I was in my ECON 200 class when a kid by the name of Chris Hamilton came into my class of 750 and asked if there were any kids interested in working for an internship that was ranked in Princeton Review's "Top 100 Internships". There I was, a bright eyed and bushy tailed freshman that would be willing to do anything in order to fulfill his dream of becoming a Chief Financial Officer. Of course I jumped at the opportunity. I had a job at Broadmoor Golf and Country Club that I work full time in the summer, but I did not see how that would benefit me in the future, it was merely a means to an end. That end being my cell phone bill that I now have to pay prior to moving out. I felt that an internship would look best on my resume. And as anything I make a decision about, my future was the main consideration. Anyways, after I signed up on the clipboard being passed around the room, I received a call by Chris later that day telling me a time and place to show up. He said the attire was casual, but I knew casual was not the way to make an impression. I dressed in what is considered a semi-formal manner, slacks, button up, and a tie. Also I made sure to get there well before the time he suggested. When I got there I mingled with Chris talking about this and that. Then the rest of the group interview arrived and we began with introductions and a series of questions. There was one question I remember I answered in a way much different than all of the other candidates. I was told later that is exactly what he was looking for. But in any case, he handed out cards for the kids who moved on to the next round of interviews, and I was not one of them. I was so mad because I was the one who showed up early and dressed in a professional way. Then he gave out his card to kids to call him back to basically show how much they wanted it, and then there was me just sitting there. I thought I got cut completely. I was confused and angry with this guy, but he took me aside and told me that I created an impression that would allow me to skip through the interview process and go straight to a phone interview with the EVP of the company, which I passed with flying colors, then a sit down interview with Chris Heerdegen, the EVP. In the interview I was told that I had all the credentials, but he was concerned that I would flake out. I was actually kind of offended at the remark. I told him an anecdote about how kids these days back out on their word and how that was not something I would do. He had my word. And as I said I did not back out on my word, even though at times it did cross my mind.
So I landed the job. They gave me the proper training and all that stuff. Then the summer rolled around, and wouldn't you know it I had booked the most work. Meaning I had $130,000 worth of painting jobs on paper. Sweet! But how? I outworked every other intern. It's that simple. I flat out outworked everybody. None of us had any sales knowledge, or painting knowledge prior to this so it's not like I had an advantage going into this. I just did more estimates than everyone else. And more estimates lead to more sales. Who would have thought that taking more shots allows you to make more baskets? (Sarcasm) Now all I had to do was do what I promised my clients I would do. Simple, right? Wrong! Looking back it's easy to see the logic. It is easier to promise I will take care of their biggest asset, than to actually do it. But my thinking was "it is going to be damn near impossible to convince a homeowner that a 19-year-old who has zero painting experience to paint their most valuable asset. Oh and have them pay me near $6,000 per house, and sometimes closer to $10,000." I never thought that people would part ways with their money so easily. On a separate note, it was the best feeling to leave an estimate where I just met the homeowners with a 25% downpayment. Wow! I was a complete stranger 1 hour ago and now you're writing me a $2,000 check? I didn't understand but who am I to complain?
So that was my first lesson I learned, and I learned it the hard way. Meaning I priced things lower because I thought there was no way people would really pay me what I thought it was worth.
The next lesson was working with kids much older than me and I was the boss. It was weird to be the boss of someone the better part of a decade older than me. And what I did was I allowed some things to slide, instead of enforcing the rules and firing someone if they didn't do what they were repeatedly told! I remember I finally had to fire this guy Mike because he cost me quite a few jobs. He either would be late to the job or leave the job site with out telling me or the homeowners. After he single handedly lost me a $10,000 job I fired him. After that I had much more of a Jack Welch approach to hiring and firing painters. I think that certain industries can use this approach effectively, but it is not one I hope I will be using in the future. This lesson was a financially costly one for me.
In the end I ended up being the top seller and producer in the state of Washington, but more importantly I learned how to manage a crew and how to be persuasive in a sales situation. I credit College Works why I feel so comfortable in an interview question. I basically had 10 of them a week for almost 4 months. I also learned how to implement damage control with clients who were less than pleased.
I remember one house I had I sold a small job, just paining the fence and terrace. No big deal. There was this tree that was flowing over the fence and my painters cut it back. Just slightly trimmed the brush. The only thing my painters did wrong was not ask before trimming it. But it was pretty obvious it needed to be done. They completely freaked out telling me their kids could drown now that these branches were gone. Two things. 1 - The branches were not in anyway blocking anything. 2 - You have a 7' fence that goes all around the back yard. I calmed the situation down and tried to make it better by buying her a tree at Lowe's and planting it so that there was no way their kids would drown in the neighbor's waterfront property.
I was asked to come back as a District Manager, what Chris Hamilton did, but I turned it down to work for Russell Investment. I feel that I learned all I would have learned at College Works, and it was time for me to do a job where business casual was the norm, not Carhartt's and an old T-shirt. Also I was told I would make more of a commission that I made and I did not want to tell others that they would make 25% of what they produced when I could not do it myself.
