Justin Allen with Redtail Plumbing

Intro: [00:00:10] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Woodstock, Georgia. It’s time for Cherokee Business Radio. Now, here’s your host.

Sharon Cline: [00:00:26] Hello. It is a happy, fearless formula Friday on Cherokee Radio X, where we talk about the ups and downs of the business world and offer words of wisdom for business success. I’m your host, Sharon Cline. And our guest in the studio today is a master plumber with over 15 years experience, which I love. He’s from Kansas City originally, but here in Woodstock now he is owner of Redtail Plumbing. Please welcome to the show. Justin Allen. Hello.

Justin Allen: [00:00:53] Hello. How are you doing? It’s great to be here today. I absolutely love this.

Sharon Cline: [00:00:59] Yeah, I’m so happy. It’s always nice to have a happy guest here on the show. All right. So you’re from Kansas City, but is.

Justin Allen: [00:01:05] That.

Sharon Cline: [00:01:05] Please forgive me because I’m not a sports fan like I pretend to be. Redtail plumbing. Where does the name come from?

Justin Allen: [00:01:11] Redtail. Okay, so with Kansas City? No. Oh, no. The only thing is the color is. So I’m a big Chiefs fan and red and white are part of the Chiefs color. So I did decide to go with that, besides the fact of a red tailed hawk. So why did I choose Red Tail? So I wanted to be kind of a classy style logo plumber, so not like, you know, you know, these gimmicky names. So I wanted to be classy and. Yeah, yeah. So, so being in Atlanta, there’s a lot of red tail hawks. The Atlanta Hawks is a red tail. And then there’s the the old southern like air fighter group was called the Red Tails.

Sharon Cline: [00:01:46] So you really thought this out?

Justin Allen: [00:01:48] I did. I wanted to be part of the community, but kind of like camouflage myself and just.

Sharon Cline: [00:01:52] Oh, that is so smart. Yeah. It’s funny because if you were thinking about a plumber, it’s always like like I was saying a wrench or something. I don’t know.

Justin Allen: [00:01:58] Sure.

Sharon Cline: [00:01:59] I don’t know. It’s nice to have something that’s sort of, like, completely different. Yeah. Yeah. But, like, I get the feeling of being kind of classy and having a little homage to your hometown.

Justin Allen: [00:02:07] Sure. Yeah, totally. And as you see, like, my logo does have a hawk carrying a pipe wrench this close. So the symbol goes a little bit in. There it is. Right.

Sharon Cline: [00:02:17] What did you do before you were a plumber?

Justin Allen: [00:02:21] Okay. So I went to to college for about a year. I failed out, and.

Sharon Cline: [00:02:26] I just I honestly.

Justin Allen: [00:02:28] I decided, all right, I got to get a real job. My my dad was a plumber back in the day, so I saw a truck that said now hiring. So I decided to become an apprentice in Kansas City before I moved here. And then I got to Atlanta when I was 24 and couldn’t find a job immediately as an apprentice. So I worked in a bar for about seven years. Wow. Before I got back on to plumbing and got my journeyman license and started doing it that way and became a master later.

Sharon Cline: [00:02:56] So, all right. So we explained to me what a master plumber is as opposed to like a regular.

Justin Allen: [00:03:01] Sure. So you’ve got yeah. So definitely you go from an apprentice and then after here in Georgia, it’s three years and then after that you can test to be a journeyman. A journeyman means I can come into your house legally by George and do plumbing. And then two years of a journeyman, you test to be a master. And a master means you can own your own business. Basically, a master plumber means you can take money. So as a journeyman, I have to have a master above me saying I can take money as a business. Got you. So and as an unrestricted master, that means that basically the gist is you cannot outrank me as a plumber, although you might. There’s a lot of people no more. But but as the plumbing goes, that’s the highest level here in Georgia is unrestricted and master plumber.

Sharon Cline: [00:03:44] Well, there are a lot of terms I’ve not heard before.

Justin Allen: [00:03:45] Yeah, right. It gets pretty boring, but like, I’m legit. It’s basically what that means.

Sharon Cline: [00:03:51] Are you a restricted plumber?

Justin Allen: [00:03:52] Yeah, right. There can be, yes. Really restricted. Like you can’t do hospitals and things like that. You can’t do big time.

Sharon Cline: [00:03:59] Oh, I didn’t think of that. So there’s a whole I mean, there’s a lot I don’t know. So that’s why you’re I’m going to kind of understand a little bit more about this industry and kind of what it’s like for you to be in it. All right. So so here you were being a you were a bartender. Was it a bar bartender?

Justin Allen: [00:04:14] Yeah. Serving in bartending.

Sharon Cline: [00:04:15] Covering and bartending. So how did you like that? What was it about it where you were like, That’s it, I’m out.

Justin Allen: [00:04:19] Oh, I mean, to get out of it and get back into plumbing. Oh, wow. So this is you’re into my story. Okay, so. So I started going down that path of like, yeah, bartending and it becomes a little family of a restaurant there. Yeah. And then I got, I just got to into it, let some, some things get a little overwhelming me. And then so I decided, all right, I got to clean myself up, I got to get out of this. And so I put my foot down on my look. I’m getting back into a trade that I wanted to do and I really went for it. And yeah, then I worked for a company here locally, started doing excavation plumbing, which is outside, and then just worked my way up to another bigger company and then did my own thing. But yeah, I love the restaurant world. I think it’s fun, it’s great money and it’s hard to get out of just because the money’s good and the family feeling is so there. But yeah, I had to go. It was kind of ruining my life. And I decided like, Look, I got to get out of this. I got to find a wife and find some kids and stuff like that. That’s right.

Sharon Cline: [00:05:18] Well, you know, it’s kind of a cool take on what you’re saying is that you and I think it’s everybody’s journey. Where sometimes you’re on a path that you think feels right to yourself, and then it really just doesn’t. And, you know, some people don’t get out. Yeah. You know, so I really admire that you had sort of the tenacity with yourself. I’m going to get out of here. I’m going to do what it takes.

Justin Allen: [00:05:37] Sure. Yeah, definitely.

Sharon Cline: [00:05:38] So did you tell your dad, guess what I’m doing?

Justin Allen: [00:05:40] So. Okay, so my dad passed when I was 15. Oh, no, this was a terrible question. It’s all right. Part of the deal. Oh, no, it’s good. No, it’s good. So that’s why he couldn’t train me. But it was in my story. I was like, Okay, I guess I’ll start with plumbing. My dad did it. Why not try it?

Sharon Cline: [00:05:58] All right. So was it a huge change for your life? Did you feel like it was a huge change and sort of had to be more disciplined and and sort of always be eye on the ball straight ahead?

Justin Allen: [00:06:09] Well, you mean when I went from the restaurant? Yes, I did. Yes. It took like I started the bottom of this plumbing company and so I would work do an excavation. You just sometimes get on stuck on something. I’d be out there for 26 straight hours. I’m like digging job at that point. You’re like, I am done like. But that was the bottom of the totem pole. And I worked up to lead excavation and and stuff like that. But the hardest like personality switch, I guess would be I was still as a restaurant, I could still be a kid, you know, like, hey, stay up all night and whatever sleep in this meant, you know, day to day, get up, do your job no more, you know, having fun and not I mean, you can still have fun, but within parameters, right? So it was a big switch, especially because I waited so long to stop being a kid, I would say for my own life.

Sharon Cline: [00:06:54] Well, I understand that. So my son is going to school now. He’s going to chat to his he wants to own his own like mechanic. Sure, company business at some point. And so but this past year he’s he’s like slept a lot it’s after high school in between college. Like he took a year off. And it’s interesting to see him kind of go through a change of having to have that discipline, whereas before it was just kind of fun. You know, he got he’s just working a little bit and it was a girlfriend and all that. And anyway, it’s just kind of but it’s interesting to see what that discipline is done for him though. Like, I see a change in him and I imagine you must have felt it for yourself. Yeah, you know, totally.

Justin Allen: [00:07:29] Yeah. Yeah. There was a big change in like, I mean, look, I, I credit so we’re going to step into this door of my life, do it. So I accredit a lot of this to God. All right, so I’m a follower of Jesus. So I really went and I opened that door of like, look, I’m getting back into this and I’m going to give credit to God. I’m just going to go for it. And and it really I mean, I tell you what, for for me, it paid off because I got back into my church hardcore and my wife came shortly after. Oh, my goodness. So I love that story. It was a it’s really a glorious story from my life that I like. All right, dude, I’m taking the turn and I’m doing this, and I just got rewarded. And then more money came just, you know, from, I guess, kind of just serving and whatnot. But then my life has been such a whirlwind since then of like, great. Just it’s been good. It’s been that move from restaurant, although there was a lot of people that I made good friends with, I’m not saying anything like that. But but that turn into this, you know, this plumbing career, it’s been nothing but greatness. Step, step, step, step, step.

Sharon Cline: [00:08:29] So it’s interesting, I think, that the effect of living a life that doesn’t feel authentic to you, what that does to all areas of your life. Sure. And how hard it is to kind of put yourself in an alignment with what you think you want your life to look like. It’s it’s huge and difficult and it can be very daunting. And I imagine, too, if you had friends that are like, hey, when are you coming back? Or When are you coming by? Or all of that. But, but it’s such a testament to your being willing to commit and kind of see where, where it takes you because, you know, you were doing something for yourself, right? Like that you really wanted to do for your life.

Justin Allen: [00:09:05] Exactly. Yeah. Yeah, totally. No, I totally agree. And like, yeah, when you throw that whatever it is out there and then you just start going for it. Yeah, it is, it’s, I don’t know, it’s amazing thing.

Sharon Cline: [00:09:17] So I mean, it’s kind of fun actually to talk to someone who’s kind of decided that their life really needs to go through something different because there are people listening right now who potentially aren’t happy with the way that things are. So I love that you can kind of give them sort of like a happy, a happy story of what it’s like. And it’s not all happy, I’m sure. But still it shows that you’ve got almost like a support, but it’s an unseen support. Do you know what I mean?

Justin Allen: [00:09:46] Oh, I totally.

Sharon Cline: [00:09:46] Get out there. Yeah, yeah. So nice. And your life kind of unfolds as it.

Justin Allen: [00:09:50] Yeah, that’s right. I’m not going for it on my own. Yeah, that’s right. Like it was support. No, I totally agree. Yep. That’s exactly what happened.

Sharon Cline: [00:09:56] All right, so you’re working with this other company? Yep. You become a journeyman.

Justin Allen: [00:10:00] Yep. That’s right. I got it.

Sharon Cline: [00:10:02] And then? And then. Then after that, you’re a master. That’s right. And then you started your business.

Justin Allen: [00:10:09] Yeah. So? So I worked at one, you know, I was telling you, I was working a long hours as an excavation lead or whatnot. Then I got my journeyman and I was like, just the progression of plumbing here in Atlanta is sometimes you move off to a company that pays more and like gives you more for your knowledge. So I did. That. And then within that company, I was there seven years until I, you know, decided to take my master license test, did that. And then I sat with that master license for two years just trying to figure out what’s the best way to do this. And then, you know, I have three kids, so like COVID happened, right? Oh, so so COVID, you know, the the you know, the president, the governments, you know, throwing money at me with all my kids and say, hey, go spend this money. So we’re like, all right, let’s spend it. Let’s do it on a company. So I have to think about. Right. Yeah. Right. A positive. That’s right. Yeah, they did that. So we decided, you know, to put our our money into like starting a company. And that’s how we did it. And it’s I think a lot of people were kind of spawned out of COVID entrepreneurs and another just another great step of like, what a move. And we are so happy we did it.

Sharon Cline: [00:11:11] So you didn’t really have to go through. Here’s what my company is like now, COVID hits, and now I have to change everything or potentially lose my company. Did it all during.

Justin Allen: [00:11:19] Yeah, that’s right. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, we did that and I just went blank on that.

Sharon Cline: [00:11:24] That’s okay. My brain is playing nine times.

Justin Allen: [00:11:26] That’s right.

Sharon Cline: [00:11:28] I’m like a list in front of me. A question in case my first. Go ahead. All right. So what have you found is the most challenging to set up your business? Because imagine someone out there right now who’s like, I would really love to do this, but I don’t know what are some of the things that you wish you could tell yourself in the beginning that would have been helpful to you.

Justin Allen: [00:11:45] That, you know, I get let me see if I can come up with like three things popped in my head. So one was a really good buddy of mine who’s good financially and stuff. He told me he’s like, Whatever you do now for marketing advertising, six months from now, you’ll see if it worked or not. So he’s like, plant it and see. And so that that actually did pay off because I started off with a billboard on Bills Ferry out here in here in Georgia and whatever wherever we are, Woodstock or something. So you put a billboard up? Yeah, I bet I did. I know it went down after about three months because I was like because we were like, all right, let’s start putting money into that. And and I started networking. So I built this. This company’s been built off of networking alone. So.

Sharon Cline: [00:12:23] And that is amazing about that.

Justin Allen: [00:12:25] Yeah, it really has. So, I mean, the people out there that would listen to that, like there’s networking clubs around and that is solely what I did. And there was another guy at a club and he said he was like, You know, I’ve met a lot of people around here, but he’s like, You’re the only one that’s a pure trade and all you do is network to get your business. He’s like, I’ve never seen that before. Some trades will come in and throw their name around, you know, to kind of get sparked up some, some, you know, whatever.

Sharon Cline: [00:12:50] But then they don’t stay either.

Justin Allen: [00:12:51] They don’t, yeah. Something go. Yeah, but he’s like, you invested in it and it’s paid off and it truly has. That’s been the best thing that I ever did was network because I’m built it on relationship, didn’t I? Not on the fact of, you know, my logo or my right.

Sharon Cline: [00:13:05] Or you heard you on the radio or whatever.

Justin Allen: [00:13:06] Yeah, exactly. Yeah, totally.

Sharon Cline: [00:13:07] You know, that’s huge, right? Yeah. Because really, I always talk about this business being a relationship. It’s building relationships. It’s kind of everybody wins, you know, I get my sink to stop.

Justin Allen: [00:13:18] That’s right. That’s right. Yeah, you get. Yeah, that’s right. Yeah. I feel good about you’re totally right. And I like when I go to like somebody’s house like like your house or somebody’s house, I would they’re I’m less interested. I mean, I want to fix their plumbing and I want to fix why I’m there. I feel like kind of I’m like, gifted as a plumber, but I’d rather just talk to you about what’s going on. And instead of like, Hey, this is the how plumbing works and this is what’s happened and this is how much it’s going to cost. I’ll do that, but I’ll intermix it and more about like, Hey, you’re a person on this world and you’re important. Like, I’m important. So that’s how I like to deal with people. Yeah.

Sharon Cline: [00:13:49] No, I mean, that’s a huge because I feel like now you’ve got someone that will come back to you because you’re not just interested in their money. Sure. Or fixing, like you said, the problem. You really want to know what’s their journey like?

Justin Allen: [00:14:00] Yeah, definitely. Yeah, yeah, I’d like to hear it. Yeah, totally. That’s exactly what I like to do.

Sharon Cline: [00:14:03] Yeah. So how how long did it take you before you put your billboard up that you started to get some calls? Was it like immediate?

Justin Allen: [00:14:11] Oh.

Sharon Cline: [00:14:13] I’m kind of wondering if I were to put a billboard of my voice over work up there. Not I mean, not that I think that would really work if people are driving.

Justin Allen: [00:14:19] They’re not.

Sharon Cline: [00:14:20] Yeah, I’m just saying, how long would it take before someone would be like, Hey, I saw your billboard.

Justin Allen: [00:14:24] I don’t know how many people. I don’t think I ever got one person to say, I know people said they saw it, but I don’t know anybody that said, Hey, I’m calling you because I saw your billboard or whatever it more was. The the word of mouth was more of, yeah, what happened.

Sharon Cline: [00:14:38] But that’s interesting to note because if someone didn’t want to spend the money, it doesn’t have to be the money like that. Sure, it could come in and go to what are some of the best networking meetings that you’ve been to.

Justin Allen: [00:14:49] So I started with Wipeout, which is the one here in Woodstock. Well, I think me and you met there, didn’t we? Right. Okay.

Sharon Cline: [00:14:56] Young professionals.

Justin Allen: [00:14:56] Of Woodstock. So we met there and then so I went to Woodstock Business Club, which would have been my second one. So those were my dedicated ones. Then Woodstock started getting bigger and then I went to Canton as it was smaller Canton Business Club and then ball ground. So those are the ones and I’m still going to all those.

Sharon Cline: [00:15:15] That’s awesome. So it’s a huge commitment.

Justin Allen: [00:15:18] It is. Yeah, that’s right. I’m basically if you do that, you’re saying I’m going to give up making money and these hours, three or four. Times a week to put my, you know, roots in the ground here. And that’s I mean, I did it and it really works.

Sharon Cline: [00:15:31] So but what’s kind of cool is you can go to each of those communities and find people that you know.

Justin Allen: [00:15:35] Yeah, right. That’s right. Yes, totally. Yeah, yeah.

Sharon Cline: [00:15:37] No, no. Town feels like a stranger.

Justin Allen: [00:15:39] Yeah, that’s right. No, I totally. That’s right. And people throw your name and I’m like, okay, that’s great. You and somebody from Jasper is like, Hey, I’ve heard about you, and I’d like you to come out and look at my waterline. I’m like, I would love to say, yes, I will. Yeah, right. Totally. Yeah.

Sharon Cline: [00:15:54] Best though. Yeah. But you know what? I don’t know how many times I’ve had someone come and do something for me where I really didn’t love their work or you were just like happy that they were able to fix it because you really just needed in a pinch or whatever, but not really feeling like a sense of security or a sense of I would I feel like I’m going to have them come back. Like I like the feeling of when you have a relationship with someone, you kind of know that they’re going to be there for you if you really need them. Yeah, that’s what they’re building their business off.

Justin Allen: [00:16:17] Yes, exactly.

Sharon Cline: [00:16:18] Just huge, though. Not everybody has that mindset, I guess.

Justin Allen: [00:16:21] And I thought you do you remember that show, The Andy Griffith Show? Yeah. Okay. So when I was a kid, I used to watch it like when I’d be home sick because it was always a rerun. But but I remember like, you know, there’s the barber and the mail guy, and all these people were so, like, knitted into that small little town. And that’s what I when I came to Woodstock, that was my mindset here. Like, I don’t want to blow up and make all the money in the world. I want to be a kind of a fixture here in Woodstock that if I left one day, they would be like, What in the world happened to that company? That was such a good dude in this community. Yeah, you.

Sharon Cline: [00:16:49] Wouldn’t. You’d be missed.

Justin Allen: [00:16:50] Yeah, exactly. That’s what I try. Yeah, that’s right. And that’s what my goal is. And still so.

Sharon Cline: [00:16:56] So do you have. All right, wait. No, I have my list of questions right here. Who who are your mentors? Do you have mentors as you’re going along?

Justin Allen: [00:17:04] Yes. So the guy let’s see here, the last company I worked for, is it okay to say names or not? Is it is it okay with you? He’s a good yeah, he’s a really good dude. And so I worked for Jay Cunningham, who owns a big plumbing company here in the town. And just the way he ran his company was so I don’t know, it was respectful and in a way to to people and treating employees. Right. And and the customers right. And he always wanted to integrate and be part of the community, whichever way he could help. And so, like, whenever I decided to leave, he was very adhering to me doing that. And he was he gave me tips and pointers and stuff. But I just think back to the way that when I worked for him for seven years, how he did it. So he’s definitely a mentor, even though I don’t call him to do anything. Just the thought of what I learned from his company is very, very valuable to me. Anybody else? I mean, just regular plumbers that I’ve met. I think a lot of plumbers. They think they know everything you’re going to if you ever met a plumber, a lot of plumbers, I think they know everything about plumbing. And I’m a guy who’s like, look, I don’t know everything, but I’ve been doing it for a long time, so I’ve seen a lot and I know who to call if I don’t know what I’m doing. So I feel like I could call many, many plumbers that are very grounded in what they do. So.

Sharon Cline: [00:18:18] So you’re still a relatively new company. So have you had many setbacks or ups and downs or things that are sort of been challenging for you, that you think that someone else that might have some words of wisdom for as well. So in other words, like you were talking about how you didn’t need to to do a whole lot of marketing for yourself, but like building relationships. So are there some other things that you feel like have been the most helpful to you that you would think would be great for someone?

Justin Allen: [00:18:44] So sure.

Sharon Cline: [00:18:45] What would you say?

Justin Allen: [00:18:47] Okay, so this is one of those hidden gems that I think you should know before you open a company because it really helped me is budgeting. So we budget and we learned budgeting in my life probably about, I don’t know, five or seven, six or seven years ago, but so hard core budgeting that we knew where everything was going. So when I started the company, every dollar I would spend, I would I would allotted around. So I knew how much money we had running it every exact second, you know. And I think just by that, taking budgeting into other forms of like, you know, rental things or anything, you can put it in a slot. And I think that really helps you in it keeps everything concise, you know, where your company is at and you know where your receipts are. You know all these things to keep legit. And I’ve said that to other younger people and they try to do I’m like, make sure you understand how to budget because it’ll help you in your business in a big way.

Sharon Cline: [00:19:36] So that’s huge. I don’t really do a great.

Justin Allen: [00:19:38] Job, but a lot of people don’t.

Sharon Cline: [00:19:41] Do you use a program in particular?

Justin Allen: [00:19:42] Yes, I use an app called Wine. Ab, you need a budget. It’s very basic, but it links to your bank account so it lets you divvy it up as you want to. It’s very easy after that.

Sharon Cline: [00:19:52] So wow, that’s kind of amazing. I mean, there are I know several different ones. I used to have an Excel spreadsheet that if I just made the wrong one, wrong digit, the whole thing would be off, you know.

Justin Allen: [00:20:00] What I mean? Yeah, it’s really specific.

Sharon Cline: [00:20:02] And there people have like seriously like degrees or something like that.

Justin Allen: [00:20:05] Totally. Right. I have no idea how to excel.

Sharon Cline: [00:20:08] Well, if you’re just joining us, I’m speaking with Justin Allen, owner of Redtail Plumbing here in Woodstock. So. All right. I know this is relatively new company, right. But where would you like to see it go?

Justin Allen: [00:20:20] Oh, man, I’m still trying to figure that one out. A year and a half, I’m like, All right. So I could take on an employee or two employees. But how how big do I want to do? I want to stay Andy Griffith plumber or do I? Well, that’s true.

Sharon Cline: [00:20:33] Let’s talk about that, because seriously, if you’re thinking about expanding like that, you would lose that one.

Justin Allen: [00:20:38] That’s right.

Sharon Cline: [00:20:38] However, if the right person came along who had the right energy.

Justin Allen: [00:20:41] That’s right. Yeah. Come see me. Seriously, if you’re out there.

Sharon Cline: [00:20:47] No problems. No, but you’re right. So do you think that if you hired another person, that you’d be able to grow and grow and grow?

Justin Allen: [00:20:54] I do. Yeah. Yeah, I do. Yeah. Not everybody, you know, everybody’s got their own personality and their own niches. And there’s so many different plumbers I’ve met that, like, they’d be perfect for. You know, some people like to just go out and work hard and make money. Some people like to be on the creative side and like, All right, I’d like to run this side of the show or this type of thing, and all those would be on board for me. I just I kind of hold back because I’ve never wanted the aspect of a lot of money to to dictate which way I’m going to go. So I’m filtering myself to be like, look, I’m going to make sure I’m making the right decision before I just blow open a floodgate to do something.

Sharon Cline: [00:21:28] Well, let’s let’s talk about that side, because I imagine if you were to go into someone’s house and you see that it’s just a very small something to fix.

Justin Allen: [00:21:35] Sure.

Sharon Cline: [00:21:35] But, you know, how would anyone know how much this is really to fix?

Justin Allen: [00:21:39] Yeah. Right.

Sharon Cline: [00:21:39] So is that a challenge? Not for everyone, but maybe in the industry. Do you see that? Generally speaking, you have to really be careful about the line that you’re crossing as far as your own ethics or like you said, almost not wanting to serve two different kind of masters.

Justin Allen: [00:21:52] Yeah, right. That’s right. Yeah. So, like, you mean like if I walk in and it’s an easy fix and I’m like, okay, so I got to be I have to be really basic. And I had to build a guideline in the beginning because I could easily walk into somebody’s house and be like, All right, you turn this wrench, do this thing, and then you’re going to be fine. And I used to do that a lot more then to a point of like, you know, gas and all this stuff. And I’m like, all right, I’ve got to remember that I am a master plumber. I am a tradesman. I’ve done it for so many years that I have to charge a minimum. So like if I’m going to show up at your house and a lot of times I don’t do a dispatch for you unless you’re farther away or whatever, or if you’re on my way home, I’m fine with, Hey, I’ll check it out. I’ll just run in there and see what God give you an estimate or whatever, but. Let’s see what was going with that.

Sharon Cline: [00:22:33] So you’re talking about like.

Justin Allen: [00:22:34] Oh, yeah, people. Yeah. So yeah, I keep a minimum and and oftentimes if you’re on the phone with me and you’re like, Hey, this is where I live, I don’t think it’s a big deal or whatever. Then I’ll be like, Hey, look, the minimum I’m going to charge you for doing something. Is this price? Do you want? I don’t want to waste your time and don’t waste mine. So do you want to do that or not? So I give them an up hand or, you know, an easy thing.

Sharon Cline: [00:22:52] Excuse me. Do they usually say yes?

Justin Allen: [00:22:54] Yeah, they do. I figured. So they’ll be like, Hey, look, I kind of trust what you’re saying, and you seem honest over the phone and stuff like that. So I’m like, Yeah, I’ll come over and I do it. And like, you do have to watch though, because that’s one thing that I’ve really tried to hone in on is like as a plumber, they get a bad name of like, why is their value so high of the hourly rates and all this stuff? And and so I tried to hone in on like, look, I’m going to be reasonable, but I am a plumber and I’m not going to kill the market for all plumbers just because I’m trying to be the nice guy, because I’m not a handyman. I am a master plumber who’s got insurance and everything in case a disaster would happen. That do.

Sharon Cline: [00:23:29] You think that’s the biggest misconception of your industry is that it’s not worth what you need to.

Justin Allen: [00:23:34] Charge? I think so. I hear it so often or like, hey, I can do a YouTube or my husband wants to do or like, you know, all these different things and a lot of things are simple. I agree. They are a lot of things. You can turn a wrench and do this thing. Of course I know all these things because I’ve been doing it so long, but there is a lot of simple simplicity to these things. But the thing is, if your house flooded because you because your husband did it, what are you going to do? You’re going to go for your stuff. But if it because I did it, you’re going to come for me. And so that’s why I’ve got to be, you know, that’s just part of the trade.

Sharon Cline: [00:24:04] So here’s here’s a little story. I had a problem with my shower dripping and I thought that I could fix it. I did You Tube, but I’m like, oh, I see.

Justin Allen: [00:24:13] Okay, sure.

Sharon Cline: [00:24:15] So I did go get the part and then was having trouble taking off like the handle of my shower. So I did call someone and had them come and he was like, So what were you going to do? I said, I was just going to take this off. He’s like, Well, were you going to okay, don’t laugh. But like, were you going to shut them? Were you going to shut the water off? And I was like, What do you mean? He said, In about 5 minutes, your whole upstairs would have been flooded, you know. So then, I mean, it’s not that I didn’t have a respect, but like I got a really huge respect for the fact that I can replace not without too much difficulty, my garbage disposal like I did that.

Justin Allen: [00:24:50] Oh, awesome. Good job. Yes.

Sharon Cline: [00:24:52] Good job. But that didn’t involve, like, running water so much as just making sure I hooked it up correctly.

Justin Allen: [00:24:57] Sure.

Sharon Cline: [00:24:57] I’m just saying, I thought, well, if I can do that, you know, then me and my rent can go try to fix things. But no, I realized. Right. And plus he had a blowtorch and had to do something with that. Did. Yeah. Freak me out.

Justin Allen: [00:25:07] Yeah, right. You never do that. You would never touch that.

Sharon Cline: [00:25:10] No, I’d be calling Justin with Redtail Plumbing.

Justin Allen: [00:25:12] Right.

Sharon Cline: [00:25:12] You and your blowtorch thing, right?

Justin Allen: [00:25:15] Yeah, totally.

Sharon Cline: [00:25:17] So I was wanting to ask you, are you are you sort of on the business side? Do you have like books that you read or podcasts that you listen to that kind of help you along that way? I know a lot of people kind of talk about different podcasts and people that inspire them like that.

Justin Allen: [00:25:30] Sure. I’m not not I guess kind of a little bit. So there’s a I’m in a part of a book club now. It’s called and I guess it’s called Just Can’t Business called I’m sorry who’s ever out there and can’t remember the name but like we just read a book called The Atomic Habit, which was so good. You know that book? I do.

Sharon Cline: [00:25:47] I haven’t read it. I’ve heard great.

Justin Allen: [00:25:49] Things. So good. Yes, definitely. So what’s.

Sharon Cline: [00:25:51] Something in atomic habits that.

Justin Allen: [00:25:53] So like it’s just a it’s one you basically here’s the story I remember. So there was a British bicycling group and they were horrible for years and years and then they got a new coach and he decided to like, look, I’m going to let them sleep on pillows. They like, I’m going to like give them warm shorts to wear all these tiny little things he would fix for months. And then they ended up winning everything. They ended up winning the gold like the gold medals, the whatever, what Lance Armstrong used to win. What was that thing called?

Sharon Cline: [00:26:21] The Tour de France?

Justin Allen: [00:26:22] Yes. Yes. Thank God. I think that was going to come out at all. So they ended up being so good, but it was all by tiny little percentages of making changes throughout time and it paid off to make a huge difference the habitual things they did in their life.

Sharon Cline: [00:26:35] So the notion that you’re making and you’re consistently making small changes, right?

Justin Allen: [00:26:40] Yeah.

Sharon Cline: [00:26:41] I need this discipline.

Justin Allen: [00:26:42] Oh, it’s hard to just start one. Yeah, but it’s one tiny thing a day.

Sharon Cline: [00:26:45] Did you do one tiny thing a day?

Justin Allen: [00:26:47] Yes, I started reading more. Oh, that’s it. Yeah, that’s discipline. So start reading more and getting into a couple other books. And let’s see, there’s another book. It’s called The Emotional, Emotional, Spiritual. I can’t remember what it is, but it’s a book, a Christian book. So I do dive into those things so that.

Sharon Cline: [00:27:05] You weren’t really reading consistently.

Justin Allen: [00:27:06] Before. No, no, no, no. And I mean, just to I did it just whether I’m reading that book, Atomic Habit or something else, just to start learning knowledge of things is what I was trying to do.

Sharon Cline: [00:27:16] But look at what it’s done.

Justin Allen: [00:27:18] Yeah, totally. Yeah. Yeah. And that was only a month ago. So it’s not like I’m a veteran yet.

Sharon Cline: [00:27:24] But you know what I like about when I when I get into a very disciplined mindset, which I’m just now kind of getting back to a disciplined mindset is that I have a. The end of the day, a true sense of like peace, about my life in certain certain parts of my life, you know, where there are days where I’ll go to bed and be like, I didn’t do the this, the this or this, that I thought I was going to do. Oh, that’s fine. But when I kind of put that discipline in my mind of no, like you made a promise to yourself, you need to keep it. Yeah, it’s just something about that that gives me a yeah. A sense of peace I guess is the first thing. I think so. So having like I didn’t even know I did a tiny atomic habit, like, the last three days.

Justin Allen: [00:28:01] You did? Oh, cool.

Sharon Cline: [00:28:02] Okay, cool. Yeah, I know. I’ve been working out again. I’m, like, really? And actually makes me so happy, and I forgot how happy that kind of thing can make me because it bleeds out into other parts of my life.

Justin Allen: [00:28:12] Sure.

Sharon Cline: [00:28:13] So everyone. Everyone wins. Everyone around me and.

Justin Allen: [00:28:16] Myself, you’re happier. And yeah, that joy is going to hell. Yeah, I agree.

Sharon Cline: [00:28:19] All right, so if people wanted to contact you. What would. What’s the best way that can get in touch with you?

Justin Allen: [00:28:26] So the phone? Yeah. Really? All right. What’s it like? What are you asking?

Sharon Cline: [00:28:30] Like, what’s your way? Like if people want to find you. Okay, so is there is your website the best way or.

Justin Allen: [00:28:36] Yes. Yeah.

Sharon Cline: [00:28:38] I think there’s so many.

Justin Allen: [00:28:39] I don’t know. I think so. One of my biggest contributors, how people get a hold of me is Cherokee Connect, which is like I think it’s 80,000 people. Yeah, that’s right. Facebook is. Yeah, because that’s where a lot of these people that I network are and they’ll throw out my name when somebody is like, Hey, I got a water leak or I’ve got who do you know? And so they’ll throw my name out there. So that’s one big avenue. Yeah. My, my plumbing web page, Redtail plumbing dot com or let’s see. Yeah. Just in that those avenues lead to my phone number. But I do have my, what is my, my logo. Is that what’s called a tagline or logo.

Sharon Cline: [00:29:13] Yeah, maybe it is. Yeah. You know what it tagline. No.

Justin Allen: [00:29:15] What is it? Oh, come on. So what it is, is plumbing fail. Call the red tail. So, like, that was my hashtag or whatever. And that’s what that billboard said. It said Plumbing Fail, call the red tail. And then it had a logo and my phone number and all that saying Yeah.

Sharon Cline: [00:29:30] Well that’s a great tagline.

Justin Allen: [00:29:32] That works.

Sharon Cline: [00:29:32] Right? Right. Yeah. Are you on social media too? Like, do you have a good Instagram or any of that stuff?

Justin Allen: [00:29:38] I do have the I have Facebook page, but I am not good at that.

Sharon Cline: [00:29:42] No. Like I just had someone on the show who that’s like what they do.

Justin Allen: [00:29:45] Oh, it.

Sharon Cline: [00:29:45] Is. Yeah. And so how, how important that is for business. And I resist it at all costs. I don’t know why, but I do know that it’s it’s huge. Although another gentleman I had on the show had just put a very small ad on Facebook.

Justin Allen: [00:29:59] Yeah.

Sharon Cline: [00:29:59] And he’s just very successful. Hasn’t made it to yeah. Hasn’t really needed to invest a whole lot in terms of ways. But what would you do. You’d be in someone’s house, like with, you know, a little video of yourself.

Justin Allen: [00:30:12] Yeah. What would I do?

Sharon Cline: [00:30:13] I know. How necessary is that? I don’t know. So do you drive around town and you’re just, like, worked on that house, worked on that place?

Justin Allen: [00:30:19] Oh, that’s what my wife says. So we drive by this one place over here on Dupree Road all the time. She’s like, Did you work a lot? Oh, yeah, I did explain what I did down to the different nuts it is. I think that’s a service guy, though, because, you know, being that what have I done? Plumbing here just specifically in Atlanta for so many years that like that’s one thing you learn the city so well. So I know this city really well, like roads and everything. So that’s one thing about a service guy is you you learn the direction very well because you’re so, so many places all the time. So, you know.

Sharon Cline: [00:30:53] But that’s kind of cool. Like I was saying, each town doesn’t feel like a stranger town. No. Right. You feel like you know.

Justin Allen: [00:30:58] That’s right. Totally.

Sharon Cline: [00:30:59] And you feel like you can call on someone with all of your different business clubs, right? Like if you needed someone to paint, you could.

Justin Allen: [00:31:05] Find a paint in.

Sharon Cline: [00:31:06] A second. But that’s what I kind of like about the networking, is that if I were to call you to come to my house, I know that you care about whether you fixed my house.

Justin Allen: [00:31:15] Well. Oh, I told you, because we’re.

Sharon Cline: [00:31:16] Going to see each.

Justin Allen: [00:31:17] Other. That’s right. That’s right. You know, just not talk to you anymore. Sorry about that, right?

Sharon Cline: [00:31:23] Sorry about that mishap, right?

Justin Allen: [00:31:25] Oh, yeah, totally.

Sharon Cline: [00:31:26] No, but I mean, that’s kind of what the relationships are all about is like not just this moment, but like future moments. And then I can tell people about you, which I have, which is kind of cool too. I think I have put you on Facebook.

Justin Allen: [00:31:35] Oh, cool. Oh, awesome. Thank you so.

Sharon Cline: [00:31:36] Much. Oh, you’re welcome. Glad it worked.

Justin Allen: [00:31:38] Out.

Sharon Cline: [00:31:39] Totally well. Justin, if there’s any, like sort of, I don’t know, an ending words of wisdom. You think you could give to some business owners out there? What would you say? I know it’s kind of a broad question.

Justin Allen: [00:31:52] Shoot.

Sharon Cline: [00:31:52] I know a lot of people talk about like don’t give up things like that. But and that is important, I think. But it’s very easy for me to get overwhelmed with starting anything. Sure. So and I think if someone were out there wanting to get involved in the same industry you’re in, what would you tell them?

Justin Allen: [00:32:08] Hey, I would just so like as I run this, I mean, I guess this would lose itself as I got bigger company and stuff like that. But like, I guess it’s me who kind of runs the company and it’s just known as Red Tail. So like I would put yourself out there as to, to run it lead by yourself alone until you need to grab hold of people, you know what I mean? But and just go for it. I mean, that’s all you can do. You go for it and you see what happens. And then you take the punches. And like I always think to myself, so I was thinking that they ask a business club question and I don’t know how it went over and I don’t know how we’ll go over here today, but I’m good for awkward stuff. That’s how I live. Awkward. Like somebody was like, what are you going to do if something in business fails or it doesn’t? And I’m like, Well, if it if it truly fails, the worst thing that could possibly ever happen to me is I die. Right. So here’s my parting words. And good. This kind of throws into myself in with God, too, right? But like, because I’m a follower of God and if I die, that means that I know my destination and I am okay with it. I know that I my my destination is heaven and I am okay with the worst thing that could ever happen. So parting words is the worst thing. Probably not going to happen to you. So go for it, guys. I would tell you, just go for it and I think you’re going to win.

Sharon Cline: [00:33:21] So I love it. I always come down to, Oh no, I’m going to die. Like that is the number one. Right?

Justin Allen: [00:33:25] Right. Yeah. That’s like people can’t beat death. Right. But the one who did. Sorry. Right now you mind? That’s what I go with, you know what I mean?

Sharon Cline: [00:33:31] So. Yeah, but the one who can’t be. But you really don’t.

Justin Allen: [00:33:33] Yeah, that’s right.

Sharon Cline: [00:33:35] You really don’t.

Justin Allen: [00:33:36] That’s right. That’s right. Yeah, that’s right. Because he beat death. Yeah, right.

Sharon Cline: [00:33:39] That’s I don’t put that together until just now. Well, that’s a really great, great way to look at it and I appreciate you sharing. That’s something I’ll be thinking about later as well. You might. My tendency is to not want to do things because I’m like, no, no, no, I could fail. But, you know, it’s like there is an element of faith to all of it.

Justin Allen: [00:33:55] Sure. No, that’s right. Yeah. Whichever way you go. That’s right. You’re exactly right.

Sharon Cline: [00:33:58] Yeah, right on that quickly.

Justin Allen: [00:34:02] Yeah, you got it. You win.

Sharon Cline: [00:34:05] That’s all I care about. So, Justin, thank you so much for coming on the show. I’m so grateful that you spent the afternoon over here and kind of gave us some fun things to think about.

Justin Allen: [00:34:15] Oh, I’ve had a total pleasure. Thank you so much for having me, Sharon. I love this. This is a blast to me.

Sharon Cline: [00:34:20] You have to come back. We’ll talk more more about deep things.

Justin Allen: [00:34:22] Oh, definitely.

Sharon Cline: [00:34:23] And thank you all for listening to Fearless Formula. I’m Business RadioX and this is Sharon Klein again, reminding you with knowledge and understanding, you can have your own fearless formula. Have a great day.