Stay Humble, Stay Focused – Lessons from our COTY

I’ve worked now for almost three decades in the trade press—believe me, no one is more astounded at that number than I am—and I think one of the reasons I’ve stuck around for so long is because I see us as delivering real value to our readers. A meaningful life, as they say, comes from doing meaningful work.

And when I say “us” I don’t just mean CONTRACTOR, and I don’t just mean my sister brands here under the EndeavorB2B umbrella, but I include my colleagues at various competing publications. I feel together we form a media ecosystem that is constantly renewing itself, reinventing itself, challenging itself to serve our readers in new and better ways.

That includes the latest news on what’s happening in the industry (check the stories on pg. 3, for example), business insights to help serve both customers and employees (our Best Practices columns begin on pg. 30), technical articles on how to better perform the actual work (see Pat Linhardt’s latest on pg. 23), and even speculation on where the markets might be heading to help business owners plan for the future (visit our Industry Econ Forecast on pg. 6 for more on that).

But maybe the most valuable thing we do is to shine a spotlight on those contractors who are doing exceptional work—to celebrate them, and to show how their approach to the business is succeeding for them and can work for others, too.

That’s why we are so very proud this month to name Plumbing Outfitters of central Texas as our Contractor of the Year. You can read our full feature written by Editor-at-Large John Mesenbrink starting on pg. 20.

I think anyone reading about Plumbing Outfitters can come away with their own lessons, but for me the things that stood out were, first, having the right mindset, and second, focusing on the right things.

As for the mindset, it’s one that I’ve encountered before, often in other Contractors of the Year, but also in manufacturers, suppliers, and even among my fellow publishing professionals. I’ve heard it called “servant-leadership,” and I’ve heard it called “beginner’s mindset,” but I think this was the first time I’ve seen it boiled down to its real essence: humility.

There’s a famous zen proverb that you can’t put anything in a cup that’s already filled. Just the same way, you can’t hope to teach a person who already thinks they know everything. By staying humble we open ourselves to new knowledge, to new experiences, to new ways of understanding the world and ourselves.

Warren and Ashley Stroud, the co-owners of Plumbing Outfitters, have made a point of acknowledging their own limitations and blind spots. They have deliberately sought out people to challenge them and force them out of their own preconceptions. “Growth always requires humility and a willingness to be coached,” Ashley Stroud says. 

And from that growth has come genuine wisdom about where best to place their focus. That started with investing in their business ahead of their lifestyle. Next, the Strouds put their focus not on the number of jobs or the number of trucks, but on a set of values: Character, Humility, Accountability, Mindfulness, Precision and Service (CHAMPS), and instilling those values in every member of the Outfitters team.

But the last key to success was putting the focus on satisfying their customers, developing systems geared towards ensuring them a 5-star experience. “We don’t just build what our business wants,” Ashley Stroud says, “we focus on meeting real customer needs, refining the experience, and pivoting quickly when the market demands it.”

That success has allowed them to give back to their employees, to their community, and to the industry through mentorship and apprenticeship programs. All of us here at CONTRACTOR congratulate Plumbing Outfitters on the good work they are doing, and for taking the time to share their story with us.