Destry Thompson Of John Stevenson Plumbing, Heating, & Air: Lessons I Learned From Last Year To Take Our Organization to the Next Level in 2024
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
You can’t have the highs without the lows. Manage the lows, and don’t let the highs feed your ego.
This series aims to discuss the experiences and lessons learned by top executives over the past year, and how these insights are shaping the landscape for change and innovation in 2024. The past year has been a time of unprecedented challenges and opportunities, requiring adaptive leadership and innovative strategies. We believe that sharing these experiences can inspire and guide others in their endeavors to drive positive change in their organizations and industries. I had the pleasure of interviewing Destry Thompson.
Destry Thompson is the General Manager of John Stevenson Plumbing, Heating and Air, a home services business based in Southern California. He was hired with the intention of growing the business to be bigger and better. He started off by focusing on the people and the processes. Process is key to success and the only way to get bigger and better was to ensure the processes in the business were solid for scalability and growth. The people will then follow because the structure is in place for them to thrive through the process implemented.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you share a little about your background and what pivotal moments led you to your current position as an executive?
I have been working for a long time. I learned from a very young age that no one was going to pave my way and it was up to me. Starting at a very young age I worked. I worked every job you can imagine in my teens. From there, I understood I had to learn how to create structure within my life, so I joined the military. I was a Navy Corpsman for about 6 years where I got to see the world and experience combat firsthand. The military showed me that people will thrive on structure, but not everyone is great at creating that structure. This is what led me to a process-driven mind.
From there I sought education and went to college. I not only wanted to be a worker, but I wanted to lead. To lead, you have to understand people. I understood leadership due to my many positions in the military, but that would only get me so far in the civilian world where people can do whatever they want and choose their path, unlike the military where if you told someone to do something and they didn’t, they could face monetary and legal repercussions. How do you get people to want to follow you? College for me was about understanding people and why they behave the way they do. So naturally, I double majored in Psychology and Political Science with a minor in Management from UC Irvine.
After college, I needed sales experience. I needed to learn communications skills and the acceptance of rejection. Every business has a sales component. It is one of the most important aspects of business that does not always get appreciated. But without sales, there can be no business. Learning what it took to get a yes from people, customers, or employees was needed if I wanted to be successful.
From there, I took the leap into General Management of John Stevenson and have not looked back. Vast work history; seeing the world and all of its diversity; learning about how people can thrive in structure; learning the Psychology behind why people act and behave the way they do; and learning how to get yes’s and accept the no’s all led to my current position as an executive.
What were the early challenges you faced in your career, and how did they shape your approach to leadership?
One of my most earliest challenges I faced in my career was I wanted to hold people to the same standards I held myself to. I learned very quickly that my standards are different from others. There are people with higher standards and expectations than myself, but my standards are pretty high. I would get angry and frustrated with those that did “put in the work”. But slowly I realized it was my choice to accept people for who they are and help those that wanted to be helped.
Another challenge I had when I first entered the Plumbing and HVAC business was I had absolutely no experience with the trades. I always knew the stability the trades offered, but I had no technical knowledge at all of the industry. This made it very difficult to build trust with the employees. In fact, when I first started, I lost a lot of the employees because of my lack of knowledge. But I soon learned that as long as I was a leader and led people, industry knowledge would come second. If I made a promise, I kept it. The promise I made to the people I led was going to ensure that I gave them the tools they needed to succeed. Whether that be technical, sales, or leadership development training.
We often learn the most from our mistakes. Can you share one that you made that turned out to be one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned?
Not everyone will get there. As a leader, you want everyone to succeed. You want them to get what they want out of life. But if they don’t, you can not blame yourself. As long as you do what you think is right. As long as you keep working at it. I learned that we should do things because they are the right thing to do, not because of what we will get out of it. What we get out of it is the by-product. We can not hold ourselves accountable for the ones that don’t get there as long as we are working at it with them.
As an executive, how do you define success, both personally and for your organization?
I’ve learned that success is a journey, not a destination. It’s about setting ambitious yet realistic goals, measuring our progress, and celebrating milestones along the way. It’s about continuously learning, evolving, and striving to be the best version of ourselves, both individually and as a company.
On a personal level, success for me means fostering a work environment where every team member feels valued, empowered, and motivated to excel. It’s about cultivating a culture of continuous improvement, where we’re not just meeting industry standards but surpassing them. Personally, success is also about maintaining a healthy work-life balance and being present for my family.
For our organization, success goes beyond just financial metrics, although that is undoubtedly important. It involves delivering exceptional service to our customers, earning their trust, and building long-lasting relationships. Success means staying at the forefront of industry innovations, embracing sustainable practices, and adapting swiftly to market changes. It’s about fostering a reputation for reliability, quality workmanship, and integrity within our industry.
Reflecting on 2023, what was the most unexpected challenge you faced, and how did you navigate it?
Growth comes at a cost. As a business, we have grown on average about 32% every year for about 9 years. Some years were more, some less. I always thought growth was what I wanted. That I wanted to create something big. I wanted a legacy; something that would stand the test of time. While I still want that, it can’t be reckless. In order to sustain growth, there has to be a strong foundation. If you grow it on cracks, when it gets to a certain size, the structure will crumble because of the cracks in the foundation. The one thing I learned was not to focus on the growth, but focus on filling the cracks.
What was a significant risk you took this year, and how did it turn out?
One of the most significant risks we took as a business was doing away with a couple of things we had set in place for our employees such as a 4 ten hour work week and guaranteed hours for field-level employees. While these are great in theory, in this industry it is really difficult. In Southern California the weather is amazing. We really do not have seasons. As a business, we never rely on the weather, but it certainly helps. When there is no weather and sales decrease due to a number of different factors, it is too difficult to keep a thriving business profitable. The larger we got, the harder it was to maintain the swings in sales. We had to make a decision to do away with these things. The risk was us losing a lot of staff that came to us because of these things. We did lose a few, but the majority of employees understood and rallied with us to make it work and we continued to get better in spite of the change and grow. It was a difficult decision to make, but had we not had the philosophy of taking care of our employees in the first place, we would have lost a lot more. Take care of your employees, and they will take care of you, even when the hard decisions have to be made to take care of the business so that it can take care of everyone.
How has your company’s mission or purpose affected its overall success? Can you explain the methods or metrics you use to evaluate the impact of this purpose-driven strategy on your organization?
Our company slogan is “A homeowner’s best friend”. This is a reflection of how we treat our customers. We aim to make every customer’s experience with us as smooth as possible and provide quality service that is worthy of a word of mouth referral. Many of our new customers are referrals from past customers.
When we get a new customer, we always ask them how they heard about us. While they likely heard of us from many other forms of advertising, more often than not, people say a neighbor or a friend told them about us.
Some of the metrics we use to evaluate if our level of service is the best is our repeat customers versus our new customers. Every year I want to see more and more repeat customers than new ones. This lowers our marketing dollars for new customer acquisitions but also increases the likelihood that the customers we have share the same “why” as us and will get extreme value out of the services we offer.
Have you ever faced a situation where your commitment to your purpose and creating a positive social impact clashed with the profitability in your business? Have you ever been challenged by anyone on your team or have to make a tough decision that had a significant impact on finances? If so, how did you address and reconcile this conflict?
If you look at my answer to “what significant risks were taken this year” it goes hand in hand. We had to make the decision to go away from the 4 ten work week and guaranteed hours. It hurt a lot to do this because we always thought it was something that made us great. We did it for our employees, so they would have a better work life balance and not have to worry about whether they would work or not. As stated above, it was too hard to manage the bigger we got. We would have really great periods followed by low periods in regards to sales. We had to reconcile that taking care of the business is taking care of the employee. If the business is not healthy, how can it provide for everyone? To take care of the people, we had to make sure the business was taken care of.
Could you list the top five things you’ve learned in 2023, with specific examples of how these lessons impacted your decisions or strategies? If you can, please share a story or example for each.
1 . Don’t stop, things work out for those who work at it. Things will get hard, there is no question. Keep working at it and it will all work out.
2 . Don’t overwork yourself or your staff. Take breaks, the business will be there.
3 . Change is constant, you have to change in business to stay relevant. When you change, not all may see the vision in the change and that’s okay.
4 . Everyone has value to your business, but not everyone belongs in every seat.
5 . You can’t have the highs without the lows. Manage the lows, and don’t let the highs feed your ego.
How have these top five lessons from 2023 changed your outlook or approach for 2024?
There is more intent and focus on achieving the results through daily structure and process.
In terms of innovation and adaptation, what’s one change you implemented in 2023 or plan to do in 2024 that you believe will be crucial for the future of your business?
Pricing our services and products in a way that will sustain the business through time. With the rising cost of everything, it will be a necessity to make sure we are priced appropriately to continue to remain in business for another 30 years and meet rising labor, material and, and general business expenses.
As a leader, how do you foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement within your team or organization?
By always learning and improving yourself. Being a leader is like being a parent, what you do they will do. We have to show them that if they continuously work on themselves, they will get what they want out of life. But actions speak louder than words. We can not tell people to read books if we don’t. We can not tell them to eat healthy if we don’t. We can not tell them to be active if we are not. We have to lead by example. Culture starts at the top and trickles down. Your people are who you are.
Looking at the broader industry landscape, what emerging trends do you think will be most influential in the coming year?
One of the most influential trends is the increased focus on energy efficiency and sustainability. With growing environmental concerns and regulations, consumers and businesses are prioritizing energy-efficient solutions and eco-friendly practices. This includes the adoption of high-efficiency HVAC systems, smart thermostats, and water-saving plumbing fixtures.
There is also a rising demand for water conservation solutions and water quality improvement measures. This includes the installation of water-efficient appliances, such as low-flow toilets and faucets, as well as water filtration and purification systems. As water scarcity issues become more pronounced, these innovations play a crucial role in promoting sustainability and resource conservation.
Our industry is seeing a shift towards personalized and customized services. Customers are seeking tailored solutions that meet their specific needs and preferences, whether it’s custom-designed HVAC systems, personalized maintenance plans, or energy audits.
If you and I were having a conversation one year from now, and we were looking back at the past 12 months, what specifically has to happen for you to be happy with your progress?
I would like to continue to see substantial growth in our customer base and revenue. This growth should be driven by our ability to consistently deliver high-quality services, exceed customer expectations, and earn positive referrals and reviews.
I am also aiming for significant advancements in our technological capabilities and service offerings. This includes the integration of smart home technologies, energy-efficient solutions, and innovative HVAC systems into our portfolio. I want our company to be at the forefront of industry trends and technology, providing cutting-edge solutions to our clients.
I am prioritizing the development of our team by investing in ongoing training, apprenticeships, and career development programs. These will all be crucial in achieving this goal. A well-trained and motivated team is essential for delivering exceptional service and maintaining customer satisfaction.
I continue to aim for a stronger presence in our local community and industry. This involves active participation in community events, sponsorships, and partnerships with other businesses and organizations. Building a positive reputation and strong relationships will help us attract new customers and opportunities.
I will be happy with our progress if we continue to achieve significant growth, technological advancements, team development, community engagement, operational efficiency, and sustainability in the coming year. These milestones will not only drive our business forward but also ensure we continue to provide exceptional service and value to our customers.
How can our readers further follow your work or your company online?
Readers can find our website at https://www.johnstevensonplumbing.com/
We also post helpful articles on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JohnStevensonPlumbingHeatingandAir
We also have a Google business page where readers can see for themselves how many outstanding customer reviews we have: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZGRYrSD6tn5pTnh36
This was great. Thanks for taking time for us to learn more about you and your business. We wish you continued success!
About the Interviewer: Chad Silverstein, a seasoned entrepreneur with over two decades of experience as the Founder and CEO of multiple companies. He launched Choice Recovery, Inc., a healthcare collection agency, while going to The Ohio State University, His team earned national recognition, twice being ranked as the #1 business to work for in Central Ohio. In 2018, Chad launched [re]start, a career development platform connecting thousands of individuals in collections with meaningful employment opportunities, He sold Choice Recovery on his 25th anniversary and in 2023, sold the majority interest in [re]start so he can focus his transition to Built to Lead as an Executive Leadership Coach. Learn more at www.chadsilverstein.com
Destry Thompson Of John Stevenson Plumbing, Heating, & Air: Lessons I Learned From Last Year To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.