From Refinery Employee to Refining a Business: Brian Boswell on Grit & Growth | Ep 17

All right, guys, I'm Samuel McVeigh host of the killer growth podcast today. I have Brian Boswell the owner of reliable dirt works and sunflower plumbing and Has done a lot of other things so Thanks for coming to hang out. Thanks for having me. Yeah Brian, how many podcasts have you been on? Who quite a few? Yeah One last almost almost one. I can almost say Perfect. All right. Well, the first question is easy So we start with the what was your story from college to what brought you here today? Yeah So Let's see. I Went to trade school to be an electrician out of high school and Got on at the refinery mid trade school. So didn't even didn't even finish trade school And then during the refinery days we had purchased Jacob Jacob's well and that was the very beginning of my entrepreneurial journey Where I knew absolutely nothing about what I was doing and found out very quickly that I knew nothing about what I was doing. So Yeah that lasted about a year ironically that's when we met Yes Yeah, right. I was at the pine store across the street. Yeah walk across and yeah, and yeah brought it Traeger over Did a little cross branding there. And so yeah had a great time during that and learned a ton Learned about how business should work and How it shouldn't work But yeah, so that was that was great I think you know It didn't work out but that helped me process the future to where I'm at now and Kind of gave me a starting point. And so yeah from that point during Jacob's. Well, we had the brick oven pizza and That that brick oven was was old it needed rebuilt and We were trying to figure out how do you and it's still there but it's still there. Yeah. So, yeah how do you rebuild the oven to make it more insulated and work better and still Be able to cook pizzas during the construction process of all that. And so during that I helped design this Prototype pizza oven that you could put in a pellet grill and It Worked out we we could do pizzas in two to three minutes in a pellet grill and Be able to take down that brick oven and rebuild it to where we could do what we needed to for the well well later on we never ended up getting to that point, but Talking to Samuel about so or talking to you about some of this stuff You had asked if that was something that I could make for other grills And so I sat down with some paper started drawing everything up thinking I think we can do this and During that process is when I came up with the griddle idea. Yeah draw drew out the base and Yeah, it was I just remember looking at that piece of paper and like I think this is a big griddle this could work and I remember calling you and You got to come over to the house check this out and it was chicken sausage had chicken sausage in the fridge You came over through that Like it sounds like money So that was great anyway, so that yeah, so that was in November No, I guess that was before then but we shut down Jacobs well Because of the way things were going in November, but then March of 2018 is when we started barbecue hack. That sounds right? Yeah. Yeah, and it was kind of later in the year Yeah, I think that was the first conversation we have with comfab Exactly. Yes. Yes make the prototype. Yep. And so that was yeah, so then Barbecue hack started with a pizza oven and a griddle hack and we just yeah started moving through all that and Yeah, it's trying to wait one. Let's see. We we had added some griddles in the spatula During a little bit during kovat. Yes, and then August of 2020 Is that right? Yeah, okay, that's when We'd gotten to the point where we're like we have to hire somebody to kind of run this thing because it's just getting too big Way too busy. And so that's when I left the refinery to run barbecue hack and Basically cut your income 50 to 60 percent. Yeah, that was exciting. Yeah, so That was a big transition exciting for what we were doing scary for Funds and making sure we could still maintain everything that we were doing. But yeah, we did it and it was great and 2020 was incredible for our business 2021 was incredible. Mm-hmm Post kovat end of 21 beginning of 22 is when we started seeing that crazy the recession of sorts for all service and all retail Just kind of went down Yes, it was a Interesting way to process things because everything just kind of went to a stopping point, you know everyone That was in that industry Specifically. Yeah, it was just wild to see everything just like the floor fell out. Yeah. Yeah, and so Yeah, I tried to process that nothing was selling and trying to figure out what the next step was and Yeah that 2022 is when we decided to Figure out a service industry to get in to try to get another Revenue stream coming and so that's when we started reliable and yeah, it was Take take $100,000 and start a company. So yeah, I bought a truck and a trailer and a ditch which a Hydra vac hydro excavator and Then we also bought a skid steer yeah, that was the first piece of equipment you bought was yeah Hydra. Yes Which was Ryan's idea. It was Ryan's idea. Yeah. Yeah You don't sound like that he sounds just like that that's all I hear anyway Yeah, so 20 and let's see September of 2022 You got into doing that that winter we were doing snow removal and because you got a skid steer, too yes, yep skid steer with a snowbox on it and Learned how difficult snow removal is Yeah, it's very cold it's never fun You're always out there in the middle of the snow because people want their snow removed off parking lots while it's snowing and Yeah, but it was it was good. I mean we got we got into it and learned a lot and started moving forward and yeah, everything we did we learned from and tried to figure out how to do it better and Yeah got into 2023 and Was still we were still Trying to figure out how to make it all work. Yeah, you know, what was the niche or? Yeah Reliable like should you pursue hauling gravel or sure? There's a lot. I mean it was it was a lot You had a background in doing machinery and yeah that world But yeah, but just doing yeah being able to operate something versus Run a business and keep everything busy Yeah, it's a whole nother Ball game, you know, and so yeah trying to process. How are we gonna do this? How is this gonna work? Do we do retail jobs or do we do you know? subcontracting stuff and it seems like we Started falling more into the subcontracting which worked out. We did some retail stuff a little bit here and there but most of it was subcontracting locating with the hydro excavator and and Grading around new properties and things like that. So yeah, I was good and then So, yeah 2023 finished 2023 well, and also in 2023 is when we got into the water district, yeah, so Started managing the real water and Started getting into some maintenance for real water as well For a real water district here in Butler County and yeah, so that was that was good It was a big learning curve again Just seems like you know in that world you go from learning curve to learning curve It just never ever stops. And yeah, so got through 2023 and you know, we From 2022 numbers, which it wasn't a full year. But yeah, we we jumped quite a bit and it was good we still still lost in 2023, but It was a good sign of where we were headed yeah that things were starting to work we were getting some traction and Yeah 2024 we got another real water district contract and That's what really started turning things around and And making it really work streamlining some processes having a full-time water operator running samples all day long on top of doing all of our Hydro excavation skid steer we had we bought a mini excavator in 2024 And you know, it was funny back back in 22 When we were trying to figure out do you buy a mini excavator? No, I know there's so many hours spent talking about. Yeah, and I just thought oh, I know how to operate a skid steer better But I think yeah, I think we would have probably been better getting the mini X in the beginning but I think I was Nervous on that because I didn't know how to operate one, you know I hadn't really done a whole lot of that. Yeah been in one a couple times, but that was about it Yeah, so then got our mini X in 24 and Yeah from 23 to 24. It was like 3x you know on our year gross revenue and so that was that was pretty exciting to see that and we we hired a couple guys and Yeah, things were really starting to come together and then the end of 24 is when we started When I started Boswell LLC Yeah, and we went we bought out all of all of reliable and Started that journey by ourselves, which Was very Can be very stressful because you're like, you know, I'm Excited to do this, but also on the other side. It's like now There's no backup. Mm-hmm. There's no one to help when things start going down it's All you yeah, you know you you're gonna make it or break it and it's all on you. Yep, and so Yeah, but it was good. We kept doing what we were doing and changed a couple things in the end of 24 and adjusted Which then got us into March of 25 where where we acquired sunflower plumbing And Yeah, that was a that was a game-changer for us That was March of 24 March of 25, yeah, yeah, yeah that makes March of 25, so Yeah, that was a game-changer for reliable because we were always chasing after Contractors to excavate for and now we acquired one where we did all of our own digging Yeah, and so kind of best of both worlds, you know, and so Yeah, we we went from 24 into 25 and gosh, we grew another two and a half times Yeah, and so hired more guys in 25 and I think the organic Income or I guess organic customers I should say from sunflower that then Knew us as just plumbing to now. Hey You know while you're here we've got some some grading stuff to do and we've got some gutters we need worked on and Yeah, I think I think that big change Got us to incorporate a lot more stuff per customer and we were we were doing more jobs per customer Which helped us out a ton and yeah 2025 was was a great year. We grew a lot Spent a ton of money on tooling on vehicles on Heavy an asset inventory. Oh, absolutely. Yeah Yeah, it's the downside to our business as you hire a plumber or an excavator and you instantly You know if it's a plumber, you've got to buy a van and shelving and inventory tools all this stuff If it's an excavator, you need a piece of equipment in the truck and a trailer and all that stuff You know, it's like it's not cheap to add one guy Yeah, so that's been that's been something that you got to keep in the back of your mind as you grow is okay this next step It's not gonna be an easy one, but to get to here. This is what we need to do But yeah, it's been it's been great and Yeah today I think for 26, I think we can do another 50% growth pretty easily from 25 just because yeah by the time we acquired sunflower kind of got her Feet wet into that right? Well things out summer till you yeah till we were getting with it And so yeah, if we can just maintain that this year and I think this year last year was a crazy growth year this year We need to work on on Efficiencies and you know What inventory do we need to keep on hand that we buy bulk of because it's gonna be a lot cheaper and what tools do We need to to buy to help us be more efficient and effective and help our customers out more so yeah, it's just a forever learning thing, but Yeah now here I am today Tired every day, but it's great. I love your first podcast Yeah podcasts in a way yeah, so that's very brief summary of my journey from the refinery to here and There's just something new that we learn Every single day and I think it's gonna be that way forever, but that's part of it. You know, which is Exciting and nerve-wracking all the same time It's good, thanks for sharing. Yeah. Okay. See you later. He did it first episode bugs You said it all there's nothing left now I so let's start I'm gonna go different direction than I was thinking but I like I Think it's fascinating that you Yeah, so you worked at there you're gonna be an electrician then you go to the refinery and you're on the alky unit, right? Correct on the alky unit. There's some pretty complex stuff. Yeah, right The the more you talk about the more confused I was I was about what you did out there but I mean you're you're moving product around and pipelines and You know, there's there's a lot a lot of moving pieces and there's you have to have some engineering like some basic understanding of How things work out there and the engineering side of it and you've always been fascinated by that Yep, you the way your brain works and how you draw ideas since we met from your free energy idea from the the trash come the what was that called I get River the It was like a river for yeah, you yeah, you take the trash you can burn the trash up Clean burning system with a knock steam or something. Yeah, and then it's generating steam Which is then generating power, right? It's similar to a unit that is out there Of course, it just runs on natural gas. But right. Yeah, the idea is the same, but yeah, I don't know Yeah, I mean you drew the whole thing that you put hours. Oh, yeah, and so fast-forward It's kind of when we became friends and started playing card games with you guys with you and Steph and then Fast forward to Jake as well That's when we started conversations, but I think you went from that to buy a restaurant because you love cooking absolutely, right That was a hundred percent the reason you love cooking Stephanie loves cooking. Yeah, both are great cooks I've always had an interest in in in that and then love the well sure and what it was in the culture Do more pizza and you love pizza? creating the perfect pizza Then fast forward from that you learn all those heartaches and yeah not enough there to quit the refinery and right It'd been such a drastic change that it it is what it is Sure, I just didn't didn't go where you thought it could go in the end of time and 12,000 people Oh sure, and then Jimmy's egg came to town like there was a lot of bad time Yeah, well, and it was you know at the refinery so demanding we had so much over time It was hard to hard to be here and keep up with what we needed to keep up with and be there and deal with All that stuff. So yeah, yeah, that was a big part of it to just yeah, you go through that side and then it's this griddle idea of pizza of an idea and You're making one for one that I say universal then fast-forward. We're like I Don't I don't I get I start freaking out cuz you're like here's this product thing and I'm just sitting there like Like could you do it, you know, yeah, like every time I'd ask something like but how would we but yeah, yeah Yeah, that's easy. We'll just we'll just do that or we'll do this and I'm just like, okay and I remember go to that metal shop, but I just think your journey of Restaurant to design a product that's never existed. Yeah sure that converts pellet grills just for everybody listening Brian invented the first ever griddle insert that converted pellet grills to a flattop. It's barbecue hack Please go support barbecue comm in the midst of the barbecue recession happening right now We appreciate it. It's gonna come back. It will come back. It will it always does Shut up Ryan guys Ryan's in the background. He's the worst Dude, I totally mocked you earlier and I can't wait till you hear it Brian goes. No, he sounds like that But yeah, so yeah the first griddle insert for a pellet grill and you're just literally put on a graph paper but the cool thing about you Brian and my question for you is that you just always make it happen like You don't just a lot of people just have thoughts and ideas and and you have a hundred Ideas more than what you actually execute like everybody else, but you still have a cute a fair percentage of those A fair percentage of those sure in in then when barbecue goes bad We just we have a massive drop, you know 40% revenue drop. Yeah pretty quickly and we just see it coming you get a skid stir and Hydroexcavator and you were working Seven days a week. Oh, yeah, absolutely Twelve hours a day plus every day. Yeah for at Least a year and a half. Yep You got the water district and you started running those every day. Yeah, but My question sorry not to just but I think this helps provide context for my question. So you go from refinery shift work There's like hard work, but there's some cozy parts to that job, right? Oh, yeah To start a restaurant hard business should make the decision to shut it down. That's a hard decision Yeah to inventing a product that goes gangbusters and then inventing and designing several products There's like 20 products that are went to market that you designed which is nuts But people bought all over the country in the world. Yep To now I've got to feed my family sure and I've just got to go till it happens Yeah, and then you roll into the water district, but how has Jacob's well Barbecue hack and oh my gosh my back's against the wall and I have to work seven days a week what What has that made you today? What's that like perfect combination of who you are today to be the best at what you're doing with reliable and sunflower? Well, I think I I Think one thing it's helped me with is just the I guess for my standpoint of where I'm at is You don't I don't know how to say it other than you don't have a choice Right. It's like I'm I'm going to make this work no matter what there's not another option and But what that's done for me is that Determination I guess Has taught me a lot of Fight instead of flight time mentality of We're going to figure this out. And if I can't get to this point, I'm gonna go back to this, you know, I'm gonna Retract to here and try another direction Instead of okay. We're just gonna shut this down. It doesn't work because I know at what point we are working Now I'm trying to get to this next level But if we're not doing something right, then we've got to retract a step and take another path, but there there is a way To get to where we're going no matter what But I think each one of those other businesses taught me Taught me that that Okay, maybe something isn't working But there is a way to make this work and we just have to figure that out. It's the puzzle piece like okay This isn't take it out put it back in a different way So that's that's been a big thing for me that I've learned about myself that we can do that especially now that I have a team To help me execute those things Which just kind of helps us navigate quicker Which has been really good for me And I think it's important to know Jake as well. You shut down. Yes a tough decision Yeah cornerstone in this town like there's all this and I remember walking through that with you Yeah, and I think to what you just said you did the calculations and you looked at what it could be and it didn't make sense and you couldn't sell it for What what you had into it and at the rate you were losing Sure money it just it all added up and it was kind of like you know What here are the ways it could work and it's it's just not worth that to Your to you and to your family sure and I think that's a really hard decision to make yep But man, you had to have learned a lot from that because then then you're looking down You got not only did you get the food thing out of your system not fully yet? Cuz you still talk about food trucks and I do it again too much Ryan stop Ryan and Brian are gonna have an amazing food truck someday and I Just keep seeing new things at the shop that are all adding up Like that's a nice grill But yeah, I just think that's a cool note in your story if you've also Decided to shut down something and call it quits because not because there wasn't a way for it to work but the way it would work was Wouldn't work for your family in the lifestyle you wanted Yeah needed and what you wanted for your kids, right? Like that's a really that's a hard thing to do, especially when some things as emotional as that Yeah, that's just tough, but I really respect that and I remember I don't know if Ryan was with me Actually the day the last day we locked the doors. Oh, yeah when we got all the stuff out of there Yep, we hauled it all in the trailer. Yeah, were you there? I feel like you were there I feel like it was you me and Brian There's I think there's three of us the last day and I remember the door getting us Oh, yeah locked and we took the last piece of equipment to your storage unit. Yep on North. They don't have the last picture Of that day. Yeah. Yeah, and that was an emotional day and we like just got to know each other last. Yeah six months. Really? But yeah, I just really respected that that's what I want to say I think you need to know sometimes when to call it quits and it's not that again. It's important to say Back to what you just said, it's not that it can't work It's that the way it would work and its potential is like yeah This isn't worth the stress and headache and where I want to be in life. Sure But man, we gave it a shot. We took a risk. Yeah, and the other part about you being a builder and designer problem solver with a ton of grit It is that you Don't Like it for you to quit something it takes like there's gonna be a writing on the wall that are that is obvious As far as something not getting there But I think your resilience complemented with your engineering and your genius of ideas and Coming up with ideas when you shouldn't be thinking about an idea. You should be Somewhere else or doing something else. You can't help yourself. But when someone's a dreamer is what I'm trying to say when someone's a dreamer An idea guy, but also an executor. That's just a unicorn. That's just a rare thing And that's what you are. You you do both sides of this so going through that journey, let's talk about the Seven days a week. You're the hardest worker. I know everyone says they know someone that's the hardest worker. They know and I know people that are of the hardest people I know but I've not actually worked like people that I've actually worked with and seen bleed and Seeing the hours they put in it's it's you. I don't know. I've never worked with anyone that has your grit and tenacity How do you balance that and that passion and no quit in your personal life to work and And Ryan's phone just went off guys somebody Talk about that because you've built and multiplied a business now multiple times Just just talk about what you've learned in that what what? Well, yeah, there's obviously I'm only so much time in a day and in a week, so There's always a give-and-take you can never have everything And so I think yeah to get Reliable to where I felt like it needed to be. I Had to give up a lot of family time and so yeah my my home life struggled and still struggles and You know, I know that my family feels that every single day And that's that's been something that's really hard You know, and I guess one thing it was really funny I was getting my hair cut the other day and the Lady was cutting my hair. She's like, what do you like to do for fun? And I said well work She's like, yeah, okay. What do you what do you do outside of work like I Work, she's like now there's got to be something like well, I go home spend time with my family and sleep That's it. I don't really do anything else. And you know what I thought about that Afterwards, I'm like, I really don't I don't do anything else. Like that's that's it That's that is my work. That is my dream. That is my hobby. That is my After hours like just Fun thing to process or whatever. That's it's my whole thing. I've a family and I've worked and I think Yeah, it's been Something that has been very hard to do but with the end goal of creating something that will be generational for my family and And something they can take on later on so I'm Giving up time with my family now in hopes that my Present or gift to them later on they will understand What what I did for them And if that doesn't work out Oops, I don't know Yeah, but my yeah, that's that's the whole thing yeah For me that keeps me going forward is knowing that yes I'm giving up time now, but in hopes that later on it'll make life easier for my family. Yeah That's been it's been a lot. Yeah. Yeah what's the Balance act there has it changed at all in the last three years because what is it three years? Yeah, we're going out here three, right 2022 2026 this yeah end of this year will be four years. Yeah, it's September, but This last well the second half of 25 Adding my team adding adding Ryan and and Ty and the other guys has really helped me kind of push some things off to them and There's still a lot for me to do as I as I Have taken that as a continued opportunity for me to have more time to grow the company right step away from the day-to-day Getting things done to all right. What's the next step but also then forcing myself to Say okay, I need to Just take a break all together spend some time with my family and my goal even beginning of last year I Told Stephanie I said, you know Give me one more crazy year and then in 2026 I'll start taking time off. Yeah, because I haven't really had a real vacation since I left the refinery in 2020 Just because I've pushed to get to a level of where I feel like I want to be or need to be in 2026 I think I'm finally here. So still have a lot of work to do still have a lot of growing still have a lot of growing pains that we got to get through but Yeah, I think I'm finally getting to a point where I feel comfortable enough to Leave let the guys do what they're what they're good at. Yeah, and Yeah, try to get some of that family time back. So What what's the? What was the worst day In half years of Owning this building because again you you bought an established company, but not till year three Right those first three years were nothing. No connections. No Yeah, I think let's see worst day It's not a lot of bad days there's been a lot of bad days Yeah, there there was there was a couple really bad days Where I think everything My issue is I do internalize a lot of things No makes makes things easy at the time for me. Why is Ryan laughing? Anyway, yeah, so I think it was probably I mean, yeah, one of the really bad days was probably in 2023 Barbecue hack wasn't doing very good at all reliable wasn't doing Very good at all. I Didn't feel like I was doing a good job Wasn't doing very good at all. I had just started with One of the rural water districts, so I was working seven days a week And at the time it was one of those things were when we started with the district I had told you I'm like, I know this doesn't make sense, but it's gonna make sense and so I think I had probably got into my own head about this doesn't make sense anymore and Nothing was making sense and I couldn't figure out what I was doing where I was going and Yeah, I just remember being being in the shop obviously no one else was in there and just like screaming just like very angry and I think I I think that was one of those days where I I just finally had to break down but you know, I From that point Built myself back up and I think that's part of what an entrepreneur is is you know the Willingness to get to a point where you can't handle it anymore, but then take Take that what didn't work you falling apart and building yourself back up and making it work and that's that's what's such incredible about you know, I follow quite a few entrepreneurs around here and you know on social media and just listening to them talking about those points of When it was really hard for them and how they came back from that and so yeah, just kind of following some of them of Yeah, it's hard it's gonna be hard and how do you come back so yeah I think obviously I wasn't doing that back then it was just me myself and I being crazy But yeah, that was that was one of the very hard days for me where nothing was working I didn't know how to continue. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to Keep going, but I just Knew I didn't have a choice. Yeah, so But I the common answer I hear on the worst day is not knowing what to do. Yeah, it's on this podcast, which is Consistent with what you're saying. Yeah, the worst feeling as an entrepreneur is just not knowing Yeah, what to do or if what you do next is the right thing? Yeah Because I you've got the drive you got the work ethic You've already proven that and if you know a clear direction and this will work if I just keep doing this Yeah, like that's not as scary. Sure. It's but like when we're like, I could just keep doing this I've been doing this for a long time, right? It's still not working. It's absolutely terrifying. Yeah, it's debilitating What what? Practical things around you have you done to help rebuild and stay strong and be the best you can be what? Practical things. Have you done or people or people you follow whatever whatever it might be. Yeah I Think yeah having a good base the guys that I've brought on our team Is has been a big thing for me That I can that I can talk through things with and I know they'll they'll help us navigate Where where we're headed Because they have a past in the plumbing world and sunflower But also outside of that it's you know you for sure You've not only been there for me during my hardest times but also helped teach me all the entrepreneur things that I know and Helped me get from Jacob's well of buying it not having a clue of What I'm doing. I just want to go cook for people and yeah, I'm gonna go spend a bunch of money and that didn't make sense but yeah to now now having having what I have and Obviously, it's still not a guaranteed thing but knowing the steps to take to continue to move forward or change things Yeah, a lot of that is a lot of that's from you. And so yeah, that's a big thing but I think yeah, also I go home and Take time to try to watch some entrepreneurs that really know what they're talking about and just kind of help me Process things when I'm not at work doing that. Yeah. Well, I appreciate you saying that and it is Collaborative I can say the exact same thing You've pulled me out of some very hard places over the years and I think that's we everybody needs that that is in this space like if you don't talk to a guy that's in this peer group and They meet every couple weeks or month and they're explaining like it solved It was the biggest thing they ever had was having a peer group. They could trust that is in business Not the same business but in business where you can talk about it because it's a lonely journey I was just thinking about how spoiled I have been Having people like you around me that I can say anything to and yep And I yeah, I think we both would recommend everybody needs that anybody listen to this Like you need those people that have walked the road or are walking the road or just starting walking the road That'll be honest and transparent About the difficulties. Yeah Ahead and yeah, and I can yeah without a doubt say You're I've learned a lot from you you quickly Yeah, we're you know at the end of the day. We were peers pretty quick Learning from me at Jake as well But pretty quick. It was oh my I'm whenever you find someone you can mesh with and We're both so different. You know what? I mean? We we have like the same appetite for risk absolutely entrepreneurship and building But we we both are so different that it's just so it was a lot of fun Yeah, we've had a lot of fun together and been through a lot of hurt Yeah had a lot of times that weren't fun to absolutely and still got stuff to get through We still got to get barbecue back to where it means. Oh, yeah, and we're working on that. And so yep and the other part of this that we've got to talk about is how Impressive and talented your wife is Yeah, Stephanie, oh, yeah, and you couldn't have done what you've done and Without a spouse like that, right? Absolutely. And yeah, just talk about Stephanie's abilities and her. Yeah support because That's that's also she's another unicorn. Yes. Absolutely. So yeah my wife. Yeah, my goodness it it's Started with her even wanting to Be with me while I work at the refinery with shift work and that crazy world of lots of overtime and all that But then yeah transition into Jacob's well buying that and Well still working crazy hours of overtime with the refinery and she ended up Managing the well most of the time because I couldn't be there and she just jumped in and and did whatever she could you know and Yeah, and so she's still even even to this day we've got four kiddos a home and she homeschools and takes care of them and She runs her own company, you know doing llamas Manages all that and keeps up with that keeps the house from burning down and Basically every every aspect of our life That is not business she Manages and runs and does it all and Yeah, I think I Think I do a whole lot of things But I think she does more Yeah, so I don't know maybe I go on vacation every day when I go to work and spend all day at work and She's a home doing the real work, you know But yeah, she's been Everything that's kept this thing afloat. Really? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's been great. So and We'll have her on the podcast. I'm excited about that to talk about Her coming up with the game designing a game and taking game to market is pretty cool. Oh, yeah and going to New York We need to talk. Yeah, she's just nailed down right now. Absolutely. Goodbye flights. Yes. Yeah should buy the flight. That's perfect But she's going to New York to a game conference. Yep, the New York Toy Fair You have the largest Toy Fair in the Western Hemisphere. Yeah with doing crazy with doing llamas Yeah, I'm gonna be alongside Lego and Pokemon and all everything. It's gonna be really cool. Yeah Yeah, there's a little tease for that podcast to come. Yeah, I wait till after she goes to New York. Yes There you go talked about where it's So Talk about You another thing about you that I think is really cool is you were kind of a you know You were kind of a mess like you weren't the kid that everybody thought was gonna Change the world When I I didn't know you in high school, but we were And your wife to know you my wife knew of you in high school and you were crazy you were nuts and Can't did whatever you wanted to do. And yeah, you weren't afraid to mess up or do that, you know to be on rear skip class, but You when I talk to people, but I do When I when I you know, there's some people you talk about today and In town that are doing really cool stuff and you're one of those people that if someone knew you prior, you know Like you weren't a bad kid. I want to clarify you were nice. You were a nice human. Sure You weren't intentionally hurting anyone, but you just you had a good time Like you weren't you weren't worried about you know What people thought and you did what you want to do and you know You weren't worried about school or what what you're gonna do with your life. That wasn't a thing You just you didn't appear to be a very motivated person. Sure in high school. Yeah, and then you fast-forward to now like what? What flip that switch for you to go from that and and I hear this story a lot I feel like everybody's had a switch flip, but sure Yeah, I don't know Yeah, goodness High school From what I remember of it. Well, that was getting cuz most people we do the college story, but right you're yeah No, my mind started early. I got a kickstart in that life. Yeah Yeah, wild wild times at Eldridge, Ohio And yeah, I Don't know how I got out of high school I'm pretty sure all the teachers just probably got together and was like Please leave Yeah, I think I think it was seventh grade I got a PETA award my English teacher even said PETA award Wow, it was amazing. Yeah, I'm like didn't realize you could actually call a child of pain in the ass, but hey, you know I got that award. That was mine. I know I've heard this In seventh grade it was impressive anyway, yeah, so So Anyway, yeah, so That's winning things back then. Yeah, so goodness Got out of that and got into the IBW International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and got into trade school and Yeah, just did bare minimum through high school and then get into that school and it's like here's Trigonometry is what we're starting with and I remember looking at this like I Should have studied more. I Didn't take high school seriously at all. And this is a little wild so yeah, that was that was part of my transition I think is Being forced into it being forced into Like you can be yeah to we're gonna you're gonna do well being an electrician But you have to learn this or you're not gonna get anywhere or you're just gonna need to go get another job And so yeah going going through that really helped me grow up But I think I think the refinery is what made that flip all the rest of the way for me Getting on at the refinery Changed everything for me just because Everything was So exact precise Everything out there is so incredible and just I think I got out there and just wanted to learn The chemistry the way they did everything the engineers out there. It's just like spot-on. They don't waste Anything they're so efficient effective they pull Everything out of that crude oil and make so many different products And and then even even their waste they have a way to reuse that and it's it's amazing And so yeah from that point gosh, I even remember a couple times I'm like if I could go back in school and maybe drink a little less and Read or learn a little more Maybe I would have done that. Yeah, so sounds like a good sticker for real books drink less read more. Yes My goodness, yes, but yeah, I think that was the big flip that that kind of got me Hmm paying attention to things and wanting and thriving to learn more stuff Obviously it Involved chemistry in that type of world back then and now it's just kind of anything I can get my hands on which is what I really enjoy and Yeah, sometimes that gets me in trouble as well where I'm like I have all these things I want to try and do Definitely don't have time to do it. So just have to try to stay in my lane sometimes which is hard That's that's I'm I've never heard that before. I've been friends with you for a long time. You're one of my best friends and That makes a lot of sense because what's never added up and I think it speaks a lot to how education is Formatted maybe in a way that's not for everyone. Sure You've loved to learn like you there isn't a lot of topics you haven't and if there's a topic you get That all interested in yeah, I don't have to I don't to read up on it. I just call Brian Yeah, right. Remember when you obsessed about this topic for six months and you know everything about it Yes, but you love learning sure I mean, it's obvious you love learning and I and then you talk about high school Like that dude did not like learning then no, but it is interesting that that format, you know And they talk about people going into tech school in trade school and just thriving Yeah, and that's essentially what happened to you. So you made that change from a normal traditional school format to a Tech school. Yeah To the refinery which was kind of another tech school in the sense going in there cold and that's a cool testament Just how we all learn differently Oh, yeah, and our curiosity cuz I man I hated school, but I loved learning and I still love learning Yeah, but I I just didn't do well right school didn't enjoy it. Yep. Yeah, there's a it's interesting I've noticed yeah things that I enjoy and like to learn are all hands-on stuff. Mm-hmm And yeah, it's back back in high school It was everything was in a book and I just you were really good in woodshop though. Shout out to Joe Brown. That's true Absolutely. Yeah loved loved carpentry and manufacturing technology out there. That was great. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah hands-on hands-off but man, yeah, you give me a book in high school and I make about five minutes into it and like I'm good shouldn't have done that. But but I did right anyway. Yeah. No, that's really good Yeah, if you could talk to yourself back in Jacob's well, I think it's always a hindsight It's an interesting. What would you tell Brian and Jake as well today? What and maybe before and after I'd like to know what would you tell yourself before you bought Jake as well? What would you tell yourself after you take as well like you're on both sides of that? Well yeah, if I either yeah had to do it again or Tell myself something I Do I do wholeheartedly feel if I hadn't gone through Jacob's? Well, I wouldn't be where I am But Pre I think I would have maybe asked more questions pre-purchase And not that anything was wrong, but just for my knowledge because I had no yeah, I had no idea I'm like restaurant cooking Sure sign on the line, I don't know what I'm doing, but that's great. Yeah, but also I think post-purchase I had some ideas on how I wanted it to go and Nothing against anybody, but I I got talked out of those things which at the time I we all thought Okay, that makes sense. We shouldn't do this But I think the changes that we could have made I think would have made Jacob's well make more sense. Yeah But you didn't you know, I didn't know that then you would have gone with your gut Absolutely innovated and yeah, yeah exactly. And so yeah, and I think yeah taking knowledge now of Because I saw what happened and now know this much about business still a small amount But yeah, I think hey we could have we could have done these few things and Got it to thrive pretty well. I Think mm-hmm still depends on community and yeah, what you're what you're doing how you're doing it and executing but I Think we could have done some things a different way, which Maybe someday Going on Food you're not allowed to do the food industry until you retire. That's the that's what we're gonna do You retire that's the that's the rule right Ryan. All right next year. I'm raring I Think a really cool thing about sunflower and reliable is a combination of dirt work and plumbing Really powerful combo sure you can do a lot you can do big you can do small And the water district combos perfect Explain what a water district is. We kind of missed that way earlier. Oh, yeah, what's a rule water? Yes, so when yeah when you turn your Sink on out in the middle of the country a lot of times there is a massive infrastructure that Actually gets the water from El Dorado Lake all the way out to your house Butler County is the largest County in the state of Kansas and It is completely covered by all kinds of pipelines gas and old pipelines but also water pipelines getting water to people's homes on the country and Butler El Dorado Lake runs water through Butler County into Cali County into Greenwood County, you know Everywhere Harvey County all over the place and it's a pretty incredible System that has been built over time From guys that have just been pretty incredible because you see some of the terrain That they've ran pipelines through and it's pretty wild But yeah, so a real water district is just a distribution system for water Yeah to get water to the tap so people can have it and it's Something not a lot of people think about when they turn the water on turn the shower on, you know, it's just there Yeah, wireless water, but I think I always assumed even in the country. It was coming from It's called rain that's rain, yes Yeah Yeah, I think I always just assumed water came from the nearby city, yeah exclusively but sure that there wasn't a middleman. Mm-hmm Yeah, and so yeah the water district there's a there's a board and and every person that owns a meter is Has voting power they can go there talk about it discuss they can yeah, it's cool if they have issues or whatever But yeah, it's a pretty pretty incredible thing all the things that are put in place so we can have luxuries like water How many between the districts you manage with reliable dirt works and sunflower? How many gallons Approximately a year are moving through your districts that you're managing. Oh Yeah, so we've got yeah Between the two districts, we probably have about a hundred and fifty million gallons a year flow through the pipelines When I'm a nation folks we manage about 700 maybe not quite 700 but 650 miles of pipeline and It takes up about a thousand square miles of area in Butler County that we manage there's Seven water towers and Nine pump houses that we that we manage operate every single day throughout about Almost half of Butler County and that's seven days a week right seven days every day Someone's every day running routes inspecting the observing. Yep making going by every tower every pump house Random samples throughout all areas of the districts making sure everyone has Safe drinking water. Yep. It's crazy. So it's a lot of a lot of work. Yeah. Yeah Cool background. I mean, it's essentially what you did at the refinery, but it's just moving Drinking water. Yeah, we talked about that. It's pretty wild that your background was knowing how things move in pipelines Sure. Yep, and then and and refining and cleaning things absolutely over to the water district Did I mean I'm assuming that crossover? Yes. Like yeah, that was took a lot from that. Oh, yeah, absolutely Yeah, the benefit of the water districts is you know, when a line blows up it doesn't catch on fire That's a big difference Wet. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we're not changing water into anything else. It's very simple we're just pumping it from here to there and making sure the towers stay full and yeah keeping the keeping the water in the pipes and that's a Very simplified version of yeah, right refinery. So yeah, but it's been great a lot of my knowledge from the refinery I could bring over into that and yeah, it's helped a lot of things. Yeah, so On the the plumbing side with sunflower because that's more of your Residential facing reliable is not as much residential facing these days unless it's associated with plumbing Yep, I assume On the sunflower plumbing side. What do you pride yourself in? With your team and your crew and yeah, you guys are doing yeah, I think the The Execution of work for Satisfied customers, you know when when they call you back for the next plumbing issue they have later on It's like we're doing something, right, you know, we have this customer base of folks that that keep calling us back Obviously not the next day but later on as they have other issues that be called a callback We try to stay away from that But yeah, so yeah doing Good work clean work, you know, we're we go in we come out. Everything's clean We're not making a mess not leaving a mess, you know when we grade out a yard Obviously if there's a really deep sewer line, we'd let the customer know. Hey, this thing's probably gonna settle and After the rain and it settles call us, you know We'll come out regrade it make it right because it's just kind of with the soil we have it's kind of hard to make that perfect when you Expose six seven foot deep. Yeah lines and stuff but yeah, I think I think keeping our customers happy is the number one thing that I'm That I get excited about yeah doing good work and people keep calling us back. So it's awesome. Yep What's in last? Question, what are your hopes in the next? year And really I guess it's two-part but hopes in the next year, what are you hoping to improve build grow? in 26 Yeah, so with where we are In 2025 we had had a large growth year. So I think in 26 our goal is to Just look over everything as we go through and like I said earlier try to just make sure everything's working as we think it is and Figure out efficiencies. How do we get more efficient? and what you know, what do we need to buy in bulk and invest in to Make it all make sense and do what we're doing the best way we can And I think as we go through, you know With a business you really need a year into it to really even know what it's doing and when different times of the year different things sell and so now, you know March is coming up and I think we can now take last year's numbers and sales and work on marketing Certain things throughout the year makes sense And see what works and what doesn't yeah, so That's yeah. I'm I'm really excited about that this year. And so we'll see we'll see how it goes as we work through it Yeah, yeah, we have a great marketing team killer growth. Yes. Yeah, we appreciate you Yes, we're only as good as our clients. You guys are awesome clients. Yes, so Yeah, it's gonna be a good year. Okay Last question what what? Take away in the last I guess cash should be 20 20. So six years going on six years of self-employment, right? Yes, what's what's the one nugget this guy's sitting on the other end of this podcast right now And he's been thinking about doing it for a while or gal. They got the idea or yeah, they have a chance to buy it. I Think most of this podcast you scared him away, right? From doing it, but there was some good. No, I just really kidding But they have a conviction what's what's your yeah, that's great I think And you know, there's there's people that want to do something and they're like I'm ready to just quit my job and just take the leap and just go for it. Yeah, I It depends on It depends on How big of a risk taker you are? but in the perfect world, I would say Definitely start what you want to do But start it to where you can Do your job and do that on the side? and and just run both of them until that point is I can't do both of them and then When it's time take the leap Because What you think you want to do? might be a great idea, but the Trail you're gonna go down Might have a couple forks in it that you got to navigate before you can go a hundred percent and I think just the safe way to do it is is that and and I've Also heard a lot of guys say the same thing, you know, but I say I say go for it, you know It's nerve-wracking stressful Lots of late nights no sleep, but on the other side of it It is Pretty incredible to see what you can build and it's cool to be able to bring other guys on and And Have them run with you and be like we're doing we're in this together. We're doing all this together. We're making this happen you know, we're Making good lives for not just ourselves, but for everyone that we can bring on the team And that's very satisfying. Yeah, so not everyone's built for the stress load, but yeah, that's It's worth it if you can do it. Yeah, so it's really good Well done. I'd say you did it. I did it podcast numero uno been more to come a whole podcast. You did a podcast. I Asked him how many pockets he'd been on Ryan before this and he said one almost As Tyler Brickley made fun of me yesterday in the podcast I end every podcast with appreciate you. Yeah Thanks for coming on absolutely good time