Throw a Wrench In Your Plans - Q3 2023

Spring is over and summer is here in the American Southeast. It's been beautiful here in Charlotte the last few weeks (80-90's and plenty of rainfall). You'll find me at the pool most afternoons hanging with the kids, before they are back to school and between traveling for business. ????

Let's take it back and recap the last quarter, because it's worth resharing the ride . ??

So, in April I found myself back home in New York City as Christoph Lohr, PE and I made a trip out to meet with friends, clients and a whole ton of New York plumbing engineers. Almost 100 in fact, as we piqued an interest in using The Water Demand Calculator , the way they do just right across the river.

"If you don't know, now you know" - The Notorious B.I.G.

While back home in early May, I met up for a drink with my good friend Carson Brown, CMO at Surge Digital Marketing , in our cool little Town of Waxhaw NC . Carson focuses on helping plumbing companies acquire new customers on Google, and he does it better than anyone I know. Our topic of conversation was the integration of AI and how we think large language models will inevitably change SEO for plumbing companies moving forward.

In Google’s latest I/O annual technology conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVsiusLQy5Q

The standard was set, and the new reality is AI will be an inevitable future for all plumbing companies around the globe. AI’s integration can be seen in both a positive and negative light, with skeptics believing the results will be biased, and believers in the new technology having faith that Google DeepMind will be doing their best to provide the customer with the best plumbing resources and organizations in their local market.

How does Google select the best companies in the area???

Great Question. In a 2023 study done by SEO software company Bright Local the main ranking factors today are a properly optimized GMB page, congruency between what is seen on the GMB and other relevant areas across Google, and review generation.

Knowing this is a trying time for any plumbing companies who want to stay competitive in their marketplace, Carson and his team at Surge Digital Marketing were generous enough to give the subscribers of Throw a Wrench In Your Plans Newsletter a special offer, from now until August 1st you can get a FREE local market analysis breaking down online relevancy of your Plumbing company in your local market, AND you can save 25% off 6 months on their AI-Proof Scale or Explosion SEO packages with PROMO CODE: JohnAMullen at your first consultation with Carson Brown .

Starting your own journey in the skilled trades can be hard and a solid team is required for growth.

This June, that was clearly the focus of the SkillsUSA team who organized the National Competition in Atlanta, Georgia. With nearly 20K talented humans and over 100+ skilled crafts being displayed and competing, my mind was blown. We had 42 contestants competing in the plumbing competition and no shortage of talent in our corral. I was so graciously asked to join the PHCC Educational Foundation on the Skills National Technical Committee where each year I plan to serve as judge and organizer.

What a trip and an honor to serve! ??

We even had some support from my friends, Paige Knowles and Roger Wakefield . The contestants were all super excited to see their favorite social media plumbers rooting on all the contestants.

I even saw Roger sign a young mans competition badge, who was over the moon to meet his favorite virtual teachers and online friends. ??

As we head into the dog days of summer, I'll spend July and August in the AC writing and working on new projects mostly??... but looking back, this last spring was real good to me and I even somehow managed to get a few projects published, between all the travel and family fun.

I'm breaking out some of the new studio equipment this summer and jumping on a few of your favorite podcasts to chat with friends and promote Throw a Wrench in Your Plans Media and the various industry projects I'm involved with at IAPMO and RPA. So, check out this episode of Appetite for Construction I did, with the boys at Mechanical Hub .??????(Left another easter ?? on this one)

In August I'll be heading to San Antonio to talk sustainability with leaders of the amazing hospital industry at the ASHE Annual convention . The sustainability and decarbonization leadership group is back at it again with another invigorating "Leadership Roundtable" on August 8th at 3:15pm - 4:15pm.

I can't forget to mention the Radiant Professionals Alliance , whose growth is finally bouncing back, as we build new core leadership from within. We have an open sign up for membership committees to help coordinate new projects, policies and publications for subjects like, thermal energy networks (TENS) and other innovative radiant heating and cooling initiatives.

Check out the Quarterly Newsletter we just put out, and sign up to join us September 24-28th in San Antonio, Texas (Yeah, again ?) as the RPA meets in person at the IAPMO 94th Annual Education and Business Conference. This year is about bringing us all together & the ASSE and ARCSA will be meeting there as well, so Register Here and take advantage of the educational seminars, code development meetings, networking and the evening parties!

Let's connect in Texas!

See you soon & thanks for reading! ?

John A. Mullen

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