77. From Jewelry to Pools: The Unlikely Path with Sheik Rahaman

Episode 77: In this compelling episode of Making Waves Mindset, we are joined by entrepreneur Sheik Rahman, who candidly reflects on his remarkable journey in business—from the jewelry sector to revolutionizing the pool industry. Sheik shares not only the practical steps he took to transition into the pool business but also the significant lessons learned along the way. As an entrepreneur who has been immersed in various markets, he emphasizes how building strong relationships with colleagues, mentors, and clients underscored his success.

Throughout our conversation, we delve into the pitfalls of seeking wealth at the expense of personal happiness. Sheik shares his awakening experience during the pandemic, which prompted him to reconsider what drives his satisfaction in business. He passionately describes the importance of community support and mentorship in navigating the entrepreneurial landscape. This episode encourages listeners to examine their definitions of success, the vital relationships that contribute to it, and the importance of finding joy in the work we do.

Join us as we explore the entrepreneurial grind — the sleepless nights, the dedication required, and why it’s essential to create a balance that favors both personal and professional growth. Sheik’s insights are not only motivating but also thought-provoking, challenging the listener to push their limits while pursuing true happiness in entrepreneurship. Dive into this episode for a fresh perspective on making waves in your career and life today! Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review if you find value in our discussion.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to the Making Waves Mindset Show
• 1:30 Introducing Our Guest: Sheik Rahman
• 12:25 Transitioning from Jewelry to Pool Business
• 23:50 The Importance of Team and Mentorship
• 35:10 Resetting Business Goals and Mindset
• 45:40 Challenges and Insights from the Pool Industry
• 58:32 Emphasizing Relationships Over Wealth
• 1:07:55 Overcoming Financial Hurdles
• 1:12:20 Final Words of Wisdom & Call to Action

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:15

You got to have the right people around, right. I used to have that mindset like, oh, I'll do it all, I can do it all. Right, I'll be the accountant, you know all of it. Right, you just to run it properly. You can't To grow, you need the right people, you know. Going out and spending $25,000 on a Rolex wasn't I, didn't, I was missing that happiness. It didn't matter. After a while.

Speaker 2: 0:48

Well, everyone, welcome to another fine edition of the Making Waves Mindset Show. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Fine edition of the Making Waves Mindset Show, welcome, welcome, welcome. This is the place where we gather to share the mindset and resiliency as business owners. Right, you need to make waves, dream bigger and take action. And, together with wonderful Dave Moskowitz, we speak to some awesome individuals about their journey of never entering the nine to five or leaving the nine to five and, of course, our personal journeys of how we have left that pension and paycheck lifestyle behind.

Speaker 3: 1:25

So if you've landed on our page this is the first time you're seeing us, please hit that subscribe button. If you're enjoying listening to us, make sure you follow along and send it out to all your people in your network, in your tribe. And if you haven't listened to us and this is your first time, welcome again and make sure you subscribe and share. If you don't like this episode, send it to someone anyways. You never know who needs this information. It's going to be a powerful episode, lessons learned and because some good information to share with people within your privy. So today, yeah, we welcome our guest.

Speaker 2: 2:03

It's been a while since we've had a guest on absolutely uh, sheik rahman has been a pleasure down here in orlando, florida, and I got to meet sheik uh not too long ago. But very fascinating industry, you know, you're. You know, outside of I guess California and Florida, like these, are the the pool capitals, I'd say. The tropical warm weather, the hot heat and humidity, depending where you are, pools are everywhere and his industry is incredibly fascinating, including his journey, you know, creating a very successful business in california and now he's on the east coast opening up the east side of operations. You know so, you know, chic, we'd love to hear your story guide us through those and we'll, you know, we'll poke and prod you with. You know what made you get into business. You know, let's start from there because you you're not one of those traditional people but we have talked about I'm never going to do this nine to five thing. You know that's our passion.

Speaker 1: 3:00

Yeah, that's been as far back as I can remember, man, as, I think, a little kid, knowing that I was never going to work for somebody. You know, I was always fascinated by business and and I was. I was one of those kids that you I didn't like taking orders and I think that was where, you know, mainly I was like I cannot, don't tell me, I need to show up at nine, leave at five. I have a one hour lunch. I was, you know, I couldn't do it, right, like people are like, oh, you should join the military. I couldn't do that. That's, that was never me. But you know, getting into business when entrepreneurship I didn't even know what that word was. You know people would go, oh, you're an entrepreneur and I'm like, I guess, I guess I am right. Um, so I actually it's been a little over 26 years now being in the pool business, but this journey started back in Arizona for me late 90s.

Speaker 1: 4:19

I grew up in Queens, new York, and when I left New York I went to Arizona and I actually got into the jewelry business Completely different, different thing, right, I, you know, know, and I was always home and the guy that used to work on my pool, I became friends with him. He had a store that I used to go to purchase stuff from and I ended up buying that store and that's what got me into the pool business interesting, um, which is business Interesting, which is crazy, because, yeah, it was. I didn't know anything about pools, right. It's like, oh, you know, something happens and you freak out, but got into the business back, then brought a partner in and then, in 2007, 2008, sold everything in arizona and then went to california and then opened up in california and, um 2020 roughly, yeah, I decided to make a huge shift and, uh, leave california and come down to florida. Because Florida, because I was in Florida for a few months and I saw the growth of what was happening and decided to pack everything up and leave a lot of things behind. You know, and if you know Southern California, you know how beautiful it is out there and sacrifice for a few years to elevate certain things, to change it up.

Speaker 1: 6:01

I think, as entrepreneurs, man, we all get so caught up in just making money and grinding and grinding, and grinding, and then time goes by and you realize, shit, I didn't really make the money I wanted. You know it. Just, it really became a job Right, instead of being a business owner. So I had to do a whole complete reset and I was willing to eat shit for a few years to start over Right, in a different mindset. But um, so that kind of brought me here and then it took some time to figure out the industry here, because wherever you go in the country the industry is completely different and you probably notice being in the restoration business it's different. You can treat mold or water damage or whatever it is, but every state, different policies, different rules. You know what I mean. So the same thing here.

Speaker 1: 7:01

So it took me some time to figure it out and I tell folks, man, like Florida, the pool industry and a lot of other industries too, but it's still the Wild West out here. Right, they say things are stricterter, but I moved to one of the most restricted states. So when I really started looking at things I was like no, it's uh, it's different, man, you know. So, um, trying to adapt and then bringing my experience of the way things were done on the West. Here is huge, huge, huge. Right, there's a huge market for it. So here we are, man, and things really kicked off last year. You know, took three years off from the business just to kind of see if I wanted to do something else or what it was, and just kind of take some time to reset and been doing it for so long that it was like you know why you can do something, you can do the same thing but just treat it differently you know, yeah, I wanted to.

Speaker 3: 8:14

I wanted to interrupt you for a second and and just dive back into because that's an amazing story that you journeyed and hop skipped through those, through those different states and stuff. So I wanted to just jump back into your decision making. If you could think back to when you first decided to purchase the the store, um, in store, in relation to that, what mindset were you in at that time as opposed to?

Speaker 1: 8:41

years later, so in the 90s, the first store it was the mindset was being in the jewelry business back then. Compared to jewelry business now is different. But overall you've got to carry a lot of inventory, you sit on it for a long time, a lot of cash is on the shelf, right, and in the jewelry business things change daily or hourly. Design everything, right, so you're constantly so. The pool business attracted me because of the profit margin, the labor, right, you can go out and do a job for an hour and charge the same amount of money doctors and lawyers are charging.

Speaker 1: 9:34

And one of the things that really attracted me was more the freedom of being outside, right, like I love to be outside. I love that the whole thing. But um, so that, so, um, buying into the store also back then, um, in arizona, arizona wasn't what it is now, you know. So I saw a huge opportunity to get into something that we can grow. You know, not knowing it was going to be 20, some years of it, right, yeah, you know. But when I look back now, man I am I'm actually happy and thankful that I did, because what it's done it's given me a really different view on the way things are done in Arizona, california, nevada, texas, compared to here, right, and you just don't get that experience. You got to put the time in.

Speaker 3: 10:33

It takes the time, you know so when you were, when you were in the jewelry business, did you have employees?

Speaker 1: 10:41

uh, no, it was basically just me. So back then, um, and this, this was crazy times, dude, like I, I would fly up to new york from arizona, buy a whole bunch of stuff, fly, fly back to Arizona, flip it, wow, yeah, wow. You know, like I literally started at a flea market. Yeah, I rented a boot. I would be there every Friday, saturday, sunday, a little table, all the stuff laid out, you know, watches, belts, everything Right, right. And then that just went into something else, and then we rented the space and set it all up and you know, but, um, that's always a passion for me, like I love that stuff, but um, it wasn't financially, it wasn't there. You know what I want.

Speaker 2: 11:31

You wanted more. You were craving more, looking for more, dreaming bigger. You know.

Speaker 1: 11:36

Yeah, and I'm always looking right, like even in the pool business, I'm like you know, hey, what else can we do? How can we change things Right? What can we create or invent, you know, to keep elevating, right, it's not just about building pools, like most, most industries, man, you can like cleaning offices, you can clean offices, have a huge portfolio, but are you going to be able to buy that private jet? You know, probably not. But you could invent a cleaner that works for the industry, right? So I'm always trying to figure it out. Yeah, anyway, yeah keep moving right.

Speaker 3: 12:21

So when you, when you went into the pool business, what was, what was the learning curve? Like that going from a jewelry business no employees to then into the business.

Speaker 1: 12:31

It was huge, man, it was um it, man, it was um it. It's funny because I I feel for folks when they buy a home now at a pool, because I think back of when I purchased my first home at a pool and it was like Holy shit, like this thing just turned green on me, like what the fuck do I do, right, you know? So, um, it took it, took some time to figure it out, but, um, I had a really good um, a really good partner that took the time to train me well and figure it out, and not only that, but connecting with suppliers, manufacturers, that was always there to say, hey, this is the way, do this, try this, right. And then, as time went on, then it just all. You know the chemistry.

Speaker 1: 13:20

So the pool industries is weird because, um, it's one of those industries where you have to know a little bit of everything. You're a plumber, you're an electrician, you're a sales guy, you're an accountant, right, you're a chemist, um, so there are all these different things you know, pushed into one, right, um, so, and that's kind of why I liked it too, because, too, because it was like, oh, I'm not just doing this, you know what I mean it's all these different things, um, and then the store part of it, the retail, um. You know, it's kind of like hospitality, like I have some hotel background and stuff, so selling, talking to customers, listening to them right and helping them the right way, um was it's always been the problem, right, solving the problem, like you know, somebody will come in, like dave, will come in and go oh man, I have some allergy on the side of the pool.

Speaker 1: 14:22

I've been fighting it and now I literally have to picture that and go through a story with them, right, what have you been doing? Have you done this, this, this, and then figure it out and come up with a recipe to fix that problem. And that's what I love, because when they come back to me and go oh dude, I've talked to five guys and they couldn't tell me what to do. I've been to multiple stores and they couldn't fix this problem, you know, fifteen hundred dollars later, right, and you know to hear oh, you're the guy like, that makes my day, right.

Speaker 3: 15:00

So you know it's interesting.

Speaker 1: 15:02

You know it's interesting.

Speaker 2: 15:04

I want to jump in. What's interesting is you said something that Dave and I constantly see with other successful business owners is I had the right mentor. There was someone who took me under their wing, shared their wisdom and knowledge, which excelled my growth. People like you can't go on it alone, but you found the right combination to help give you that nudge and and and you know, paint that roadmap to help you make those decisions. That's yeah, it's like a common theme every time you gotta have the right people around, right?

Speaker 1: 15:39

um, I used to. I used to have that mindset like, oh, I'll do it all, I can do it. All. Right, I'll be the accountant. You know all of it. Right, you just to run it properly. You can't To grow, you need the right people. You know, I couldn't do this in Florida if I didn't have the right suppliers or the right manufacturers. Right, or the right reps to come in and say, hey, this is what the market's like, we can set you up. You know this, this, this right. Like, I needed that team to help put this together. You know, otherwise I'm just another guy running around with a pole on the back of the truck, you know. You know it's crazy man Cause anybody can be a pool guy, just like anybody can be a landscaper. Just go buy a lawnmower and cut grass, right. But do you know how to treat the grass right? Make it look as green as possible. Right, you want to lay on it?

Speaker 3: 16:42

so, um, you know it's taking it to the next level, you know so you decided to go from Arizona and make a big jump over the river to California, california, yeah.

Speaker 1: 16:58

Yeah, what was that deciding factor looking like? So, when I left New York as a kid, that was, my whole mission was to go to California. But I went to Arizona because I met somebody. Okay, right, it took a U-turn, got married, had a kid. Uh, you know, I went through a divorce in in the mid two thousands, um, building property, buying property and all of that. So we sold a lot of things right before the crash. And, uh, and then I was like, all right, this is the chance for me to, you know, because I'll tell you, man, 118 degrees is hot. Yeah, I don't care what anybody they go, it's dry heat. No, dude, it's hot, it's dry, but it's hot, right, like you know.

Speaker 1: 17:48

So, um, that was my opportunity to get to california and, um, literally, when I got there, I was like, man, this is a vacation. Yeah, you know, like, being in the pool business and being in cali, I was like I couldn't do it. I couldn't ask for anything better. Right, because I'm outside all day. I, you know, the ocean's right there. I could see the snow on the cat on the mountains, right, like you know, it's wild. But, um, what happened was in California. We grew literally overnight, in one year we went from one trucks to like seven trucks, right, um, because I connected with the right people again At the time. The market was just starting to pick back up in California and if you know anything about Southern California, you'll probably hear about a city called Irvine. Yeah, I know.

Speaker 3: 18:40

Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm very familiar with California.

Speaker 1: 18:43

Okay, good. So Irvine Company at the time were just starting to build out Irvine, because Irvine was a ranch at one time. Yeah, right. So Donald Bryant started investing in apartments, started building them out, beautiful apartments, I mean next level, right. So we started doing commercial building for him. And what we did was my partner in California. I said, all right, if we're building these commercial pools, let's offer a service contract. So we brought him on. So the service end went from zero to a thousand overnight.

Speaker 1: 19:23

Because what happened was these companies like to use that one company that can take care of it all. If you build it, then we can come back to you for warranty. Right, you're going to handle it, we don't have to call five, six people. Boom. And then they wanted things done on a corporate level, right, which is, you know, most guys don't even know what that is. When you're talking swimming pools, you know you're like you still have to have that end of it. Yeah, they really enjoyed the way I came in and started talking to them and taking care of things, checking in with them once a week every property and it blew up, um know.

Speaker 1: 20:06

So we grew with the Irvine company quite a bit and then started doing work for Western national and we were building pools for baseball players and all these guys. You know, um had the chance to go to Kobe's house Wonderful, you know, in Newport beach and all these things right. But um, you know, when you're in the game like that, you don't really. It's a different thing, you know, um. But uh, yeah, so what happened was I hit a point in california where I was like we're making tons of money, but it's not.

Speaker 1: 20:44

I'm not feeling the happiness, the satisfaction something, yeah, yeah bro, something happened and I'm like your purpose is not there the purpose yeah, like, like the whole reason I got into business was to make money.

Speaker 1: 20:59

Right, it was great in the beginning, but it was like, wait a minute, making tons of money, tons. We can buy whatever we want, do whatever we want. But I'm missing something. And when COVID happened, I had this reset, like most people probably Right, and I was like what is that happiness? Like it cannot just be the grind and making money. And for me I realized it was oh, relationships right, like having the time for that cigar or whatever it was right, like the relationship meant more especially with the family, right. So, um, I that's when I decided, all right, I'm going to reset completely, treat the business different, have the time for the relationships right and not treat this thing like a nine to five well, so what?

Speaker 3: 22:00

sorry to interrupt, but I I want to dive into this a little, just so that we, we can, our guests and and listeners could really understand that mindset. What was it about the business up to that point that you were? Because you were making the money, you were, you were, having had your own business, you were successful. What was it that caused you to fit, to put your time and effort so much Like? Why weren't you able to separate that at that time? What was preventing you?

Speaker 1: 22:34

You know I couldn't, I think it was just being so deep into it. You know, I'm always the guy that's I'll be there seven days a week, right, I'm there at five o'clock in the morning. I'll be the last one to leave, right, which you should be if you're a business owner, right, none of your employees should be doing that, right. I was so deep in what happened, was I got so deep into just the focus of making money that I was missing. And then, after you can buy everything, man, but what happened was going out and spending $25,000 on a Rolex, wasn't? I didn't, I was missing that happiness. It didn't matter. After a while, right, I was missing that happiness. It didn't matter. After a while, Right, and it was like, oh, like, why don't? Like? It was exciting in the beginning, and then it went away and I was like what, what's happening you?

Speaker 1: 23:37

know, so for me it was like oh okay, Am I getting burnt out, or is this hitting a max point where I need to get to the next level?

Speaker 3: 23:50

You know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 23:51

Because the things that I was doing, it just became, bro, you can go have a $500 dinner every night, but after a while it's just, it's just a $500 dinner, right, you know. So it's like why does this not feel special anymore, you know so. So I really had to, and that's why I took so much time off from the business or just business in general, to reset, because I really needed to figure that out. And I I tell folks now, man, I said I'm kind of like on my second act, now, you know cause I'm going to be 50 this year. And if I don't figure it, figure it out now.

Speaker 1: 24:27

I said I'm kind of like on my second act. Now, you know cause I'm going to be 50 this year. And, uh, if I don't figure it, figure it out now, I'm never going to figure it out, dude, right? Um. So for me it really came back to oh shit, man, like, making the money is great, buying the things you want is great, but, um, something is seriously fucking missing. And what I figured out was goes back to the relationships, right, like having that time to sit down with Dave and have a coffee and just just connect, man, just you know. But so that's yeah. So that's kind of what happened, man, and we're on that to be honest.

Speaker 2: 25:10

Yeah, you know what I love about you, sheik, is that in our time that we've known each other here in Orlando is you're always thinking you know you never settle. And that's where I think you and I have that very tight connection, because there are so many people that just get into that mold and then it's a straight line. But you and I are always challenging, like even just last night we were out, we were doing something. It's like, okay, how can we build upon this? Who do we need to connect with? We're just not laying stagnant. It's always go, go, go, pushing each other. What's next? Why are you settling for this? Do that? Have you thought of this? You know, that's why you're such a great support, but you're an incredible resource.

Speaker 1: 25:53

I find more excitement now, to be honest, in the startup stage for business, like that just brings me, oh, I'm like ready, like I can do this, right, like let's dig the hole and start doing this and I want to see it, you know. And then what happens for me is that I'll get to a point and then I'm like I'm ready for the next start. You know, so brings me the excitement and the energy is the startup, like what I'm doing here right now. I know in three years I'm going gonna hit that point where it's like it's good, what's the next? Right? So what I, what I've done too, is and this happens.

Speaker 1: 26:34

Is that, man, you gotta be able to dream, dave, and this goes back to your question earlier is that I said my benchmark was too low, right, so I hit that point and it was like now what you know what I mean, so resetting and doing this here. It was like, no, no, we need to dominate the central florida market, right? We? You know different mentality we need to have 10 of these in the next five years, right? Um? So it was changing, you know, it wasn't like I'm just gonna open one store and if it does, you know, 1.5, 2 million. Um, because that's what happens. You hit that mark and you're like fuck now what that's it that's it

Speaker 3: 27:24

it's so interesting you say that because I say that to everyone. I say when, when I'm mentoring people or talking to people, I say to them I said the phrase is now what? And you should have that in your phrase, because if your goal is a million dollars, what? If you reach that goal, then now what? And what, and what is going to change in your life to make you happier? If you want five million dollars, so you hit the five million dollars, then now what? Now what is it that you're going to do?

Speaker 1: 27:49

so it's very powerful that you you've realized that and taken that time to to figure that out yeah, it's um, I think anybody in business or that's been around a while, um should take the time to figure it out. Because, uh, I think we all, we all get involved in business and we go, oh, we're going to do this and start this, and then we have, you know, a level that we want to get to, and then, like most business owners, we get there and then you go, that's it, that's it Right. So you know, I grew up in a time when I grew up with a family that it was like.

Speaker 3: 28:26

So you know, I grew up in a time when I grew up with a family that it was like you think here, not, you know?

Speaker 1: 28:33

So, learning to change that and talking to people and going, man, no, you've done it multiple times, but you've never set the higher goals or the higher things. Like it needs to be ridiculous, right, like you know, um, you know. So that's kind of where, where I'm at now. It's like, no, we're gonna, we need to change this right now.

Speaker 2: 28:59

So that's why it's called the making waves mindset show. You got to make waves in your, in your pool, and cause this, the disruption. Disruption to dream bigger, to take action, cause you know people don't take action. Like you said, the standards. Well, this is all I know. Well, what if you just think about here, like why can't you go? Well, there's always a reason, excuse, like you're not doing anything to you know what's next. What are you settling for? Why?

Speaker 1: 29:25

Right, right. Yeah, talk to us a bit about some of the bigger failures that you've gone through throughout your time, from when you purchased the business to now. Failures as far as finance capital, employees, personal yeah.

Speaker 3: 29:50

Some of the ones that stick out in your brain, like I. I just sort of want you know some of what we do here on the show is not just highlight all the wins. I like to highlight some of the realities, right, because business, as you know, business is not all peaches and cream. It's not all about buying the Rolex. It's not all about getting getting what you want right. There's lots of failures to get to the successes.

Speaker 1: 30:12

So I sort of just want to.

Speaker 3: 30:13

Maybe if you could just pick out a couple of your ones that stick out in your brain where you, where you've used them as those opportunities to excel.

Speaker 1: 30:22

Yeah, the grind is real, dude, listen. And every small business knows this capital is makes you or break you Right. You know, even now, like we're doing this startup and it's like managing it right, so we're not losing sleep over Where's money coming from to keep building this, coming from to keep building this, because, um, that's been my biggest thing is, you know, um, we, you need staff, but you got to have business and money to pay the staff right to grow. You know so, um, I, I think the finance part of it for every startup or cat or small business owner is always the finance portion. Man, you know, um, where, you know you gotta some money comes in. Don't just go and buy the new truck right away, you know, um, because we all want to have the trucks and with the tags on them, and you know, I think, I think what happens, man, a lot of, a lot of folks go. It's more the way the world sees me. I'm big, but I'm really not.

Speaker 1: 31:36

You know um, for me it was uh, and I've kind of changed this over the years it was saying like, oh, I'll keep borrowing money to keep growing. Well, you're just digging a hole and then you're in debt and you just can't get out of it, right? You? You literally lose sleep over this. Dude like this is why people fold so much. So what I've had to do over the years was no, I got a lot of people knocking on the door to give me cash. I don't want it unless business is coming in. I'd rather get the business in the door and use that money to grow right, because I can just keep taking cash. But if business is not coming in, then I can't pay you back, right, you know? So? Um, for me it's always been the capital part of it. That's been the understanding how to move things around and to build. You know, I have constantly people calling every day hey, we can give you a half a million dollars, right? No good man, if you can't bring the money in to pay it back.

Speaker 3: 32:46

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 32:47

Yeah, and they're just knocking on your door after that. Oh, and then you get all these. Uh, I don't know if you know any about this, but these credit card companies now are like, oh, we'll just take a draw every day. Well, dude, if nobody's coming in the shop, there's nothing to draw from. Yeah, you know so.

Speaker 1: 33:05

Um, I'm a big believer. Now, man, and get out, grind, let let people come in, spend the money, and then you be smart on how you allocate that money to grow. You're going to reach a point where, ok, now I get, just example, 10 grand coming in a month. All right, we can get a truck now. Right, that trucks need to be on the road every day, all day, not sitting in the parking lot for a half a day, right, you know so. Um, this big struggle for me has always been and and this goes back to not know knowing finances early I was never lucky or had people that teach me that stuff, so I had to figure it out, you know, as I go, right, right, I think a lot of us do too, man, cause you can burn real fast, dude.

Speaker 3: 34:02

Yeah, yeah, it makes sense. Great lesson. What would you looking back? Everything you did, obviously, was motivated with the information that you had. But looking back, what pivots would you have made quicker than you've done?

Speaker 1: 34:32

down a little bit more. You know what I mean, um, and not be so. You know, like, when I look back now from arizona to california, to florida and I've told richard this like it's amazing to see how things changed in arizona at a certain time and then how it changed in california at a certain time, and then how it changed in California at a certain time. Right, I was lucky enough to be in those places when things change. Now I'm here in Florida and I see the same thing happening, right. So if I was smart enough, like some other competitors, and I was wondering why they were doing or what they were doing, it's because they saw it before I did. And they were opening up multiple shops constantly. Right, take one bankroll, the other, keep going, keep going.

Speaker 1: 35:14

Um, I just, at that time, it was just I couldn't figure it out you know um, and plus these guys have been around a little bit longer than I was, but I think time time's important man.

Speaker 1: 35:28

It um plays a huge part in business you know, um, dude, there's what like a hundred businesses that open every single day, but only one percent is around for five to six years. Yeah, right, you know. But um, so that's why now it's like oh shit, I see this again, dude, we gotta make, gotta start making this happen, right, like there's no holding back. You know, um, let's just, let's just do it. You know so, uh, going through all the ups and downs in business and it's like, dude, you cannot be scared. You gotta just do it.

Speaker 3: 36:10

You know, yeah yeah, it's the risk, risk adverse mentality, right yeah, and then it goes back.

Speaker 1: 36:16

You have to take risks, you've got to take the risk, you've got to. And then it goes back to the finances, right, like how do I take the risk with over extending, right, right, and it's like you got to figure that out that it's different for everybody. You know what I mean. And if it takes, hey, I'm going to give you 30, you 30, you 30, let's make this happen, right, um, finding the right people to make it happen, you know, because, um, you can't get a hundred percent of it. Know, it's easier to take. I was telling Richard this it's easier to take 30%, and nicer At least you have 30% than nothing, you know, and you can continue to grow, you know. So, yeah, so you know, we're hoping to keep. That was my whole plan when I got down here in Florida was to open up five of these in the next few years.

Speaker 3: 37:16

And where are you sitting now? What's that, and you're sitting with how many?

Speaker 1: 37:21

now this is the first one. Oh, ok, yeah, we literally did started doing this last year. Amazing, yeah yeah, we literally did started doing this last year. Amazing, yeah yeah. In fact, richard's had a chance when we first met he saw, he saw my little map with my little pins on them on where we were going to do this. You know so it's finding the right city, the right area, that's growing and things, and this. We signed this lease last year and, um, you know so, you can. It takes a while to go from one to two, but then you can go from two to five, like that. You know what I mean. So, um, this is the home base right now. Right, yeah.

Speaker 3: 38:09

Yeah, amazing.

Speaker 2: 38:11

Great story. I wanted to ask, just as we you know, we kind of close off what advice can you give to those who are, you know, transitioning, moving, looking at it, cause there's definitely, there's definitely a mindset piece that is key because, you know, entrepreneurship is a lonely journey and there's nobody holding your hand. What kept you going as that? Listen, it's 100%. Today we're not hanging around willowing in sadness. What was that pushing drive that you can help remind everyone that they need to follow?

Speaker 1: 38:47

It's different for everybody. Man, I think entrepreneurship is not for everybody. It's a lot of work, right? Unless you're willing to put in the 14, 15 hour days, stay with the nine to five, right, you'll probably be happier. You'll get your little vacation, two weeks vacation, all of that, right? If you're somebody like me that loves your freedom, entrepreneurship is the way to go.

Speaker 1: 39:14

Set your hours, grind Right, set your goals, but to make it work, know that you got to put the time in. Man, it's not. Oh, I'm just going to start a business and work six hours a day. It doesn't work that way. Right, you might be up until one, two o'clock in the morning, dude, and then go to bed for listen. There were, there were years when I first started that I would get three hours sleep at night for five years, right, because I was constantly trying to build something and if I didn't put that time in, it wouldn't have worked, right? So I think people have this thing like oh, I'm going to start a business, I'm a business owner. Just know you can have your freedom if that means a lot to you, like it does to me, but you gotta put the work you see the results.

Speaker 1: 40:16

When you give 110 you see the results, you know it's like any muscle man if you keep lifting that weight, it just gets bigger and bigger, right um? You know so, and that's why a lot of people fail. They're just oh, I'm going to start a business. And then you get those folks who are like we just want to say they own a business.

Speaker 1: 40:36

If that's what you want, then stay to the nine to five and maybe start something on the side, just just to say you own a business. If you want, yeah, that's, entrepreneurship is no joke, dude. Business if you want, yeah, that's. Yeah, entrepreneurship is no joke, dude. Um, and I look at small business owners every day and the guys that are been grinding for 50, 60 years, man, and they're still doing it, but they fucking love it, right, you know what I mean. Like they're, I'm like dude, like that's crazy. Like you've been grinding all these years and they just they would not give it up for anything, dude, you know, because it's theirs, it's what they built, you know, it doesn't matter how big it is, yeah, you know.

Speaker 3: 41:17

So I, I, that's just something special, man, yeah it's because they've answered that question of, of, of, of now, what it, it's their now, what is the consistent? And they're happy. And they're happy. Yeah, and that's the important part of being happy. People sometimes start businesses and they're like oh, I'm going to get rich and I'm going to get a plane, and I'm going to get a Rolex, and I'm going to get a Lamborghini and that will make me happy. No, bro. Or vice versa. We've seen this with families. People are like I'm gonna get married and have kids and that will make me happy. And then they get divorced. Right, right, uh, there's a gary v vandertruck he says it all the time right, what will make you happy? He's like will a million dollars make you happy? Look at, look at how many people out there, how many actors, are making millions of dollars a day and they're still not happy yeah right actors who have killed themselves because they were addicted to, but they were making millions.

Speaker 3: 42:18

Yeah, so it doesn't, it's the money doesn't matter, it's that. Now what?

Speaker 1: 42:22

yeah, you're so right, dude, and it's funny you even mentioned Gary, because, listening to Gary for years, he had a part in putting me back on that mindset. Are you truly happy? The money? Money doesn't bring you to happiness. Right, like you can dabble and play, but at some point, even, like you said, the movie stars, they, they have it all. But how many pills are you going to be on, bro?

Speaker 3: 42:52

yeah, yeah right, I was just watching that episode the other day about the guy from friends. Um, that actor from friends his name slipped my mind right now, but he's a canadian and he was in that show, friends he was up to the point of making a million dollars an episode. They were paying them one million dollars an episode and they were doing, oh my god what 20 episodes a year, 30 episodes a year. They're making millions and the guy could have done whatever he wants any time of his life. He ends up overdosing in a pool overdose yeah, so that's.

Speaker 1: 43:26

That's even funny that you brought that up, because this goes back to having the right people in circles. Um, friends, you know, the only reason they got that kind of money is because they worked together right and they didn't just one actor didn't just go and went I need a million dollars. No, they all did, they all did and they couldn't lose them. So then they decided all right, everybody's going to get that an episode, so that circle is powerful, yeah.

Speaker 3: 44:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah, amazing, yeah. Well, thank you so much Working our working our listeners and viewers.

Speaker 2: 44:11

Sorry Dan, I was going to say no, it's okay. Pleasure working. Our listeners and viewers follow you Like. Where can they connect with you? And if you happen to be here in Orlando, how can they reach out? Where are you online?

Speaker 1: 44:24

I am on Instagram, I'm on YouTube and Facebook, and they can always find me through PoolCare365 or just search Sheep. There's not too many of us In the pool business yeah, especially in the pool business but it's very, very easy to find me. Wonderful.

Speaker 3: 44:46

Yeah Well, Richard, where can we find you?

Speaker 2: 44:53

You can find me on Instagram and LinkedIn at Richard DiBiase.

Speaker 3: 44:59

And myself on LinkedIn and Instagram David A Moskowitz.

Speaker 2: 45:05

Wonderful Everyone. Thank you for joining us for another fine edition of the show and, as Dave always says, if you didn't like this episode, still share. But if you do and you have value, reach out to us, let us know what you took away from this recording and until next time, remember to dream bigger, make waves and take action and life. We'll talk to you on our next episode. Thanks, guys.