Sweeping Magazine- August 2019

Sweeping August 2019 VOLUME 43 #7

The Journal of Chimney and Venting Technology

What Do You Need To Unlearn?

Hire the Best or Create your Own Elite Team?

Meet a Member— John Bently

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Departments President’s Letter 3 In Case You Missed It 4 Editor’s Letter 5 Tech Q&A 12 Coach’s Corner 18 History Project 20 Membership Memo 24 Dates and Events 26 New Members 33 Around the Tech Center 34 Classifieds 35 Darwin Award 36

Table of Contents

On the Cover: CSIA and NCSG Education Director Russ Dimmitt (right) instructs students during field day of the National Chimney Sweep Training School.

Sweeping August 2019 Volume 43 Issue 6

Features What Do You Need To Unlearn?

Hire the Best or Create your Own Elite Team?

Meet a Member: John Bently

6 16 21 August 2019

Smoke Chambers and Cast in Place Liner Installation (866) 283-8667 Ext. 706

Factory Built Fireplace Installation and Replacement (866) 283-8667 Ext. 701

Dryer Vents (866) 283-8667 Ext. 707

Gas Appliance Venting, Gas Logs and NFPA 54 (866) 283-8667 Ext. 702 Oil Appliance Venting and NFPA 31 (866) 283-8667 Ext. 703 Chimney Inspection, Documentation and NFPA 211 (Levels of Inspection) (866) 283-8667 Ext. 704

Installation and Venting of Pellet Stoves (866) 283-8667 Ext. 708 IRC and NFPA 211 (Code Questions) (866) 283-8667 Ext. 709 Customer Service and Customer Communication (866) 283-8667 Ext. 710 General Sweeping and Repair (866) 283-8667 Ext. 711

NATIONAL CHIMNEY SWEEP GUILD BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2019-2020

TECHNICAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Masonry Fireplace Construction and Restoration (866) 283-8667 Ext. 700

2 S W E E P I N G

STAFF

Resources 2155 Commercial Drive Plainfield, IN 46168 (317) 837-1500 Fax: (317) 837-5365

Megan McMahon Executive Director mmcmahon@ncsg.org

Penny Seals Academic Coordinator pseals@ncsg.org

Darcy Marlett Director of Communications and Marketing dmarlett@ncsg.org

Sara Sichting Systems and Records Coordinator ssichting@ncsg.org

Russell Dimmitt Education Director rdimmitt@ncsg.org

Annemarie Stockton Membership & Outreach Coordinator astockton@ncsg.org

Charissa Benge Mahaffey Office Coordinator cmahaffey@ncsg.org Donna Lee Kasmer CSIA Certification Coordinator dkasmer@csia.org

August 2019

COMMITTEE CHAIRS and TASK FORCES 2019 – 2020

Be advised that advice given by NCSG’s Technical Advisory Council (TAC) reflects best practices of the chimney sweeping industry. However, we are unable to account for any particular type of situation since regional variations in construction practices and additional environmental, physical and geographical factors necessarily vary the level of service appropriate for a particular fireplace and/or chimney.

Additionally, local laws and ordinances may govern and/ or supersede the information and any recommendations provided. Final determinations are the responsibility of a local professional with firsthand knowledge of the situation, and the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). Neither NCSG nor any member of TAC will be held liable for any damages whatsoever resulting from the use of or reliance on information provided by anyone associated with TAC. By your use of this member benefit you acknowledge acceptance of these terms.

Region 6 Bob Ferrari (530) 941-5818 bob@flueseason.com

Vice President, Region 4 Jeff Keefer 513-248-9600 info@chimneycareco.com

At-Large Director Tom Hunkele (515) 249-6337 topnotchchimney@gmail.com

Treasurer, Region 3 Ron Rust (803) 730-5858 tophatswp@aol.com

At-Large Director Steven Scally (603) 895-8746 firesidesweeps@comcast.net

Secretary, Region 1 Matt Mair (603) 525-7905 matt@blackmoosechimney. com

At-Large Director Joe Sauter (317) 243-9687 joe@yourchimneysweep.com

Region 2 Bill Thornton (215) 540-9787 wissahickonvalleysweep@ yahoo.com

Stainless Steel Liner Installation (866) 283-8667 Ext. 705 To contact any member of the Technical Advisory Council, please call (866) 283-8667 and select the extension for the person who is best qualified to answer your question:

President, Region 5 Jasper Drengler (715) 304-8934 drengler01@gmail.com

Supplier Representative Stuart Karanovich (765) 966-5084 stuartk@saversystems.com

Bylaws Jeff Keefer 513-248-9600 info@chimneycareco.com

NFPA 211 Representative Jim Brewer (757) 523-2400 jbrewer@magic-sweep.com

Ethics Joe Sauter (317) 243-9687 joe@yourchimneysweep.com

NFPA 31 Representative John Pilger (631) 863-2460 chimneyman@aol.com

Governance Tom Hunkele (641) 774-8056 topnotchchimney@gmail.com

NFPA 54 Jim Brewer (757) 523-2400 jbrewer@magic-sweep.com

Government Affairs Jeff Keefer 513-248-9600 info@chimneycareco.com

Technical Advisory Council Michael Segerstrom (908) 253-9190 chimneysweeps@optonline.net

International Relations John Pilger (631) 863-2460 chimneyman@aol.com

Scholarship Committee Gregg Boss (636) 391-2226 englishsweep@att.net

Membership Bob Ferrari (530) 221-3331 bob@flueseason.com

ADVERTISING RATES for Sweeping: The Journal of Chimney & Venting Technology may be obtained by contacting Malisa Minetree at (317) 815-4688 or sweepingads@me.com Layout and design by David Bruce, Red2 Design Bureau NCSG encourages industry partners to submit press releases and articles to editor Darcy Marlett at dmarlett@ncsg.org. Submissions should contain items of interest or importance to the chimney and venting industry. Submissions should not contain direct solicitations, prices, or a call to action on the part of our readers. Submissions may contain images or artwork attached in a .jpg format.

In all cases, NCSG reserves the right to edit submissions to fit space limitations, keep the release and publish at a later date, or refuse to publish the release for any reason. Neither publishing, nor refusing to publish the submission should be considered a statement of NCSG’s opinion regarding the release.

NCSG further reserves the right to reject at any time any advertising determined not to be in keeping with the publication’s standards.

Acceptance of advertising by Sweeping magazine does not necessarily constitute endorsement of products or services advertised. NCSG does not make any effort to review or substantiate claims made by advertisers. © 2019 National Chimney Sweep Guild, 2155 Commercial Drive, Plainfield, IN 46168. (317) 837-1500

O

ne of my favorite things about this industry is the variety of different homes and fireplaces I get to see and build. I love fixing things when others say it can’t be done.

This fall will mark 21 years since I took my first certification exam, yet I still find myself taking classes every few months.

I still find things I’ve never seen before and I enjoy the challenge.

The CSIA certification is just the baseline minimum level of education in my opinion. You need to continue your education so that you provide the public with the best service possible.

Every day we are giving people the impression that it is ok to start a fire in their home.

This is a huge responsibility and one that I don’t take lightly. One side effect of continued training is confidence along with profitability.

President’s

Letter Jasper Drengler

President

Hope to see you at a class soon!

Jasper Drengler NCSG President

Never Stop Learning.

3 S W E E P I N G August 2019

In Case You

Missed

it…

4 S W E E P I N G August 2019

Call for Speakers Do you have a great idea for a breakout session at the 2020 NCSG National Convention?

Applications are now open to present in Orlando!

Go to www.ncsgconvention.org/call-for-speakers to apply!

Renewal Season is Here!

You can now renew your membership for the 2019 – 2020 membership year.

Renewing is easy! Log into NCSG.org to pay your invoice online.

Nominations for Meet a Member Do you know a friend or colleague doing great work in our industry that deserves a little recognition? Nominate them to be featured on NCSG.org and Sweeping magazine in the Meet a Member feature.

Send names to Annemarie Stockton at astockton@ncsg.org.

Greetings Sweeps!

Welcome to the Continuing Education issue of Sweeping Magazine!

Throughout this issue you will find tons of advice from experts on why continuing to learn and grow your skillset is so important for both you and your employees. Both this month’s Coach’s Corner and Tech Q and A articles tackle this subject and Taylor Hill and Carter Harkins’ article adds a twist by focusing on what you need to “unlearn.” Guest writer Dave Rosenberg is back this month with thoughts on why it might be better to create your own ideal candidate through training than hiring them?

You’ll also want to take a look at this month’s History Project to see photos of the very first National Chimney Sweep Training School. Over in the Meet a Member section you can learn more about John Bentley who in addition to running his own supplier and service companies is also a CSIA instructor.

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5 S W E E P I N G

What Do You Need To Unlearn?

By Taylor Hill and Carter Harkins

Spark Marketer h, school, the place we go to learn the fundamentals on which to build our futures. Where we learn acceptable social behavior, how to follow instructions, and of course: writing, reading, and arithmetic.

But school can also be the place where we’re taught things we need to unlearn.

A

6 S W E E P I N G

What do we mean? For just a moment, think back on your school experience...

Maybe you struggled with dyslexia and were taught you’re a BAD reader.

Maybe you struggled with math once you got past the basics and were taught you’re BAD at math.

Maybe you didn’t do so hot on tests — even when you knew the material — and were taught you’re a BAD test-taker.

Truth is, in school many of us learned to put ourselves into these fixed boxes that limited us and limited our future. We learned that labels could sum up people and their abilities, and that labels were forever, unchanging.

August 2019

Here’s why that’s a problem: Think about it…

If you’re stamped with the label “bad reader” at the age of 10, how excited are you going to be about reading? Not very. You’ll probably avoid reading instead of working to improve your reading abilities, because you’ll have anxiety around it due to the damning label you’ve been given.

Even now, as an adult, you may be hesitant to go out and get your hands on the business books and growth books that could help propel you to the next level, because in the back of your head that thought still lingers: “I’m a bad reader...”

Or what if you’re told at 14 that math and your brain just don’t mix? Why would you continue to strain and sweat over solving problems? Facts are facts, you might as well get used to leaving numbers to others.

Now, years later, maybe you can’t even look at the numbers in your business without getting anxiety.

So you put off budget-related tasks and just hope things work out. After all, you’re “bad at math,”

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so there’s no point in trying to understand.

Or what if you’re told at 16 that tests are your worst enemy and that, while others may do well on them, you might as well not even try? How likely is it that you’re going to go for goals that involve passing tests?

You might completely write off a career growth opportunity if a test is involved because your mind has already been made up for you. You’ll fail. Why bother? So you stick to where you are instead of going for that next certification or that next big goal. If you don’t take the risk, you can’t fail, right?

It’s time to do some unlearning.

‘Cos here’s the thing: there are no absolutes when it comes to who you are and what you’re capable of. Honestly.

You may be thinking, “Oh yeah? Well, what if I want to be an Olympic athlete, now, in my 50s?” Okay, go for it — it’s not

8 S W E E P I N G August 2019

too late! That’s what the National Senior Games a.k.a. The Senior Olympics is for.

The real thing stopping you isn’t age — it’s that you haven’t committed to putting in the amount of time and energy needed to become the best.

That doesn’t mean you can’t. It just means you haven’t made that the most important thing in your life, which is pretty much a requirement if you want to become a top athlete.

If you let the lessons you learned about who you are and what you’re capable of — in school, in relationships, in family situations, and elsewhere — determine what you run towards and what you run from, you’ll never grow. You’ll never challenge yourself.

You’ll play it safe. The things that don’t seem to be second nature to you will scare you.

And instead of running into the fear, allowing yourself room to fail and time to grow, you’ll always be the kid who is bad at ______.

The point is: everybody has fear, but you

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get to decide what you’ll do with that fear.

Will you let it paralyze you or will you let it motivate you? No one gets to decide for you.

dream; co-authors of the book, Blue Collar Proud: 10 Principles for Building a Kickass Business You Love; and co-creators of the award-winning follow-up system, Closing Commander™, which helps contractors close more estimates effortlessly. Both regularly speak at service industry trade shows and conferences across the nation. sparkmarketer. com, closingcommander.com, @bcpshow, facebook.com/ sparkmarketer, facebook.com/bcpshow/, facebook.com/groups/ bluecollarproudnation/, facebook.com/closingcommander/

So as we celebrate continuing education in this month’s issue of NCSG Sweeping, we urge you to challenge yourself and the labels that have been put on you over the years.

Ask yourself, “What old things do I need to unlearn so I can learn new things?”

Pick one label or limitation and tear it off. It might be uncomfortable, but it will definitely be rewarding. Because even if you fail and it turns out that ______ is not your strong suit, you still gave it your all and didn’t let fear or outside limitations prevent you from trying.

And trust us, the feeling that comes from doing something that someone told you you couldn’t or wouldn’t do is one of the best in the world.

Taylor Hill and Carter Harkins are the co-founders of Spark Marketer, a Nashville-based digital marketing company that works primarily with service businesses. They’re also the co-hosts of the Blue Collar Proud (BCP) Show, the podcast that’s all about having and living the blue collar

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12 S W E E P I N G

Question: I see advertisements and promotions for classes all over the place. From suppliers and manufacturers, from certification organizations, from guilds and other professional organizations. I’ve been working on chimneys for years.

I don’t have codes in my area, I’ve never been sued, my customers are happy, and chimneys haven’t really changed much.

Is getting training and education really that important?

August 2019

Answer: Yes, for many reasons!

We are in a service business.

One of the biggest things continuing education will do is help us better serve and protect our clients. In a lot of ways too! We can learn about new products that add safety, performance or efficiency.

We can learn things to help us become better inspectors or better repair technicians.

We can even get valuable information on pending government regulations that can affect our client’s current and future plans, like wood stove regulations and model eliminations for example.

By getting additional education and training on a regular basis, we simply become better at what we do. And with ongoing training, we keep getting better! This will save our clients money, make them happier, and reduce their risks. These are inevitable results.

And at the same time, we are protecting ourselves, our businesses, and our employees if we have them. By better serving our clients, we are almost automatically reducing our liability. We are seeing more, understanding more, offering better solutions. By getting ourselves educated, we’re able to educate our clients better, and potentially reduce their risks when they use their system.

Essentially, by improving the client’s system and having them use it better, our liability can be reduced. And remember, this is an added benefit to the client’s risks being reduced.

Much of the education offered these days focuses on

technician safety. This is a big deal. As the industry has matured, it has become more aware of technician risks, and the industry has now brought a lot of safety products and services to the table. Fall protection, safe roof access, respiratory protection, skin protection and other aspects have come a long way and we’ve seen some big changes in recent years. If we are safer while working, that provides benefits that don’t have a price tag.

There are also many business classes available. These will go hand-in-hand with classes on new products and methods that make us more efficient.

If we are more efficient, and have learned better business strategies and practices through training, we become more profitable. And often in the business training, we learn from the failures of other folks. They will share with us what didn’t work and why, and then what has worked. Whether we want to grow our company, operate lean, or go paperless, there are many beneficial business classes available to us. And as new business technology becomes available, we usually get classes on that too.

Continuing education can help us stay on top of codes and standards changes too. While we may not think we have codes in our service area, in reality, what we might not have is actual code enforcement.

Most of the states have adopted the ICC codes, while some may use the NFPA 211 or other codes for chimneys. Many states that adopted codes, have not implemented localized

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code enforcement yet. But the state requirement will still be that we follow certain codes, so even though an inspector might not come in behind us, we still should.

These are just a few reasons to consider receiving training and education, and on a continuing basis.

We may be great at what we do, and maybe we never even got trained to be great. What really counts is what we learn after we know it all.

Training and education may confirm that we’ve been doing it right all along, but there are always things to learn to make us even better. Often when folks start taking classes that they never did before, they have multiple eye-opening moments.

And they are excited to return to work after these classes, trying new and better things!

And the great thing about this industry, is that the Education and Training opportunities are becoming frequent and widespread throughout the country. National and local guild and association meetings, manufacturer trainings, and even industry-specific consultants that will bring training to us, are all great opportunities. Many of these are very affordable, and some can even be free with certain memberships. And many great online opportunities are also now available to us. Whether you are new or have been working on chimneys for some time, new and continuing training and education are priceless!

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Hire the Best or Create your Own Elite Team?

by Dave Rosenberg, CPBA|CPDFA, Principal of Locked On Leadership, LLC Hiring the Best, a Failed Leadership Strategy

T 16 S W E E P I N G

oday, we are going to discuss why building a team by hiring the best most accomplished people in their field is a leadership strategy that is doomed to failure.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that if someone walks in your door and they are clearly a self-driven, top performer, one of those truly gifted individuals with the Midas touch that you pass on hiring, that would be just plain foolish.

What I am saying is that if you plan on building your team that way, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

There are three major flaws with “Hiring the Best” as a strategy. The first is scarcity. In any given population, 68% or 2/3rds of the members exist within 1 standard deviation of the mean or average. Without getting into a lengthy, and boring conversation about statistics (my apologies

August 2019

to any statistician and actuaries that enjoy that sort of thing), this means that 2 out of every 3 job applicants hover around average. With 1/3 slightly better than average and 1/3 slightly below average. The remaining 1/3 are evenly split between top performers and bottom performers so you have a 1/6, or 16% chance of interviewing someone who is a “much greater than average” candidate.

Top Performers, Not Easy to Find Those chances are slim enough but the problem is actually compounded. First, there is the problem of who is looking for work. There are many reasons why a “top performer” may be on the market, relocations, downsizing or bad cultural fit come to mind, but, all things being equal, these top performers are coveted so when we hire one, we tend to hold on to them. By comparison, bottom feeders are a dime a dozen. This skews the odds against having a top performer walk in your door.

Then, there is the problem of identifying top performers. Many organizations, especially small closely held companies, rely on resumes and personal interviews to identify good candidates.

I’ve written before on what I consider the only two useful pieces of information to get from a resume, hard skills and a pattern of employment.

While hard skills may be useful if you are hiring for a technical position that requires time to achieve competency, such as engineering, coding, accounting, etc. If you are looking for someone with soft skills, resumes don’t really help.

To determine a candidate’s soft skills, there is a tendency to rely on references from past supervisors. Past supervisors may be useful in determining that someone is unfit for a position, but they are useless if you are trying to identify a top performer. The reason is simple, your culture is probably different and maybe drastically different than your competitors. A top performer someplace else may not thrive in your environment and a mediocre performer elsewhere may come alive in your culture.

for potential mangers.

Studies have shown that without using any assessments the success rate in hiring is only 16%, the same as the odds of hiring a top performer, but by using 3 or more assessments you can achieve a 90% success rate.

In the words of famed author Jim Collins, “This is how you make sure you are getting the right people in the right seats on the bus.”

As a former Naval Officer and President of several companies, Dave Rosenberg understands the difficulties of managing tasks and personnel. Now he is on a mission to replace TGI Friday with TGI Monday. Dave is the founder and principal at Locked On Leadership, a consulting firm that focuses on practical tactical leadership skills that yield results. He is a Certified Professional Behavioral and Driving Forces Analyst and has worked with over 60 companies in 13 states arming them to achieve sustained and managed growth. Learn more at https:// lockedonleadership.com

Finally, there is the problem of compensation.

Few companies are positioned to pay the top dollar a true top performer demands. You may be able to get some but the odds are you don’t have resources to support an entire team of proven top performers if you can find them.

Hiring for Potential – the Basis for Creating Your Own Elite Team If you can’t hire the best, then we have to develop our team to be the best. That means hiring team members that have the potential to become elite operators. This means you need a method to assess a candidate’s values, soft skills, behavioral style and emotional intelligence to make sure they are a fit for your organization.

It’s why I strongly recommend the use of assessments as part of any team acquisition strategy. We need to assess the candidate’s values to make sure they are in line with your organization’s. We want to look at a candidate’s behavioral style and make sure they complement the position’s requirements and provide behavioral diversity in your organization. You can measure soft skills competencies so you know if you are setting up your new hire for success or if there are areas that will need support. Finally, assessing emotional intelligence is an absolute requirement

17 S W E E P I N G August 2019

Coach’s

Corner Jerry Isenhour

How To Build Rock Star Techs In Record Time

18

O

ne of the challenges of today’s business world that affects the chimney and venting industry is transforming new recruits into productive and profitable members of your team. This could be for any position in your company from technician, to customer service representative, or any other positions within your company.

First, let me share a real-life story about how this works for more and more companies. I recently presented a seminar I have presented for a number of years on chimney diagnosis, this is an advanced level course and to get the most out of the seminar you need to have the basic knowledge of the subject matter to understand the content of the seminar.

There were two technicians in attendance with limited industry experience, one had 30 days, and another had 90 days. But as we went through the class, these two guys were not only able to absorb the information but were able to speak with confidence and put the information to use. If I did not know better, I would have assumed these guys had years of experience.

What did these guys do to develop these skills? It was the result of a dedicated training program using virtual programming as well as course assignment through a set learning path and curriculum.

Then there was tracking and measurement of their progress.

There was also accountability to stick to the process. In other words, the leadership must support the process, and believe in it. It takes

S W E E P I N G August 2019

commitment on the part of the leadership to reach the goal.

This is a paradigm shift from the way many of us learned in our development stage. We may have studied a certification manual, perhaps attended a certification seminar and then gained the mark of certified. But to move to the high level required in today’s world this is allimportant as the mission is to be the community authority. After all, this is what we promote on our marketing materials such as our websites, social outreach and other marketing.

To build these rock stars it requires you to decide this is your process. This also means you must hire the right people. As such the interview and assessment process are important. The next step is the right onboarding process to get them on the team. Then the leadership must track, measure and hold accountable the people they are leading.

If this is a process you want to engage, the path is clear.

In today’s world technology has provided us new tools, it is up to you how you will put it to work for you.

The following is a summary of the process if you are ready to implement: 1. Subscribe to a virtual training platform, it may be more than one platform, there are several to choose from for the industry.

2. Develop the buy-in by your team members, if you want to understand how others do it, the following is a webinar that features several industry company owners explaining their methods of buy-in.

Now the title of this was building rock star techs, but the process works for any position within your company. Consider this for any member of you team, after all isn’t a team of true rock stars what we really want?

https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=6OM8YITYgCA

Let us know how we can help you move to the level you envision you want to go, isn’t it time for your business dreams to become your business realities?

3. Develop a reward system, let’s face it, you will never get the buy-in you need without a reward system for excelling. This is called gamification in that we set the rewards as a game within the company.

Gamification is a tremendous learning tool.

4. Assign the courses, this is called a learning path. Be sure to assign the courses in the order you want them taken.

5. Track the results 6. Hold goal setting and accountability meetings with your team members weekly

About the Author: Jerry Isenhour is an industry consultant, educator and coach who authors a monthly article in Sweeping as a service to the industry. A Past President of NCSG & CSIA along with serving in several volunteer industry positions over his career. For more information about Jerry and how his team can assist you individually and your business in your quest for success and your ascent to the next level, take a look at his web site www.cvcsuccessgroup.com He can be contacted at jerry@cvcsuccessgroup.com or by phone at (704) 425-0217.

You can also obtain great business tips from his Facebook page CVC Coaching and YouTube channel CVC Coaching.

7. Celebrate excellence by your team members, this involves congratulating those who excel and making it a big deal for you and for them.

8. Stay the course you have set; you are developing new habits for learning.

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August 2019

19 S W E E P I N G

History

Project

Are you a graduate of the National Chimney Sweep Training School?

Since 1992 the CSIA has had the privilege of welcoming students from across the country (and a few from across the world!) to learn and train.

Read below the original article in Sweeping announcing the very first school and enjoy some photos from the first class.

20 S W E E P I N G August 2019

Meet A

Member John Bently Meet John Bently with Duct Doctor LTD. and Duct Cleaners’ Supply in New Richland, Minnesota. Many of you have taken his classes, now let’s get to know him a little better.

What is a question you get asked most about being a chimney sweep/chimney sweeping/ the industry?

There are still chimney sweeps?

How did you get started in the industry?

In the early 80s, we built our house and heated it with wood. I had been doing service and maintenance in a number of fields for many years. When it came to stove maintenance I had gotten the equipment needed and swept and maintained the wood furnace and venting system. While at a home show, I met someone who had a sweeping business and several years later, I saw an ad in the newspaper that they were looking to hire someone. I applied and got the job. At that time, the company had just expanded into air duct cleaning.

What advice do you wish you had received when you were getting started?

Don’t stress, just do your best. If you take your time and treat the customer well you will do well. It takes time to build a business.

August 2019

21 S W E E P I N G

What is the biggest challenge you face on the job? What are your best strategies for overcoming it?

Finding the best way to educate the customer. Everyone is different and grasps information in different ways. If you can pass along relevant information in a way that the customer understands it can make a huge difference in how they view the issues regarding the systems you are working on and their trust in you as a professional in your field. What I find works well is using analogies to common things in everyday life. When the customer says, “that makes sense”, I know I have made a connection.

Who was your most famous customer?

A singer that most people have heard the songs.

Have you ever attended NCSG Annual Convention & Trade Show? If so, what was your favorite takeaway?

Many times, though I don’t know exactly how many conventions. The “favorite” takeaway is a tough one since there are more than one. First is the people, there are so many awesome people I have met over the years.

So much to learn from seminars and people. If you are having a challenge, someone else has been through it also. You can call that the “Lighthouse” or “Beacon” effect. They can give you some information that can help you navigate through the darkness and make it through challenging times.

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S W E E P I N G

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August 2019

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What is your proudest accomplishment?

My wife and I raising our three children. They are all thoughtful adults who try to make things in their sphere of influence better by helping those around them.

Have you ever had to make your own tool to solve a particular problem?

Yes. I have been doing service work for many years/decades. I have always modified or made my own tools. That’s where the supply side of our business came in. When we come across a challenge, we do something about it and the result is usually a new tool, product or technique.

Weirdest thing you have ever found in a chimney?

30+ Blackbirds filling a woodstove and the stove pipe.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Fireworks. I am a licensed Pyrotechnician What is, in your opinion, the most valuable part of being a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild?

The people and the community.

23 S W E E P I N G August 2019

Membership

Memo

By Annemarie Stockton Membership & Outreach Coordinator

F

all is fast approaching and we know many of you are ready for the busy season. Alain Parcan with NCSG member benefit provider Market Hardware has some tips to make your website to stand out from the crowd.

When it comes to getting your business in front of potential customers in your service area, a Website is an essential piece of the puzzle. With more and more customers researching companies online before hiring them, any company that’s missing a Website lacks the necessary credibility to add new customers, and ends up missing out on new business. In one noteworthy report, researchers found that 63% of consumers primarily use a business’s Website to find and engage with a local service.

So if your company has a Website – great, you’ve passed step one!

But if you’re going to stand out among the pack, it’s going to take some added effort. Here are three ways to make your chimney cleaning Website stand out from the rest:

3 Ways to Make Your Chimney Cleaning Website Stand Out From the Rest 24

1. Provide Educational Content There’s a lot on a customer’s mind when they search for a local chimney sweep. They want to know if your business can solve their problem, if they can trust you and if you know what you’re talking about. This is where it helps to host educational content about your industry.

Your content can take the form of blog posts, FAQs or pages with detailed information about your services. This helps win over smart shoppers who like to know as much as they can about a topic before they close on a deal. Not everyone is familiar with why it’s important to clean your chimney annually, but you can break the mold and list some information on your Website that spells out how dangerous creosote buildup can be.

Even if the consumer doesn’t end up making a deal with you, featuring this educational material on your Website will do the following: • Establish your company as an industry expert that knows what it’s talking about • Create a relationship between the customer and your business where they know they can trust you without any sales pitches • Help customers make an empowered decision they can feel good about, rather than a skeptical choice stemming from sales tactics.

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• Increase the chance your website is shown for relevant searches on Google

2. Use Personalized Visual Media

August 2019

Another way to get in front of your competitors is by posting visual content that is unique, personalized and high quality. When perusing a series of chimney service sites, there’s two ends of the spectrum that Websites tend to fall in. On one end, there are the sites with low-quality images taken from a cell phone. On the other end, you’ll find sites that showcase the same stock images as dozens of other companies. The key is to find a spot in the middle ground

that combines quality with personalization.

Enlisting the help of a professional photographer (or even someone with a great camera) to take some photos of your office and team is a great way to let your customers know they’re dealing with real people. Customers will have an easier time trusting a company with personalized media than they will with a cookie-cutter template site. Push it a step further, and have a professional put together a Company Video for your Website. According to Google, about half of Internet users look for videos related to a service before contacting the company. Video content is an awesome way to explain to your audience who you are and what you do. Sure, your Website is able to do that as well, but a personalized video will be able to do so in a way that is quick, fun, and convenient for your Website visitors.

3. Give Calls-To-Action If you’ve followed the first two steps, you’re on your way to a great site that is sure to stand out! There’s more to a quality Website than great content, however. User experience should always be the first thing on your mind when designing a site, which is why it’s key to include a Call-To-Action (CTA). Typically in the form of a button, CTAs guide your Website’s visitors through your site.

on the Home page. Once you link this button to your Services page, you’ve effectively made the user experience friendlier for the potential customer. To seal the deal, place another CTA on the Services page saying “Request Service,” which links out to your Contact page. From a marketing standpoint, you’ve strategically laid out a path that converts curious shoppers to interested leads.

When it comes to your Website, quality design and content will yield noticeable results in the long run. It’s not enough to simply exist online anymore; you also have to be able to stand out.

And there’s no better way to stand out than by building a Website that is well-designed and full of smart, personal content. Online searchers don’t settle for less, so neither should you!

Alain Parcan, Director of Marketing for Market Hardware, Inc., contributed this article. Alain brings nearly 10 years of experience in educating businesses so they can market themselves more effectively. Market Hardware helps small businesses compete on the Web and offers special discounts for NCSG members. You can Reach Alain’s team at 888-381-6925

Maybe you want your visitors to see the different product packages you offer… you should feature a noticeable button that says “View Our Services!” that is easy to find

25 S W E E P I N G August 2019

Dates and

Events

August 2019

August 5-6, 2019 CSIA Board Meeting CSIA Technology Center August 5-6, 2019 Chimney Inspection Seminars OlympiAcademy Fort Wayne, IN For more information, please call 570-507-7177 or Olympiacademy.com August 7-8, 2019 CSIA 2-Day Chimney Physics CSIA Technology Center For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.csia.org

August 1-31 CSIA (online) CCS Online Review - www.csia.org CDET Online Review - www.csia.org Paper Proctored Exams - www.csia.org eLearning Courses - CSIA eLearning Chimney Physics - CSIA OL Chimney Physics Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel - CSIA OL Stainless Steel August 1-2, 2019 Chimney Inspection Seminars OlympiAcademy Albany, NY For more information, please call 570-507-7177 or Olympiacademy.com

26 S W E E P I N G

August 3, 2019 MCSG Summer Meeting & Windjammer Cruise Hilton Hotel Boston, MA For more information, please call (413) 887-2374 MCSG August 5-6, 2019 CSIA Inspection & Report Writing CSIA Technology Center For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.csia.org August 5-6, 2019 2-Day Masonry Richmond, IN For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.csia.org

August 2019

August 7-9, 2019 Advanced Masonry Richmond, IN For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.csia.org August 8-9, 2019 NCSG Board Meeting CSIA Technology Center August 9, 2019 CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exams CSIA Technology Center For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.csia.org August 13-14, 2019 HPBA Pacific Affiliate 2-Day Hands-On Gas Technical Training Sacramento, CA For more information, HPBA Pacific August 16, 2019 CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exams Richmond (Sandston), VA For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.csia.org August 19-20, 2019 CSIA Inspection & Report Writing Sponsored by MACA (Registration through MACA only) Fredericksburg, VA For more information and to register, please call Jim Bostaph (757) 596-2298 or visit MACA

27 S W E E P I N G August 2019

August 19-24, 2019 CSIA National Chimney Sweep Training School CSIA Technology Center For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.csia.org August 20-21, 2019 HPBA Pacific Affiliate 2-Day Hands-On Gas Technical Training Ontario, CA For more information, HPBA Pacific August 26-27, 2019 Chimney Inspection Seminars OlympiAcademy Portland, OR For more information, please call 570-507-7177 or Olympiacademy

September 2019 September 1-30 CSIA (online) CCS Online Review - www.csia.org CDET Online Review - www.csia.org Paper Proctored Exams - www.csia.org eLearning Courses - CSIA eLearning Chimney Physics - CSIA OL Chimney Physics Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel - CSIA OL Stainless Steel September 13, 2019 CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exams Albany, NY For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.csia.org

28 S W E E P I N G

September 16-21, 2019 CSIA National Chimney Sweep Training School CSIA Technology Center For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.csia.org September 19 2019 NCSG Convention Registration OPENS April 1-4, 2019 – Orlando, FL For More information, please call (317) 837-1500 or visit https://www.ncsg.org

August 2019

CSIA UPDATE August 2019

Roydhouse Round Up

by Chuck Roydhouse, CSIA President president@csia.org “Education is a continual process, it’s like riding a bicycle… if you don’t pedal you don’t go forward” – George Weah For me it is has always been common sense to gain the most knowledge in the profession I’ve chosen to practice. From the age of 16 to 45 I would take any fire department training to sharpen my skills. Knowledge is power and the power is a better way to rescue a person in need, extinguish a fire quicker, help a brother firefighter or preserve life and property in general.

Continuous training keeps you engaged in the profession and gives the confidence and

www.CSIA.org

ability to successfully help someone in need or solve a problem. The same principles can be applied to our industry, the chimney service, as we also work to provide safer operation of venting appliances and offer solutions to solve problems and or increase efficiency. Strive to be the best, education is continuous and required to live up to the title Chimney Technician.

As I write this, it dawned on me that maybe technicians and owners are not seeking continuous training because they are not aware of the choices and value CSIA gives by having many educational and certification options.

With this is mind I thought it prudent to restate what your CSIA stands for and delivers.

“The education of man is never complete until he dies”Gen. Robert E. Lee Who We Are? The Chimney Safety Institute of America is dedicated to aiding in the prevention of fires and carbon monoxide emergencies related to the use of fireplaces, wood stoves, gas, oil and coal heating sysADVERTISEMENT

tems. As America’s number one provider of education in the chimney and venting industry, we are committed to helping our students and credential holders meet and exceed their education and certification needs.

How Do We Accomplish this Grand Objective You Ask? In Person Education: National Chimney Sweep Training School The National Chimney Sweep Training School is a proven training program providing hands on, in lab, field and classroom instruction to become a true chimney professional. We cover sweeping and inspection of differing chimney system types, the operation of necessary equipment, health and safety, codes, standards, trade practices, review and preparation for the CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Technician Exam.

The instructors are the best in the industry. They share both practical and theoretical knowledge with the students providing a unique learning experience.

August 2019 CSIA Installing and Trouble Shooting Gas Hearth Appliances This 5-day course covers the service and installation of gas hearth appliances while preparing the student to take the NFI Gas Specialist test upon completion of the week long training. The course is headed by Jim Brewer and Mike Van Buren, two of the most respected gas certification instructors nationwide.

The breadth of practical and academic knowledge gives these instructors command of the subject matter providing exponential value to the student and to your company’s customers.

Chimney Physics One of the most important courses CSIA offers, Chimney Physics helps students understand pressure and volume, draft and flow and how these properties affect the performance and efficiency of all venting appliances.

Completion of this course will give the technicians the confidence required to explain venting issues with their customers.

Inspection and Report Writing How we communicate with our customers is important on so many levels. We must

build a trust, correctly identify issues, and capture the best photos and written documentation. This course hits all the marks and empowers the technician to deliver a clear and accurate inspection report providing the best possible narrative with required documentation to meet the customer’s needs.

Masonry and Advanced Masonry for Chimney Professionals Beginners and seasoned veterans will benefit from these courses. Our satellite training facility, WardenClyffe Hearth Lab located in Richmond Indiana, is a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to all things masonry. The classes are taught back to back giving the student the choice of efficient travel scheduling.

OSHA Compliance Training This year CSIA has expanded our Safety oriented courses as many of you requested.

Safety for our certified technicians and clients is crucial in operating a service company in today’s world. The instructors are nationally recognized OSHA certified trainers. We now offer almost any safety course needed for our industry. Rope and Roof Access Safety, Silica and Lead Exposure, Confined Spaces, Scaffolding, Aerial Lift/Fork ADVERTISEMENT

Lift Training and a 10 HOUR OSHA Card just to list a few.

CSIA E-Learning with SureFire Training Academy With technology today there is no better true economic value than E-Learning. You can study at your leisure, earn CEU’s from the comfort of your office or home.

We are proud to offer over 100 classes available with many more to come. You can purchase them a la carte for $59.00 each or bundle classes as low as $29.00 each for 10= $299.00. Courses cover the needed subjects of safety, appliance service, masonry, water in chimneys and business. Low monthly subscriptions rates are also available for individual and multi- users. CSIA is passionate about bringing technology to our industry for individual and company betterment.

CSIA Roadshow Our experts come to your location. This greatly assists training larger groups of technicians in a more economical manner, avoiding travel, hotel and meal costs for your team. CSIA has you covered with multi-faced offerings in Health and Safety, Technical and Reviews for Certification Testing.

www.CSIA.org CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician C-DET is the only national recognized credential for dryer vent cleaning. This certification is awarded upon successful completion of the exam based on the C-DET Manual. The credential is good for three years and you only need to complete the online review every three years to re-credential.

The Crowning Achievement: CSIA MASTER CHIMNEY SWEEP We recognize those who have gone above and beyond in their educational high- level matriculation. In order to recognize the exemplary effort required to achieve this goal our Master Chimney Sweep Committee, led by CSIA Past President and Master Sweep Cert #1 John Pilger, has recently expanded the courses you may use to qualify for this distinguished Certification from CSIA. For more information on any of CSIA Training and Certification offerings go to www.csia.org and click on the Education Icon and you will be on your way to experiencing the CSIA education super highway for entry to advanced training and certification.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America is committed to providing the best in chimney and venting education and certification in America. Our commitment to provide you with the tools to be on the cutting edge of our industry through our valuable and affordable instructional and continuing educational services.

If you have any suggestions for expanding or improving our educational/certification venue, please email your thoughts to president@csia. org. My job is to make sure we are providing and delivering the services to make you and your company the one homeowners will turn to for their chimney needs.

CSIA is the Standard of Excellence in the Chimney & Venting Industry!

Chuck Roydhouse President CSIA

New Certifications

California Robert Ornelas Ashtree Fireplaces Fresno Alexander Evans Ekstrom White Glove Chimney and Duct Redding Colorado Mitch Zeal Mountain Man Fireplace & Chimney Evergreen Indiana Austin Burchett T.J.’s Chimney Sweep Greenfield Kansas Cheyenne Jones The Fluesbrothers Chimney Service Kansas City Kameron Barnum The Fluesbrothers Chimney Service Kansas City

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Liam Gall The Fluesbrothers Chimney Service Kansas City

Charles Black Mr. Smokestack Chimney Service Raleigh

Kevin Thomas Full Service Chimney Olathe

Pennsylvania Mark Gibson Advance Chimney Sweeps Uniontown

Ian Murphy Full Service Chimney Olathe

Christopher Sumey Advance Chimney Sweeps Uniontown

Maryland Seth Balsam Priddy Chimney Sweeps Derwood

Tennessee Chris Fraker Chim Chimney Hermitage

Bryan Whitaker Bethesda Chimney Bethesda

Jacob Cate TN Fireplace and Chimney Knoxville

Nick Newman Traditions Chimney Sweeps Gaithersburg

Chad Parker Ashbusters Chimney Service Smyrna

Will Edwards Bethesda Chimney Bethesda

Texas Ivan Gamboa Lords Chimney Houston

Massachusetts David Specht Boston’s Best Chimney Waltham New Hampshire Matthew Racicot Son’s Chimney Milford

Virginia Samuel Virta Rooftop Chimney Sweeps Alexandria

Douglas Hetsch All American Chimney Service Louisville, KY Robert Berry Full Service Chimney Olathe, KS

Kansas Ar’Darius Harding The Fluesbrothers Chimney Service Kansas City Pennsylvania Jeramie Weideman

North Carolina John Smith Mr. Smokestack Chimney Service Raleigh

Estates Chimney & Fireplace

Aaron Mattern Mr. Smokestack Chimney Service Raleigh

Dave Comia

Holland Ontario, Canada DAVESDUCTS Whitby

New

Members

CALIFORNIA Ponderosa Hearth and Home • Robert Vieira • Clovis

REGION

REGION

REGION

5

MISSOURI Brandon Brazier • Wright City

ARKANSAS Paladino Chimney Sweep • Jason Paladino • Fayetteville

International QUEBEC Trans Continental Equipment Ltd. • Dalton Barnoff • Montreal

WISCONSIN Mason Copper Chase LLC • Jack Lanz • Menasha

6

REGION

PENNSYLVANIA Reimers’ Chimney • Jason Reimers • Lansdale Your Chimney Sweep • Charles Imes • Mechanicsburg

KENTUCKY Crestwood Home & Hearth • David Creason • Crestwood

REGION

NEW JERSEY Chimco LLC • Ed Lax • Boonton

REGION REGION

REGION REGION

REGION REGION

4 24 45 35 56 6 6 33 S W E E P I N G August 2019

Around the

Tech Center.

Megan McMahon

Executive Director

Summer is flying by here at the Tech Center and we have been fortunate enough to host so many of you for classes and sweeps week. The staff always enjoys the company and building relationships within the industry that we serve.

To continue that, we thought we would share some information about ourselves over the next few months to help you get to know our team better!

Tell us about your pets: Charissa- I have two fur babies, Candy and Savi.

They are spoiled rotten and are truly my babies more than just fur babies.

Donna- I have one dog and one cat. The dog is a Basset Hound we rescued from a puppy mill named Casey. Sweetheart of a companion, but also stubborn as a mule. Cat is Hobo and a stray that adopted us.

Annemarie- I have a Labradoodle named Hagrid who is the absolute sweetest boy. He likes to bark at squirrels and chew up all of my mail and bills (maybe I should thank him for that).

Penny- I have 2 dogs both are crazy, my son brought Buck (the lab) home as a baby and while seeing my son off for deployment we brought scooby (the black mouth kur) home from Mississippi. They have a lot of fun playing together and Buck refuses to eat alone so he will bark at scooby until he comes to eat with him. We miss our precious lab “Bear” who was put down a few months ago.

34 S W E E P I N G August 2019

Sara- We have 4 Jack Russell Terriers (Summer, Peanut, Clifford and Hey Girl) which are just that, a terror. Just joking they are great dogs but need lots of outdoor time.

We recently just got a Beagle (Rudy) to be our indoor dog and Amelia’s playmate.

Russ- I have a German Shorthair named Gretta. She is an old dog but it works out well as I am getting older and slower so she and I both wear out hunting about the same time. Miss Gretta comes and lets me know when the woodstove is running low and she would like it refilled for her warmth.

Darcy- We have 3 cats, Bing (15lb orange tabby), Sage (orange ragdoll cat), and Ozzy (black stray who adopted us)

Classifieds GasVent Software for Sizing Chimneys only $195 Call 1-800-648-9523 for more info and visit www.elitesoft. com to download a free trial version.

Work for a Growing Company!

Chimney Solutions, based in Atlanta, GA, is looking for Salespeople and Installers with the desire to move up within our company. A $1000-$2000 signing bonus is available, depending on certifications. Pay will be commensurate with experience. Relocation is available for the individual that meets our needs and qualifications.

Send resumes to dpace@chimneysolutions.com or visit Megan- I have three dogs. An Australian Sheppard named Louie who we affectionately refer to as “Old man our website at www.chimneysolutions.com.

Lou”, a very loving Chocolate Lab named Sullivan who is CHIMNEY SWEEP & REPAIR COMPANY FOR SALE a momma’s boy and our newest addition is a Black Lab puppy named Warren, who has won the hearts of all the Central/Northern Virginia Established 1981 ladies in the office!

2017 revenue: $ 1,008,000.00 2018 revenue: $ 1,083,000.00 All equipment and vehicles convey Operations and management staff to remain Turn-key operation Secure long-term lease for offices and warehouse Owner financing with 25% down Sale price: $ 450,000.00 Call 540-272-3485 CLASSIFIED ADS FREE FOR NCSG MEMBERS Members can run one 35-word classified free each year!

Regular classified ads are $2/word or $1/word for NCSG members. Classified ads are non-commissionable and must be pre-paid. To place a classified ad, please contact Charissa Mahaffey at cmahaffey@ncsg.org or 317-8371500.

35 What is/are your biggest pet peeves?

Charissa- People tapping on the dashboard or desk or something along those lines when music is playing, the little red lights on phones and car chargers Donna- Pet peeve is people that put on a show of being better than those around them Sara- drivers who don’t even drive the speed limit on a 2 lane road, people who think they are better than others when we all put our pants on the same way (unless you wear a skirt of course) Annemarie- My biggest pet peeve is when people drive slowly in the left lane.

Megan- My biggest pet peeves are traffic related. Do not go slow in the fast lane and do not cut me off. I also cannot stand loud chewing.

Darcy- My pet peeve is people that smack when they chew Penny- Biggest pet peeve is bad service in a restaurant...I did not make them apply for the job.

Russ- Slow drivers in the passing lane and untrained incompetent retail clerks.

August 2019

S W E E P I N G

Darwin

Award

Spotted by Matthew Scheller with Smokestack Sweep in Howell, MI

See a chimney in your area that had you scratching your head? Send it to the editor, Darcy Marlett at dmarlett@ncsg.org for publication in Sweeping. Include a few words about the scene and location.

Ad Index 36 S W E E P I N G

Ahrens Chimney Technique 800-843-4417 ahrenschimney@qwestoffice.net 25 Approved Industries 866-439-0069 info@approvedindustries.com 13 Chim Cap Corp 800-262-9622 info@chimcapcorp.com 23 Copperfield 800-247-3305 www.copperfield.com 7 CVC 704-425-0217 jerry@cvccoaching.com 4 Firesafe Industries, Inc. 800-545-6607 www.firesafeinc.com 19 Gelco www.gllchimneyproducts.com 14 High Sierra Metals 530-288-1820 highsierrametals@yahoo.com 28 ICP 508-695-7000 www.chimneycaps.com 5 Lindemann Chimney Company 866-629-8006 www.lindemannsupply.com 9 National Chimney 800-897-8481 www.nationalchimney.com Inside front cover New England Chimney Supply 866-513-2378 www.newenglandchimneysupply.com 15 Olympia Chimney Supply, Inc. 800-569-1425 www.olympiachimney.com 11 Sand Hill Wholesale & Mfg., Inc 800-258-5496 www.sandhillwholesale.com 22 SaverSystems, Inc 800-860-6327 www.chimneysaver.com 8 SnapLok Rotary Sweep Systems 702-790-4197 www.snaploksystems.com 27 Z-Flex 800-654-5600 sales@z-flex.com 10

August 2019