Latest / The Elevator Careers Podcast / Career Journey and The Power of Networking in the Elevator Industry | Ed Rivera

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Career Journey and The Power of Networking in the Elevator Industry | Ed Rivera · The Elevator Careers Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, Matt.
• 0:00
  SPEAKER_03: So I have I have this, like, I have this vision, right?
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_03: I have this vision of getting industry professionals together, be it an apprentice, a project manager, a district manager, an area manager, a mechanic, industry personnel.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_03: I have this vision of getting people together in the pursuit of excellence.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_03: Um, sort of like personal growth, but with the focus, you know, on our industry, right?
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_03: How what can we do collectively um to enhance our industry?
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_03: What can we do collectively to you know elevate the industry um by elevating ourselves, right?
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_03: Like, and I want to bring that opportunity uh together in person um in New York City.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_03: So that's gonna be the next step.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_03: Whether it's gonna be this month or next month, I want to get people together.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um how do you how do you want them to reach out to you if they're interested?
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, just message me on LinkedIn.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_01: Hello, and welcome to the Elevator Careers Podcast, sponsored by the Allred Group.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: I am your host, Matt Allred.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: In this podcast, we talk to the people whose lives and careers are dedicated to the vertical transportation industry, to inform and share lessons learned, building upon the foundation of those who have gone before to inspire the next generation of elevator careers.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: Today our guest is Ed Rivera, also known as your elevator pal.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: Ed is a regional modernization trainer with TK Elevator based out of New York City and has been in the industry many years.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: Ed has a passion for continuously improving the elevator industry and those in it.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: In the near future, Ed wants to start a live in-person elevator industry networking group to continue to build each other.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_01: Message Ed on LinkedIn if you're interested in participating.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: Go ahead.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the show.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_03: Well, Matt, thanks for having me on again.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, I mean it's been a couple of years, honestly.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_03: And so that's crazy.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_03: It has been a couple of years.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: It was uh February of 2022, as I recall.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: So uh that's uh it's a long time, and and honestly, you've got a lot more to share.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_01: And um obviously our conversation recently reminded me of that, that uh it's time to get you back on here.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_01: And and so this time I want to talk to you about your your career transition because it was shortly after we did that um that interview that you left TEI, joined TK, and I'm just curious what what kind of inspired that change?
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_01: That was a big change for you.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_03: It was a huge change.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_03: It wasn't a change I ever it was never in my plan, put it that way.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_03: I never had a a plan to I never had a plan to leave TEI.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um right TEI has always been my my home.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_03: I still consider TEI my home.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: How long did you were you at TEI?
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_03: Oh wow, over 15 years, I think 17 years, a long time.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_03: Long time, yeah, long, long, long time.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_03: I I absolutely did, you know.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_03: My first uh it was the only company that was when I got into local one, I worked for TEI.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_03: It was, you know, as an apprentice and mechanic and then foreman and you know a couple of different roles within the organization.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: So right, yeah.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_03: It was uh it was home, man.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_03: And like I said, I I still consider it home, whether they want the well, you know, whether they would you know let me back into the house or not.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know, you know.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_01: You're the prodigal, right?
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_03: It's like nah, you can come back.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know, I don't know, but uh it's yeah, it's definitely a a great, a great place.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I don't think I would have had the experiences I had had I started in another company.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you you've grown in ways that that maybe other companies, especially I don't know.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: I and sometimes I just see people who get a little pigeonholed in in certain companies because of the way that they're structured and because of the way that you know, maybe maybe it's just the owner, right?
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_01: Unless you have, you know, you're the son or the you know the close relative, you don't get the next opportunity.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_01: But certain companies small or big.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um I might talk to a guy today that feels like the structure is just kind of limiting to where he's at, um, even though it's a big company.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: So um to be able to do all you've done is uh is awesome.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, again, I I said I I don't think it would have happened it couldn't have happened any other way.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_01: I think you know it definitely that kind of inspired this this change in because you said you'd never thought of it, you'd been there you know your whole life essentially.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: What what kind of happened that uh that led you to make that change?
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_03: Uh well I guess the opportunity presented itself in a in a unique way, actually.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_03: And it actually it came from LinkedIn, not like a LinkedIn job description, okay, but a post that I had created um a year or so prior to the job opportunity, almost a year and a half before the job opportunity presented itself, right?
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and it was the removal of a large Otis machine.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_03: And um Marty Walker who works for TK, he's like the national mod director.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_03: Um that was his title at the time.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's similar.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_03: I think they changed some names around, but he's still, you know, like the national mod guy.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_03: He had reached out asking me a question about the machine removal.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I really had no idea.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_03: All right, you know, I would I'm happy to help anybody I can, right?
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_03: You you have uh a question and I could provide some insight and guidance.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna share it with you.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know any.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: So it's more of a conversation, like you say, it wasn't it wasn't a job that that was put in front of you.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: It's more of a hey, let's let's talk, let's have let's create a a relationship, essentially.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, but more like, hey, this was the question, how long did it take you?
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_03: And I was like, this is how long it took.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_03: And then I wrote like a whole extensive list of all the equipment you need to execute the work.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I didn't think anything of it, you know.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_03: I was just like, hey, I'm just want to help somebody.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, here you go.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_03: If you know if I can help in any other way, let me know.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_03: And uh he said, Yeah, I'd love to meet you if I'm ever in New York.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_03: I said, Yeah, sure, cool.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_03: Let's do it.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_03: You know, if you ever come to New York, let me know.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_03: A year plus, you know, passes by.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_03: Um and uh he sends me a note, hey, I'm gonna be in New York City, I'd love to meet you.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_03: Kind of said, Yeah, sure.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_03: So we met.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um and uh he had brought the Northeast president at the time, Joe Smith, with him to lunch.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_03: And we chatted, you know, had a little you know, nice lunch and chat, and they wanted to present me with uh job opportunity.
• 7:33
  unknown: Wow.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_03: It's like listen, yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_03: It was like uh we want to present you a job opportunity.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_03: I was like, okay, listen, guys, let's not ruin lunch or let's not ruin this this experience right now, you know, kind of you know, uh connecting.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, if this job opportunity has anything to do with me giving my union card, I don't want anything to do with it.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I'm not looking, that's not something I you know I was looking to do.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_03: And they said, no, no, no.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_03: It's you know, you get to keep your union card, and this is the role.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_03: And they kind of described it.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_03: The title was like uh regional mod trainer.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_03: You provide training, technical training, and support to the field personnel, and you know, we think it'd be a good fit for the role.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_03: And it sounds interesting, you know.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_03: I I don't know these people, so but it sounded like it's you know, all right, so I'll chew on it.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_03: But I that was also, you know, it was probably around November, and uh I was in the middle of a project.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_03: That project wasn't gonna be done until April or May, right following year.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_03: And I said, I have let me tell you something, like I will not like walk away from this project, like I have to finish this project, and this project's not done till April or May.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, if that's a deal breaker, that's a deal breaker because I'm not gonna just leave.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_03: And they, you know, no, no, no.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_03: If you're actually looking to join, we would wait for you.
• 9:01
  unknown: Cool.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_03: And uh yeah, after that, it was just like, let me see who these people are, you know, kind of make some phone calls to people in the industry.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_03: Do you know this person?
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_03: Do you know this person?
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_03: Are they trustworthy?
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_01: Doing a background check, which is in reverse, which is awesome.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm I love that you're doing your homework to say, tell me about this guy.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, you gotta get the feel for them, right?
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_03: Because it's uh I want to, you know, if I were to make this change, I had to feel right, you know.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_03: It was like, is this something that's gonna make sense for me?
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_03: And I had reached out to two of my mentors, you know, I won't name them for security reasons.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_03: But no, I had the uh I had uh some talks with these uh these two people I really look up to just to get some guidance and direction and get their thoughts on the on the role and the opportunity, and they kind of like it sounds like a perfect role for you.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_03: Sounds like a really unique experience and opportunity, something you should, you know, heavily consider.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so you know, I took some time to consider it while I was still, you know, finish, you know, wrapping up the project because we're at the you know the tail end on a couple bumps to completion.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_03: And um a few months after that, they had asked me to take a trip down to Atlanta to see the test tower.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: Cool.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, I told my wife, I said, I'm gonna go down there, but I'm I'm I'm going down there not to see the cool test tower.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, it's it's elevator stuff, so it's gonna be like you know, innovative and cutting-edge technology, so it will be pretty cool to go see, but I wanted an opportunity to get a little more like intimate with them to get a feel for who they were.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um, because I listen, I never I don't want to work for like a bunch of I didn't want to work like a like a bunch of sales personnel, right?
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_03: Like we just got this guy like just a little bit more.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, not not to throw salespeople under the bus per se, but what do you mean by that, I'm guessing?
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_03: No, well, I want so like I didn't I for me, well, and this is probably the way I had viewed like the corporate side of the industry, right?
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_03: I had Paul of Sigma, like I had this, you know, this I had this view of you know, like a corporate America.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_03: Like I didn't wanted to deal with that BS like for lack of better words, right?
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_03: And I definitely I definitely don't want to throw no salesperson under the bus.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_03: I just kind of use that excuse me.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: No, I and that's why I asked you to define it, because I know I know you're not, but I just I just wanted you to, in your mind, like you say, you've got a you've got this idea of of what corporate America is like, and you've got this some concern about walking into the situation.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_01: So I just wanted you to share that.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_03: No, so I had to get that feel.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_03: I want to be around people who wanted to actually uh execute, right?
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_03: Operate.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_03: Um so I made the trip down there.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_03: I met some people while I was down there, and they were incredibly welcoming.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_03: Um and at the end of the trip, when I was on my way back, I kind of told my wife, you know, well, I I I'm gonna really consider, you know, joining the joining the company and take taking on this job opportunity.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um so so how long from kind of you know introduction, lunch meeting until you actually said how how long did you chew on this opportunity before you actually decided to take it?
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, let's see, November, December, January, February, March, up to April, so six months.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_03: Cool.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah, it was six months.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_03: It was uh yeah, it wasn't certainly wasn't impulsive.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_01: No, no, yeah, um, and it wasn't it wasn't just you know for uh you know, sometimes sometimes people make a decision for you know a couple bucks, you know, extra.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_03: But uh no, that wasn't the driving factor, you know.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_03: I was um T TEI is always done well by me, so that wasn't it.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_03: It was just it was just this unique opportunity, you know, and it was just like take it and and and grow from it.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, the worst the worst that would happen would be that it didn't work out.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_03: Um and I'd go back to running big elevator monetization projects in New York.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_03: Like it to me, you know, I I didn't feel like it was a it was a lose lose.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I felt like I couldn't lose in the situation.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_03: Um I I knew it was gonna hurt, you know, uh, you know, hurt some people in the company.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um definitely was never my intention at all.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so tell tell me a little bit more about that because there are risks, right?
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_01: There are just some, like you say, personal risks.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and sometimes people take it personal when when you decide to, hey, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go pursue this opportunity.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_01: What what was that like for you?
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I was uh listen, I I I was kind of expecting that to happen because it's just natural.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_03: It's not sure, you know.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_03: I don't think any I don't think any of the dissatisfaction was in unwarranted, if that's the right word.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_03: You know what I mean?
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_03: Kind of just kind of expected.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_03: It was, but again, the decision was never made in like malice, right?
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_03: I was never like there was never any anger towards my decision.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_03: I didn't make it hate and haste, like it was just like I need to just do this.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, for for me, for my own growth and development, and and you know, yeah.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I didn't know a role like this existed.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_01: So and they may have created it just because who knows, right?
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: Here's here's this guy who who knows how to you know, he knows mods better than we do, and maybe he can teach us something.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_01: I I don't know.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, again, it and just everything, all the parameters fell in like this is kind of like this was made for me to do, you know.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_03: Like not that they made it up, because I because I know that role like they have it in different parts of the region, but it felt like it almost felt like the perfect role for me um at the time.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_03: And it's still it still feels like a great decision.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_03: So um no, that's that's huge.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_01: I mean you've you've been there almost two years, right?
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_01: Two in April?
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_03: Two in April, yeah.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yep, yeah.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_01: So um was was it was it difficult to to walk away after being there so long?
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_03: Oh yeah, a hundred percent.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_03: A hundred percent.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_03: Incredibly difficult.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_03: Again, it was just I didn't I didn't make the decision, you know, quickly.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_03: It took time to make the decision.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_03: I and I had a not I don't say consequences because there weren't consequences, but I knew I was gonna hurt some relationships, you know, making making the change, you know.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_03: Because they, you know, if I look at the owners, um they you know, they were they were like father figures, you know what I mean?
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely, yeah.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah, certainly.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_03: They were, you know, it was just like, you know, these they it was more than a working relationship, you know.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_03: So it was like so no, it wasn't it wasn't easy to do.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um what what were some of your biggest fears of actually stepping into that opportunity?
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_03: Oh no, I didn't have I didn't have any fears.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_03: I didn't I didn't have any fears.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_01: That's impressive.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_01: I think I would have had a ton.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_03: Because because I like I said, I never I didn't feel like I'm I wasn't gonna lose either way, right?
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, yeah.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_03: Like there was no like I I wasn't I wasn't losing value making the move, right?
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_03: And I don't think I was losing opportunities um making the move.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_03: So it was like, okay, if this doesn't work out, there's there's always gonna be something else, whether it's you know, back to TEI, whether it's another company, whether I start my own company.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um, yeah, it just felt comfortable in that, you know.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_03: Like, like I said, the worst case scenario was I go I went back to running projects like know how to do that, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_03: Or like, you know, take on this new role and get better at um delivering my message and get better at training and teaching, um, you know, getting to do what I was already doing um on a larger scale.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_01: So you and I talked at one point, and and the the idea came up that that sometimes, you know, advocating for yourself and and taking opportunities can be a little bit of a lonely road, right?
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_01: Because you oh you don't get to take your whole entourage with you sometimes.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: And it's like, man, I gotta I gotta go this route on my own.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: You ever felt that?
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, absolutely.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_03: I felt like that my whole career, like and that's not even a bad thing.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_03: It's like the real because the reality, like I think the the reality is you you gotta you gotta make these choices like for yourself, right?
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_03: And it's scary doing that, you know, in a sense where um then you know not everyone's always gonna be clapping for you.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_03: You're not gonna make a change.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, if you're gonna make a change and and and hope everybody's clapping for you, woof, you're gonna multiple.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_01: And on both sides of the aisle, right?
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: Because I mean, I talked to somebody just recently who they moved to a new new company, and the new company, you know, some of the people there didn't want them, so they're trying to sabotage that person's you know entrance into this new company.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: Well, the old company probably wasn't happy either.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_01: So it you're you're right.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: There's there's risk.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_01: There's you know, not everybody's clapping.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_03: No, not not everyone, not everyone's clapping.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_03: Some people were happy, some people weren't happy.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_03: Some people, I made the worst decision in my career, you're gonna regret it.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_03: Some people were like, you're gonna excel, you're gonna do great.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_03: And it's just like, I don't know about you guys, but I I I feel good, you know, like this is okay.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I've been making these kind of decisions, you know, my my whole career.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_03: Um, some people understand it, some people don't, but it's not their job to understand your journey.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_03: It's your journey, you know.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_03: I think if you do it uh with a level of you know, respect, a level of uh integrity, hold true to your own principles and values, then what more could you ask for?
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_03: You know, like I said, you do something, they they they're gonna they're gonna uh boo you.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_03: You don't do something, they're gonna boo you.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_03: So it doesn't or or they're gonna cheer for you.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_03: So you know, you can't you can't, you know, uh make those decisions based on how someone else is gonna perceive people, yeah.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, how they're gonna perceive your decision, you know.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I and I hear you.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I I know a lot of times in my life I've got a got a a streak of a people pleaser at times.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_01: And so sometimes there's been some fear of oh, what's so-and-so gonna think, or what's so-and-so gonna think.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_01: And and um, to your point, you know, they're not the ones living my life, not the ones living your life.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you you gotta make the decision, do the best you can to make the right ones and go with it.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, man.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_03: And listen, again, you do it and it if you you fail, Allah, fail.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_03: So at least you tried, like you gotta, you gotta try, you know.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_03: I wouldn't want to be someone who like jumped at every opportunity thrown at me, like I'm gonna just hop around, you know.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_03: If you if if I look at my career, if I would look at my career in this industry, I've only been with three companies, right?
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_03: I started off filing for Boca Group, right?
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_03: Right, and then I was at TEI and you know, and and TK Elevator.
• 21:00
  unknown: Yep.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_03: So you know, and while I was growing, there was there was always there's always been opportunities for myself.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_03: I didn't jump at everyone that came my way.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_03: Um it has it just yeah, the universe just kind of came together, presented this opportunity that I found unique, and like let's give it a shot.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's awesome.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm glad you brought that up because I I do see at times people who, you know, it's like, you know, why, you know, look at the resume and you know, hop in every 18 months or something.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_01: It's like, well, well, I was recruited here, I was recruited here.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_01: But to your point, nobody's making you do that.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_01: You've got to you've got to choose for your own, you know, career and situation and and and not necessarily take everything that that comes in front of you because then it's like, well, who's who's leading your career?
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_01: Is it just somebody that's pulling you around on a leash?
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_01: Or are you making the choices, saying no when it's appropriate, saying yes when it's appropriate, and you know, creating the career that you want versus somebody else wants?
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_03: And people leave, you know, for these different reasons, but if you can kind of navigate your career um to you know on this like growth, right?
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_03: Like I wouldn't have left if I wouldn't, I wouldn't, I would never have left if the role was to be like a foreman.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_03: Like I was I was doing that already.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_03: So what why would I leave?
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: Like right.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_03: It just wouldn't be like, you know, I I I was again there was nothing wrong.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_03: I you know, I was happy there.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_03: So I didn't go, I just went for this.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_03: Here's this unique role, and and let's let's try something new, man.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_01: So tell me about uh just a little bit about this role.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_01: You're a regional trainer, is that right?
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's what they call they that's what they always found the name funny, but like yeah, they could they call it uh regional regional mod or mod regional trainer, something along with traveling a bit within the northeast or or with the yeah, so the the the role, yeah.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_03: The role is in the is the northeast region.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_03: Um and mainly, mainly in I've been mainly in New York, New Jersey, um, and Long Island.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_03: I've gone upstate a couple times.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_03: Um I haven't and then there hasn't been anything that's you know where I've been needed elsewhere just yet.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_03: I've been down to Philly, uh, but that's considered like mid-Atlantic a couple of times to provide some support, you know.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_01: And when you go to mostly training people as they're doing the mods or before they did the mods, or I'm just curious what that's it's like, yeah, so it's it's it's in the field, right?
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_03: And the projects underway.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_03: And so a lot of it too is like with the roles, it's you know, as a card carrier, I could be in the field and I could work with my tools and everything in in local one.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_03: When I go visit like another state and it has another local, I go to the hall, I check in, you know, hey, I'm here to just provide training.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_03: Like a lot of times you go to these other uh locals, they don't want you to use any tools, which you know, you know, completely respect that and sure, sure.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_03: You go provide the guidance.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_03: And for the most part, everyone, everybody, everywhere I've gone, people have been welcoming.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_03: So that's been you know reassuring.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_03: Like, okay, cool.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not sort of like here to help.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_03: But and on that end, it's like so there's this part, there's this aspect of the job where you know you're in the field and you're teaching best practices, and and depending on the mechanic, right?
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_03: So sometimes the mechanics just gonna become uh in my experience so far, like I've had a mechanic who is uh becoming was gonna be running his first project, right?
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_03: So it's just like okay, cool.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_03: I can work with him a little bit and provide you know the sort of insights that I have to run a project successfully, right?
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_03: Um, or like like efficiently, you know, and then it's like work with the supervisors for best practices on how to you know help the mechanic and apprentice on the project be successful, right?
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_03: How do I help them clear the path and like look ahead and create schedules and um so there's it's almost like there's internal training and there's external training, like in the field and then like in the office as needed, right?
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_03: I don't go and like I'm here and oh, this is how you should do everything and follow everything I say.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_03: It's just like you got your job, you got your job.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_01: I'm you're and you're not, I mean, it's not like you're accountable for their project as much as you're like you said, they're you're there to provide support.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_01: Somebody else is is ultimately responsible for whether that project is profitable or not, correct?
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, essentially, yeah, because the role it's a regional role.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_03: So the the region provides the support to the local branches.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then I've worked with the sales teams looking at projects to bid on to help ensure that we're capturing the essence of the project, right?
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_03: The actual scope of the work, and we're capturing the required hours to do the project.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um that's been a really successful venture um working with the sales team and kind of like you know, standardizing a couple of things.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_03: And then like when they go to look at a project, if it's a big one, I'll I'll join them.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_03: But if not, we have like process, you know, between us, we develop processes and you know to implement on what you should be looking for, you know, what kind of photos to take, what kind of videos.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_03: Because if I'm not gonna be able to make it there, I want I ask for videos.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_03: Like I want to see the path to the motor room.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_03: I want to see like a bunch of things and just to help ensure that the team captures the hours, so so that the cell that they do make, we could actually execute on that cell.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_01: Right, right.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_01: Because that is your job, right?
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_01: The execution or at least training on the execution of how to how to carry it out.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_03: So there's like this this front end and then like you know, the the operations and then the the field execution.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_03: So I get to provide support in those three areas.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um so what brings you the most joy in your profession?
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_03: What brings me the most joy, I think the most joy is is is the is the is the is the sort of the long game, right?
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_03: Knowing that we are working towards striving for improvement, right?
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_03: Like I don't that brings me the most joy.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_03: Like the moment I feel that we're not going to improve, um, because you could you could throw you could throw the word like improve around, let's just improve, and but like if the individual's daily actions don't showcase the pursuit of improvement as a team, then I wouldn't want to be around that team.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_03: So um that's what that's what kind of gets me excited.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_03: Like that's the part I like.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_01: Pursuit of excellence is what I'm hearing you say.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_03: Is that yeah, it really that is that chase, is that pursuit, you know, because I understand what it takes to develop uh a winning team, right?
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_03: I know, and it it it's like with elevator projects or projects in general, right?
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_03: Projects have a start and they have a finish, right?
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_03: That's the definition of project, right?
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_03: So to see that when you start a project and to finish a project, right, you don't get to practice elevators, right?
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_03: You don't get to practice modernizations.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_03: You you're essentially almost you're practicing every project, right?
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_03: That that comes at a cost, right?
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_03: So that cost has to be understood.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_03: So that's where it goes to the point where okay, we're gonna lose on this one a little bit, but we lost on this project a little because we were in the pursuit of excellence, so that on the next project we just get better.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_01: Like that's yeah, I mean it's a learning curve, right?
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_01: You're you're constantly driving that down, and yeah, maybe like you say, maybe it costs us a little bit, but if we but if we've just learned something that's gonna save us on every next project, then it's worth learning it.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_03: It is.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_03: And again, that's where that's where you go to the point where like it takes time.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_03: So it's a excuse me, it's a commitment for the organization, any organization, right, to make a commitment to do that and to really understand that it does take time.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_03: But again, you have to see that it's being pursued daily, right?
• 29:34
  unknown: Right.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_03: You have to know that and I can see it in the team.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_03: Like I can know if we're we're we're we're we're pursuing we're moving in that direction.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_03: Otherwise, you know, again, then then we'd we'd all be wasting our time.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_03: And like, like I then it's not exciting for me.
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_03: I don't wanna I don't want to just collect a paycheck.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_03: I want to build something, right?
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_03: Like, that's what what gets me going.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_03: That's what gets me excited when I get up and come in Monday morning.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_03: I'm like, all right, let's do it this week.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_03: Let's get better at this.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um and that's one thing I see in your in your online presence in your posts is is you're kind of reaching out to the world saying, hey, look at this, you know, we can do like like you said, like with that that thing that that Marty saw.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_01: It's like this is this is how we do X, Y, and Z.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_01: And it's like, oh wow, I have I can learn something from him, and he can teach my people.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_01: And and you you've actually shared this with me other times, just just that the idea of of wanting to uh connect and and kind of drive that uh the idea of of excellence.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_01: But and I think one of the one of the things that goes through my head is it seems like in this connected world we're we're more disconnected than we've ever been.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_01: It because actual connection it seems like it's harder and harder to get.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you can get a text, but is that a real connection?
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_01: You know, even an email sometimes is I don't know, I've I'm guilty of misinterpreting or misreading, and it's like, no, that's not what I meant.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_03: You can't you can't you can't you can't tell tone from an email or a text, or right?
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_03: It's impossible, you know.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um yeah, I mean LinkedIn's been uh great in in a way that I've been able to connect with the industry from a distance, right?
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_03: If you if you think about it, right?
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_03: It's just like on a screen and uh what you see is really what you get, right?
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_03: There's nothing like that's who I am, whether it's not like something made up, it's just like this is me.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_03: So when you do meet me in person, it's like, oh, this is the same person that I've kind of known already.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_03: Um yeah, you want to kind of take in and a lot of people are connected around the world, which is also incredibly fascinating.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_03: Um but I think there's opportunity, you know, to connect locally that would be yeah.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry to interrupt.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_01: I mean you you shared with me kind of a vision at one one point, and I was just curious, and maybe you can share it now, but if you were to do one thing to connect to help people encourage to help encourage people to to strive for excellence, what's that one thing you do?
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_03: Sort of taking it past just like the post on LinkedIn, right?
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_03: Like that um that pursuit.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_03: You know, what I'm looking what I'm looking to do, and I'm kind of like I've put a feeler out there, I'd like to bring that community to life, right?
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_03: On a local level right now, because that's just you know, not looking to travel.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_01: What does that look like?
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_03: Well, what it looks like in my head at the moment, and I've been toying with this for a bit, um individu, you know, industry industry industry professionals.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_03: It uh and from in from the field or from the office, whether you're uh an apprentice, a mechanic, a foreman, or adjuster, uh assistant project manager, a coordinator, just the elevator industry, right?
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_03: Um and sort of get together once a month, once a quarter.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not sure.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_03: And not like get together and kind of like just have a social, I mean, there's a social aspect to it because you're you know, you're connecting, you're you're getting together, but sort of getting together and like figuring out like I imagine like the first get together is like, you know, well, who you are, what you're doing, and where do you want to be.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_03: And once we figure that out, or once that figured out, but we learned that about each other, we can look for ways to kind of help each other grow.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_03: And how that looks, I think it could be something like uh these were the books I've read that helped me grow my career, these are the online horses that I took, um, or these were the things I did as I was growing, you know, uh on my on my professional journey, and look to learn from each other in order to help each other, right?
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_03: And if we can like if we're all striving for this this level of excellence, I think not only does it elevate the individual, but it'll eventually elevate the industry, right?
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_03: Like yeah, where we we we where excellence is the standard, and no one like you know, no company, no, you know, union, non-union, no, no one, like the industry as a whole is just striving for that excellence.
• 34:39
  SPEAKER_03: Now, is this gonna just change change the ship overnight?
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_03: No, but I think I think there's a lot of people who um who want the same things like that like that that I want for the industry, you know, and and to grow professionally, you know.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_03: I'd like to I'm looking to to give more than I could than I would receive, right?
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_03: Like not that I wouldn't receive and learn, but I feel like we can, you know, being able to connect with people who can add value to each other, I think would be pretty interesting.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_03: And I don't know if it will flourish into anything, but I think it's worth exploring.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_01: Well, and I mean, and like you say, it may not change the whole ship at once, but it but if it's kind of like the old saying about the starship, the starfish, you know, you you throw a starfish back.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_01: In other words, it matters to one person at that time.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_01: And so even if it's 20 people that get together in Queens or Manhattan or wherever local happens to be and just say, hey, let's let's let's just meet and talk.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_01: Let's let's uh we'll do some networking, we'll do some mentoring, we'll answer some questions, ask some questions, and encourage each other in the pursuit of excellence, is what I'm hearing.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_03: You know, there's there's that's that's yeah, you kind of nailed it, you know.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_03: Like I said, I think it's could it could it could be something, you know, it's not gonna be like let's get together and and bash our companies and organizations.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_03: Like we don't need to, you know, sure waste time with that stuff.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_03: Like there's there's there's faults everywhere.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_03: Um you know, talk, no, it the highlighting them and kind of like you know, or complaining about them won't really do anything, you know.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_03: You could highlight some things that as a whole the industry could do better, and we can kind of like have those discussions and maybe it sparks um a change, you know.
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe it's just you know, like again, you you know, one person gains something from the whole experience, then it's it's it's a win.
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_01: Cool.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 36:41
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, you never never know where to go.
• 36:43
  SPEAKER_01: I I mean I do yeah, see that, yeah.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_01: If somebody's there to complain, well then they're not really willing to take responsibility for themselves because they're just pointing fingers at other people.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, it might be a way to educate those that that want to go that direction that dude, that's not even that's not even helping you.
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and I said you know, sometimes you don't get to you don't get to connect with people in the industry that are are are like in you know differ that are in different stages of their careers, right?
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_03: Like this, you know, it could be an opportunity for people who are you know more seasoned to you know connect with you know uh individuals who aren't as seasoned and maybe get an opportunity to share.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_03: And that's I've been blessed in in have you know in having you know connected with amazing individuals in this industry who you know inspire me for more that people wouldn't have access to.
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_03: Um not like it's a super elite club, but I'm just saying like I happen to work this place, and this place had these amazing people who like sure inspired inspired me, you know, to to pursue great things.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_03: Um so maybe giving that access to to others would be uh I don't know.
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_01: I mean what I'm hearing you say is is an opportunity to give back and and invest in others like like I was invested in by others, you know.
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah, give give back, give a chance to give back and um and see where it goes.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna put it out there and see how it it works out.
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so let's do that.
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_01: That's uh in fact, um hopefully we'll get some people listening to this and and you know when we throw it out there and you'll get some people respond and say, Hey, I want to be part of part of the excellence club or whatever you call it.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, no, that'd be cool.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_03: Listen, if it's gonna be it's gonna be in Manhattan, it's gonna be in New York City, you know.
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_03: That that's gonna be the the the meeting point.
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, if anybody was is interested in in in doing something in meeting, really.
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_03: Let's meet and see, you know.
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_03: I I I have uh I have I have a structure and I just gotta see it come come to life and you gotta have some people show up, as it sounds like, right?
• 39:01
  SPEAKER_03: Just yeah, just let's just show just show up and see, you know, how this is gonna work out.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_01: And maybe maybe it's yeah, no, it's beautiful.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_01: I I love the vision, and I think uh I think there are a lot of people that are gonna like it as well and and want to get them on board.
• 39:17
  SPEAKER_01: And honestly, if I lived in New York, I would want to come hang out with you guys.
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_01: Sounds awesome.
• 39:22
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that'd be cool.
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_01: Well, Ed, thank you.
• 39:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's been a pleasure and a privilege interviewing you again.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_01: So thank you for being with me.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, listen, thanks, thanks for the opportunity.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_03: I I definitely appreciate it, man.
• 39:35
  SPEAKER_03: And keep up the great work.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_03: Everybody loves Elevator Careers, so uh, you know, keep those interviews coming.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_03: Appreciate it.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks, bud.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening to the Elevator Careers Podcast, sponsored by the All Red Group, a leader in elevator industry recruiting.
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_01: You can check us out online at elevatorcareers.net.
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_01: Please subscribe, and until next time, stay safe.