Hey everyone, hope things are going great and spring is coming your way instead of the seemingly infinite winter that has happened this year. As you know, the NWFA has a very busy technical school schedule this year. My good friend Michael Smith from Distinctive Wood Floors in Bend, Ore., was scheduled for a school, which unfortunately was cancelled. When he told me that, I said, "Let's make lemonade from lemons" and invited him to come down to the warm California weather, where we spent a few days working with Avi and working on developing content for his marketing efforts.
While Michael was here, we were able to share with him a lot of techniques such as rolling finish, staining with a buffer, etc., in a real job-site application. Avi and I are somewhat different with our approach to contracting sometimes. This difference is valuable for someone to pick and choose which approach works best for their needs. Although these skills are taught during the schools, it is often re-assuring to practice them again with someone else on a job site for the value of repetition. Avi and I also administered his hands-on certification test for Certified Professionals so he could be certified in sand and finish. We also had a great time sharing business insights and any tips on estimating or business we could offer.
We're often under the impression that learning has to be a formal affair, which is not always the case. Sometimes the best way to learn is through the stories of others and networking face-to-face on job sites. Good contractors come together and help grow this industry, whether it is on a job site or a classroom. For those readers who may not have the money to attend formal training just yet, you should consider finding someone around you who is willing to share new skills on a job site or some business insights. Often, the smallest little "golden nugget" can mean the world instead of staying stuck in the same patterns that may be plateauing your potential.
Here is a video of all three of us on Avi's job site after I schooled him on how to roll finish like a member of the Jedi Council:
