Who are you? Who? Who?

I have always contended that the plumbing, heating and mechanical contracting business is a people business — from the connections and relationships you forge to the jobs you contend for to the respect and admiration you have for your fellow contractors. And with the connections you make, you want to make sure you leave an impression so that people remember you — in a good way, of course. Although I am not a contractor myself, I have been fortunate to meet some of the greats this industry has/had to offer. And I have made the effort to become part of this great industry, covering it as an editor. I am proud to call some of these people friends.

But I digress. I gotta believe making an impression starts on day 1 of getting your feet wet in the industry. Start building a name for yourself as soon as you start learning the ropes so that one day you can branch off on your own to control your own future, and possible future business.

How do you do that? As a contractor, it is imperative to create your own brand, one that your clients, peers and competition can relate to. If you relate this to the music industry, names like Madonna, Beyonce and Prince, for instance, don’t even need their full names to help fully recognize who they are. They have built their BRAND. One of my favorite commercial depicts a similar thought:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxBBN3ZnYeU

There are some great names in this industry—too long a list to name everyone. But, for example, if I gave you last names or nicknames of some that work tirelessly to promote our trade, chances are you know who they are. Industry greats like Hot Rod, Wheels, Barba, Holohan, Bean, Blau — don’t necessarily need full names for you to know who they are, and the footprint they have made in this industry.

This industry is waiting for greatness! Are you ready to take the reins? Are you one of the next leaders of this great industry? It takes hard work, dedication to your craft, and the industry, but soon enough you’ll have created your own brand. And people will start to take notice.