Straight Outta Crumpton: Recent Episodes
MarketScale
On Straight Outta Crumpton, with Greg Crumpton, business professionals step out of their industries to discuss relationships, and in particular, how those relationships play in our day-to-day lives to better understand how we can cultivate those relationships at work, too.
Alliance DriveAway Solutions is a logistics company. As Lijun Ji, CEO at Alliance DriveAway Solutions, puts it, DriveAway is like ordering an Uber for machinery. Their solution focuses on the transportation of class A trucks. Ji spoke with Tyler Kern and Greg Crumpton about her business and its unique offering in the marketplace.
When a North Carolina factory manufactures a truck for use in Oregon, it needs to get there somehow. That’s where Alliance DriveAway Solutions takes over. Alliance pulls from many people and drivers to make such deliveries happen safely and efficiently.
“One of our essential functions as a business is to remove the risk from the end user,” Ji said. “When we pick up from the seller to deliver to the buyer, A to B, it’s all taken on by Alliance.” Everyone in the process recognizes risk as a significant factor to mitigate, so Alliance builds its foundation on trust to ensure deliveries go without a hitch.
Part of building, and earning trust, means honesty. Ji said Alliance needs to be open and honest when a request comes in for a delivery. If Alliance can’t make the timeframe requested, it is better to say they can’t do it, then to say yes, and then not deliver on the promise.
As Diesel prices skyrocket, uncertainties and questions impact the industry, making gauging the future tricky. Ji said Alliance feels the pressure driver shortages and the other economic impacts on today’s trucking industry. “Right now, we only use CDL drivers, which is operating class A,” Ji said. “So, that’s a 50,000 shortage.”
Alliance utilizes an extensive contractor network spread throughout the United States to combat these driver shortages. “It’s important to form an infrastructure,” Ji said. “That’s what we’re doing now to be able to specialize them to utilize them more efficiently.”
The cannabis industry is quickly going mainstream. As more and more states legalize cannabis, the stigma attached to this horticulture specialty is drifting away, and a varied mix of people are finding enormous business potential and growth in the product. Adrian Giovenco, Founder & CEO of InSpire Transpiration Solutions, sat down with the Straight Outta Crumpton duo, Tyler Kern and Greg Crumpton, to share how the industry’s shaping up and the innovations his company brings to cannabis through integrated HVACD solutions.
Giovenco said it’s a joy to serve the cannabis industry, and many innovations are coming into the space. “What we do on a day-to-day basis at InSpire is try to help push the boundaries of commercial, industrial cultivation, and drying and curing in particular. The environmental control is so paramount to their overall success.”
Climate control of the cultivation space is the name of the game in today’s cannabis market. The VPD, vapor pressure deficit, or differential between the inside and outside of the leaf will help drive healthy plant growth. Integrated HVACD systems help achieve the goals of growers, making commercialization possible.
Commercial HVAC applications maintain and protect mission-critical environments, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that the integration of these types of solutions is well-suited for a product that relies on perfect conditions for growth. And while utilizing HVAC methods in the commercial cultivation of cannabis is a relatively new endeavor, Giovenco loves that his company gets to be involved in leading a revolutionary change for the industry.
“There are so many different ways to come up with the best solution, and it’s hard to say that one way’s better than another,” Giovenco said. “It’s going to take some time to figure out the best ways to do this challenge. One of our guys, Jessie, coined the phrase, HVACD, which is a little bit of an oxymoron in the air conditioning world because one of the main methods of air conditioning is by dehumidifying.” In the cannabis industry, having a system that both cools and dehumidifies means growing control.
Is it time to reveal some family secrets? Greg Crumpton navigated some familiar waters with his latest guest, his sister, Angela Leissa, or as Crumpton calls her, Dr. Leissa. Leissa, a retired Primary/Secondary Education Professional, was a former DeKalb County, Georgia School System Principal for thirty years. On Crumpton’s show, he often discusses professionals who know how to form long-lasting relationships, and Leissa is one of the best relationship-builders he knows.
Leissa wanted to be a teacher from the time she was a child. She left for college with a teaching career in mind. And it was at college that Leissa met Missy, her close friend for over forty years. At her first teaching job, Leissa met her future husband, not first husband, but future. Leissa left her home state to work in other education systems but found her way back to DeKalb County through friendships formed during her first teaching job. And relationships would continue to play an integral role in Leissa’s career progression.
Leadership became something that Leissa enjoyed throughout her years in education. “I like leading people and collaborating with adults,” Leissa said. This desire led to advanced education degrees and her first assistant principal role. Eventually, Leissa went on to head up one of the first Montessori programs in Georgia. And while she headed up that program within a school, she was the school’s principal. Leissa set forth to build relationships from day one.
“There were teachers there who were scared, and there were teachers that were happy I was there,” Leissa said. “It was kind of a mix. And it took me a while to do that trust-building and to bring them in because these teachers had already been at the school for ten and fifteen years. So, they had their culture developed.”
The way relationships maintain in the world of ballroom dancing is a unique aspect in its own. Professional ballroom dancer Kristie Simmonds discusses with Straight Outta Crumpton hosts Greg Crumpton and Tyler Kern.
From Sydney, Australia, Simmonds entered into her professional career at 18 where she moved to Europe to train and compete. “I was very lucky to travel around and to come to the states, where it was my first time living in America. That was my first-time dancing full time, competing, teaching practicing, and traveling, it was basically my life at that point,” she said.
In Simmonds world, which she calls “the ballroom bubble, it’s a very out-there sport to do, it’s not like playing soccer or football,” she said.
With a community as tightknit as ballroom dancing, Simmonds is highly recognized in the dance community for her work.
“I would say for the true professionals who dedicate their life, it’s your career, it’s what you do, what you know, there is a mutual respect and admiration we know how hard it is, what it’s like,” Simmonds said. “The playing field in that aspect is equal, so you have this unspoken understanding, and after you retire, it’s like being an old friend, we’re all in the same boat.”
Much of those relationships also translate into her business. “When we opened the studio, we had three owners and within the first year of having the business opened things came to light, but my instructor stood by me, and that rapport and relationship and understanding will last because I have so much respect because they have stood by me.”
As technology continues to find ways to keep growing, sharing knowledge and building trustful relationships plays an important role in the next generation. Hosts Greg Crumpton and Tyler Kern sat down with Ron Vokoun, the Director of Critical Facilities at OAC Services, to discuss the industry and the factors around its growth.
When Vokoun entered into the industry, he started with construction management for data centers. “I’m blessed to be in an industry that has completely evolved, it's like watching the discovery channel every day, it's been amazing,” Vokoun said.
The journey through relationships too evolves over the span of the industry, with data centers, and the introduction of liquid metal, a perspective that Vokoun knows too well. “As the relational aspects morph, so does the business. When I look back, they’ve changed my career from the very start. If you look at the tech industry there are different family trees that grow out of starts,” he said. “It's amazing how it impacts your career and it's great to see them grow up in the industry and to know you’ve had a small part in it.”
No matter how large a company is, it comes down to the people at the leadership level that you can trust. “That’s the karma of the industry. If you are genuinely a good person and you help people, it will come back to you,” Vokoun said.
Sharing knowledge and building up the next generations starts with those relationships. “ If that knowledge is not passed down, and since there are a lot of us that don’t have a long shelf life, if we don't pass the information down, to carry on, it's a missed opportunity and a risk to the industry, “ he said. “I wonder how an industry like construction has not improved their production in 50 years.”
Trevor Matthews worked in refrigeration until he admittedly, lost his joy. Greg Crumpton refers to it as a complacency rut, “in a rinse repeat cycle.” Today Matthews, Founder of Refrigeration Mentor, has re-sparked his joy.
“Refrigeration Mentor started because I have a passion for the refrigeration industry,” said Matthews. He recognized a void in the commercial refrigeration space, where professional development, training, education, and mentorship have the potential to thrive. Matthews works with technicians and contractors, helps identify their skills, and creates programs to elevate their strengths.
Trevor’s passion for training and educating others. “I thrive when seeing people progress,” said Matthews. He invested in his training and education. He returned to university to train others. So, why does this matter? First, blue-collar jobs lead the way in on-the-job training, but Matthews recalls feeling overwhelmed and anxious in the early days of his career. He admits there were times he didn’t know what to do. After training, we “hand over the keys and send them out,” said Matthews. “Data out there that people perform at their best through mentorship,” said Crumpton. Crumpton expands, “it’s accountability, is what it really comes down to.”
In Matthews's experience, there's a total lack of professional development, career progression, and check-ins. Managers need to create regular check-ins with their team to help them develop and encourage their growth. Matthews would like to see further development in “guide[ing] students and new people in finances.” The influx of money from working as a refrigeration technician can get some young, immature newbies into trouble. They also need to be able to see a future in their careers. Throughout the refrigerator tech’s career, there are multiple pathways. Matthews mentions “a project manager, sales, and engineering” as a few opportunities for development.
This trend isn’t isolated to refrigeration. According to Hustle, a recent Opportunity@Work study found there are 32m Americans who lack college degrees but have the skills to transition to higher income jobs. “New Collar Workers” are those who previously held blue-collar or labor jobs and are now transitioning into desk jobs. Specifically, as technology intertwines into every industry, this trend is expected to develop. NU Property Casual believes that expanding apprenticeships is key to developing the next generation of the workforce. Maintaining that workforce going is going to take more mentoring and career development.
Anders Peterson started working in the cannabis industry fifteen years ago. Today, he’s a cell molecular biologist, and 30 years old, his obsession with the science behind the plants drives his career. Today, Peterson is a Cannabis Operations Specialist at Inspire Transpiration Solutions. Inspire specializes in integrated HVDC systems for proper temperature, humidity, and airflow for indoor plant environments, specifically with indoor cannabis cultivation facilities or controlled environment agriculture (CEA).
Cornell defines CEA as “an advanced and intensive form of hydroponically-based agriculture where plants grow within a controlled environment to optimize horticultural practices.” UC Davis frames CEA as agriculture that “encompasses a variety of systems that take a technology-based approach to farming.” The most advanced CEA systems are “fully automated, closed-loop systems with controlled lighting, water, and ventilation, from simple shade structures to greenhouses or vertical farms.”
“The cannabis HVAC world is an interesting one,” said Peterson, “I’m obsessed with the science of growing plants inside.” As the industry becomes legal from state to state, there’s been an influx of investors building grow facilities rapidly. “A lot of investors getting into the space forget at the end of the day that this is farming. Farming is not a get-rich-quick scheme,” said Peterson. However, if investors are researching and engineering their space correctly, the opportunity for long-term income is there. “Invest in the right systems upfront, and you’ll have an asset that will continually make you money for 15 plus years,” Peterson explained.
Podcast host, Greg Crumpton, chimed in that his interest in the cannabis industry stems from (no pun intended). “I want to be able to understand the evaporation of water from a plant. Going back to the science. Going back to the facts.” What happens to the plant after he fits out the environment is not his business. “My point is to give it a healthy environment,” said Crumpton.
The cannabis industry is rapidly growing, and legalization from state to state shows promise of federal legalization on the horizon. Peterson has seen exponential growth in cannabis knowledge and industry standards. He points out that new career botanists are spoiled with accessible information and research. He spent hours digging into forums and online discussions to research and find legitimate answers compared to when he started. “The best way to legitimize the industry is transparency. The industry has evolved at an exponential pace, and you either have to adapt, or you’re left behind,” said Peterson.
Peterson predicts that when federal laws lift the sanctions on the state-to-state trading, growing will become consolidated and cheap growers will be weeded out (again, no pun intended). For cannabis growing, hyper controllable HVDC systems engineer an ideal CEA.
In this unique application, Peterson parallels the plants to little humidifiers. “They are drinking water through their roots. When the lights are on, the vapor pressure deficit is driving the water through the plant and out of its leaves,” said Peterson. After 12 hours, the space has a dramatic shift to combat after the lights are off. The humidity will create a swamp if not adequately drawn out, and temperatures drop by 12-15 degrees. HVAC controls help balance spikes that would otherwise damage the plants. Growers controlled these spikes with plant care products, fans, and other implementations in the past. “But now, your HVAC system is the best risk mitigation tool,” explained Peterson.
When the pandemic hit, many businesses were told to shut their doors, some of which never reopened them. Though unfortunate for many, others had different outcomes. Founder and CEO at Volta Energy, Dr. Denis Kouroussis, sits down with Greg Crumpton and Tyler Kern to highlight his upbringing, company, and the effects of the pandemic.
After building a heavy background in tech and engineering, including a stint in developing the components of the motorola razr and tech investment, Dr. Kouroussis founded and developed Volta Energy, a technology company aimed at making electronic systems safe and efficient.
Coming from a Greek immigrant family, Dr. Kouroussis learned to work hard and, from this, that a successful startup must be aimed at creating the “ultimate customer value.”
Volta Energy reflects this belief, while also understanding the impact the topic of energy as a Canada-based company has, “energy has always been a big thing in Canada,” said Dr. Kouroussis. With lots of projects happening all over, “The challenge has always been if you try to go into a big market as a small startup you can spend a lot of cycles trying to penetrate that market unsuccessfully.”
Instead of doing this, Dr. Kouroussis said he has learned as an entrepreneur to, “focus on something small that can create value and expand on that.”
The pandemic highlighted this notion. While others shut down, the pandemic fast-forwarded the EV and automation world and allowed Volta Energy to really expand their toolset and hire more engineers. “It was one of the best years we’ve ever had quite honestly,” stated Dr. Kouroussis.
And while people in the industry might currently be hesitant to dive headfirst into a career given the fragility of the pandemic, Volta Energy is only set to continue growing.
Hosts Tyler Kern and Greg Crumpton sit down with industry insider Blair Newsham, the President of HSA Mechanical Services, to talk about their experiences in HVAC, the importance of community, and teaching soft skills for long-term leadership.
“The next generation is always on my mind,” said Crumpton.
As an experienced vet of the hvac contracting industry, Newsham values empathy, “If you have a lot of technical talent but you…have no empathy…then you’re not going to be very successful in this industry. I think we need to focus on being customer driven, being customer focused,” he delivered.
For Crumpton and Newsham community outreach is pertinent in building active business interaction and benevolence within the industry to help “change lives.”
“When you can find that thing that you really connect with, it is such a rewarding thing,” said Crumpton.
“It does make you feel like you’re a part of the community,” highlighted Newsham.
Newsham and Crumpton both recognize the value of community in the industry, - but they also value raising teams that strive to treat themselves and the business well, “My mission is to raise the team,” and through teaching people the trade and showing them this is a viable and great career path, Newsham said, “if you treat yourself well and treat it (the business) well then it will be there for you.”
For HSA Mechanical, community and mentorship are vital to providing good business.
“There's not many places that make you feel like they really care about you as a person and that’s what we are trying to show,” said Newsham.
The next generation of workers and of leadership knows the value of community and recognizes the importance of empathy in business for having a balanced work-life community. But for those that struggle to empathize, Newsham said mentorship is key, “A lot of that is modeled behavior, not just taught.”
To find more information about Blair Newsham and his team, visit https://hsamechanical.com.
In this episode of Straight Outta Crumpton, Greg Crumpton spoke with Wendy Staso to learn more about her incredible journey leading Huckestein Mechanical Services from insolvency to becoming a member of the Service Logic family.
Staso discussed her journey from working in the energy division of Westinghouse at the beginning of her career to becoming a full-time, stay-at-home mom until she transitioned back into the workforce as CEO of Huckestein Mechanical Services.
The reason for becoming CEO, “a partner who ran the business straight into the ground.” Staso purchased the business and began a 10+ year journey to realizing a the dream of joining Service Logic.
When she first started as CEO, she quickly realized that things were much more dire than she had imagined. “I was so naïve, I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew how to surround myself with really, really smart people… I know how to ask qood questions and synthesize information.” Staso continued to explain that she “just asked questions and questions and questions and then put into practice the things that (she) learned. Threw away the bad and kept the good.”
Staso’s insightful leadership approach eventually led to the solvency and sale of her company. Learn how this dream is presently playing out in her life, how her son helped her get there, why she made the decision to spend two years preparing to sell her company, and much more.
Onlyness is not a word in the dictionary, but it holds extensive meaning. Nilofer Merchant, author of The Power of Onlyness and a multitude of other books, joined Hosts Greg Crumpton and Tyler Kern to describe what onlyness is and how it relates to hands-on professions like HVAC.
Merchant defined onlyness: “It is a function of history and experience, so your past, but it is also about that which you can envision so I call it hopes and visions.” She added, “On that spot, only you stand is how you add value to the world.” Onlyness is how you figure out the people you belong to. It is not relative to some other group, and it doesn’t make one “less than” in a situation. “Regardless of power, regardless of status, regardless of educational level, regardless of whatever, you have something to add that is so distinct to give,” said Merchant.
Same people don’t believe this because they’ve been told they aren’t smart or good enough. This is often seen in trade industries. Merchant explained, “The reason I think it applies to the folks in the HVAC world is because every single person has something of value to offer and so when they come into a situation at work, it’s thinking about what is that that’s so true to them?”
Working with one’s hands is a gift, and parents should realize this in their children and focus on that work’s benefits. Merchant says one must reflect upon the thing original to them that brings joy and expression to believe in their onlyness. We can help others by recognizing their own gifts instead of power and status.
To learn more about Merchant’s books and hear her talks, visit nilofermerchant.com. You can also visit gregcrumpton.com and subscribe to the Straight Outta Crumpton podcast.
To say Manette Morrow is actively living and pursuing the American dream is an understatement. As owner of The Perfect Assistant Consulting, which provides administrative, familial and organizational services for executives, Morrow is also a real estate agent, philanthropist for Sunset Community Farm, educator, former airline attendant, Uber driver, mom, and all-around hard worker. Morrow explained to Hosts Greg Crumpton and Tyler Kern how she loves wearing so many hats and serving people.
So how did Morrow become a jack of all trades? She described her recipe to success as learning trust and responsibility at an early age, not afraid to roll up her sleeves, and the ability to easily make genuine connections with people. That trust can be seen today in her consulting business, where top earners trust her with their most personal, precious possessions, such as bank accounts and house keys.
“I think it just comes with your spirit, too... I can have conversations with people anywhere. All type of people and very quickly I’ll know very much,” Morrow explained. “But that’s a gift, and I love it and appreciate it and honor it.”
She encouraged younger listeners to consciously make the decision to work hard, shoot for experience versus pay at first, and know your passion, even despite the naysayers.
“Hard work is everything. The lessons sometimes, and the experience sometimes, it’s so much more valuable to me that I’ll do the job so I can get the experience and know how so it’s something else I can do later for myself if I want or make it better,” she said.
To Morrow, her number one driver is the ability to enjoy the freedom of time to care for her child, stay healthy and experience life fully.
Hosts Tyler Kern and Greg Crumpton welcome Sarah Clark Hopfer, Geographic Marketer at Dixon Hughes Goodman, who has known Crumpton for a long time. The pair met at a Thanksgiving dinner and have since become friends who happen to work together. Crumpton was impressed with Hopfer’s ingenuity, and he started recruiting her for his company even before she graduated from college.
“We worked together for about four years, and I did business development and marketing,” said Hopfer. She realized after that time that the marketing side of her position was where she felt most passionate. She now works in the accounting world with marketing, strategic planning and recruiting.
Hopfer credits Crumpton’s mentorship with helping her excel in her career. She shared several pearls of his wisdom, including, “If you’re five minutes early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late.”
Friendship and business intersect for Crumpton, and he considers being personable, kind and respectful to others as being a cornerstone for success in all realms of business. Making connections and maintaining connections, both he and Hopfer discuss, is a key to making a way in the world.
“I’m proud of the fact that we had a culture, and I still try to live by that culture, where we do the right thing,” said Crumpton. Hopfer also praised the directness of Crumpton’s communication when she was working for him. The theme of communication pervaded the conversation, as both hosts and guest discussed its importance in work and interpersonal relationships.
Hopfer also touched on the work/life balance, discussing how her career evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how Hopfer works to define and further her career while also caring for her family.
Crumpton and Hopfer used the term “intentionality” and carving out time for what you want to do and pursuing the careers you want.
In this episode of Straight Outta Crumpton, Hosts, Greg Crumpton and Tyler Kern, sat down with, Scott Meyers, VP of Operations and Strategic Services at Service Logic. The three discussed the importance of relationships in the industry, as well as the future of trade shows in a post-COVID world.
Meyers was working for another company that did a lot of data center air conditioning work across the country when he met Crumpton. “We had hired Greg's company back in the fay to perform a lot of work for us,” Meyers said. “Not only did our friendship blossom, but our business relationship blossomed from there.”
Meyers, who was worked in the data center industry for the past 10-15 years, believes that relationship building goes a long way in the industry, “You get to know a lot of folks in this industry and those relationships continue to prosper.”
“The stuff that we get to work on now together, if you think about how much of it is relational there is a lot of pieces,” Crumpton explained in regards to his and Meyer’s experiences in doing business together. “Typically if you and I are on a call together there's usually somebody on that call that we’re taking care of that you or I or somebody in our group has had a relationship within a previous go round”
In regards to tradeshows, the two agree that face-to-face interactions are a vital component in not only building relationships with customers and industry partners, but also competitors.
Taz Southerland, senior facilities manager at Walmart, revealed to Hosts Tyler Kern and Greg Crumpton how he brought humor to the ‘work from home’ era of the pandemic, the importance of relationships — whether virtual or in-person — and the unique story around his nickname Taz.
When Walmart Corporation moved employees to work from home (WFH), Southerland brought light to the situation by connecting with his fellow WFH followers by including the abbreviation WFH in all his social media posts. To up the sarcasm, Southerland decided to celebrate the one-year anniversary to ‘SWFH,’ or still work from home. This commitment to authenticity, humor and ultimately creating human (virtual) connection, is the epitome of Southerland.
Working for one of the most well-known brands in the world, Southerland has enjoyed 20 years of employment with Walmart. He currently sits at the top of the programs for equipment in the stores; analyzes the equipment’s’ lifespan and cost analysis; and still manages workorder requests for 5400 sites.
However, Southerland realizes the importance of creating relationships with his customers — the Walmart stores — and vendors. Developing a trusting, mutual relationship helps increase efficiencies and makes everyone’s job easier.
“I have to be improving the process that takes steps out of their day to day,” Southerland said of his thought process toward relationship building. “What can I do to improve my customers’ lives and what can I do to improve my communication and relationship with my vendors?”
Listeners will enjoy tuning in to hear the story behind his nickname ‘Taz’ — unlike most who are nicknamed after the famed “Tasmanian Devil” for being ‘wild,’ Taz’s story is unique and a glimpse into how he gained his incredible, sarcastic humor.
On this episode of Straight Outta Crumpton, Hosts Greg Crumpton and Tyler Kern talked with Steven Wray, President and CEO of Restore Global. This registered nonprofit serves other nonprofit partners by reducing operating costs and providing support services. Our goal is to alleviate the stress of a tight budget and limited resources, allowing partners to focus on core programs and expand their reach in the community. The trio talked about Restore Global, Steven’s career, and as always relationships and how important they are to our personal and business lives.
Wray spent the first third of his career in the mega-nonprofit world. Despite the size of these organizations, they still struggle with investments, money, and infrastructure. He wanted to make a difference.
“If I’m running a business, I don’t think twice about investing in ourselves or a service or accounting or HR or infrastructure,” Wray said. “The things I need to do to improve my business to be the best I possibly can. In nonprofits, culturally, we struggle with that.”
Wray noted that nonprofit boards put a significant focus on investing in program money. They don’t tend to pump money into fundraising or administration. As Wray started working through these things, he realized he was never going to change the culture. It’s just a part of the way the nonprofit industry is in America today.
“Any business would struggle if they don’t make good investments in operating well,” Wray said. “It has a limit on their impact. They can’t recruit appropriate staff. There’s just a lot of issues with that.”
But, he knew he could make a difference by serving the nonprofits in a way that can help with their operation and infrastructure. By taking away barriers that executive directors and staff are facing, they can focus on their outreach.
Greg Crumpton gets tears in his eyes thinking about all the special guests on the show. This one might be one of the best. This also might be the only episode with talk of the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. Jeffrey Gitomer, who has his own podcast, was bribed by Crumpton 15 years ago for a meeting. He may have been bribed for this podcast, as well.
On this episode of Straight Outta Crumpton, Hosts Greg Crumpton and Tyler Kern talked with Gitomer, an author who has earned the crown as “The King of Sales.” His latest book, Go Live! Turn Virtual Connections Into Paying Customers “helps readers understand and take advantage of several online tools to boost their sales and increase their revenue” by using tools such as Facebook Live and podcasting to drive sales and connect with customers.
Gitomer grew up selling in Manhattan in the 1970s, where he spent most of his time cold-calling, though he wasn’t always on phones but trying to get into offices. He admits there weren’t the same kind of barriers that prevent you from entering a building in today’s world. He would often sneak up the freight elevators.
“I never cared about that anyway,” Gitomer said. “I would just take the freight elevators up to where I wanted to go, and people would say, ‘How did you get in here?’ I would say, ‘I took the freight elevator, doesn’t everybody?’”
Usually, he would be allowed to stay, and this tactic allowed him to enter offices without being announced, which is the way he wanted to enter. He wanted to set himself apart and be slightly different from other sales reps. Gitomer realizes that most folks aren’t doing enough to set themselves apart.
On this episode of Straight Outta Crumpton, Host Tyler Kern and Greg Crumpton talked with former NASCAR driver Ward Burton, who won the 2002 Daytona 500. He now operates the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation, whose mission is to conserve America's Land and Wildlife through wise stewardship. They talk about his foundation, NASCAR, and how kindness benefits everyone.
Greg grew up watching Ward, just as Ward was also growing up, as they are near the same age. As Ward progressed through his NASCAR career, or Phase One of his life, according to Crumpton, he noted that he always admired how Burton handled his sponsorships. While growing up in Atlanta, Greg attended some of Ward's races. But, Crumpton noted that professional athlete aside, he always admired how Burton carried himself and how he was a nice guy.
"It is really easy to be kind and available if they want a story about you, versus being the other way, so I was never aloof on any of that." - Ward Burton
"In business and in personal life, that goes so far," Crumpton said. "How you treat your people: your interviewers and your co-competitors. You set a good bar for that."
Back in the days of print reporters in pit row and TV network reporters, Burton noted that those folks had a job to do, too.
"It is really easy to be kind and available if they want a story about you versus being the other way, so I was never aloof on any of that," Burton said. He always took time to be available for requests because not only would you get a good message out about your team or partners, but it was about working together.
On this episode of Straight Outta Crumpton, Hosts Greg Crumpton and Tyler Kern talked with Rafik Galyanurov, Managing Partner Baikal Mechanical, a family-owned OEM established in 2015. They have a combined 45 years of experience in commercial, institutional, and industrial HVAC markets. The success of our company relies on customer satisfaction through solid product engineering, flexible design, and service follow-through both during and after installation. We provide on-site services to identify current system capacities and help clients design replacements. We also offer full technical support on our controls and fan product lines.
Crumpton connected with Rafik via LinkedIn. The connection started when Crumpton was watching some of the unique retrofits and repairs they were doing. He had a trip planned to NYC, so he reached out to Rafik to see if they could connect while he was in town. “I”m going to call Rafik up and see if we can hang out for an afternoon and learn more about their company,” Crumpton said.
The trip happened, and he found Rafik, and Crumpton ended up at one of their job sites. They stayed in touch. Building relationships is Crumpton’s business, so he connected and thought that he, selfishly, might be able to utilize Rafik’s services.
Rafik founded his business after working in a bakery. While baking, he learned that there was no room to grow as a person. The routine of that life didn’t suit him, so when his brother took a job at an HVAC company. His brother’s stories about HVAC life prompted him to jump into that career.
Down the road, the company he did HVAC for hit another career roadblock. He started working in a hospital, then went into college, earning his engineering degree. This eventually led him down the road to Baikal.
When it comes to knowledge about the HVAC industry, Garry McCreadie from “HVAC Know It All'' is an expert on learning and sharing information about the trade. Greg Crumpton welcomed McCreadie on Straight Outta Crumpton for an insightful conversation about where what’s happening in HVAC and what trends are affecting the future of HVAC.
“If I get a service call to a building I’ve never been to before it’s like Christmas day. It’s not just air conditioning. It’s refrigeration, server rooms, rooftop work, boilers, and burners. That’s what I enjoy most, the variety.” - Garry McCreadie
McCreadie started in the trade right out of high school and has worked in HVAC for twenty-two years. Five years ago, his passion for learning about the trade and sharing his knowledge led him to start a Facebook blog about HVAC. Now, that effort has become a blog, podcast, website, app, and Youtube channel called “HVAC Know It All” that goes into detail about simple and complex issues in HVAC.
In an industry that relies on bringing young people into the trade for training and education, McCreadie knows that technology is constantly changing and people in the trade need to keep up with new or innovative ways of doing things. “With everything I do online, I try to make the trade look appealing to the younger generation,” McCreadie said, noting that data and information have made specialized trade knowledge more widely available.
For McCreadie, the idea of working on new equipment or systems is where he’s most enthusiastic. “If I get a service call to a building I’ve never been to before it’s like Christmas day,” he said. “It’s not just air conditioning. It’s refrigeration, server rooms, rooftop work, boilers, and burners. That’s what I enjoy most, the variety.” From building trust with customers to disseminating knowledge, McCreadie knows his stuff.
On this episode of Straight Outta Crumpton, Hosts Tyler Kern and Greg Crumpton talk with Butch Dee, a Customer Service Instructor at Steamfitters Local Union 449. The trio talk about customer service and how important it is in any industry.
The affable Crumpton met Dee when he brought Butch in to give some soft skills training for his company’s technicians. Both men are passionate about customer service and its importance in life and business. For a lot of years, Butch was a fire chief at a local volunteer fire company. He read some books about fireground command. One of these books was “The Essentials of Firefighter’s Customer Service,” by Alan Brunacini.
Dee found that a lot of the principles in the book apply to his life and what he does in work. A boss asked him to present some of the book to a training session. He started doing presentations on the book, and he was brought on to do the customer service training program for Local 449.
“We’ve produced 13 customer service training videos that are industry specific,” Dee said. These videos focus on areas of customer service , such as conflict and professionalism. One of those was mimicked on one of Stumpton's former companies, which is now owned by Service Logic.
Dee talked about how important customer service is in a career.
“When you think about essential services, which HVAC contractors are considered essential services, as are firemen and policemen,” Crumpton said. “You never think about someone taking the bull by the horns in a fire department setting and thinking about customer service. I think we take that for granite.”
The heart of Straight Outta Crumpton is talking about relationships. They are what binds people in life and business. Host Greg Crumpton invited his Service Logic colleague, Abbie Hebert, to the show because she gets relationships. She’s currently an Account Executive with the company.
Hebert started her working days in the service industry. “That’s where I get most of my customer service skills.” After college, she worked as a project manager for a construction company but wanted to be more customer-facing, and that desire led her to her current role.
Hebert, a self-described people person, endeavors to build strong relationships with her accounts. “I try to be transparent and relatable, so they feel comfortable. It can develop into more than just straight business to a friendship. I want them to know they can count on me,’ she said.
Hebert noted that finding that comfort is different for every client. It requires a level of trust and confidence because emergencies will arise, and things can go wrong, but she wants her clients to rely on her.
Crumpton and Hebert also discussed how the pandemic impacted relationships. “I reached out to more people because I’ve been home. It’s helped many relationships. I have learned that my expectations of others can be too high sometimes.”
Relationships are a two-way street, built on respect and honesty, and that’s how Hebert approaches them.
Technology might have been the most essential tool over the past year. For those in the safety and risk management industry, that was no different. Host of Straight Outta Crumpton, Greg Crumpton, talked with Abby Ferri, Senior Risk Control Consultant, at Gallagher about safety and risk management, technology and podcasting in the pandemic world.
Gallagher Worldwide “is an American global insurance brokerage and risk management services firm.”
Crumpton and Ferri met in the safety world when Ferri was brought into Crumpton’s office as a consultant. Crumpton, a self-described “safety cheerleader,” noted the importance of safety in the workplace. Ferri’s job is to work with clients to minimize risk, which Crumpton said is vital because companies should promote workplace safety.
“I grew up in the field working with tools and climbing ladders, scaring the crap out of our safety guy,” Crumpton said. “We’ve evolved.” He noted how much more aware and cautious his company is, and instead of dodging a safety expert, they celebrate folks who do things the right way.
Technology is another vital aspect of the pandemic world. Ferri talked about the importance of knowing, understanding, and using these tools to communicate and work in a world where we are apart. What she didn’t realize, though, is that all her years spent learning these tools was crucial.
“I think this is the moment I was preparing for but didn’t realize it,” Ferri said. “I try to be the technology whisperer for other safety professionals. In that sense (technologically) the pandemic, while an awful, challenging event, I’ve been able to shine through it.”
Crumpton noted Ferri’s ability to focus on the positive in the world. While many bad things are increasing, such as liquor sales, Ferri turned to producing and investing in good things. One of those things is her podcast, Safety Justice League podcast, which she co-hosts.
Among the challenges of the past year, relationship building might be one of the toughest. Adrienne Craighead, the Director of Financial Development for Apparo, talked with Straight Outta Crumpton Host Greg Crumpton and Tyler Kern to talk about keeping people at the heart of business and life.
Apparo helps "... local nonprofits leverage technology and improve business processes to expand their ability to create positive social change in our community."
Craighead talked about building relationships through a screen during COVID. She started the job at Apparo when COVID hit. She still hasn't set foot in the office. This meant she had to be strategic on how to build relationships with the staff. She knew she had to put in quality time to make these relationships.
"I think that relationships should be at the heart of everybody's personal and professional relationships," Craighead said. "That's especially true in nonprofits. Everybody we encounter has a way to impact our world."
One of the ways that can help people connect is through humor. Whitehead and Crumpton agreed that just having a small laugh can help connect and break up a work day's monotony. Whitehead described the levels of humor she uses when meeting people at networking events. She really enjoys when people get the spirit and roll with it and take it to the next level.
What are some of the strategies Whitehead uses to build relationships? To her, there are motivations people to build relationships, and those include: personal, altruistic, or business. Meeting Crumpton, who supports Apparo, was humorous. Though when she went to learn more about him, she found his serious side on his LinkedIn page: "My personal and professional goals are to serve the people I'm working with and working for, and I carry this mantra in my professional life and my home life."
"I always try to look at how I can help people," Crumpton said.
Greg Crumpton and Tyler Kern welcome Michelle Miller, Strategic Accounts at Service Logic, to Straight Outta Crumpton.
Miller has been with Service Logic for a year after a previous career in the electrical world. She works with both customers and service providers, shareing how open communication has been key to success on complex projects.
“I really like a phone call, one-on-one conversation. It gives customers and service providers a comfort level that I’ll be there to help and answer questions along the way,” Miller shared.
Miller’s a strong believer in the power of two-way dialogue and conversations versus only emailing or texting. She also doesn’t mind video calls. “It’s putting a face with a name. it brings a more personal level to the relationship.”
Deep relationships and trust were once formed in face-to-face interactions. In a digital world, working with people from all over, communication takes many avenues. Still, as long as the communication is open and consistent, connections can be made.
Mastering communication between all parties helps Miller manage relationships to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working together for a common goal. Outside of communicating with external folks, she also noted that internal communication is critical as well.
Life and work will continue to adapt to new challenges, but communication, no matter the format, will always matter.
Straight Outta Crumpton brings the voices from various industries to talk about how they’re making a difference in the world.
McMillan’s path to skilled trades was far from a straight arrow. She wasn’t very aware of such programs while in school. A chance meeting changed all that. “I saw an old high school classmate randomly needing a pen on the street. We were 500 miles from where we grew up, and she was talking about an ironworks program,” she described.
She began an apprenticeship, but it was apparent that women were underrepresented. “When I started in ironwork, women made up about two percent.”
In another twist of fate, Skills Ontario reached out to her about speaking at a mentoring banquet for girls. She kept doing this for a while, then had the chance to participate on a panel. Her story resonated with many, and she suddenly was in high demand. “I’m a brand now. Initially, I advocated to young women but soon expanded the scope to everyone,” McMillan said.
She then founded KickAss Careers, touring Canada and the U.S. as a speaker. The group grew tremendously. “Those working with me now are people I met and inspired and wanted to be part of our mission.”
Her next big goal for KickAss Careers is a full-scale ambassador program with real people in pursuit of skills trades representing. McMillan cautioned that the barriers still exist. “At first, there was a gap with educators, not discussing with students opportunities outside of college. They are now on board, but parents still have a gap, looking at trades as viable pathways,” she added.
McMillan and her team will keep shining the light on skilled trades, advocating and motivating others to keep carrying the torch.
Skilled trades certainly don’t get the respect or attention they deserve. In fact, there’s a shortage of tradespeople to do these essential jobs. However, new programs are shining a light on this and encouraging women into the fields. Joining hosts Tyler Kern and Greg Crumpton to chat about this is electrical apprentice Shannon Tymosko, Ambassador for KickAss Careers.
Crumpton came to know Tymosko’s story through the founder of KickAss Careers, Jamie McMillan. Tymosko explained her work with the organization, “As an ambassador, I’m an advocate for skilled trades. This was a second career for me, but it’s never too late to make a change to something you enjoy.”
Tymosko’s journey to electrician has been unconventional. She spent 10 years in a professional career but felt unfilled. “I was looking for other jobs and found this apprentice program for women. Through the program, I met Jamie, and it was inspiring to see a real woman in the field,” she noted.
As an ambassador and passionate supporter of the trades, Tymosko talked about the misperceptions. “People think it’s for the uneducated or those that can’t cut in university. That’s not true. You go to school and experience what it’s like to be an electrician. It’s a myth that it’s not for smart people. You can also make good money,” she said.
One thing that also stands out in talking to young people is that trade schools, at least in Canada, don’t require debt. Tymosko’s employer pays for her to go to school. “If young people knew this, then they’d be more likely to consider it as an option,” she added.
Tymosko is always glad to share her story to inspire and motivate others. Hear more of it by listening to the episode.
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Running a business is a tall order, particularly in the service industry. Consumer expectations are changing almost daily, and keeping up is imperative to stand out.
Tyler Kern and Greg Crumpton, host, Straight Out of Crumpton, gained some valuable insight on how service businesses can stand out from the crowd by talking to Aaron Salow, CEO, XOi Technologies.
According to Salow, service businesses are constantly looking for differentiators, and professionalism is a key part of that.
“I think the idea that, you know, we tuck our shirts in and we back our vans in the spots [is important]. We do background checks on our technicians,” Salow said.
XOi Technologies aims to set itself apart by hiring the best technicians with the best training. Each and every interaction should be an excellent one and contribute to a powerful holistic experience for the customer.
He posed an important question for those in his industry. What are you doing from a customer's perspective to really impact the deliverable.
“So, it's really interesting to see, when you talk about that customer experience, where you can really impact that innovative ways,” Salow said.
For more valuable expert business insight on improving the customer experience, check out the latest conversation on Straight Out of Crumpton.
On this episode of “Straight Outta Crumpton” Greg Crumpton hosts Rich Malachy, the CEO of Malachy Parts and Service. Malachy Parts and Service is a family business that was started by Rich’s dad and carried on by the Malachy family. The company focuses on commercial food and cooking services. In 2017, Rich and his sister have expanded the business and started the “Malachy Cares Program”. With COVID affecting every community and individual, it has never been more important to provide support. This time has given the Malachy family a unique perspective with the slowdown of business.
“You have to work on your business, not in your business.” COVID has slowed the world down and given the Malachy family to focus on their company and new technology to make it thrive.
In New Jersey, the restaurants are only at 25% capacity causing 35% of restaurants to likely close due to COVID. The Malachy family has supported their community by focusing on national change. Instead of adding on to new services, they stopped overtime rates in order to better support restaurants during this troubling time. “Continuing to stay in touch and letting people know that you are there” is essential to stay connected when people have never been more distanced. Through social media, the Malachy Parts and Services have been able to reach out and support their community.
Keeping in touch during the pandemic is crucial. Talking to people instead of texting or email has much more mean and direct impact. Letting people know you are available to help and, “having true transparency is what will make us a better company.”
Rich has continued to support the industry by hosting Fedchats with a group called “Food Equipment Digital Disruptors”. It is a community of people in the industry coming together to support one another over social media. Networking creates impactful solutions within the industry.
The Malachy family has been working to fine tune their technology. They have updated their tablets and are barcoding the inventory in warehouses and vans. XIO technology, video and audio recording technology, has also been implemented. Technicians will “have a field of vision” which will save time and allow them to help one another. This will also open transparency within Malachy Parts and Service, which is crucial to genuine company growth.
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In the world of business, being a people person has its perks. Forming connections with other people can help unlock opportunities and can make finding success more attainable. Greg Crumpton, Host, Straight Outta Crumpton and guest Mara Fowler, Global Accounts Manager for CommScope both know this from experience. “One thing that I learned early on was, you know, every person has an innate desire to connect,” Fowler said. She reflected on a conversation she had early on in her career when speaking with a c-suite exec. “I remember one of them actually saying that to me, like, I'd really appreciate you just talking to me like a person versus somebody who's ten levels up from you,” Fowler said.
That lesson on forming sincere connections stuck with her throughout her career. “I would say that my success has been directly attributed to making sure that when I meet people, whether it's when I walk into a data center, whether it's the janitor or the security person or an IT person that's on site, I don't stop and treat them any differently than when I see the data center manager come in,” Fowler explained. That was a situational example of how forming connections aided her career.
Fowler shared three ways she’s been able to form such strong professional connections. “If you're connecting with customers in some way or are messaging to the customers, don't oversell right? And always be honest and transparent. And, you know, those three things I think have helped me tremendously,” Fowler said.
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted nearly every aspect of human life, but its effects are perhaps most apparent in the way we communicate and foster relationships as humans. For businesses that rely on strong client rapport, the coronavirus has posed a monumental challenge. Greg Crumpton, host of “Straight Outta Crumpton,” dives deeper into how to foster these relationships in a digital world, while maintaining that sense of authenticity and compassion. He welcomes friend and colleague, Jason Ames, to share ideas and swap stories of how businesses can maintain that human connection in our new physically distanced reality.
For Crumpton and many others in the business of sales, cultivating relationships isn’t just a job, it’s a livelihood and lifestyle. So when coronavirus poised a challenge to fostering relations, businesses were forced to find new ways to connect. Ames said he replaced hotel bar conviviality with virtual happy hours and saw his client relationships grow deeper and richer. “We are social creatures at heart,” Ames said, and those that value connection will adapt.
Finding ways to show you care about others can be simple and subtle, like wearing a mask in groups or bumping elbows upon greeting. For Crumpton and Ames, human authenticity shines not through texting, but in the emotional of hearing someone’s voice on the other end of the line. Smartphones are capable of so much, but today their most important feature may just be the simple phone call.
Relationships in business have always mattered, maybe even more so now, as organizations drive to innovate and engage. Finding the right connections can impact what happens to ideas. Molly Pedemonte, a business consultant with a high aptitude for strategic change, serves as a TPG Consulting Director. She works with companies to identify what’s working and what isn’t. During her career journey, she’s had many relationships that have nurtured her along the way.
Relationships are a lot about sharing knowledge, especially between generations. Pedemonte calls this “tribal knowledge.” She said, “Transferring tribal knowledge in the workplace moves information from generation to generation.”
On her path to learning and sharing, Pedemonte talked about some interesting relationships she’s formed. “People come in and out of your life when you least expect it,” she said. One such person was her former high school English teacher. They’ve now become peers and friends, and she appreciates what she’s gained from working with her.
“I have a lifetime of knowledge, but my lifetime hasn’t been that long. I depend on others to share knowledge with me because I don’t know what I don’t know. People have invested with me, so I’m ready to invest in others,” Pedemonte stated.
Relationship building is critical to success in business. Being relationship-focused allows anyone to grow and evolve. Thinking together often lets ideas bloom, and possibilities seem endless. Being relationship focused
There aren’t many people who can say they have friends in places like Iraq, Algeria, Afghanistan, Mexico and Libya, but Emily King is one of those people.
The CEO of Global Venture Consulting and Founder of Prospector Portal helps natural resource companies get into emerging and frontier markets, including some markets which are post-conflict. .
King wasn’t always a global citizen with a passport full of stamps. She grew up in a small town in Maine but became open to a more international line of work after studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa.
She got comfortable and developed close friends and even people she considers family by building relationships in the countries where she works.
“A lot of why I enjoy a lot of the work in those markets is because it’s so relationship based. That’s why we end up doing so many different things is once you build trust in these countries, people bring opportunities to you,” King said. “They know you, they trust you, they know you can go find really good quality partners and companies to bring in to solve any problems.
“So, you end up getting a really wide range of stuff to work on, and that’s really what’s built out our profile in the region, our partner network and why we get to do so many things that … may look random but are all connected through relationships.”
Greg Crumpton has seen how King leverages relationships, making sure the partners she works with can trust her and putting people’s needs ahead of the numbers.
“I think when we were talking several years ago, understanding how those relationships are to this day still really instrumental in growing Global Venture, those relationships you made, 10 years ago now,” Crumpton said.
Straight Outta Crumpton with host Greg Crumpton focuses on why building relationships is valuable, both in the world of business and in life.
This week, Tyler Kern and Greg Crumpton are joined by Jason Banks, CEO and Owner of Banks Electrical Contractors, to discuss how he fell into the electrical field and learned early on the value of obtaining a professional license to help begin a career.
Banks has now owned his own business for 19 years, but he likes to quip that he is still very much operating as a start-up company, because he never wants to stop learning how he can improve.
Make sure to follow along for more episodes of Straight Outta Crumpton, and click here for more episode!
Straight Outta Crumpton with Greg Crumpton focuses on the ways that building relationships is valuable both in business and in life.
Change is hard, but today’s guest Gwen Smothers has been a trailblazer in facilitating it. As the business systems manager of Piedmont Service Group, a technical facility and energy-efficient solutions company in Raleigh, NC, Smothers maintains all business systems, trains users, and supports process improvements. She owes much of her success to defining the “why.”
“When I first started at Piedmont 20 years, the person who trained me never explained why we did things that way. I soon learned after being on the job, but the why was never addressed. Now that I’m in that position, I always lead with the why,” Smothers stated.
Smothers also discussed her involvement with Women in HVACR, a trade group dedicated to women in the industry. She joined years ago and has been able to attend several conferences where she met a young lady in need of support. “At an HVACR conference, I met a young lady whose father owns an HVAC business, and she needed some guidance about how to change and grow. Since that meeting, the President of HVACR contacted me and asked if I would be a mentor,” Smothers shared.
All the work that Smothers has done on behalf of her company and for the industry, in general, is immense, and she even calls herself a “change agent.” That’s no easy job in any industry, but Smothers attributes much of this to success. “Change is hard for everyone. I have some great support from my leadership team. They provide me with ideas to try in the real world,” she said.
Learn more about Smother’s career as a change agent by listening to the podcast.
Straight Outta Crumpton focuses on the ways that building relationships is valuable both in business and in life. The guest on this episode is a perfect example of this.
Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman, Air Force Academy graduate, combat decorated Air Force F-16 fighter pilot turned sales guru, performance consultant, executive coach and motivational keynote speaker, joined Greg Crumpton to discuss what it means to be a “Wingman” and how it can benefit yourself and those around you.
“The more I grow in life…you start realizing who those people are that you can build those ‘Wingman’ relationships with. The way that you gauge that in business or life is somebody that you feel comfortable with going to for help,” said Waldman.
For more leadership and relationship insights from Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman, head to his website where he is offering a free download of his audiobook ‘Never Fly Solo’ to listeners of this podcast.
That’s the questions Greg Crumpton and Tyler Kern posed on this episode of Straight Outta Crumpton to Todd Boucher, founder of Leading Edge Design Group.
Todd spoke on the podcast about the lessons that he has learned over the years from watching the way his father conducted his electrical contracting business. “He really believes in the importance of relationships. Of the great gifts he has give me that was certainly, from a business perspective, one of the most important ones that I saw and wanted to embody,” Boucher said.
He went on to explain that it’s important for him to forge authentic relationships that speak to the values he personally holds. And while some might only associate relationships with clients, he said that everything starts with the way you interact with your own team.
“Your relationship with your team is what enables you to have really meaningful relationships with your customers, and if you don’t have that unity inside your organization you can’t project that outward. It doesn’t manifest into relationships with your customers if it’s not authentic within your company,” he said.
Straight Outta Crumpton is a podcast that is all about building and fostering relationships in business and life. But as the coronavirus pandemic has altered our normal patterns and habits, how can we ensure that relationships are still a key part of our lives?
Greg Crumpton was joined for this episode by Howie Barber, Operations Manager for Atom Power, Inc. They discussed their longtime friendship, team-building during COVID-19, and the impact that Howie has had as a youth coach for multiple sports.
There is so much information at our finger tips that people think they are experts in everything which can cause confusion for interior designers.
On this episode of Straight Outta Crumpton, Greg Crumpton & Tyler Kern sit down with Paige Adair, Interior Designer at Little Diversified Architectural Consulting, to talk about the evolution and necessity of remote work.
“I know that before I go to the doctor, I’ve already Googled all of my symptoms” Adair told Greg Crumpton.
“I think there’s a lot of beauty to both clients who are very engaged and clients who are more hands off,” Adair said. “It’s nice to have clients who understand the process, but I also like being able to educate a client.”
She admits that she’d been drawn to the arts since she could write letters to Santa Clause when she asked for art kits nearly every year.
Paige didn’t decide to buy-in on an artistic career until she received a piece of advice from Greg Crumpton years ago.
Greg told her that anyone can learn business, but if you are creative and have passion, you ought to pursue it.
As unlikely as it sounds, Greg is a great person to give that advice. He and Paige go way back – back to before Paige was even born. And, he was right. Today, Paige does indeed know business as well.
“Trust is key to any relationship,” she told Tyler Kern. “Whether it’s with a client or with anyone in your life.”
Paige commented on trust and remote work. She pointed our that as society develops and advances, remote work is something that will continue to rear its head in workflows. In those situations trust is essential.
Most people look at LinkedIn as their professional social media space, best used when looking for a new role. There are currently over 675 million users on the platform, which means that it’s much more than a job board; it’s where relationships can be started and built. On this episode of Straight Outta Crumpton with Greg Crumpton, Teddy Burriss of Burriss Consulting, a LinkedIn coach and expert and best-selling author, explains why the new type of networking doesn’t have to occur over the phone or in-person; LinkedIn offers new opportunities.
Teddy didn’t become an expert in social media networking until he left the technology industry and started his first sales job in 2005.
“I asked a salesperson at my new place of business what it took to be successful, and he said cold call like a wild man. I knew this was something I wasn’t excited about doing. Then I started to take an interest in LinkedIn,” he said.
Teddy knew the people he wanted to engage were on LinkedIn; they just weren’t doing anything on the platform. He became more invested in finding ways to network on LinkedIn and leveraging it as a relationship builder. After a few years doing this in his sales role, he was ready to start his own business.
“At first, I called myself a networking strategist, but no one knew what that meant. Then I thought changing it to social media strategist would be more impactful, but that didn’t translate to corporate America. Then I reframed it as using social media as a business tool and that began to resonate with companies,” Teddy said.
Make sure to follow along for more episodes of Straight Outta Crumpton, and click here for more episode!
Hosts Greg Crumpton and Tyler Kern are back for another episode of “Straight Outta Crumpton,” your source for insights on the relationships and people that drive the HVAC and mechanical industry and beyond.
On this episode, the duo is joined by gardin, LLC. founder and CEO Adi Avin. Avin’s gardin is an interior plant design studio in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Crumpton and Avin said their relationship is founded on a share love for simply talking business. The foundation of many a good relationship is having something in common, and business relationships are no different – it doesn’t take a specific interest or hobby to find common ground, either.
“If we’d see each other out (during the pair’s time in the ballroom dance industry), we’d both just kind of move to the side and talk business,” Avin said. “It’s much more interesting and fun, and I’ve always just loved bouncing ideas off Greg. He’s got so much to contribute. I would say he’s really been like a mentor to me.”
“Scar tissue’s hard to beat,” Crumpton said.
Throughout this episode, Crumpton and Avin offer insights from each of their perspectives on business relationships, give and take, spreading awareness of others’ journeys and businesses, and the value of paying it forward.
“The amazing thing is that Greg has put the word out on my business, and he’s completely selfless,” Avin said. “He wanted nothing in return.”
Stay tuned for more episodes of Straight Outta Crumpton coming soon.
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On the second episode of Straight Outta Crumpton, Greg Crumpton, people promoter, dot connector, technology enthusiast, Kaizen Practitioner and VP of Critical Facilities and Technology at Service Logic, is joined by David Jones, Co-Founder of Flexential—a hybrid IT solutions provider built on a people-first approach. In this podcast, these two titans of industry discuss the cornerstone of their business mentality—relationship-building—and how the bonds forged throughout their careers have aided in their success.
A friend and business associate of Crumpton’s for more than 20 years, Jones explains that after a tour in Vietnam, his career in technology—which he amiably mentions has been strewn with both successes and failures along the way—began in the telephone industry some 40 years ago. After the breakup of the Bell system, he helped to grow a long distance entrepreneurial company which was later sold to MCI. From there, Jones helped startup and run several local telephone companies, built a fiber network from Atlanta to Columbus, GA, and eventually began working as a consultant, primarily in the southeast, “helping companies get into this thing called the internet” during the late 1990s.
“I began to get the idea—because I was helping little ISPs collocate,” Jones says, “that you could have a facility and they would have to provide entrance facilities for you to connect into the network. And I began looking, thinking, ‘Hmm, this could work. This thing called data centers that I’m beginning to see come, that’s nothing but a central office basically.’ And a friend of mine—who’s still a very close friend named Nick Kottyan—showed up one day at my office and he said I’ve got an idea, and it turned out I had the same idea. So, we wrote a business plan and that business plan is ultimately what birthed Peak 10.”
The two took their plan to an attorney who advised them that the business was going to be capital-intensive and that they should come back to him when they had between $1 and $2 million in financing. Within six weeks, the pair returned to the attorney with $1.5 million in hand. Astounded, the attorney asked how they had accomplished it.
“Well, I haven’t burned a lot of bridges and I’ve made a lot of friends along the way, and those friends believed in me. And they know that the money they’re willing to put up—they have to be able to put a check in the trashcan if it doesn’t work.” Jones said. “That’s how we got started.”
Backed by an additional $18 million from some private equity firms, and with Jones and Kottyan eventually at the helm, Peak 10 truly came into its own, selling two different times—once in 2010 for $400 million, and again in 2014 for $730 million.
When people ask what the key was to Peak 10’s success, Jones replies, “Look, I’m not the smartest guy in the world. I have a BA in Economics from the University of Virginia—I’m not an engineer. But what I figured out was how to have about twelve really smart people play well in the sandbox together, and how to make that team have the same beliefs and have the same trust in themselves and the people we work with.”
“Trust is my gold standard,” Crumpton agrees. “It was just really cool to hear that journey and how many of those moments involved people—from that initial $1.5 million raised with the friends and family around, and then being able to go out and raise $18 million locally—that’s just…that speaks to you and it speaks to the relationships.”
Tune in to the podcast to hear more about the importance of relationships, the responsibility that goes with a title, the value of talented, decisive team players, the art of listening intently, and more. And stay tuned for more episodes of Straight Outta Crumpton coming soon.
Greg Crumpton, people promoter, dot connector, technology enthusiast, Kaizen Practitioner and VP of Critical Facilities and Technology at Service Logic, joins Tyler Kern of MarketScale for a preview episode outlining what’s to come in a new podcast show entitled “Straight Outta Crumpton”.
“Over the last year or so, we’ve done several podcasts with the company that I work for, which is an awesome company. But this is, you know, a little bit more in my particular vein of what I do, and that’s more about people—it’s more about relationships, and in particular, how those relationships play in our day-to-day lives—in work as well as personal.”
With 38 years in the HVAC & mechanical industry, Greg has come across a multitude of great people, forging and nurturing unique, long-term interpersonal relationships within the HVAC sector that extend back over the years to form what could be referred to as ‘a tribe of trust’.
“It’s all about the people that you trust and, you know, most people can hold that little basket of trust in two hands, and there’s a couple of dozen people in there that you feel like are in your tribe. Then you hope to implore your feeling and your sentiment of giving back to that tribe, where then they reach out to a half-dozen or two dozen people in their hands. You just try to spread it through a grassroots level because it really is hand-to-hand combat.”
With at least 13 guests lined up to join future “Straight Outta Crumpton” podcast episodes, Crumpton is excited about the diversity of personalities that will be showcased. From “the King of Sales” Jeffrey Gitomer—both a personal friend and world-renowned business and sales coach that focuses on interpersonal relationships and how to engage with people, to a business partner that will chat about how his and Crumpton’s relationship grew over time, as well as an up and coming 28-year old architect that is changing the skyline of Charlotte, NC.
Says Crumpton, “We got really, I think, a strong lineup, so looking forward to kicking it (the podcast) off.” He goes on to say, “MarketScale does such a good job of working with us and helping bring common people like me the ability to talk to the masses on things that may or may not be relevant, but if one person gets one nugget out of a conversation, then mission accomplished.”
Stay tuned for the first episode of “Straight Outta Crumpton” coming soon and be sure to subscribe to MarketScale’s Building Management podcast to get more in-depth commentary on the hot topics and groundbreaking innovations transforming the industry.