,939 --> 00:45:33,445
And then this is why it's like as i tell inspectors this, you've got to do follow up,
right?

729
00:45:33,445 --> 00:45:37,748
You can't just put the business card in somebody's hand and then walk away.

730
00:45:37,748 --> 00:45:41,591
You've got to get their business card as well, be like, Yeah, I'll let's get coffee
sometime.

731
00:45:41,591 --> 00:45:46,314
And then you need to call them two days to five days later, you know, no

732
00:45:46,314 --> 00:45:47,384
really longer than that.

733
00:45:47,384 --> 00:45:52,207
Um, add them on social media, you know, text and say, Hey, it was so great to meet you.

734
00:45:52,207 --> 00:46:02,353
Um, you know, just multiple points of contact because it used to take I it was like seven
to nine, they used to say in business back in the day.

735
00:46:02,353 --> 00:46:04,274
Like seven to nine points of contact.

736
00:46:04,274 --> 00:46:05,454
It wasn't six, seven.

737
00:46:05,454 --> 00:46:06,075
I know that.

738
00:46:06,075 --> 00:46:13,118
Um, but now it's like thirteen to fifteen or more than that.

739
00:46:13,219 --> 00:46:14,195
Like it's just

740
00:46:14,195 --> 00:46:17,437
Everything is so in one ear and out the other with folks.

741
00:46:17,437 --> 00:46:27,612
Um and attention span is so short that uh, you know, unless you're doing exactly like what
you're doing, which is putting yourself out there on social media, um, then uh, you know,

742
00:46:27,612 --> 00:46:38,708
it's it's still to do the actual legwork gonna take multiple encounters with somebody
before they're like, yeah, that that person, I need to call them, you know.

743
00:46:38,868 --> 00:46:42,990
So, but with social media, so I was thinking about this earlier.

744
00:46:43,031 --> 00:46:44,043
Did you start

745
00:46:44,043 --> 00:46:48,196
Start filming before you were, you know, bringing in a ton of jobs?

746
00:46:48,196 --> 00:46:52,489
Because like Matt's on job sites all the time, so he has a wealth of content.

747
00:46:52,489 --> 00:47:02,686
So did you have to kind of I've heard people had to fake it till they make it sometimes,
when it comes to finding things to film, or did you wait until you know you had like you

748
00:47:02,686 --> 00:47:08,099
were using the the old jobs that were being provided to you for the content that was
feeding the new job?

749
00:47:08,602 --> 00:47:10,294
Yes, I did.

750
00:47:10,615 --> 00:47:11,896
Absolutely.

751
00:47:12,072 --> 00:47:12,621
Yeah.

752
00:47:12,621 --> 00:47:14,126
I mean, it was in my head.

753
00:47:14,126 --> 00:47:15,323
I'm like, I'm married.

754
00:47:15,323 --> 00:47:16,258
I'm doing the inspection.

755
00:47:16,258 --> 00:47:17,626
I'm gonna point this out, you know.

756
00:47:17,626 --> 00:47:21,472
So yeah, that's definitely part of it.

757
00:47:21,472 --> 00:47:22,929
You manifest it.

758
00:47:22,929 --> 00:47:26,523
that Merit was doing the videos on the jobs that they were giving you?

759
00:47:27,005 --> 00:47:29,006
Um, I don't know.

760
00:47:30,468 --> 00:47:36,794
Yeah.

761
00:47:36,794 --> 00:47:37,574
Yeah.

762
00:47:37,915 --> 00:47:39,215
Yeah.

763
00:47:40,537 --> 00:47:41,177
Yeah.

764
00:47:41,177 --> 00:47:42,218
Yeah.

765
00:47:42,579 --> 00:47:48,744
I, uh, I once changed shirts in a crawl space to do a video.

766
00:47:48,764 --> 00:47:51,646
I was like, yeah, you gotta represent.

767
00:47:51,913 --> 00:47:53,195
That is so savage.

768
00:47:53,195 --> 00:48:01,418
I mean, literally taking off, like you they say don't bite the hand that feeds you, but
it's like, well, what if that hand doesn't even see what I'm doing right now?

769
00:48:01,418 --> 00:48:03,121
Like, yeah.

770
00:48:03,121 --> 00:48:03,764
do it.

771
00:48:03,764 --> 00:48:07,525
people who the no, they did know they did know.

772
00:48:07,525 --> 00:48:12,617
So they also support you starting your own business.

773
00:48:12,617 --> 00:48:19,349
I know a lot of businesses don't allow like competent like, you can only work for me, but
they were fine with it.

774
00:48:19,349 --> 00:48:22,139
And they Yeah, so that was all good.

775
00:48:22,139 --> 00:48:22,729
Yeah.

776
00:48:22,729 --> 00:48:31,292
The main thing was, don't steal a client or give your card out or have your name on the
car while you're at an inspection, then I would get fired.

777
00:48:31,292 --> 00:48:32,822
So but

778
00:48:33,121 --> 00:48:38,077
And did I hear you say earlier that you were doing like paid boosting on the videos?

779
00:48:38,660 --> 00:48:41,603
I did, yes, yeah.

780
00:48:41,603 --> 00:48:43,294
So that's been huge for me.

781
00:48:43,294 --> 00:48:45,477
Because like I said, I didn't have any followers.

782
00:48:45,477 --> 00:48:47,018
So like, no one's going to see this.

783
00:48:47,018 --> 00:48:48,079
So I'll just pay.

784
00:48:48,079 --> 00:48:49,350
And it's expensive.

785
00:48:49,350 --> 00:48:59,119
ah But I think I have this muscle that I gained from the whole starting the business and
being in debt to where I'm like, I'm going to take that risk.

786
00:48:59,280 --> 00:49:01,141
I'm going to boost it.

787
00:49:01,562 --> 00:49:03,684
It takes time to get make some.

788
00:49:03,946 --> 00:49:06,537
So that that kind of leads into a question I wanted to ask.

789
00:49:06,537 --> 00:49:13,880
So like I I know that, you know, if looking back, like if there's something that you would
change, you would get on social media sooner.

790
00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:14,280
Right.

791
00:49:14,280 --> 00:49:22,820
Um, so I you know, I wanted to ask you like, you know, from a marketing standpoint, like
what you wish you would have done sooner from from a marketing standpoint, but really, I

792
00:49:22,820 --> 00:49:24,464
mean, I think that's the answer.

793
00:49:24,464 --> 00:49:33,808
Um, but if you had if you had a a a cool grant just to do whatever you wanted um in terms
of marketing.

794
00:49:33,854 --> 00:49:37,156
Like l take it back a year and a half when you started your own business.

795
00:49:37,180 --> 00:49:38,704
Where are you putting that money?

796
00:49:40,579 --> 00:49:43,405
That's good question.

797
00:49:43,405 --> 00:49:47,887
Yeah, because I didn't have that.

798
00:49:47,887 --> 00:49:48,826
don't know.

799
00:49:49,669 --> 00:49:51,178
think, yeah.

800
00:49:51,178 --> 00:49:56,252
like I I think for me it goes straight to realtor relationships, right?

801
00:49:56,252 --> 00:49:59,134
Because like I had to buy them breakfast and things like that.

802
00:49:59,134 --> 00:50:01,035
So I feel like I would I would do that.

803
00:50:01,035 --> 00:50:08,479
Um I I wonder about like paid marketing, like paid ads on social media.

804
00:50:08,479 --> 00:50:14,252
I used to do it, but not to any like real capacity that I felt like was very very
effective.

805
00:50:14,252 --> 00:50:16,383
'Cause it can get very expensive very fast.

806
00:50:16,383 --> 00:50:17,704
Um

807
00:50:18,738 --> 00:50:30,263
I wonder sometimes about like Google, uh, and I wonder if it's the same cause you know how
you can pay uh for Google Space or something like that and they can put you high in the

808
00:50:30,263 --> 00:50:33,067
rankings or something like that, and people find you that way.

809
00:50:33,067 --> 00:50:35,430
But I wonder if that's pretty much the same thing as Angie's.

810
00:50:35,430 --> 00:50:36,836
Um

811
00:50:36,836 --> 00:50:43,822
No, that's a bit different because I think that's like search engine optimization rather
than the like ads.

812
00:50:43,822 --> 00:50:45,094
that's a possibility too.

813
00:50:45,094 --> 00:50:51,886
Like, um like how much do you know about SEO and and would you like maybe put that towards
somebody helping you with that?

814
00:50:52,796 --> 00:50:54,298
True, yeah.

815
00:50:54,660 --> 00:50:55,091
I would...

816
00:50:55,091 --> 00:50:59,430
Yeah.

817
00:50:59,430 --> 00:51:00,651
That's funny.

818
00:51:00,740 --> 00:51:01,591
yeah, totally.

819
00:51:01,591 --> 00:51:02,440
Yeah, totally.

820
00:51:02,440 --> 00:51:05,277
Next time you just go to the airport.

821
00:51:05,277 --> 00:51:05,788
this again.

822
00:51:05,788 --> 00:51:17,762
Yes, I'm just like, there's been no less than 50 like planes that have been touching down
since we started an hour ago.

823
00:51:18,943 --> 00:51:24,946
It's a green pack drop, but I'm talking time all these dad gum tourists coming into
Nashville here.

824
00:51:24,946 --> 00:51:28,735
So hey, look, if y'all are watching and you want to take a vacation.

825
00:51:28,735 --> 00:51:30,018
Go to f go to Tampa.

826
00:51:30,018 --> 00:51:32,562
He said, Go visit go visit Abby.

827
00:51:34,205 --> 00:51:39,668
I I like I like that the idea of of like like putting money towards SEO in the beginning.

828
00:51:39,668 --> 00:51:44,651
I think I think like if you d if you have it, I think that that might be uh a good place
to put it.

829
00:51:44,651 --> 00:51:48,273
Because I mean like honestly, I'm still confused by it.

830
00:51:48,273 --> 00:51:49,443
I don't really I don't really know.

831
00:51:49,443 --> 00:51:54,296
I mean I I do I try to do it and nowadays with like Chad G P T it can help you.

832
00:51:54,296 --> 00:52:00,369
You know, it can help help guide you and um to to getting things uh in a little bit better
shape that way.

833
00:52:00,369 --> 00:52:02,272
But I mean but

834
00:52:02,272 --> 00:52:11,352
I think the the the problem is, and I don't know if either one of you have any insight on
this, but like there's just so many companies that offer you help with this that I feel

835
00:52:11,352 --> 00:52:13,724
like could just be total crooks.

836
00:52:14,345 --> 00:52:16,918
I mean, I I I don't I don't know.

837
00:52:16,918 --> 00:52:18,419
Like I I don't know who to trust.

838
00:52:18,419 --> 00:52:21,028
I think that that's that's the the problem.

839
00:52:21,028 --> 00:52:23,129
good friends at Wolfpack.

840
00:52:23,129 --> 00:52:23,680
That's who.

841
00:52:23,680 --> 00:52:25,721
Aaron Shashilla and all all those guys.

842
00:52:25,721 --> 00:52:29,574
See they Yeah, they he's he's a Tampa boy too.

843
00:52:29,755 --> 00:52:32,736
So good.

844
00:52:32,857 --> 00:52:34,728
Here comes another uh another tourist.

845
00:52:34,728 --> 00:52:35,869
You hear him guys?

846
00:52:37,684 --> 00:52:41,429
was gonna say you could trust me.

847
00:52:41,429 --> 00:52:42,934
to go back and mute.

848
00:52:43,639 --> 00:52:44,520
I'm

849
00:52:44,673 --> 00:52:46,246
Just don't even bother.

850
00:52:46,693 --> 00:52:47,834
Oh man.

851
00:52:49,345 --> 00:52:51,427
anyway, yeah, our good friends at Wolfpack.

852
00:52:51,427 --> 00:52:53,368
They'll actually be at inspection fuel as well.

853
00:52:53,368 --> 00:52:55,809
And I'm glad that you guys have connected with them, Abby.

854
00:52:56,330 --> 00:53:03,976
on that, because again, we've been talking about the cost of doing the marketing, of doing
the paid, um, the paid ads and things like that.

855
00:53:03,976 --> 00:53:14,033
Um, if there was a entrepreneurial muscle that you've grown, to me, it sounds like a
financial one in terms of understanding and this is

856
00:53:14,045 --> 00:53:19,300
something that a lot of inspectors or or just new business owners in general kind of suck
at, right?

857
00:53:19,300 --> 00:53:23,653
You have to understand uh you gotta know you you gotta know your books, right?

858
00:53:23,653 --> 00:53:30,589
You gotta know what's not there and you know it so that you know what you need to make and
then you need to know what you need to make in order to get you to the next level beyond

859
00:53:30,589 --> 00:53:31,130
that.

860
00:53:31,130 --> 00:53:42,319
So what was the uh what do you feel like was the biggest leap in the financial area that
um that you've made in just in the past few months in starting?

861
00:53:42,971 --> 00:53:46,510
Yeah, I would say the financial, sorry.

862
00:53:46,560 --> 00:53:49,627
no, and I was gonna add on, what tools are you using for that as well?

863
00:53:51,660 --> 00:53:53,941
To keep track of my financials?

864
00:53:54,481 --> 00:53:55,362
Okay.

865
00:53:55,362 --> 00:54:09,388
I would say financials, like that muscle kind of falls under the whole like being
comfortable with the uncomfortable, like handling risk and stress because nothing, eh all

866
00:54:09,388 --> 00:54:12,759
the big things aren't actually, yeah, are you okay?

867
00:54:12,759 --> 00:54:13,610
Yeah.

868
00:54:13,610 --> 00:54:18,932
uh

869
00:54:21,329 --> 00:54:21,734
my gosh.

870
00:54:21,734 --> 00:54:22,556
Keep going, Abby.

871
00:54:22,556 --> 00:54:24,745
Oh

872
00:54:24,745 --> 00:54:29,669
you should keep going after that, like sorry, I shouldn't have done the hand motion.

873
00:54:30,230 --> 00:54:31,030
Oh God.

874
00:54:31,030 --> 00:54:33,392
Uh this is gonna be funny.

875
00:54:35,082 --> 00:54:40,243
The muscle of the financial thing is kind of like the bigger part of like getting used to.

876
00:54:40,243 --> 00:54:41,573
That's kind of the vibe I was going for.

877
00:54:41,573 --> 00:54:43,544
I forgot what I was saying exactly.

878
00:54:43,544 --> 00:54:51,916
ah And then as far as what tools I'm using as far as keeping track, ah probably not
enough.

879
00:54:51,916 --> 00:54:54,547
That's something I could focus on more.

880
00:54:54,587 --> 00:54:58,320
Early on, I, well, this is just how I operate.

881
00:54:58,320 --> 00:55:06,337
to begin with is like getting my financial setup early of like different credit cards that
I use at different types of bank accounts and stuff.

882
00:55:06,337 --> 00:55:12,974
But I use uh my business card for everything business related and then expenses over a
hundred dollars.

883
00:55:12,974 --> 00:55:23,703
I just keep the receipts in a folder and end up putting that in Excel and kind of the
different, like five different expense types that you have to do on your taxes.

884
00:55:23,703 --> 00:55:24,410
uh

885
00:55:24,410 --> 00:55:30,564
And then I also use a card that's only for gas so I can get as much cash back as I can
because I'm driving all the time.

886
00:55:30,564 --> 00:55:36,467
ah But that's kind of it as far as my tools for expenses and financials.

887
00:55:36,467 --> 00:55:39,154
So not quick books or anything like that or

888
00:55:39,823 --> 00:55:45,324
No, I mean that's more for if I have an employee, right?

889
00:55:45,324 --> 00:55:47,849
Or do people use that for themselves?

890
00:55:48,064 --> 00:55:48,728
I was like

891
00:55:48,728 --> 00:55:54,352
recommend using the Southwest rewards cards that you too could be flying into Nashville
right now.

892
00:55:54,352 --> 00:55:58,155
uh my gosh, guys.

893
00:55:58,155 --> 00:55:58,895
Seriously.

894
00:55:58,895 --> 00:56:03,098
No, Abby, honestly, it's it's been awesome following uh your rise here.

895
00:56:03,098 --> 00:56:05,700
I I hope I wish you nothing but the best.

896
00:56:05,700 --> 00:56:09,872
Um I'm actually gonna be down in Florida soon, so it'd be awesome to hang out down there.

897
00:56:09,872 --> 00:56:13,104
Uh always great to see people that are crushing it in Florida.

898
00:56:13,104 --> 00:56:16,406
I mean, I hear people say all the time that it's like um

899
00:56:17,159 --> 00:56:20,210
Florida can be a tough place or there's not enough jobs.

900
00:56:20,210 --> 00:56:23,681
And I'm like, dude, there is nothing but money to be made in Florida.

901
00:56:23,681 --> 00:56:25,942
So I'm glad that you're finding success with it.

902
00:56:25,942 --> 00:56:34,664
And you know, as with as with any industry, uh the most successful individuals are the
ones that are willing to just go do it and go to work.

903
00:56:34,664 --> 00:56:37,725
It's not the most skilled, it's not the most knowledgeable.

904
00:56:37,855 --> 00:56:45,219
you can have you can have all the book knowledge in the world, you can have all the head
knowledge, um, you can have a degree, but

905
00:56:45,675 --> 00:56:53,306
Unless you're willing to take the risk the way that you have and just freaking go do it,
uh, you're not gonna you're not it it it won't matter, you know?

906
00:56:53,306 --> 00:56:53,813
But

907
00:56:53,813 --> 00:56:57,179
a lot more quicker too once you do make the jump.

908
00:56:57,693 --> 00:56:58,433
A hundred percent.

909
00:56:58,433 --> 00:56:59,465
A hundred percent.

910
00:56:59,465 --> 00:57:01,126
Well, thank you so much for joining us.

911
00:57:01,126 --> 00:57:03,429
Um, honestly, we've got you covered for inspection fuel.

912
00:57:03,429 --> 00:57:05,771
If you wanna come on out, it'd be great to see you there.

913
00:57:05,771 --> 00:57:11,516
So you got honestly, just in a few months, you've got more that you could be teaching
people than some people that are gonna be showing up.

914
00:57:11,516 --> 00:57:13,617
So Yep.

915
00:57:13,698 --> 00:57:14,641
So anyway.

916
00:57:14,641 --> 00:57:15,834
Thanks for having me.

917
00:57:15,834 --> 00:57:17,268
Appreciate it.

918
00:57:17,363 --> 00:57:18,186
it's been a pleasure.

919
00:57:18,186 --> 00:57:21,335
And I with that, it seems like the flight patterns have cleared.

920
00:57:21,335 --> 00:57:22,577
We love that.

921
00:57:22,738 --> 00:57:23,256
Awesome.

922
00:57:23,256 --> 00:57:24,969
Let's just redo the whole show.

923
00:57:24,969 --> 00:57:27,634
We can, yeah, w because now it's just getting dark.

924
00:57:27,634 --> 00:57:29,072
It's perfect.

925
00:57:29,072 --> 00:57:30,916
Completely different ambiance.

926
00:57:31,360 --> 00:57:35,434
It's the right al the ride along after hours.

927
00:57:35,434 --> 00:57:39,616
broadcast live from a porch since this is by porch.

928
00:57:40,277 --> 00:57:44,319
We're gonna go back to the studio next time.

929
00:57:44,319 --> 00:57:45,520
Good stuff.

930
00:57:45,620 --> 00:57:47,421
There you go.

931
00:57:47,421 --> 00:57:48,382
We'll all go outside.

932
00:57:48,382 --> 00:57:49,562
Abby, thanks again.

933
00:57:49,562 --> 00:57:51,363
Matt, we'll see you next time.

934
00:57:51,363 --> 00:57:52,474
And everybody, thanks for watching.

935
00:57:52,474 --> 00:57:53,365
Subscribe to the show.

936
00:57:53,365 --> 00:57:54,746
Catch a flight to Nashville.

937
00:57:54,746 --> 00:57:57,609
We'll see you here right on the ride along next time.

938
00:57:57,664 --> 00:57:58,490
Cheers.

939
00:57:59,172 --> 00:58:00,010
it's

940
00:58:00,020 --> 00:58:00,591
my gosh.

941
00:58:00,591 --> 00:58:03,917
Absolute chaos.