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My boss had recently spread out and he was now running three separate HVAC companies instead of one.

He asked if I still wanted to be his lead mentor, since I would be working in three different areas.

I talked to him for about three hours, as we discussed how I would have different HVAC technicians ever six weeks. He wouldn’t pull new HVAC techs into all three locations at the same time, but a few out of every HVAC class that showed promise, and I could do the training. He didn’t trust much of anyone for the mentor program, but he liked my work ethic, and the fact that I had nearly 25 years of experience. I talked to my wife, and she asked what I wanted to do. I told her I thought it would be interesting to go to different areas and work. New customers to visit could be fun, and working with a whole new class every couple of months, could be interesting. After an hour, I made up my mind to go ahead and tell the boss yes. I loved being an HVAC technician, and being head of the mentor program was even better. Six weeks later, he had an even better job for me. He wanted me to work as a mentor, but he was told they needed an instructor at the local college, for their HVAC program. He suggested me, which would give me the chance to choose which students I wanted to mentor. I was interested, but I knew I needed more time to mull over which position I wanted, if either of them.

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My brother had been talking about owning an HVAC company for almost two years.

I didn’t know if I wanted to be an HVAC company owner, let alone owning one with my brother.

I knew how flighty my brother could be. He often started a project and halfway through, he would give up. I didn’t want to step into business with him and have him suddenly dropping out because he changed his mind. I tried to tell him how I felt, but he swore he had grown up and changed. He knew he could make a go of the HVAC company if I would help him open it. I talked to my wife, and she warned me about him, but said she was here for me. After six months, we finally had all the paperwork taken care of, and we were ready to go to the bank. My brother was out looking for a piece of property. I was getting ready to go to the bank when I got a call from my brother. He told me he changed his mind. I was ready to ream him out for doing this to me again. He told me to hold up. Instead of finding a place to start the business, he found an HVAC company that was going out of business. For less than we had planned, we could get the business and all the equipment. Some of the HVAC technicians were even willing to stay with the new owners. For the first time, my brother’s faltering on a decision was making sense.

 

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For two weeks, I had to hang my head when I got home, and sigh quite loudly before my wife asked me what was wrong.

She had noticed how I was acting, but she was hoping I would get over it.

I told her I was tired of being an HVAC technician and I wanted a change. She said she thought I loved being an HVAC technician. Ever since she met me, that was all I talked about doing. I had been an HVAC tech for ten years, but I knew it was time for a change. We sat down over dinner and she started asking me questions. She wanted to know what I wanted to do. I told her I didn’t want to be just an HVAC technician anymore. The owner of the HVAC company was getting ready to retire, and he was selling the company. We all had the opportunity to stay with the company when it sold, but I didn’t just want to stay there. I wanted to put in a bid for the HVAC company. She asked if I thought we had enough money in the bank to make an honest bid. I couldn’t afford to buy it outright, but I was sure the bank would give me the money. I had already talked to them. She told me if that was what I wanted to do, she would help me however she could. I didn’t even have to whine to get her to agree. The HVAC company owner liked that I worked for him and was offering to buy it. He even helped me with the paperwork for the bank and said he would work there for three months and help me to learn the business.

 

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I was going to HVAC school right after I got out of high school.

I wasn’t doing very good at first.

I was joking around with the guys and late for class several times. The instructor called me aside one afternoon, and asked if I really wanted to be in the class. If I hadn’t wanted to be there, i wouldn’t have paid the admission fee. He wasn’t happy with my snarky remark. He told me that if I was late one more time, or caught joking around during class, he was going to kick me out. I was embarrassed to be called out, but more embarrassed to think I could be kicked out of school. I went home and talked to me dad and asked if he could talk to the HVAC instructor. Dad told me I was a man now, and I had to fend for myself. He wasn’t going to go to the teacher and ask for a second chance for his little boy. I was only eighteen, and I wasn’t sure I was a man yet. I felt like I did when I was in high school. He said it was time I grew up and took some responsibility. Neither he nor mom forced me to go to school right out of high school. I had made the choice and I had to live with it. I liked working with HVAC, but I still wanted to have fun. He said there was plenty of time for me to have fun after school or after work. I heard what he said, and I went to my instructor the following day. I asked him if he would give me a second chance. Six months later, I was graduating at the top of my class.

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I think that sounds a bit boring though for a Saturday night, and seeing that I was in bed by 9:30 pm last night I should probably do something fun tonight.

Today is Saturday and I am not sure what I am going to do later on. I have basically two options; hang out and play ball with my buddies and then drink some beers on the beach, or play drums and sing later with my bandmate. I can’t really do both because they both use my shoulders an awful lot and I am in too much pain if I try to do both in one night. I love each one but really need to decide which one I want to do today. There are a few local businesses where we play music and earn some money, so that is a good argument for the music side. The volleyball side is just plain fun and it also is great exercise for the lungs, heart, and entire body basically. I could also just stay home and work on my HVAC system all night, getting the old oil furnace cleaned up for the upcoming cold winter season which is quickly approaching. I think that sounds a bit boring though for a Saturday night, and seeing that I was in bed by 9:30 pm last night I should probably do something fun tonight. Maybe the weather will make the decision for me as it could be pretty cold later on. I don’t even know if the local contractor friend of mine is going to play ball today seeing how cold it is on the beach today. I’ll just finish my HVAC work and go out there and see what is happening on the coast.

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