The Huddle - OVERTIME Passing the Baton

This bonus episode, also live from TISE 2024, features many key faces of the industry discussing training and where the industry can go from here.

Guests :
Dave Garden - Executive Director of Education - CFI
Jen Zurn - Project Manager - CFI
Jesus Garcia - CFI & NFIC
Jorge Orta - CFI & NFIC

Create your FREE Installer profile at https://gocarrera.com and become part of the future of the industry TODAY!

GET TRAINED! Find a list of training dates here: https://gocarrera.com/resources/training/

The Huddle was created by Paul Stuart of Stuart & Associates and Go Carrera, alongside Jose and Daniel Gonzalez from Preferred Flooring. Aimed at helping you maintain forward progress in your flooring career, they cover topics from personal and business growth, to installation tips & tricks and everything in-between.

Want to be a guest on The Huddle? Email ashlynn@gocarrera.com today!

Create your FREE Installer profile at https://gocarrera.com and become part of the future of the industry TODAY!
GET TRAINED! Find a list of training dates here: https://gocarrera.com/resources/training/
https://www.preferredflooringmi.com
https://www.stuartandassociates.com

hey what's up huddle crew we're here at uh TI 2024 we're at the surfaces theater

and we are going to have a pretty awesome panel I encourage you if you got any friends that aren't on watch it we

promised to bring Ty to you if you couldn't make it and we're here to do that so we're going to have a a panel

about passing on the Baton all about kind of training what the Next Generation looks like and what we're

going to do from here so Jose one of my Staples is here so Jose is going to tell

you about the uh panel and who's on it and what to expect here a little bit so that's uh he's putting a lot out

Me by trying to tell me to tell you what to expect because uh I think most of the people are in the dark except for who's on the panel and maybe the committee um

but on the panel today we have uh uh we have Jesus we have uh Mr Garden right here we have John NAA we have horad and

Jen zern so so we got some pretty uh familiar faces in the industry and uh I'm I'm just as curious as you to see

what they got to do and what they're going to say yeah I think it's an important topic man yeah I think um this

is just the beginning of passing it on to the next Generation so everyone stay tuned um let's see what uh what's in

store for for this event all right let's do

it yeah we already okay guys thanks for coming to our uh to our

I guess it's not a demonstration we're talking about Floor Covering it's why we're all here I

um I'm taking this this over we're taking this over for PJ Arthur and this

is his idea he is a guy that runs nfic and I just want to thank him for

the opportunity that we're we're all gifted here to be able to talk to you about what we enjoy doing and U I know I

I know I I speak on behalf of everybody on the stage well we do for a living we love

and we're your installers we absolutely love that and my my I'm going to ask the

the panel here why they got involved with CFI or nfic and where they see the training and their involvement in

training other people in the future my name is Dave Garden I am the executive director of education for

CFI it's is a it's a lot of fun I'll tell you I was

initially in in inspired to get involved with CFI because I wanted to know who Jim Walker was right I I wanted to know

who he was because he was such a uh a legendary figure in the installation

Community but he's not the reason I got involved with training I uh for that that goes to Jane

Walker John Namba you know uh Bob wpie and people like that that that inspired

me when I was coming to start to come to our conventions those are the guys that got me involved with

training they were gosh they were suppos they were so smart I just wanted I wanted to know

what they knew and then I wanted to be able to share that with other

people and that and that's a big step for all of us right because everybody on this panel here when we go and we help

other people when we get out when we get out and do trainings for other people let's face it we could probably

make more money in our daily lives and our in our business there's not a lot of money and training we do this because it

comes from our heart so what I'm going to do is I'm going to ask start with Jen down there Jen is there we start with

you all right so we're gonna start with Jen Jen what what was the reason that

you decided to what's the trigger said this I want to be a not not an installer

but a trainer so in my community in Wisconsin you know 10 15 years ago there was a

need that you could see a amongst

our is this better I'll yell at you like I'm yelling

at my kids um in my local Comm installation

Community I saw that there was a need and from that it was you know we we kind

of kept things from one another as installers because that was competition

you didn't share in information and I didn't understand that because the only way we were going to make progress as a

community was to help Elevate the training and education of our area

and the uh likeminded knowledge and forward

progress was CFI so when they came to our area I drank the

Kool-Aid it it was a a fresh of breath air it really was and the person that helped inspire me get to that because

again all the installers we were competition nobody wanted to share information nobody want to help one

another and it's been great watching this progress amongst installers

Nationwide come together and want to help each other so the one person that I would credit for helping that would be

my husband Jay zern of course he's not here right now so I can't pick on him and make him all like embarrassed but

that would be the the person because he's the one that also introduced me to CFI it was that mindset that said I want

to be a part of that I want to help make that difference there there is no glory in it I'm not I'm not looking at a

legacy of leaving behind if I can do anything to help one person one

installer in our community in any way with their business their skill set I

I've I've done something that is going to releve ripples in our industry

because that person is going to share that it's going to

grow thank you Jen that was really good I practiced it all

night so John John what what was your trigger we all got to know because you're like you're like the the Sensei

of uh of Floor Covering here you want to use mine here we

go we on check check all right so

my my exposure to training was due

to protecting my business I was installer I actually started in the carpet side of the

industry and uh we made a point of trying to follow

the industry and or manufacturer guidelines I was doing a glue down in a

bar one night we installed it we sealed our seams

we use the proper amount of adhesive the the uh seams didn't fall

apart a few weeks later but it started to fall apart about three inches behind where we had adhered put down our

carpet rep comes out takes a look at it sends an inspector comes out and look at it they said it's installation related

uh oh you do not realize what you just did so that's my that was a start of my

journey to find out better myself to prove it because I I told them guys

there's seam sealer there it didn't follow apart at the seam my seam I'm covered for that three inches your

product is delaminating and failing so I thought you know what how can I myself

protect my business and be be looked at as a professional and

that's when you know I started going to all these different certification all these different products and uh you once

you start going down that road you realize you know what it gives you your

self-esteem people start to give you credibility and you're able to build

upon that with your business you know if you know how to Market these things getting a certification or going to a

training isn't going to make you an overnight success it makes you no different than the day before you have a

piece of paper now that says you're certified all right it's what you do

with that certification that empowers you know we're using word empowering that's what empowers you to do better

all right how do I got into train I I went to the CFI certification and went to other certifications but CFI was that

Grassroots organization at that time and uh I went through that certification

process and you know they hey you got some really good hand schools would you like to be a trainer I said I don't know about that I'm I'm just an installer I

am not a speaker so the first few times oh my gosh we

were rookies my my good buddy Andre Southworth who passed away he's kind of the one that got me in into this and uh

we were both rookies up there you know how do you you don't get in front of just an audience just like this all of a sudden be be able to talk to talk and

you know you're talking your peers other installers do I really know more than they know you so it was you know it's a

challenge and yeah it's not about making money if you want to get into the

training side of things more power to you but do it as a passion you've got to love it because you're not going to make

a lot of money you'll get you know you'll get some money back but it's not

about making the money it's about giving back so what makes me keep

training I have seen even at this show I've met people that come up to me and say hey you don't remember me but in 200

2 you certified me like whoa you made a change in my life that's what we live

for all right it's not the money and we don't need you know we don't need all the glory it's not about that it's about

do you make a difference in someone's life and that's what kind of drives me

so that's my story John that's awesome because I think we can all share stories like that and it as a trainer you're

excuse me you're absolutely right when somebody comes up to you and says you know and and I've done this where I've

sat down and interviewed installers to come work for me the guy as soon as you show up to the to as soon as he walks in

the door as soon as he shows up he says I know you you train me and and that's there's no better feeling than that

right and and I got to tell you so my dad always told me that if you really want to grow as a person when you start

sharing a bit of yourself you start sharing what you do you get it back to 10f right and and it just it makes you

better it makes you a better person and so I think that uh everything you said there is every one of our trainers

probably has the same story it's very similar story and uh we're glad we're

we're most certainly glad for you because well he's he's like one of my mentors right

so so Asus you you became nfic and CFI

what inspired you to do that okay hi my name is Garcia and I come from Houston

Texas and uh this is my lyc story I'm going to be short I'm not going to be that Al but um um I'm going to be sure

uh this is my story why um come to CFI and nfic um because I've been doing this for

I'm installer and I've been do this for 23 years and uh my my thought was like I

know everything I know do carpet I know how to do CH I know a lot of a lot of

floting uh type of floting right and carpet from my in my mind I have the

that I know everything so the way that I come to CFI because I

know CFI from 2000 but been F from 2000 CFI and N nfic I know them but I never

want to get a certified because I was thinking that I know everything so the way that I come to CFI was we had

mistakes and I was having mistakes and in the jobs right so that's what I make

me come to CFI when I when I find CFI it like a young mom say it change my life

because they make me better to to do uh better jobs in my in my career because I

I take that like a career because nobody can do like what we do it's hard hard to

work keep working I know it's a hard work but when I get to CFI and uh I was

thinking that I know everything so when I get to CFI it was not true I find a lot of mistakes I was doing so bad and

now I'm doing it better and um now I'm now I'm be U I'm train be trainer so see

how fast I grow and uh it change it Chang everything uh not just for for me

customers any any companies that you work for so um that's that's that's the way that

I get to CFI to try fixing my my mistakes that I was doing it and uh

changed my life and U like I like I we're not want to talk about price so money it's everything hard

because so soon as uh they know soon as they put me a big road right there I'll

destroy that road quick so so it come

everything like hours it take a lot of sucer fres myself too uh everything so I

mean I'm I'm proud of CFI thanks we're glad to have yeah I got to tell you any

retailer out there would you like to have a guy like that working for you I mean seriously a guy that cares that

much that he knows after 20 years he decides he needs to get better man we

could all get a little of that or he uh for me honestly uh my motivation was

actually looking at all you guys being here all the time I would go to my local supply store and pick up magazines and I

would see the events that were happening and I always told so I want to be at that event I want to meet these guys

pick their brain uh because I felt that I wanted to produce a better quality installation

and uh the only way I could do that was by coming out and actually meeting a lot of people asking the right questions and

just trying to educate myself and and that way I can let my have my have my

client have a better quality installation uh so I had and and go out

there go to do the CFI trainings not all of us everything it's

always a learning experience I do thank you um I'm glad that I'm

here me um in my own business and to be a better individual

and give a better quality installation so um I do thank everybody that's helped

me out nfic and CFI and I believe that everybody should advance and keep

educating themselves because there's a lot to know out there and we don't know it all and like J Su said I had that big

head too at some point I thought hey I know everything and when you actually come down and meet these people you'll

be humbled at how much these individuals know more than you and uh I ask the

questions and they teach me what I what I want uh to know and and that's great

and it's not going to happen easily but you actually have to put yourself out there and if you don't put yourself out

there you're never going to know you're going to be stuck in the same spot always so uh you have to benefit

yourself from these educational uh uh trainings that different organizations

provide and if you don't do that you you you might stay stuck in the same spot but all you can do is try to

advance and and just try to gain more knowledge that's really what it's

about so so what's inspiring you to want to share that knowledge um I actually at

the moment there's uh certain people that in my area that want to learn so I

haven't had a class come through in a while so I I try to teach them personally uh so they can try to learn a

little bit and hopefully we can get a class coming through our area soon so we can get more individuals to to learn a

little bit more I I gotta tell you so for me your story is great because about elevating the level of everybody around

you right why can't everybody enjoy the same life I do I I was was so glad to

have three kids I was able to raise right I was able to raise them through an installation through installation

it's uh which is which is awesome let me tell you so again same thing if you had

that guy walk through your door of her job heck if I had a daughter I'd probably bring them

home F absolutely this is how we want to be represented right so at CFI when we

see a guy like that come through our doors we're like hey we see big things from you let's train you to be a trainer

let's train you to be a trainer because we really when you look here we have an empty chair right you know what the

empty chair is for the next trainer all right we're looking for people to

get involved with training because you know think about this we're looking for installers everywhere right we're all

we're all but how are we going to get those installers up to speed with what with what they're actually supposed to do well how we do that is by by training

them so we're looking for trainers I know I know I could tell you every training organization is looking for

that next trainer whether it be that whether it be CTF nwfa or us that's what we do we train installers

right and PJ's no different PJ is looking for that next guy that's got that hand skill that that uh has got the

ability to communicate right I I don't know anything else I can

say John's got something to add you know we wonder you know how how are we going

to get the Next Generation to uh recognize the flooring trade as a

profession and a career right everyone here is involved in installation of one

way or another and we all have different levels we all have uh you know as far as

qualifications and then you look at the Next Generation coming up it's where are

they going you know right now Nationwide it's like there's a shortage of people just to fill in you know everyday jobs

let alone our installation or the construction side of the industry so where are all the kids going right

I think in order for us as an industry to gain more installers for the

future we need to recognize that the installer is a key

component there are so many retailers out there and so this is not just on

retailers there are so many retailers out there that that are wanting to get the installer that has the lowest

rates that to me is not the way to run a business that is not any way to entice

someone from high school age coming up into the to the field how much let's see

how how much can I beat you up and and capitalize on beating you up not paying

you minimal amount and making me money and that's the wrong mentality the

mentality has to be how do I Elevate this high school student who's just

graduated how do I have them work into my company and create a career path for

them so now I have my installation team that's built in for me you know do you

bring them on as an employee do you bring him on as a contractor you know there's there's so many issues with the

contractor empoyee thing going on right now throughout the United States that

sometimes you know the thing I I look at it is if you want someone who's who's wants a career path give them an

opportunity to grow bring them on as an employee you may have to bring an employee on one employee build it from

there and then send that employee out with some of your contractors so they gain that experience but you have an

in-house person now that's you're able to mold and build and bring into your

company all right so so many times we expect the subcontractor do the training

the helper works for them for six months decide he or she is tired of working for that particular person they want to move

on they've only got six months of training and is it formal training it's not and that's why I think having the

ability to have these associations participate in training and trying to

build a better installer program out there is essential we're look I'm hey I

was up here I'm on my downside okay but what we have to offer what what do we

have to offer we have our knowledge and that's what we need to pass on to that next Generation if they want

to be involved in this we have to show them there is a career path there is a

future in this and you don't have to drive around a beat up truck every time you go out to your job sites because

you're getting beat up on pricing so that's what it's all about and that's what these associations are doing they're trying to bring installers

together to be more professional and run your business as a business and we need

help from the retail Community why because the retailers are our partners we cannot look at them as an adversarial

partner it's atic relationship yep exactly so all right yeah John correct

though we we're learning off of each other and some of the stuff we're learning sometimes I mean it might not

be correct so it's a domino effect it's going to trickle down to the to the rest are you going to do a good installation

or are you not you know and sometimes you need that extra push that education just sometimes one little thing you

learn today it's going to advance you uh in your in your job you know and right

so yeah it either the dominal are going to fall right or they're going to fall wrong but it's gonna trickle down

somewhere um that's what I believe Jen got something to add um honestly I I

think John and gor's covered it all it's the we we have to come together really

as a community because it is like I just said a symbiotic relationship the retailer can't um can't install the

product without the installer the installer needs the retailer to sell the product I I mean we can't keep looking

at this as um a race to the bottom because it's only it's going to hurt all

of us because eventually we're going to start losing even the installers that are already involved because they can't

survive they're going they're going to leave because there's nothing in it it's for them they're they're staking their

business every time they go out and do a job so we have to have the conversation

with all of us at the table and creating those clear Pathways like John said for

that next Generation because we can't continue to operate the way we've always done things and how we get the Next

Generation into this installation Community because it it you can't go I

got into it because I know somebody or um my buddy's working for somebody who knows somebody and it no we need to show

them that hey we're as good as electricians and plumbers HVAC and by the training organizations

being present we're helping Elevate that education and knowledge so we can we can

be considered for every high school student who's looking at a trade yep I want to do

flooring thank you Jen go right ahead what you

got question prob do you believe your personality affects what type of flooring you become profession at I'm

sorry you um you believe there's a correlation between the personality your energy level the mindset on what kind of

floor you can install what type of flooring we can install no sure you

think so yeah I don't I don't I think I think if you're a go-getter you're a go-getter man it's my personality

yeah does your per it's not necessarily your person well you know when you when you start playing into emotions it's

like it's it's uh that self-esteem okay that Pride you there's

a there's a fine line be there's a fine line between

arrogance and just being humble and knowing your stuff okay I know a lot of

arrogant people that think they know everything and they don't want to share anything they think they're you know

they're they're top of the mountain and then those are the type of people I really

don't gravitate to you you are hitting it humility is a big thing so

personality you know with the person you with your own person that a lot of the personality traits are your your

upbringing you know how were your parents did did they bring you up did they bring you up to be respectful all

right did they bring you up to be you know self-driven so and so yeah when that we

talk about personality does it drive you to a certain flooring I don't know if it's it's driving you to a certain flooring but it it drives you to become

better if you've got that person the personality traits built in I think it drives you and helps drive you to

whatever you desire to reach you know what area whether it's laminate hardwood

carpet you know I think it just depends on what you feel you know you want to go

for I I don't know if I'm just I'm one of those who wants to know

everything and continually learn so I started in carpet then I got into sand

and finish hardwood then I got into tile then I got into anything that went on the floor moisture Med anything that

went on the floor I was into it so I and whatever I got into I wanted to make

sure sure that I had the best knowledge and Hands-On that I could achieve for my

own sake all right does that build up my personality yeah in a way it does

because it it makes you feel it makes you feel proud all right but

uh and that can lead into your business philosophy people see that people will

see that personality come out they're going to see someone who's confident when this when the sales comes down okay

so many salespeople you have a client this

client is coming into your store to buy to purchase flooring

okay you have to build a relationship are you building a relationship are you

just selling a job if you're just selling a job yeah I'll do it for a buck less I'll do it for a dollar less a yard

just to beat you beat the competition down the road did you just build a relationship with that client no you

just sold a job all right so you did it for the the lowest price because you

said guaranteed lowest prices really we do not operate that way our

business philosophy just remember we're probably going to be one of the most expensive

contractors you work with but you know what we're busy we are busy so selling

cheap beating up the inst dollar prices you know beating up your salese with you

know the commissions and price that's not the way to go all right if you had that BS business mindset you're not

going to we're not going to empower the next generation of of young folks coming up we are we are gonna struggle just

finding decent installers you're gonna find those installers that you know are you showing up to my job today hey hey

hey hello hello Bo I haven't heard from my installer customer calls you hey is your installer coming over um yeah just

run a little bit behind you that's not the way to run a business if you're

running your business out way on discount pricing you know what you need to get out of the flooring

industry because we're here to make money I'm here to make money I don't know about some of you but I'm here to

make money and I want to keep my money so this so back to your personality thing it does play a factor I think yeah

we're we're not going to get rich off of working uh this job like we're not going to become millionaires tomorrow uh

installing carpet but you know it is going to help a little bit of that extra

money helps you have a better vehicle have helps you have better tools um that way you can do a a better job you know

something Jorge you got to Define what rich is all right for me rich is my family my kids you know my parents my

brother my sister that's rich right yeah Rich isn't Rich isn't but the coin I can

spend or the coin I got in the bank that's not rich guys so if we if we have the wrong mindset at times understanding

what what we're here for our purpose our purpose is in interact with each other

our purpose is not not singular it's not about me and what I like to tell our

trainers is as as soon as you become the most important person in that room you

become a terrible trainer because it's about the people in that room that you're that you get to share your gifts

with right and that's that's why we're here here and that's why everybody here everybody out here is here is because

we're we're meant we're meant to interact with each other that's that's I'm sorry but that's

why we're here you got something to add there Asus we're leaving you on the corner there no yes yes I want to send a

message to let's see if you catch this um I want to send a message to all the

retails all companies all contractors installers uh new installers uh helpers

get get coming H get certified this is why uh before I get certified I was

having so many troubles to get a job so many troubles because they not leave you they think that you want to do something

WR and some we do and they still doing up there so if you if you got company or

you are a contractor you got people working for you bring it them get certified because you know why it's

going to change it's going to change a lot you're going to keep your customers the h time you're going to do better and

this is the way that I there is benefit for me because every everywhere that I

go now I I just show my certification that I'm an f and CFI they don't ask

questions they just give me the job that quick imagine that it Chang so I'm not

gonna it's not going to be mandatory but uh I suggest all the retails send you

guys to get certif certified anywhere don't matter if you don't CFI nfic some

other places um it will change you it will change you this message for you guys uh all the all the all installers

they think they like me were like I was thinking before that I know everything but uh we seen people coming CFI or nfic

for 40 years being Starling and they say they they know everything I want you put in test if you really do know everything

when they come to CFI nfic they don't know anything they fail believe me they

fail right you're absolutely right any wonder why we asked him to be a

trainer John Jen I I I just wanted to add one more

thing to what John was saying um earlier about running your business and not doing it at discounts we see a lot of

people question when they're shopping around you know our competition the big

box stores what's what's their favorite what's their favorite

sale free installation how many electricians and plumbers have

advertising of free installation why are we doing this to

ourselves why are we letting it be

done good thank you guys very much for

visiting

hey

guys do you want it tort or whatever makes it easier to get so you got you

want let's do this way and then I'll catch turn around

John one more at least there you

go

okay yeah so I'm gonna have a quick interview with a couple of the guys uh and delve into a couple of key issues

that they brought up on stage I just want to drive the point home here so or hey can I talk to you just for a

quick second jump down here sir so hey Jorge thanks for being on the

panel dude that was awesome yes sir uh I got I'm just gonna hold this mic in front of you but one of the things that

you said up there that really kind of struck me was when you start talking about getting you know you you did it

because you wanted to be around people and get better and both you and Jose or

Jesus kind of men mentioned that like there was some time frame where you were a little reluctant to getting certified

and what we say on the Huddle all the time is there's only two ways to get better right to to become good at

anything is education and experience but you can't get experience faster you can't speed up

experience you can speed up education so I wanted you to like you know kind of encourage the younger crowd based on

that you can get better faster with education right correct yeah and uh experience comes with time it's not

going to just pop out of th a you know you have to motivate yourself you have to network you have to put yourself out

there uh that way you can gain that experience uh because the education's going to be there and you're not just

going to know it from today to tomorrow it's very important though because every

little bit of Education that you actually do get it does help you out it's going to push you to the next level

and it's self motivation as well you got to make sure that you actually go out there talk to these people and just pick

their brain you know and and and try to gain as much knowledge as you can so you could take that back with you yeah getting engaged being a part of the

community is a big part yes and like I like I'm saying here is you if you douse

your years of experience in with the education and the certification so maybe

you go get your R1 and then you go practice those skills and then you go get your R2 and then you practice those

skills by the time I mean you be in the industry for five years and be far ahead of say a Jesus who's been doing it wrong

for 20 years right correct correct yeah um you definitely need to put yourself out there gain that experience because

with time you're not even going to know when you just start being better you're just gonna all of a sudden it's just GNA happen and you're going to be a little

bit better than you were yesterday well I appreciate the comments because you're you're one of the the guys we look up to

on the Huddle I mean you do such beautiful work I love following you on Facebook so so give Jorge a follow or

you know let him let him know you appreciate his work on his page he he posts a lot of really cool stuff so thanks for coming thank you man I I love

the Huddle I check you guys out all the week and there's a lot of stuff that I don't know and I have to go back and

look at the videos because it it's very important every every topic that's on there it's going to help you and it

might not help everybody but there's a topic that's going to be in there out of the 80 something probably episodes you

have that's going to touch touch you personally and there's a lot of them out there love it man thanks for joining

appreciate it hey hey Seuss come join us man hey

thanks for being on the panel that was awesome I loved your uh you know your

perspective from you were a installer that very well respected doing a lot of

work and you really thought you knew everything this is one of those things we bring up on the Huddle a lot is guys

who have been doing it for 20 years but they've been doing it wrong for 20 years and we bring that up a lot and you just

you just spoke it up here can you tell us a little bit about like you you you

already said you kind of had this realization but how did it feel when you walked into the CER you know to the CFI

and you realized man I don't know at all and and I love your ploy to Young installers to get certified yeah oh yeah

um my my my thing that to get a CFI in uh that was the the problem that I had

uh in the in the well before that um I was having to many troubles and I was

thinking that I know everything but uh in realiz real life we don't we don't and um I so a couple of mistakes so when

uh I get to CFI because um that back in those days I have like two problems in

the carpet so that's what it make me to go CFI because I want to know and it is no one to let you know nobody show you

and I you ask question that that nobody knows so the only way to get in is in a CFI so from then it changed everything

it changed everything um changed my life for sure yeah there's a lot of guys out there that are just going through the

motion of installing but they really don't know what they don't know and uh

basically the first thing they didn't even know how to do um installing tax p

and even a how stretch they just don't use power stretches so there a lot thing there a lot install they don't do they

don't use it they they know they are it's power stretches to stretch it but they don't use it so there a there a

those are big mistakes yeah and a lot of times people uh when you're not certified you don't see the importance

this is one of the things I think a lot of guys may know some of the technique that you learn at CFI but they don't

understand the importance of power stretching a room they think it just going to take them more time but in a

year and a half when that customer's rug starts curl you know starts bubbling up and wrinkling up and all that because

they just knee kicked in the room you know they're already on to the next job so so you got to have pride in your work

too right yes yes that's definitely and that's the thing that when you come to CFI they um they remind you everything

again so when you say that you you know everything and we put on test or you

come to do certification and I you fail you you fail and what your 40 years doing Flo in carpet or your hard flam so

I don't mean nothing so when uh when you get a CFI or NFC we're talking about carpet right so um it changed change

everything and every day and I still I'm I'm not say that I know now everything

we keep learning yeah it sounds like CFI also and the certifications and the trainings also help you to re kind of

become humble that everybody was talking about I mean when you're untrained a lot of times you get this ego that you think

you're just the best but I I I was there as an installer it wasn't until I went and started getting certified in

different sheet vinals that was my gig uh that I learned that like man I've been doing this wrong so the the

sooner the younger guys need to get in there and learn the the industry standards earlier to not have to go

through the 20 years of doing it wrong right and believe me uh today uh today and yesterday I just learned two things

to do steps um amazing and new tools nobody has it still not out there and

one of the guys that has it it's a master too and um everyone want that too no why they have it yeah you learned a

little bit from a master too right yeah I learn another thing so when I get back to work I know what to do better now so

that's what I'm saying come to CFI I invite all all those all those installers this message for retails

contractors installers and helpers I mean I think I think the contractors and

the retails they that's the responsibility for them to send our

installers to get drive that yeah to to get a certified because believe me any any any store any customer get to your

to to your store or bu you something um you long as this you tell them um you

would you would let know that you you got certified uh installers they will not gone anywhere else they you will

keep them and they will bu you whatever you want and but you sure they they want to do um quality work because see this

now when you get a CFI not just I get a job so because I'm certified but now you

not just alone you come the whole yeah you got you got you got a group of

people behind you and and that's a good point that you make about the the companies and and them them re you know

encourage your subcontractors to go get certified like award work based off of

the fact of how good they are and how dedicated they are to getting certified and getting that training see this is

different um when you get certified everything come along uh together um

your prices gonna change too yeah you can make some more money we don't I don't want to talk about prices or

whatever but um it would change everything well it's important like I I installed I've made a good life for my

family and and Dave Garden kind of mentioned that up there so I want to tell you that you know you're an

inspiration my man keep it going keep inspiring the young guys and uh

hopefully we can drive more of our installation Community to embrace the the education and the training and the

certifications are out there this me this message message is for uh the

contractors and installers now this only for the contractors and installer now

you contractors you installer you have helpers this is uh one thing when I was

I was say helper they don't want to let you know they know of a CFI long time

they don't want to let you go why because it's going to change please guys don't get stuck that people man don't be

hate that people because if youo doing that we're going to head TRS that's a good point people the the ones

discouraging you from getting trained or or or improving yourself through

education are the ones who are trying to keep you from advancing because they're trying to you know yeah that's a great

point so sometimes I don't want to talk too much because um we gonna get like U healing HT you know for somebody else

let mean it's not the point but uh just get satified come on guys come guys come on thanks Jus I appreciate you man it's

great great hanging out with you thank you hey guys thanks for joining us you

know give us a a like subscribe follow let us know that you like the content if

not uh let us know that you don't let us know what we can improve that's what we're all about and that's why we're here man we're we're the Huddle so we're

gonna huddle up and and break out of here all right guys