Rothacker Reviews

The Technician Shop

The Technician Shop is a career, work, education and life resource for technicians.  A technician is a person who works in a residential or commercial setting to repair, replace, maintain or install various things.  From an A/C technician to a window cleaner to a landscaper with a million professions in between.

I created The Technician Shop to help technicians grab hold of their career, work, education and life.  So often I would hear, "my manager doesn't appreciate and recognize me for what I do."  While management should be held accountable for their inadequacies, I must ask, "are you doing everything necessary to be appreciated and recognized?"  Most likely, on this two way street, both parties are at fault.

My message is: Perform your work with passion, care and quality.  Design both a career and educational plan and follow them.  Do it to the point that you can hardly not be appreciated and recognized.  Take care of your health, family and life. 

I'll be reflecting more about this endeavor here at Rothacker Reviews. 

Stop over for a visit and let me know what you think.

Escape From Cubicle Nation

Escape From Cubicle Nation is your personal key to freedom!  Like a weary soul who scraped, clawed and crawled his way across the desert in search of water, I smoked Pamela Slim's most excellent book in search of liberation.  From the tiny molecule in my soul who is standing atop the mountain screaming "no more bosses!" to my entire and collective soul who is getting dry heaves even thinking about Monday mornings, I simply cannot make a more heart felt and direct recommendation: Buy Pam's book today!

Escape From Cubicle Nation is a treasure and as such, I will dip in and review parts of this book with care and reverence.  I will treat it like a fine wine or a seminal Clint Eastwood classic, to be sipped and reveled upon.

Visit Pam's new format at Escape From Cubicle Nation for more info.

Tampa: WFTS ABC Action News

Can you tell when someone is genuine?  Can you tell when they really care?  Do you think a handful of employees can create a positive impression about the company that they work for?  Do you think: When I think about this company, I think about a company that is trying to make a real difference for the people they serve.

A couple of weeks ago along with my wife Rosemary and her mom Mary, I had the privilege of witnessing a live ABC Action News broadcast.  I was so consumed with the reason that we were there and the incredible talent of Deanna Marinello along with the support of her brother Miles and dad Victor, that I almost let a very important story slip by.  But I didn't, thanks to Deiah Riley, Lissette Campos and Wendy Ryan.

A few days later we watched the ABC Action News special Taking Action Against Domestic Violence, hosted by Deiah, Lissette and Wendy.  The grace, dignity and respect in which these three women handled the subject of domestic violence took my breath away.  Rosemary had worked with Lissette in the past on behalf of the All Children's Hospital Tampa Guild and I got to meet Lissette that day in the studio.  So I sent Lissette a note to tell her how I felt about their program.  She mentioned that Joe was also involved.  It was at this precise moment when the collective experience of ABC Action News exploded into a rainbow of meaning, understanding and hospitality!

Back to the story that began to unfold in the studio.  The anchors that day were Dan Shaffer and Deiah Riley, the meteorologist was Stephanie Roberts, Lissette orchestrated Positively Tampa Bay, the cameraman was Tom Gagnier, the teleprompter was Jude Chaison, their boss Charlie Paul and floor director Joe Papadopoulos.  Also in the studio watching the broadcast was a group of kids and their chaperone's from the Canella News Network.

Every single one of the folks from ABC made us feel welcome to be there.  In between working the camera, Tom made sure the on air guests had water and was scrambling around for extra chairs.  During commercials, Joe would talk to everyone (particularly the kids) and let us know what was going on.  This was most impressive as Joe obviously had duties to perform during those commercials.  Following the segment, the crew had a quick debriefing meeting amongst themselves and then held a Q & A session led by Charlie for the kids ( it was open to us as well).  Dan, Deiah, Joe and Charlie graciously and with patience, fielded questions.  The crew was clearly out of time but Charlie fielded one more question from an energetic little guy.  Charlie's kind gesture broadcasted volumes about these folks and their culture.

During the course of events that afternoon in the studio, Miles Marinello leaned over to Rosemary and pointed toward floor director Joe.  He said, "that guy right there is the star of the show!"  I had actually come to the same conclusion on my own.  And when Lissette told me how involved Joe was with the Domestive Violence show, it just all made sense.

But that's not all.  Linda Hurtado and Jackie Calloway were guest judges for the Tampa Bay's Premier Iron Chef Challenge and I had the good fortune to not only meet them but watch them take care of a few business matters (a news report from the event).

Perhaps it is not fair to on air folks.  We can sense that they care and are involved in their stories, but creepy little doubts of, oh they are just acting can whisper into our ears.  I know that not only the on air folks but all of the folks I met from WFTS are genuine.  I know they care.  I know they are hospitable.  And now because of them I have a most favorable and respectful opinion of WFTS ABC Action News in Tampa! 

Do they make a difference to the people who they serve?  They did to Rosemary, Mary, the Marinello's, to me, and they most certainly made a difference to the kids in the studio that day!

Pam Slim: Are You Considering Self-Employment?

Destination: Dave Rothacker, Inc.  Do you need help getting there Dave? 

Uh?  Do the New York Yankees play ball in New York?  Yes I need help!

All righty then, do I have a resource for you, TODAY: Pam Slim

Pam is conducting a free conference call TODAY to help get you started in the right direction.  Do you know when you go to park at a large public event?  There usually are several people who flag you towards a parking space.  This is what Pam is doing today.  And this is her parking space.

Based upon the coaching call that I have already participated in with Pam, the decision to take advantage of her offer is a no-brainer. 

Definition of a guy who gets it: Jonathan Fields.  Jonathan sent out a Tweet a few minutes ago giving everyone a heads up on Pam's call.  For perspective, this is like Wal-Mart sending out an e-mail newsletter announcing K-Mart's Blue Light special.  This is how you do business today folks!  It doesn't get any better than that.

What's Up With The Alien Dave? Part IV

The heavy hatchet of censorship tried to get us...

From day one to the last day that AREA51HVAC.COM was alive, an air of positiveness coursed through our code.  Although, due to various articles written about us, our names were publicly associated with the site, we never once mentioned our real names online nor did we ever mention the company that we worked for, until the very last day.

Large companies did not take the time to understand what we were all about.  Fortunately, industry consultants, journalists and small company owners did.  We worked for a very large company.  When news reached upper levels of management that I would be attending a national trade association event, they approached me and said that I was not allowed to talk about AREA51HVAC because I was going on their dime.

Can you imagine?!  I was only attending this event.  I was not a speaker or involved in any other manner than that of trying to enhance my knowledge.  Needless to say, I not only talked about A51, I passed out book markers with our information.  And, in the largest attended seminar of the event the facilitator, unknowing to me, did a segment on our site!

The industry-wide corporate attitude towards Web sites like ours reflected a reluctance to entertain new ideas, to learn, develop and grow.  It was very frustrating. Although there are progressive organizations like the Service Roundtable, that do push this industry forward, the backwoods mentality still persists.

I am forever grateful for the opportunity to have worked with Tom and Steve on A51 and for the relationships that we developed and the doors that were opened.  The Starship screams through space today, terrorizing the boundaries of status-quo, at least within my mind.

What's Up With The Alien Dave? Part III

...and so we built a Starship.

Although sitting around the Campfire was a cross-pollinating experience chock full of learning from different corners of the HVAC industry, it was passive.  We needed to mobilize and move forward.  Here's how the Starship did just that:

She travels at speeds beyond human comprehension. Her size fluctuates according to occupants. Her structure is metamorphic, ever-changing as it incorporates the new technology and business ideas of those on board. The Starship Cruiser is a vehicle built to vaporize boundaries and limitations. She will take us to the very brink of our imaginations. And with but a glimpse of visions to be, she engages the afterburners…………….blasting us forward, screaming to shatter the barriers of conventional thinking and complacency. How can a ship accomplish such noble tasks you ask? Because her fuel is the collective passion of those on board. The passion to learn, share knowledge, information and ideas. Through this collaborative effort she reaches destinations impossible for one human being...or Alien.

We had a blast!  Just three guys who wanted to push our industry forward.  We gained a small amount of notoriety within the profession and were being compared to other online trade businesses.  (we didn't make money from our endeavors).  And then later on that year, the Man paid us a visit.  He brought with him the heavy-handed hatchet of censorship...or tried to.

What's Up With The Alien Dave? Part II

In 1996 the Internet allowed my personal learning to go on steroids.  For two years I perused industry sites and ate up any morsels of information that I could get my hands on.  Then in 1998 I ran into a Wall.

Work continued to be a drag in 1998 with the exception of two hombres.  Tom and Steve.  My title was commercial service manager and Tom and Steve were high end service techs.  They also shared my passion to learn.  The three of us discovered The Wall at DanHolohan.com. This was the name of the area on Dan's site where others in our industry who were as passionate to learn as us, hung out.  It has evolved today to HeatingHelp.com. It was beautiful man.  Then we got the idea to launch our own site.  The goal was to get people from every corner of our industry to join in our community to share information, knowledge and ideas.  

One day, Tom was working in his garage.  He was always performing experiments with electronic and mechanical objects.  His neighbor walked into his laboratory and said, "My God Tom, this looks like AREA 51!" In January of 1999, AREA51HVAC.COM debuted.  

In the beginning we envisioned ourselves sitting inside a cave around a huge campfire that overlooked Groom Lake.  We used poetic license, our lake had water (the cave also had many air vents).  As folks would come to visit our site, they would take a seat around the campfire.  Knowledge, information and ideas turned into stories.  And stories turned into learning.  The atmosphere was electric, eclectic and energetic. 

Soon however, we began to run out of room inside of the cave.  So we built a Starship...

What's Up With The Alien Dave?

I would like to share the part of my journey where the Alien came into my life.  I will do this over four posts.

Well it's about time you put your picture up on the site Davo!  Now you know we gotta ask about that Alien on your shirt...

Yes I do.  It all began about ten years ago when three guys were sitting in a cave around a campfire overlooking Groom lake...

Actually it started twenty-five years ago when I began my career in the HVAC industry. (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning). I began as a truck driver.  After working for one month I developed an insatiable desire to learn more about the business.  I was given the keys to the office and would come into work an hour or two early everyday to read as much material as I could get my hands on.  I studied the technical side of the business for the first four years.  I then transitioned to the business side.  Following one year as a driver I got into service operations and have had the position of manager attached to my title until January of 2009, when I resigned.

The year was 1993 and fulfillment slowly began to slip away from the day job.  So I started joining industry associations and turbo-charged my effort to learn.  In 1994 I became aware of the Internet.  Rosemary began to research computers in 1995.  She obtained a year long subscription to Computer Shopper and read every issue from cover to back.  That was when the magazine was nearly two inches thick.  We bought our first computer in 1996 and hitched up our wagon to the Internet.

That was the year that Dave became a closet extrovert.

Alien part II

Alien part III

Alien part IV

The Red Rubber Ball At Work

The Red Rubber Ball At Work by Kevin Carroll.

Kevin: 

"The red rubber ball represents play to me. It's an activity, topic or purpose that makes you excited about the day.

Your red rubber ball is what grabs you by the soul. It's what captures your imagination.  It's what you do when no one tells you what to do, when you're alone in your room, on the playground or in your head. It's what you daydream, and that dream can become your life's work...if you let it."

Kevin must have had a blast writing this book! I picture him in a sandbox with small plastic people, popsicle sticks, magic markers, poster board and Legos.

OK (Old Kevin) knows that playtime dominated most of our childhood.  He figures that that play could be the origin of the skills, talents and competencies that we employ at work today.  As with any good postulation, one must come up with concrete evidence to help support his case.  So YK (Young Kevin) goes to the playground.  He kicks his soccer ball off of the school wall and thinks, maybe I could get some people to help tell my story.  We could build the story around work disciplines that readers are familiar with.  Then we could equate how childhood play helped to form these disciplines later in life.

So YK takes some popsicle sticks and builds five structures in his sandbox.  He names these disciplines using magic markers: Innovation, Results, Teamwork, Leadership and Curiosity.  He gathers all of his plastic people figures into the town's community center and tells them of his plans.  He meets individually with each and everyone.  He asks them what play meant to them as children, what they do for a living today and how play influences them at work.  Then he matches their stories and experiences to the appropriate discipline.  OK knows that us readers love information and resources.  So at the end of each chapter he provides stuff for us to Look at, stuff for us to Read and stuff for us to Do.

YK knows that best results are often obtained when we play with others.  So he calls for YA (Young Ann) to come out to play.  YK and YA play. Together they build a most memorable and gorgeous sand castle.

The Red Rubber Ball at Work will delight your senses and stimulate your intellect.  OK's plastic people figures are a seriously interesting group of characters.  Seth Godin, Tom Kelly, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Malcolm Gladwell are just a few of the folks in OK's sandbox. 

Napoleon Hill, a member of Od's (Old dave), imaginary council, once said, "The imagination is literally the workshop wherein are fashioned all plans created by man."  Od thinks that imagination will always keep OK a YK and if he continues to hang around YA he will be Okay.

You gotta get this book today, OK?

Beyond Trend

Beyond Trend by Matt Mattus

Beyond Trend is laced with a passion for design.  It is sooooo inspiring!  Like little kids grow up and want to be police and firemen, after reading Matt's book (three times now), I want to be a designer!  If I were involved in an association for designers, I'd make Beyond Trend required reading for members.  If I owned a company that used designers and caught them reading Beyond Trend, I'd promote them.  Okay, that last one's a stretch.  But their value in my eyes sure would increase.

The business world today is paying attention to the wink of design leaders.  "Pssst guys!  Get on board.  Good design will capture your customer's heart and soul."  Whether you have companies that truly get the benefits of design or companies led by CEO's who have a vague idea of what design is: "Bob, I think there is something to this design thing.  Create a design department.  Stick it between the mailroom and accounting."...the field is opening wide up.  While more people are filling creative roles, the creative work-output is growing exponentially and growing exponentially vanilla.  An overabundance of design and an overabundance of sameness.  Matt:

...it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell a Target TV ad from a Sears ad.

Moving beyond trend is Matt's answer to his own question: "In an over-designed world, how does a designer design?"  How one gets there is what this book is all about.

Basically, Matt's book is written to and for designers, those in the trenches trying to crank out new and creative work.  But he sneaks in a chapter devoted to their bosses.  It is pure gold.  In very clear and concise terms, Matt delineates between the two styles of companies I reference above. 

There is one really strong theme that courses through Matt's work.  It is the foundation and framework for moving beyond trend.  It begins with a passion for design.  And it ends with the ability to explain your output.  What informed us?  Why did it?  And where did this influence come from?  Matt asks:

How can you problem solve, or create "new," or "get it" (and help others "get it") if you never did in the first place?

The ability of a designer to move beyond trend is directly related to the work that they put in between the passion part and the explanation part.  Matt guides the student of design here with a carefully created map on how to get there and how to become a culture creator at the same time.

Matt designed this book himself and infuses brilliant pictures, illustration and art to help tell his story. 

I smoked-n-signed Beyond Trend.  It is one of the best books I've ever read!

"Jeepers dave, that's a pretty strong statement!"

You know why I feel so strongly about this book?  Because I think it's not only a recipe for designers to elevate their game above status-quo, but it will also help other creatives like artists and writers!!