I swore I would never go back to high school.
- I had barely survived it the first time, eeking out a diploma during summer school after all of my friends had graduated.
Since then I have done very well for myself, despite my history of poor grades and arguing with my teachers. Then one day my old English teacher called me and asked if I would speak to his class. These were kids at risk of failing out or dropping out, and she thought I could get through to them. After all, I used to be just like them, and now I have my own HVAC company, which could give them hope of finding success out in the world. After school one day I went to the same old English classroom, with the same old teacher, and a group of disaffected young people who couldn’t have cared less about English or HVAC work. So I just started writing out numbers on the chalkboard, starting with the base hourly rate of pay for a new HVAC technician just starting out. I started writing other numbers, like how many hours a week they work, what the shift differential was for late shifts and being on-call for HVAC emergencies. They might not have cared about fixing air conditioners, but when I showed them how much it paid, they paid attention real quick. On another chalkboard I started writing out the numbers for what it costs to get your HVAC certification and starting off in the business. They all realized it was financially smart to look into a future of HVAC work.