Taking a Family Business to The Next Level | Podcast Ep. 162 | Toolbox for the Trades

Hello, contractors, and welcome to Toolbox for the Trades. My name is Jackie Aubel, and today I have a classic episode for you. Jennifer Rose Cottle and her two brothers took ownership of their father's plumbing business in 2008. Together, the leadership trio navigated challenges and obstacles to grow Emergency Plumbing, Heating, and air from a 500,000 to a $5 million business. Jen joins me today to share stories from the early days and reflect on what it took to get the company where it is today. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. Jennifer Rose Cottle, you are the VP of HR and Finance at Emergency Plumbing, Heating and Air. You actually got into the business in late 2007 to support your family, and since then, the company's grown from 500,000 to 5 million. And now your company has a foothold in the local community and a position for even more growth. I am so excited to get into your story today. Welcome to the podcast.

Thank you very much. I'm super excited to be here and.

I am super excited to have you. We're going to kick off the way we do every single podcast now, which is with a icebreaker, and I've been introducing some new icebreaker questions into my icebreaker roulette wheel, which is what crazy activities do you dream of trying someday, Jennifer?

Well, I'm not too much of a daredevil. Crazy activities. I have always wondered about skydiving, but I will see if I get brave enough to do it. But really, as far as activities, things that I want to do is just travel different places. I went to Egypt and I was supposed to go to Vietnam. We didn't get that worked out. But places like that, I just want to see, you know, things that I don't get to see on a normal basis. So that's my. My dreams of activities. That's really cool.

I don't know many people who have been to Egypt. What was your favorite thing about it?

I don't know if it's a favorite thing. That seems weird, but it's so unbelievable to me how. How colorful and things the tombs are. It seems unreal that they're that old. I can't. I can't, like, fathom it. So it was really crazy to see it in person. And I still can't, you know, quite comprehend it all out. How they know what they know and how they. It is really. It's really cool. So I. I like the tombs the most. I think it's the most amazing thing and something that I could have never even imagined seeing so that was cool.

Yeah, that's really, really cool. And by the way, I just also want to say crazy activities. I think my crazy activity that I'm going to try this year is pickleball. So you would have been in good company if you had said not skydiving and not Egypt, which are pretty big ones by the way. If you had told me, like, I think I'm really going to get into disc golf or something, I would have been like, yeah, I'm with you on that.

I did pickleball this past summer. I tried it out. It's, I like it. It's pretty good, but all right. I don't do it regularly, but yeah, it was fun.

America's fastest growing sport, you already hear.

About it is crazy.

Yeah. So Jennifer, let's cut to the chase here.

How did you get into the trades Completely by accident? So I, my, my dad actually started a plumbing company in 1977, or this company, I should say in 1977. A few years later, I don't want to completely give my age away, but a few years later he walked into the hospital and told my mom on the day that I was born that he quit his full time job to continue on this business full time. So that was a little bit crazy. And my parents have always, you know, talked about that. So. But growing up, so my parents always had this, this business and along the way they had other businesses. So they were entrepreneurs. But nothing was stable as, as the plumbing company. It was kind of the backbone to everything. And I was never involved in the company at all because I was a girl. So I have five brothers and they were all involved in the company along the way. And I mean, the only position at that time that I could have done was to be a technician. So that is why my dad, you know, just, you're a girl, it's not the right fit. My mom did some of the office stuff, but it was really like, you know, we answered the phones, like she had to answer the phones at our house. But my dad did everything else, so. So we didn't really have like an office there wasn't. It was the trio, you know, one man type show business my whole Life. So in 2007, I mean, I had been off doing other things, but my family is very close. So in 2007 I was talking to my brothers and they were kind of giving me the lowdown on how things were going, which weren't that great from what I gathered. I heard stories like they would rent a hotel room when they needed money. To do billing. And my dad was always like, I could, I could hear him talk about, oh, the boys, they never collect. They never collect. Well, you know what, he wasn't doing anything to make them. They had no reason. They were, they didn't want to, they didn't want to do that part. You know, that's no fun, right? Make somebody pay. I get that. But, but they wanted paid. So I also heard stories about the notes that they took. Like my brother brought to the hotel room a two by four with notes on it from a job. That's the kind of things that they were doing. My other brother told me a story about how they set up tables and chairs in my dad's backyard for the whole day and did billing one day there. You know, stuff like that. So it just. My dad was a great plumber. I mean, we live in a, in a kind of a smaller town and he's very well known, he's one of the old school plumbers. But I make a summary and say my dad wasn't the best at business, but he was a great plumber. I don't want to say he was terrible at business because he had other businesses, he could do it, but this one just was ran the way they ran it for whatever reason. So they never had an office. Like I said, it was out of my house when I was younger. But then my parents got divorced and my dad just did it, you know, from, from his pocket. So.

Oh my goodness.

Yeah. So I decided to help them do billing. So in 2007, I said, well, you know, I can help you. And we started a Wednesday night meeting, which we still have today, and we did billing. And during that time of billing, I was talking to my brothers even more and they were just telling me how they weren't happy. You know, they, they had to go to the ATM when they needed money, they didn't get regular paychecks or they had to go find my dad at the bar or something like that. So, yeah, so I said, well, you know, dad didn't build himself a retirement or anything either. So you guys, you know, you need to talk to him. And they were like, he's never going to change. He's never going to let us take over or anything like that. So again, never being in the business, never knowing anything about it, didn't go to school for business or anything like that. I was a real estate appraiser and I took my dad out to dinner and I said, dad, the boys are, you know, they're not happy. They're Going to leave you. You don't have a retirement. You're not going to be able to do this and keep it going. So this is what you said. You know, all you have for us and it's now or never. And this is all you have for yourself too. So it wasn't, you know, it wasn't quite that simple. But he did agree. We came up with an agreement and that's how I got in. I was like I said, a real estate appraiser. I worked at another family business and I went to them and I said, this is my situation and I can do one or both. And I think we know which one it will be. Even though at that point we couldn't afford to pay me because what we were getting in the deal was two trucks, an excavator, a phone number and a customer list. Like my dad, there was no, you know, operating funds or anything like that. So I had another job and I had to suck it up until we could make it that far. It's funny because people are like, oh, well, your dad started in 77 and you know, you guys were handed a business and really? Yep, yep, yep. That's.

That's what it was. Yeah. I love this story so much. And also I just two by four taking notes on a two by four. I mean like service things only get out of pen and paper, but maybe our ad copy should say, stop writing notes on two by fours. Start getting into software for your business. I think this is so interesting because this is a story I've heard so many times in different ways on this podcast. You know, people had fathers who started these trade businesses and they were really skilled late. Like they were very skilled in their, in their profession, in their industry, but when it came to business, they kind of were just flying by the seat of their pants. And I really need to commend you because I think if my timeline is correct, from when we first spoke, November is when you kind of had your eyes open to what the state of the business was. And by January, you and your two brothers were taking on leadership of the business. And I think your dad was still involved, but you guys were running the show, right?

Yeah, so we actually like legally bought the business. So January 2, it was, you know, January 1 that we weren't working. So January 2 was our, our official, like, legal ownership first day. It was a transition because it was one of those where my brother needed him for everything. You know, like every time he was doing estimates, like, I gotta call dad. And I'm like, no, you are fine. You can do it. You know how? You know. Finally my dad decided to go to Florida for the summers. And that helped a little bit, but he would still call him all the time. And then it got just to the point naturally, that things were happening and my dad was getting out of it and he just had no idea. And he really couldn't help him anymore. Like, he'd like to be around it and listen to it and have them need him. Right. Eventually it just worked itself out to where he couldn't really help them anymore. So that's kind of how we cut the cord, if you will.

We sent him down to Florida.

Yes, that's what. Yes, it worked. Now he would. When he came home, he would work with us. I mean, just. Just partially to, like, be with us and hang out. Sure, yeah, he did. He did backflows, you know, the. The easy stuff. But it was great to have him around when he came back and hung out. Now he's in Florida full time. When he comes back, he does not work.

And remind me, where are you guys located?

We are in central Ohio. It's actually Delaware. It's about 20 minutes north of Columbus.

Okay, very cool. And it's called Delaware in Ohio. That's just, I know, confusing when you.

Yes. When you go somewhere else, you have to say Delaware, Ohio.

Because people say, sure, sure. All right, so real estate appraiser comes in to help rescue the family business. To give your brothers a livelihood, to give your dad a retirement. But you didn't have any plumbing experience prior to doing this. So I would love to know how you learned the ropes of the business.

Yeah, like I said, my whole childhood, I didn't know. I mean, my dad was a plumber. That's it. I had no idea what he did or, you know, what this job meant or this career path. I can remember being a child and being upset that my dad had to leave on Christmas. You know, our name's Emergency, So we are 24 hours. And I, you know, I feel selfish now, like, knowing that. But as a kid, I just didn't understand. I had no idea. And my dad was always leaving and they couldn't understand. So I didn't know anything about the business at all. And when I started helping them my very first day. Well, when we started the last week of 2007, my other job shuts down between Christmas and New Year's or did shut down. I'm not there anymore. So I did ride alongs with my brothers. And that's how I kind of like Learned what basics of it. And then January 2nd, I got handed a cell phone. That is all. And that was it. So I got my first call, I'll never forget it. And it was a guy that needed a drain, a drain unclogged. And I said, you know, okay, great, you know, we'll get you taken care of. I got all this information and he, he had been a prior customer, so he didn't know, no one knew existed, I should say, like around our town, like people knew my family and my brothers from being out and about. And I would be like, oh, you know, that's my brother. And they're like, what? You know, we've never seen you. We don't know anything about you. Because they were always in the public eye. And I, nobody knew that I existed. So when this guy calls and he's like, oh, who are you? You know, there's never been a girl. And so I explained, he's like, this is awesome, you know, so great to have you. And he's like welcoming me the customer.

That's awesome.

Yes. So, but anyways, I hung up the phone. I called my brother who was in the van, and I was like, oh my God, I don't know what to do. Help me. I don't know what to say. I don't even like, what are we gonna do? So he's like, calm down, it's fine. And so then I started asking them, what do we charge? And they were like, well, I've charged this before for a main drain. I've charged this before for a main drain. And I'm like, oh my gosh, what are you guys doing? And so I started appreciating my first day. And by the end of the first week, I had like five prices on it. So that's how I learned. I just asked questions and started to do what I could to keep track for myself. I made. When a call comes in, what do I write down? I made a schedule. It was on paper. Had a folder with days out of a paper schedule. And each call had a one page sheet. And I carried that around with me everywhere. I slept with it. I slept with the phone. I answered the phone 24 hours a day. Like even to. Oh my gosh. Yeah, people calling in the middle of the night. And I would schedule them until one day my brother says, jen, it's okay, you can call them back tomorrow. And I was like, I don't, I don't think I can. I need to get them on schedule. I mean, I, I just, I didn't know, I just. No one trained me. I just thought, I got to get this done. I have to get these people taken care of. And so I guess in some ways, luckily, I'm just naturally like, a people pleaser and I want to take care of everyone. But then at the same time, my brothers wanted to kill me because I couldn't say no. And they were working 15 hours a day regularly, so.

But yeah, at the same time, you're growing the business and you're bringing in money, which it sounds like you guys really needed at the time.

Yes. But we also had no idea really what we were doing. We had no vision, we had no plans. We had no idea what, you know, keeping track of stuff was. I just took a call and they went out and they did great work because they were very skilled. You know, that. Like I said, my dad was an awesome plumber, and other plumbers would call on him, so they. They definitely learned from the best. As far as the business part goes, we were just flying by the seat of our pants. We had no idea. So.

So when did the business stuff start to click? Like, when did you start thinking, like, you know what? We gotta start tracking how much we're spending on materials. You know, we really should be tracking things. Like, how did that evolve? Because it sounds like the first few months you were just like, just survival mode, by all means. So, like, when did things start to shift?

It's gonna sound funny probably, but it's probably a couple of years because.

Because, no, that makes sense to me.

And.

Can I interrupt you? Why? Yeah, I think because you're in such, like, a fight or flight mode of, like, just trying to make things happen that you blink and, oh, no, three years have gone by or however many years it was. So it's not odd to me. Not odd to me at all.

Okay, good.

Well, I'm sure, you know, you're good.

Yeah, I'm sure you've heard a lot of it. I mean, I've had other jobs. I've never had a job like this. I've never had an experience like this. Like, I tell people, you know, about the schedule. I'm like, it's a living organism, changes all the time. And I. Like I said, I had that paper schedule and I carried it around with me. And one time I went to Michigan and I accidentally left it at a restaurant. And I got all the way home and realized it. Oh, my God, I thought my life was over. I had no idea what was on the schedule for Monday morning. Luckily, my brother lived my I have an older brother in Michigan who has emergency plumbing, by the way, but he lived, like, 20 minutes from this restaurant, so he went and got it. And on Monday morning when they opened, though, like, I couldn't even do anything first thing in the morning. I think I maybe remembered a couple people. But then as soon as the restaurant opened, he was able to read me some stuff, and then he overnighted it. But, yeah, that was, like, the worst thing that ever happened.

Oh, my gosh. I guarantee you there are people listening right now that are like, yep, I have a Michigan restaurant story. So, yeah, like, tell me what was. What was the change? Like, how did it happen? How did. Because you're on Service Titan now. That's how I know you. So I want to know, like, how you guys started getting into the business.

Side, Learning from other people, learning, you know, listening from other people. Like, we did not know anything about Service Titan or any of the other groups. I just started listening to people. And that's why I would say, you know, the number one thing for me was listening to anybody, whether they're a business owner, whether they're just a person, whether, you know, it doesn't. It doesn't matter. That is how I learned was listening to other people and then kind, I guess, you know, googling it, like, what is that? What does that mean? And figuring it out then along the way, you know, like, podcasts, things like that. I'm not really a reader at all. I have a lot of books, and I skim them, but I'm just not a big reader. I did pick up the myth at one point with a friend's recommendation, and I read maybe the first couple of chapters, and there's the part in there about, you know, the. The CEO, the technician, and the manager. And I thought it was funny because I could totally relate each one of my brothers and I to that. And I was like, that is why we make this work. But we didn't know. Like, that was my first, like, realization of this is why we make it work. Because we each get that. We each have that different input, and fast forward a little bit. So we currently have a coach in here in our office every single day. It's awesome. But she did the disc assessments on us, but she's also coaching us continuously every day. Like, it is completely implemented into our business. And I know now, like, everything that I thought I knew, and it is proven to me now. So my brothers and I are the triangle that is needed to, you know, move everything forward like that. Like, if you take One of us out, it wouldn't be the same.

So we.

Yeah, we learned about processes. We learned about, you know, keeping score of your business just like a game. So, you know, things like that that people told us, I took and figured out what it meant.

Wow. I mean, I just.

I really.

This is such a classic toolbox for the trade story. And we. I haven't heard one of these in a while, which is why I'm so excited. Like, really? That Michigan story, I'm like, that is phenomenal. So it sounds like what you did is you just were a sponge. Well, there were a couple things, right? You were sponge.

You were.

You absorbed information that people were giving you, and you were just taking it day by day. And I want to get back to the leadership with you and your two brothers. So you have five brothers in total. Two of them run the business with you. And you mentioned, like, the e. Myth, CEO, manager, technician. You guys all filled that role in some capacity. You didn't know it, but that's how the business was running, even in those early days where it was just head on fire, hair on fire, let's just get to the end of the day kind of stuff. And so I know this was kind of like this weird gift you guys had you didn't realize you had. And now that you're growing, like I said, $5 million business, now tell me a little bit about the challenges. Now as you're grown, you're a larger business, and you need to do more delegation. You need to start having more middle management in place. Like, what's that challenge been like?

I'll say the old days, you know, the three of us not knowing what we were doing, and we were completely leaning on each other with everything. I mean, down to making a $20 decision. We had to talk about it. We had to talk about everything. So we acted as like, one. We were the perfect combination to be, like, the perfect one. So when we had to. As we grown and we've kind of had to learn how to separate a little bit, it got. It was hard. We can't talk about everything. There's just not that time. Our Wednesday night meeting is kind of how we did that, but it got to the point where we were staying until midnight, things like that. And so finally we're like, okay, what is our Wednesday night meeting about? What do we talk about? Because we were, like, trying to fit every little, teeny, tiny thing in. It was a lot. So now I have also realized that as the three of us, we got a little bit further than a single owner. And what I've learned from other companies, I'm not going to say all single owners, but as far as how far we got without having to implement that middle manager or depend on someone else, the way that we were depending on each other, we were able to bring the business a little bit further. So we are going through the transition of that middle management later than a lot of single owners. And I didn't, you know, I didn't know all of that. I'm figuring that all out. So right now we are still in that. I mean, we have them implemented, they're doing a great job. We are still learning how to let go. We are still learning how to stay in our own lanes. I mean, it's, you know, who's, who's my boss, we all are. No one knows. Like, we're trying to figure that. I mean, we have figured that out, but we're trying to make ourselves stay in where our position is. And that, that has probably been the biggest challenge for us. But we did get a compliment from our managers the other day saying that they can tell if we're really working on it. So that's good.

That's awesome. That's awesome. So, yeah, like, interesting, interesting setup because normally you've got the single owner who's really married to every element of the business and has to start bringing people on and relic and, and like giving them responsibilities, but you kind of have it times three. It's very interesting. When I was thinking about like, you know, we all work together. I was thinking about Transformers, that like children's toy and multibillion dollar movie franchise. Like you guys are all like come together and you make one single owner, which I think is really cool. But you know, you guys have done so much. I know you added an H Vac service line recently, so I would love to know what that process was. Like, how was that like, you know, taking a company that is rounded in plumbing, like founded by one of the, like a really talented plumber, and then adding H Vac to the mix.

Yeah. So like I said, we did not set out to do this at all. We had no, no vision. We have since been working on that. An acquaintance that we know, I was out and about at a networking event in our town and he approached me and he said, hey, have you guys ever thought about H Vac? And I'm like, yeah, you know, we're good with what we're doing. And he's like, well, I'm gonna buy one, I'm gonna create one or I want to do it with you guys because I want your reputation. And I was like, oh, wow. Yeah. I was like, oh, that mean that. Yeah. Right. Not really. I did not have any idea. I mean, like I said, we just, you know, you answer the phone and you show up. That's half the battle. Right? Then came back to my brothers, and I was like, you know, he approached us, he's interested. And they were like, well, we can talk about it. So the. The person that is now a partner in the H Vac company with us, he jokes around and says that he had to date us for a year before we could make a decision. So we did. We did a lot of planning on that. However, there's never enough planning. I mean, that was fun struggle. A fun struggle. Adding one, adding another partner, but two, adding a whole nother division that, you know, wasn't in our forte. So just meshing the two together in what we already have. And it's been a road, but I would. I would say that I would do it again because we knew that we weren't going to let it fail. We were fighting for it. And we are all on the same page. Even with the ups and downs, we knew that we were all on the same page, that it wasn't going to fail. And here we are, and it is moving forward and it is good. This is great.

I absolutely love this story. This is really fun. This could be a movie in some ways, I think, or a show. I want to hear about your reputation. So you have this gentleman approach you and say, I want to do an H Vac business, but I want to do it with you because you have such a great reputation. So it sounds like even though you're losing schedules in Michigan, you're sleeping with your cell phone, you still manage to really connect with your community. So tell me how you did that.

Well, again, we did not do that on purpose. My dad was well known. We all went to school here. But again, answering the phone and showing up is half the battle. And then my brothers were great at what they did. And we are naturally good at people. So everyone loved them. They just wanted to take care of people. And that's. That's what we, you know, we did say to ourselves. And that's. Since being in the business, I realized about my dad leaving when I was a kid. I get it. All I want to do is help people. This. And people, you know, people call you crying, like, you know, they're. It's the worst thing that could have happened in their life. Like, I I tell my guys all the time, like, you think that it's no big deal because you see it all the time, but they. It's. They don't know. You know, they don't see it all the time. And so keep that in mind. But we don't have, like, a problem with that. They, you know, we have pretty good people. Like, people, I feel like technicians in this business. That's who they are. They want to help people. So that's. That's what we did. We also enjoy some fun, so we are really involved in our community in general. And we do parades, and we have done stuff with the schools and kids. We made a plumber's puzzle, and so we. Oh, yeah. So they have to put pipes together, and then you pour water down and see if there's a leak. So it's fun stuff that we can do. We do all the Touch A Truck events, and my brothers are like, big kids, so anything that they can have some fun with, that's. We're there.

What's Touch a Truck is that just like, come in, see what the truck looks like. Touch A Truck.

So, yeah, so they have events, like, in the community, though, where they bring out, like, the. All the emergency vehicles, but then other businesses like tow trucks and. Or boom trucks and all different kinds of trucks, and kids can, like, climb in them and stuff like that.

So as someone who has friends, who is friends with several women who have young boys, I will. That is probably a hit. That is the place to be if you have a. If you. Not even boys, I should say, because I know girls are obsessed with drugs, too. If you have a child under five, that is probably an amazing place to network with the community and to really get your name out there while doing something really fun at the same time. That's so cool. And I haven't heard of that before.

Yeah, you'll have to look it up and see if there's any in your area.

I know in los. In Los Angeles, you never know. Insert joke here about what kind of trucks are there. And anyway, this has been such a fun conversation for me. Jen, I really want to kind of look back because you joined and you joined at the beginning of 2028, end of 2027. We were recording this in 2024. If you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing or not one thing, you can give her. You can give her a couple pieces of advice. What would you say?

Just continue to be open and learning and growing yourself. You know, paying paying attention to growing yourself and Like I said, being open minded to what people are telling you and listening, I mean, because I feel like that is the biggest thing that I did that got me to where I am and that's exactly what I share with other people. You know, I'm. I again realization that I have helped other people at this point, which I never thought that I would be helping other people in this business or in any business for that matter. And I have helped a lot of people and that's one thing that I would always say to them is be open to always learning. Don't ever quit learning and don't be afraid of listening to what people are telling you. And even if you don't agree, shake it, you know?

Yeah. Yeah, that's really interesting. You know, I just really like a story a lot. You. Do you have any plans of returning back to the real estate appraisal business?

So I do still a little bit with Sheriff. Yeah, so our. Our. We do Sheriff appraisals, but that's all I. That's all I do. It's just. Just to kind of stick my nose in it a little bit. And you know, I always had it to fall back on, even though at this point I will not need that. But I have. Yeah, I have it. I like, I like to keep my eyes and ears open in that world, so.

All right. Well, Jen, I cannot thank you enough for just such an open and honest take about what this journey has been like for you. I had such a fun time and I know our listeners did as well. Is there anything else you want to share that we didn't get a chance to.

I think we did a lot and I really, really appreciate you letting me come on and share my experience and I hope that it helps someone else. As I said before, I appreciate your podcast and I have definitely listened and enjoy it and have, you know, gotten some things from it myself, from other folks. So thank you.

Thank you, Jen, for this incredibly motivational story and thank you again for being a guest on the podcast.