Secrets of the Trade

My daddy is a master craftsman. Full Disclosure here: Yes, I am starting this professional article with a personal story, and yes I will be ending this article with a sales-focused call to action.

Am I breaking all the rules? Yes, but I figure in a world turned upside down by covid19, when we’re all working at home doing our best to remain professional with dogs barking in our zoom calls, our children running through our meetings for virtual PE class- it’s safe to say the lines have blurred on what is and what isn’t acceptable in the workplace.

So, back to my daddy. 

He is a tradesman, and he comes from a line of carpenters. His dad was a carpenter, his father-in-law was a carpenter, and so is his oldest brother. My daddy grew up on job sites which is how he found his love for the trade. Being the daughter of a carpenter, I grew up on job sites as well. I’ve grown up with glowing admiration for architects, project managers, superintendents, paint crews, electricians, and subcontracting teams. 

Mostly though, I grew up thinking my Dad could do anything. 

He would pour over these weird blue drawings (blueprints), and like magic! Electricity would mysteriously turn on in a commercial building. A few days later, hot water and plumbing would come rushing out of those bathroom sinks! Over the course of time, what once was nothing but an empty mound of dirt with hazard tape was transformed into a beautiful, livable building. And all of it was orchestrated by my dad.

It felt magical as a kid, and honestly it still does. My dad built my childhood home, and I’ve come to appreciate driving through downtown Nashville knowing which buildings my grandparents renovated and which ones my dad built from scratch. There’s just something about the process of building something and seeing the project completed that gets us all excited... 

I was on a call today with a well established restaurant group, and they asked me what seems like an insightful question. 

“Which tools and technology does your team utilize to help make groups like us more successful?”

I answered the question then, with a list of all the helpful gadgets and technology we use to “streamline operations,” “drive efficiency” “do more work in less time” and “provide you peace of mind.” But now that I’m out of the moment, I’ve had some time to think about that question, and I would answer differently now. 

The magic of my dad’s profession has nothing to do with the hammers he uses, the screwdrivers, or any of the fancy machinery on a job site. The magic was the skill he and his team possessed to get the building built and the project completed.

I see many sales people out there promoting really great tools that have the potential to help you solve a lot of complex business problems.  But at the end of the day, if you don’t have a credible expert, a master craftsman or a skilled artisan who can weld those tools for a definite purpose,

you’ll be disappointed in the investment. 

At Patrick Accounting & Whirks, we use a lot of great tools, but that’s not why clients choose to work with us. Our clients invest in us because we use our specific skillset to help them build their dream. 

The most rewarding sales call my team makes is when we drop into a newly renovated office with new product and service offerings and with new teammates we’ve never seen before. 

It’s that Rocky moment, the business owner at the top of the stairs, arms up in victory, and we’re on the sidelines like Coach Mick, humbled and grateful that he made it. 

Do you have a business dream? Need someone to help you implement the vision?

 I know a great team.