The Best Part of Building This Business: A Rockstar Team I Can Actually Trust
Why Quality Work Happens Even When I'm Thousands of Miles Away
What it really takes to build a crawl space company that doesn't fall apart when you take a vacation
Right now, I'm in Honduras on a scuba diving trip. And yes, I'm still taking phone calls from customers.
The service is spotty, but when I can get a signal, I'm answering questions.
This week alone, I've helped several customers, scheduled appointments, and talked through concerns about how cold weather affects crawl spaces.
That's just part of running Forever Guard - being available when people need answers.
But here's the thing: I'm not putting out fires. I'm not stressed about whether jobs are getting done right.
I'm not worrying about my team dropping the ball while I'm gone.
That's the difference between having employees and having a rockstar team.
Four Jobs Done Right While I Was Gone
Since I left for this trip, my team has completed four jobs. Two or three encapsulations. Supplemental jacks for a customer. All done without me being there to oversee anything.
My manager inspects every job to make sure our quality standards are met. Our technicians know exactly what needs to be done and how to do it right. They don't need me standing over their shoulder because they take pride in their work.
Every one of those customers got the same attention to detail and quality workmanship they'd expect from Forever Guard - whether I'm in town or thousands of miles away.
It Wasn't Always Like This
Look, I'm not going to pretend this happened overnight. In the early days of Forever Guard, taking a vacation would have been impossible. Every decision ran through me. Every job needed my eyes on it. Every problem needed me to fix it.
That's not building a business - that's building yourself a job that you can never leave.
The turning point came when I realized something: if my business completely falls apart when I'm not there, then I haven't created anything sustainable.
I've just trapped myself in a system that requires me to be everywhere at once.
So I started investing in people. Real training. Real responsibility. Real trust.
What Makes a Rockstar Team
Building a team you can actually trust starts with finding people who care about quality as much as you do. That's not easy, but it's the foundation of everything.
My manager doesn't just schedule jobs - he inspects the work. He checks every detail to make sure it meets our standards. He catches issues before they become problems.
My technicians don't wait to be told what to do. They know our process. They understand why we do things a certain way. They work like they own the company because they take that much pride in what they do.
But here's what really matters: training. You can't just hire good people and hope for the best. You have to teach them not just how to install an encapsulation, but why we use certain materials. Why we take extra time on details other companies skip. Why every customer deserves our best work.
Questions to Ask Before You Sign
Protect yourself by asking these questions before you commit to any crawl space work:
Has the person giving this quote actually installed this work themselves? If they can't walk you through the process step by step, that's a problem.
Can you break down exactly what I'm paying for in each line item? If they get defensive or vague, walk away.
What are my different options for fixing this issue? There's usually more than one way to solve a problem, and a good contractor will give you choices.
What does your warranty actually cover and for how long? Get the details in writing, not just promises.
Why is each item on this quote necessary for my specific situation? They should be able to explain how your crawl space issues require these particular solutions.
Trust isn't given - it's earned over time. And my team has earned it.
Building Something Bigger Than Yourself
The best feeling in business isn't landing a big job or hitting a revenue goal. It's knowing you've built something that works without you having to be everywhere at once.
That takes investment - in training, in people, in systems that actually work. It takes patience to find the right team members and time to teach them properly. It takes being willing to let go and trust other people to represent your company.
But when you get it right, you create something real. Something that serves customers well. Something that gives you peace of mind.
I can take calls from Honduras and help customers when they need me. But I'm not stressed. I'm not worried. I know my team has everything handled back home.
That's what building a real business looks like..
